People of PacifiCan: Ben Letts
Meet Ben. Whether he’s planning funding announcements as a Senior Communications Advisor or spinning the latest hits for his kid’s local hockey team, this suburban dad is committed to making B.C. a better place!
How did you arrive at PacifiCan?
I’ve worked in Communications for most of my career, in various Government of Canada departments. Communications touches on so many different parts of the agency so I get to learn a lot, which keeps things really interesting. When I saw the opportunity at PacifiCan (then Western Diversification or WD), it seemed like a great chance to learn some new skills – and it has been. I’ve worked on so many interesting files and seen so many amazing communities throughout the province.
What interests you about PacifiCan?
The people – my colleagues and our clients. Everyone at the agency is 100% committed to their work and are so awesome to collaborate with. And every day we are working with energetic entrepreneurs, innovators and community leaders who have creative ideas about how they can work with us to make B.C. a better place.
What do you do in a typical day?
No day is the same – from planning funding announcements and drafting communications plans to writing key messages and strategic thinking. There’s tons of variety here so it’s never boring. Plus, my team is awesome!
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
I can drive through pretty much any community in B.C. and point to a playground full of kids or a bustling community centre or an innovative business that we funded and know that PacifiCan had a role in supporting its success.
A few “quick facts”
Location: Vancouver
Education: Bachelor of Arts (School of Communications), Simon Fraser University
Started at PacifiCan: April 2011
Favourite project or experience at PacifiCan
There are so many. When we support funding announcements, I get to visit communities throughout B.C. that I normally wouldn’t get to see, which is pretty cool. There are so many amazing places around the province.
Any advice you have for people who may want to join PacifiCan?
If you want to work for a small agency that feels like a family and that is full of dedicated people committed to making B.C. the best it can be, then come here. You’ll never want to leave.
Can you give us one or two things that you enjoy outside of work?
I like cooking. I made my first tourtière recently as well as a pho. The tourtière was great, but I feel I missed a step with the pho. Not as good as my neighbourhood place. I am also the rink DJ for my kid’s hockey team, so have to be up to speed on the latest arena hits.
Name 3 songs that are on your Spotify Playlist:
- Moonlight Desires, Gowan
- The Sun Always Shines on TV, A-ha
- Never Gonna Give You Up, Rick Astley (we play this song at the end of hockey games)