Orchard View

Orchard View Coaching, Facilitation & Mediation offers a judgement-free zone for personal and professional improvement for individuals, nonprofits, corporations, and municipalities.

We work across areas including:

• Personal Coaching

• Refugee and Newcomer Support

• Increasing Diversity 

• Arts Leadership

• Economic Development

• Leadership and Board Governance

• Facilitation and Education 

• Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution 

All sessions take a pragmatic, practical approach to problem solving, guided by the desire to get to the root of an issue, address issues in ways that seem feasible, and avoid complicated, multi-step approaches and jargon. We can meet online via video-conference, or in person. If other accommodations are necessary, please let me know so we can best support you and your team.

About Rachel (she/her)

Rachel Manko Lutz is an award-winning educator, musician, and advocate. Raised in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Rachel lived in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Kingston Ontario before returning to Nova Scotia in 2020. Since her return to the province, she has worked with newcomers, youth, the LGBTQ+ population, members of First Nations and other marginalized groups in major international and provincial organizations like L’Arche, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Community College, Acadia University, and Dalhousie University.

With a background in the arts, Rachel is the founder and conductor of the Halifax and Dartmouth Newcomer Choirs, and the Executive Director of the Newcomer Choir Association Canada, a ground-breaking initiative that uses choral singing as a tool to help newcomers to Canada learn English and integrate into their new community. Her efforts have been documented by national media outlets, including CBC News, Broadview Magazine, and The Globe and Mail. Rachel is one of the winners of the 2023 Doris Anderson Award for Canadian changemaking, and the Daniel Mark Advocacy Award in Law.

Rachel's commitment to creating welcoming communities extends beyond the choir. As the Executive Director of the Newcomer Choir Association - Canada, she has played a pivotal role in expanding the organization's reach. Under her leadership, the association has launched a new choir team in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and intends to extend the reach of Newcomer Choir Canada across the country.

Rachel holds a law degree and a Master of Education degree with a focus on social justice education. She has presented her research at conferences across Canada, including at Queen’s Law School, Teaching English as a Second Language British Columbia, and various small business symposia.

Through Orchard View, Rachel consults and provides trauma-informed workshops and training sessions for individuals, nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Her focus on conflict management, employee-employer support, mediation, and mindset work with a newcomer lens has made her a sought-after expert in the field.

Ethics Dip., TESL, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., J.D.

Education

Juris Doctor - Queen’s Law School

• Concentration in Child and Youth Law

Masters of Education - Memorial University of Newfoundland

• Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies

• Speciality in Social Justice Education

Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate - University of Calgary

Bachelor of Education - Queen’s University

• Speciality in At-Risk Children and Trauma-Informed Practice

Bachelor of Arts - Memorial University of Newfoundland

• Political Science & Philosophy

Diploma in Applied Ethics - Memorial University of Newfoundland

Additional Courses

Building an Inclusive Organization (University of Alberta)

Non-Violent Crisis Intervention

Entrepreneurship for Migrants and Refugees (UNITAR)

Mental Health First Aid

PRIDE Training for Foster Parents and Guardians

Read more about Rachel here

About Kate (she/her)

Kate Spencer is a seasoned marketing, communications, and project management professional with over a decade of experience helping teams ranging from multinational nonprofits to solo ventures increase efficiencies and communication flow. She has a history of excelling in positions of leadership across multiple interdepartmental teams, bringing human connection to projects and bridging the gap between departments by identifying common goals and implementing strategies to enhance communication.

Kate has a particular expertise in arts and nonprofits. She has most recently been a member of the project management team at the Canadian Red Cross, where she initiated and ran a portfolio of six figure projects. Her work involved translating complex health and first aid data into accessible educational materials that reduced stigma and promoted public health outcomes in areas including opioid harm reduction and support of frontline workers put at increased risk due to COVID-19.

In the music world, Kate was a member of the marketing department for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where she managed all marketing events including festivals and special projects, sourced and compiled all content development for a major website redesign that greatly increased accessibility, and developed and wrote scripts for the Sunday Night with the TSO radio show on Classical FM, which held the number one listenership for its time slot.

After landing in Halifax in early 2021, Kate quickly found her creative niche in her new province. She has sung with several prominent choral groups in the area, building on her previous decade of Ontario choral experience. Her work with the Halifax Camerata Singers evolved into also providing consultation services in the areas of strategic planning, audience development, marketing and communications plans, artistic vision, and educational outreach. Kate is a member of the board of the Newcomer Association - Canada where she specializes in pursuing strategic partnerships and increasing media coverage.

Kate is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility - removing all barriers that prevent there being an open playing field where all voices have the opportunity to be heard. During her time at the Canadian Red Cross, she audited Diversity, Equity, and Belonging standards for her department and set a path for improvement, setting standards that exceeded past measures in anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks.

Kate is also a prodigious writer and journalist - and since obtaining her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Ryerson University (now the Toronto Metropolitan University) has provided articles and commentary for Broadview magazine.he has covered such topics as the intersection of gender identity and faith, healing generational trauma in Indigenous communities, and maintaining sanity and connection in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.