2026 Conference Speakers

keynote speakers

Eleanor Mohammed

Eleanor Mohammed, RPP, FCIP, EP, MTCP is a globally recognized urban planner and positive changemaker with over two decades of leadership across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. A Partner at DIALOG, she advances transformative solutions in urban governance and land use planning. Currently the Chair of the UN-Habitat Professionals Forum, an Advisory Board Member of the Arab Urban Development Institute, and a Board Director at Canada’s National Capital Commission, she drives local and global initiatives in sustainable city-building and climate resilience. A former President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners, the Canadian Institute of Planners, and the Alberta Professional Planners Institute, she has spearheaded diverse projects, from sustainable development advocacy and professional capacity building to multilateral international engagement. She was also recognized on the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (U.K.) International Women of Influence list. Eleanor holds a Master of Arts with Distinction in Town and Country Planning from the University of the West of England (U.K.) and an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Environmental Management.

David Campbell

David Campbell is the President of Jupia Consultants Inc., an economic development consulting and research firm based in New Brunswick. He has more than 30 years’ experience as a consultant working with industry, not-for-profit organizations and governments across Canada. He has completed projects in more than 50 Atlantic Canadian communities in all four provinces.  His community work involves economic development planning, population growth, workforce supply/demand and industry development.

From 2015 to 2017, David was Chief Economist with the Government of New Brunswick. In that role, he led the development of economic policy, economic development strategy and people attraction efforts for the provincial government.

In addition to co-authoring Towards Prosperity: The Transformation of Atlantic Canada’s Economy (2025), David writes the It’s the Economy, Stupid! Substack and co-hosts the Insights podcast with Don Mills and David Campbell. He was a long-time columnist with Brunswick News and has been a contributing writer to multiple other publications including the Globe and Mail.  In 2026, he was appointed as a Fellow with the Ottawa-based Public Policy Forum.

David is the Chair of the Board of the Multicultural Agency of the Greater Moncton Area (MAGMA), and a member of the Crandall University Board of Governors.  He has been involved with over a dozen other community organizations over his three-decade career.

Mobile Workshop SPeakers

Mobile Workshop #1: Take a Walk on the Summerside

Sara Barrett

Sara Barrett is a museum and cultural programming professional with over twelve years of experience in the heritage sector and over a decade of experience creating and delivering community programming. She’s worked with Summerside’s Culture Summerside Department since 2018. She supports and leads year-round cultural initiatives, including municipal festivals, exhibitions, educational programming, public engagement, and community partnerships.

Sara holds a postgraduate certificate in Museum and Gallery Studies from Georgian College and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and History from the University of Guelph. Her work is focused on creating meaningful cultural experiences that celebrate Summerside’s evolving story.

Aaron MacDonald

(bio coming soon)

Greg Gaudet

(bio coming soon)

session speakers

Session Title: Public Lands to Planned Community Growth: How Fredericton is Aligning Infrastructure, Funding, and Planning to Deliver Development-Ready Neighbourhoods

Connor Wallace MCIP, RPP (Presenter and Panel Moderator)

Connor is a Principal at zzap, an architecture and planning firm located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At zzap, Connor leads a variety of planning and development projects, ranging from municipal growth plans to site-specific development applications. He leverages his comprehensive knowledge of regulatory frameworks, combined with client goals, to identify and apply best practices that suit each project and its context. He enjoys bringing people together to build consensus through a collaborative approach. Connor was the consultant planner and project manager for the Southeast Fredericton and Cliffe Street / Brown Boulevard growth areas. 

Fredrick Van Rooyen MCIP, RPP (Panellist)

Fredrick is a Senior Planner with the City of Fredericton. Fredrick has been responsible for a wide range of planning processes working within the municipal setting and has developed a strong background and knowledge in development review, planning policies, processes, and principles. Most recently, Fredrick has been actively working on larger policy files at the city, including the Southeast New Neighbourhood Secondary Municipal Plan and Cliffe Street/Brown Boulevard growth area. Fredrick has been with the City of Fredericton for 5 years, and has previous planning experience in rural, suburban, and urban municipalities across Ontario. Fredrick has an Undergraduate Degree in Urban Planning (BES) and a Masters Degree in Economic Development and Innovation (MEDI) both from the University of Waterloo.

Sarah Young P. Eng. (Panellist)

Sarah is a Professional Engineer and Project Manager with over 12 years of experience in procurement, municipal engineering, and urban development. She has led the detailed design and delivery of numerous interdisciplinary land development projects, serving in key roles including project manager, contract administrator, and lead designer. Sarah brings extensive experience in site planning, grading and servicing design, and the development of stormwater management systems, with a strong ability to navigate complex, site-specific constraints through practical and innovative solutions. She was the consultant engineering lead for both the Southeast Fredericton and Cliffe Street / Brown Boulevard growth area projects, supporting the alignment of infrastructure planning with long-term community growth objectives.

Melissa Steeves P. Eng. (Panellist)

Melissa Steeves is a Professional Engineer with decades of experience spanning both the public and private sectors. As Manager of Engineering Services with the City of Fredericton, she has led a wide range of municipal infrastructure and land development initiatives, bringing a strong understanding of servicing, implementation, and long-term asset planning. Melissa was the lead municipal engineer for both the Southeast Fredericton and Cliffe Street / Brown Boulevard growth area projects, playing a key role in aligning infrastructure planning, funding strategies, and municipal priorities to support sustainable community growth.

Session Title: Balancing Growth and Conservation: New Approaches to Charlottetown’s Heritage Policy • Includes Mobile Tour

Brad Vince RPP, MCIP (Presenter)

Natalie Munn

Natalie Munn is a Heritage Officer with the City of Charlottetown, where she works to preserve and share the city’s rich history through policy, outreach, and public engagement. A graduate of the University of Prince Edward Island and Dalhousie University, she has been active in Prince Edward Island’s heritage sector for more than 30 years, working as a Heritage Officer, author, curator, archivist, and volunteer on various boards and committees concerning architectural heritage and heritage education.

Session Title: Balancing Growth and Infrastructure Needs Through a Holistic Planning Approach

Erik Karvinen MCIP, RPP, PLE, Manager

Erik is a Registered Professional Planner and a Professional Land Economist with 20 years of experience specializing in demographic and economic forecasting, growth management strategies, housing needs, real estate market analysis, and strategic policy development. Over the past two decades, Erik has managed and coordinated a range of high-profile economic and planning studies completed for municipal clients across Canada. Erik also has significant experience in leading community engagements and stakeholder consultation for a variety of studies utilizing a range of communication and engagement tools. Erik has led employment land strategies, growth management strategies, housing studies, business cases, and market studies.

Navreet Bains MBA, PLE, Senior Project Coordinator

Navreet joined the firm in the spring of 2018 and primarily works in the field of financial impact analyses. Navreet has assisted in the completion of a number of studies across Canada for Moncton, NB, Fredericton, NB, Dieppe, NB, Shediac, NB, and Metro Vancouver, BC. Navreet holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from McMaster University. Navreet also specializes in the areas of development charges, water and wastewater utility rate studies, and long-term financial plans.

Session Title: Protecting the Chignecto Wildlife Corridor

Tracey Wade MCIP, RPP (Presenter)

Tracey has more than 25 years of experience in climate change adaptation, recreation/park planning, land use planning, community development, sustainability planning and strategic planning in primarily rural and small communities. As part of We6 Planning Group, Tracey has led several projects including the Wolastoq Priority Plan Land Use Guide and regional projects with the Southeast Regional Service Commission. Living and working on the Isthmus for most of her career, Tracey is a long-time member of the Chignecto Climate Change Collaborative. She has a graduate degree in Rural Planning and Development.

Session Title: Taking Action to Meet Housing Demand: Impacts of the Housing Accelerator Fund and Next Steps

Stéphane Melanson (Presenter)

As a Senior Specialist with the Municipal Relations team at CMHC, Stéphane works with municipalities in NB and the City of Toronto to support them in their housing journeys. Aside from the delivery of the Housing Accelerator Fund, Stéphane also delivered the cities stream of the Rapid Housing Initiative 3 program.  Before joining CMHC, he worked closely with various municipalities as the Director of Regional Operations for the Province of NB’s Property Assessment Services branch.

Andrew Reid MCIP, RPP

Andrew Reid serves as the Housing Manager for the City of Saint John. In his current role, he leads the City’s housing initiatives, working to develop and implement strategies that address the evolving housing needs of Saint John residents. Andrew has worked with municipalities for over ten years to improve community outcomes through planning. Will present biography of other municipal presenters once confirmed and available.

Isabelle Laplante

Isabelle Laplante est coordonnatrice au logement à la Ville d’Edmundston où elle contribue au développement et à la mise en œuvre d’initiatives municipales visant à répondre aux besoins croissants en matière de logement. Forte de plus de 20 ans d’expérience en développement économique communautaire, dont plus de 10 ans au sein de l’équipe de la Ville d’Edmundston, elle travaille à mobiliser les partenaires, à développer des leviers municipaux et à mettre en place des solutions favorisant la création de logements adaptés aux réalités de la communauté.

Isabelle Laplante is the Housing Coordinator for the City of Edmundston where she contributes to the development and implementation of municipal initiatives aimed at addressing the community’s growing housing needs. With more than 20 years of experience in community economic development, including more than 10 years with the City of Edmundston team, she works to engage partners, develop municipal tools and implement solutions that support the creation of housing that reflects the realities of the community.

Jordan MacDonald

Jordan MacDonald is the Executive Director of Develop West Prince, a non-profit community development organization working to promote growth and prosperity in Western PEI. In this role Jordan has supported the completion of a regional housing needs assessment and supported local municipalities through the CMHC HAF application and administration process. Other areas of work completed by Develop West Prince includes a regional Community Energy and Emissions Plan, tourism Destination Development Plan, and capacity building among individuals and organizations.

Martin Beck

Martin Beck is a Czech national with nearly 20 years of professional experience in urban planning in Canada. Marty holds a degree in Community Design from Dalhousie’s School of Planning and Architecture. He spent 16 years with the City of Calgary where he worked in a wide range of planning and leadership roles. He returned to Nova Scotia in 2023 and now serves as the Director of Planning & Development with the Town of Yarmouth.

Session Title: The North End’s Next Chapter: Secondary Planning for a Historic Saint John Neighbourhood

Sam Burns (Presenter)

A Senior Planner with the City of Saint John, Sam Burns is a project lead for the City’s North End Neighbourhood Plan. Sam is passionate about housing affordability, mixed-use development, and promoting pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to create healthy, diverse, and sustainable communities. Prior to joining the City of Saint John, Sam worked as Project Manager for a consulting firm in the Chicago area and as a Planner for several municipalities in the Twin Cities Metro Region. Sam is a certified member of the American Planning Association and is working towards certification with the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Yeva Mattson

Yeva is a Planner with the City of Saint John, with experience in policy initiatives and development files. Her expertise ranges from shaping community visions through the North Neighborhood Plan to managing technical rezonings, amendments, and subdivisions. She approaches every challenge with a commitment to creativity, transparency, and a collaborative mindset. Yeva is most at home in walkable, cyclable, urban environments where vibrant public spaces meet local amenities, ideally with a coffee shop or bakery just around the corner.

Rejane Padaratz 

Rejane is a Principal, Urban Design at Fotenn’s Ottawa office with extensive experience in architectural and urban design practice in various stages of the design process. She has broad experience working with both private and public clients, with key high lights to leading the Confederation Heights Master Plan for Canada Lands Company and the Manor Park Master Plan both in the City of Ottawa. These experiences have helped Rejane develop a sense of how important it is to develop projects that are not only aesthetically pleasing but are also people-focused, minimize impact on the environment, and are economically viable.

Bria Aird

Bria is a senior planner in Fotenn’s Ottawa office with municipal, non-profit and consulting experience. Through her land development projects at Fotenn, Bria has developed a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in development, providing a strong foundation for her work in policy development, master planning and municipal planning services.  Planning for climate change is a driver for Bria, and she seeks collaborative solutions that align feasibility, affordability/equity and sustainability to achieve better outcomes through planning.

Session Title: Engaging on Shoreline Management Planning in PEI 

Janice Harper RPP, MCIP

Janice is a Registered Professional Planner with a wide range of experience at all levels of government, both as an employee and as a consultant, with extensive experience at the municipal and provincial levels.   She has worked on Prince Edward Island for over 20 years and currently works as a planning consultant with the We6 Planning Group. She has developed municipal documents, worked on coastal planning, researched conservation and habitat protection, and is co-leading engagement for the Shoreline Management Plan project currently underway.

Samantha Murphy RPP, FCIP

Samantha is a registered professional planner, focused primarily on municipal planning, policy, and governance in PEI and Atlantic Canada. Samantha’s 25 years of experience includes municipal and provincial planning and, since 2020, private consulting. She recently joined with several long-term colleagues to form the We6 Planning Group. Much of Sam’s recent work has been focused on climate resilient communities, parks and trail planning, and housing, and she is co-leading engagement for the PEI Shoreline Management Plan project currently underway.

Session Title: Start Small, Plan Big: From Community Work to Policy Impact

Katie Lindsay (Presenter)

Katie Lindsay is the Community Development Coordinator at the Capital Region Service Commission. Graduating from the New Brunswick Community College with a diploma from the Human Services Program in 2018, her work has taken across many aspects of community. Her work now with the Commission began in 2024 and is now focused within 3 main pillars pinpointed by the Overcoming Poverty Together 4 put forward by the Economic Social Inclusion Corporation. While working on moving the needle within the three pillars she has continued to connect and collaborate across sectors to convene and connect.

Sarah Hilborn 

Sarah Hilborn is a Planner with the Capital Region Service Commission. She focuses on policy planning for rural communities. Sarah started at the Commission in 2025 after graduating from Dalhousie University’s Bachelor of Community Design Program, with an Honours in Urban Design and Planning and Sustainability with a certificate of Indigenous Studies. Through her education and work, Sarah has come to recognize the interconnected aspects between Community Development and the policy work as a planner.

Session Title: The Designation Station: A Podcast and Halifax’s Most Quiet Neighbors: The Lively Politics of Planning with the Deceased

Maria Lutes (Presenter)

Timothy Gouveia (Presenter)