Laurie Guthrie 

Economic Development Specialist / Smart City Project Manager, City of Fredericton

As a long-serving employee of the City of Fredericton, Laurie Guthrie has worked primarily in the field of economic development - spearheading various strategic initiatives to cultivate economic growth, and to earn Fredericton’s brand equity as a ‘Smart City’ and ‘Startup Capital of Canada’.

As Vision 2020 Project Manager, Laurie steered the consultant and 250 stakeholders in the development of Fredericton’s economic development strategy - resulting in a five-year secondment to the community’s economic development agency to facilitate implementation of Vision 2020.  She led the rebranding of Ignite Fredericton; creation of task forces to drive priority sector growth; and development of the region’s investment attraction strategy and tool-kit.  Laurie also managed the Marketing & Communications Division of Ignite Fredericton, Planet Hatch and Knowledge Park.

Last summer, Laurie returned to her roots to fulfil the role of Smart City Project Manager when Fredericton was shortlisted among 200 Canadian municipalities in Infrastructure Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge, competing as a top ten finalist at $10-million prize level.  

Laurie earned her national certified economic developer designation, EcD, in 2005 awarded by the University of Waterloo and Economic Developers Association of Canada, as well as her international designation, CEcD, through the International Economic Development Council.  Laurie also holds a Bachelor of Integrated Studies degree from the University of New Brunswick.

Through the years, Laurie has provided leadership and served on numerous committees and collaborative initiatives earning her Canada’s Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award and the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce’s President’s Award.