Our Team
Richard Harding, Founder & Principal.
Harding Strategies is a one-principal firm. Richard Harding leads every engagement personally, drawing on more than 30 years of senior leadership in B.C. municipal government.
Richard Harding
Founder & Principal
MA Urban & Regional Planning · BSc Recreation Administration, University of Oregon
LinkedIn ProfileRichard Harding currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer for the District of Ucluelet. He previously served as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer and General Manager of Community Services for the City of Nanaimo, where he oversaw a budget of more than $100 million across Fire/Rescue, Parks, Recreation and Culture, Bylaws, Social Planning, and RCMP Municipal Support Services, and provided strategic support to the CAO on Council priorities and intergovernmental relations.
From 2007 to 2023, Richard served as the City of Nanaimo's Director, and later General Manager, of Parks, Recreation and Culture, leading planning, design, construction, and operations for services and facilities drawing close to one million participations a year on an annual budget exceeding $28 million. During this period, he also served as Interim City Manager.
Earlier in his career, Richard held progressively senior planning and parks management roles with the City of Nanaimo, and spent over 20 years as a part-time instructor in Vancouver Island University's Tourism and Recreation Degree Program.
Richard holds a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration, both from the University of Oregon.
Associates
Associate Consultants
For engagements that require specialized expertise, Harding Strategies draws on a trusted network of associates — experienced practitioners in areas including land use planning, financial management, community engagement, and municipal law. We bring in the right people for the work, not the largest team.
Caleb Harding
Associate Consultant
Caleb Harding brings five years of experience in non-profit operations, organizational management, and fundraising. He has a particular focus on intergovernmental programming and funding — navigating the relationships and processes between levels of government that shape how resources reach communities.
Caleb holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Victoria, with a focus on Canadian systems of government. He is based in Tofino, B.C., and works with clients across the province.
Work with us.
Whether you have a defined project or a problem you're still trying to name, we're glad to talk.