CONFERENCE PROGRAM
2025 Conference Speaker Bios
Corrie Davis, MCIP | Director of Planning and Development, Town of Conception Bay South
Mobile Workshop #1
Corrie Davis, MCIP. Planner, bicyclist and resident of St. John’s. Corrie is the Director of Planning and Development with the Town of Conception Bay South, where he has worked since 2017. Corrie previously worked in professional municipal planning capacities with the City of Mount Pearl and the Town of Torbay. Corrie also worked at Municipal Affairs NL, where he led the Department’s land use planning group between 2008 & 2017. Corrie lives in St. John’s and routinely bikes around the region.
Alanna Felt, MCIP | Senior Planner, City of Mount Pearl
Mobile Workshop #1
Alanna Felt, MCIP, (she/her) is a senior planner with the City of Mount Pearl, bringing over a decade of experience in urban development, land use policy, and community engagement. In her work, Alanna advocates for inclusive and sustainable communities through collaborative planning, gentle density strategies, and context-sensitive design. Her work focuses on managing urban growth and addressing contemporary challenges while enhancing livability and respecting the distinct character and natural environment of local neighbourhoods. Alanna holds a master’s degree in urban planning from McGill University (2014) and a master’s degree in Anthropology from Memorial University (2016). Her interdisciplinary background underpins a comprehensive approach to planning—one that integrates spatial, social, and cultural considerations in the shaping of the built environment. Alanna has a long-standing dedication to fostering resilient and equitable communities through people-centred policies and meaningful public engagement, with a strong emphasis on collaboration with residents, stakeholders, and professionals.
Amer Afridi, P. Eng | Manager of Transportation Engineering, City of St. John’s
Mobile Workshop #1
Amer brings over 20 years of experience in consulting and the public sector, with roles at both municipal and provincial levels. He currently leads the City’s transportation vision, focusing on building a safe, efficient, and sustainable multimodal system. His work includes advancing active transportation infrastructure and improving mobility for all users.
Internationally recognized for his expertise in integrated mobility planning, sustainability, traffic safety, and smart mobility, Amer has presented at numerous global conferences. He is known for his collaborative approach and for implementing innovative, people-centred solutions that promote safety, accessibility, and equity for all ages and abilities.
Driven by a passion for smarter, more sustainable cities, Amer champions a balanced approach to urban transportation, ensuring that the needs of all road users are thoughtfully integrated into the fabric of city life.
Ken O’Brien, MCIP | Chief Municipal Planner, City of St. John’s
Mobile Workshop #1 & Session 2
Ken O’Brien, MCIP, has been a planner for 35 years, mostly with the City of St. John’s, where he is Chief Municipal Planner, involved in planning policy, zoning regulations, rezonings, built heritage, environmental issues and economic development. He is a graduate of Memorial University and Queen’s University, and enjoys pickleball with his wife and friends.
First Light Representative
Mobile Workshop #2
First Light is a registered non-profit organization that serves the urban Indigenous and non-Indigenous community alike by providing programs and services rooted in the revitalization, strengthening and celebration of Indigenous cultures and languages in the spirit of trust, respect, and friendship.
Ann-Marie Cashin, MCIP | Planner III, City of St. John’s
Mobile Workshop #2
Ann-Marie Cashin is a Planner with the City of St. John’s. Her background includes work in both the private and public sectors in rural and urban towns in Newfoundland & Labrador. Ann-Marie started at the City of St. John’s in 2017 as a Heritage Planner and then moved into a policy Planner role in 2023. She is currently leading neighbourhood planning projects and is a City staff representative on the Joint Coordinating Committee on Indigenous Rights.
Julia Schwarz, MCIP | Director of Planning and Development, Town of Torbay
Mobile Workshop #3
Julia Schwarz, MCIP, has served as the Director of Planning and Development with the Town of Torbay since 2020. Trained as a landscape architect, her career has included planning positions with the City of Mount Pearl and as a landscape architect with the Grand Concourse. Julia is currently serving as the President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Professional Planners.
Michel Ungurain | Conservation Program Specialist, Ducks Unlimited Canada
Mobile Workshop #3
Michel Ungurain, Conservation Program Specialist with Ducks Unlimited, has focused on educating municipalities on the importance of maintaining wetlands within their communities. He has consulted the Towns of Torbay, Bauline and Portugal Cove-St. Phillips on their town’s wetland functions and advised them on how to protect those assets for future generations. He has hosted workshops on the value of wetlands as natural assets, advised the City of St. John’s Sustainability Experts Panel, developed actionable best management practices for Newfoundland and Labrador wetlands and continues to advocate for the conservation of wetlands within the province.
Donna Chiarelli | Director of Programs and Capacity Building, Natural Assets Initiative
Mobile Workshop #3
With 25 years’ experience helping to build healthy, prosperous and resilient communities, Donna serves as the director of programs and capacity building at the Natural Assets Initiative, where she works to support communities to better account for nature’s services in infrastructure management and service delivery. Donna is also an associate of the Climate Risk Institute, where she delivers a course on asset management and climate resiliency. Previously, she acted as a senior advisor and manager of capacity-building programming for the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Emily Sharma | Communications and Engagement Advisor, Natural Assets Initiative
Mobile Workshop #3
Emily is the Natural Assets Initiative’s communications and outreach advisor and led the development of NAI’s new guidebook, Planning for Nature in the Prairies: Integrating Natural Asset Management in Local Plans and Processes. She supports environmental conservation initiatives by developing accessible and actionable content. She has experience in public relations and creative writing for tourism and non-profit organizations.
Dr. Tolulope Victoria Akerele Ph.D. | Senior Consultant, Treasury Board Secretariat, Government of Newfoundland, and Commissioner, St. John’s Transportation Commission
Session 1 & 5
Tolulope Victoria Akerele is a Senior Consultant with the Treasury Board Secretariat, Government of Newfoundland, and a Commissioner on the St. John’s Transportation Commission. A passionate urban planner and PhD researcher, her work focuses on building inclusive cities and mobility systems for immigrant communities in Atlantic Canada. Tolulope has presented at national conferences across Canada, advocating for immigrant-inclusive planning and sustainable city-building. Beyond her professional role, she co-founded the OA-Dynasty Foundation, supporting immigrant families, and is a published author and podcast host. Tolulope is deeply committed to creating communities where people, families, and cities thrive in harmony.
Tracy-Lynn Goosney, P.Eng. | Manager of Development Engineering, City of St. John’s
Session 2
Tracy-Lynn Goosney is a Professional Engineer with 18 years of experience in the Municipal Engineering field. She is currently the Manager of Development Engineering with the City of St. John’s, having previously worked with the Town of Paradise and in private industry.
Lindsay Lyghtle Brushett, MCIP | Supervisor – Planning & Development, City of St. John’s
Session 2
Lindsay Lyghtle Brushett, MCIP, has been a planner for 19 years. Graduating from the University of Guelph, she is the Supervisor – Planning & Development with the City of St. John’s, where she has worked for over 15 years. Previous planning experience also includes jobs in both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland at the municipal level.
Edmundo Fausto | Sustainability Manager, City of St. John’s
Session 2
Edmundo Fausto is the Sustainability Manager for the City of St. John’s, focused on energy efficiency, decarbonization, and climate risk adaptation. With over 10 years of experience in environmental, energy, and climate change has worked with local, national, and international teams and experts to deliver energy and climate action. His experience includes policy, energy efficiency projects, climate change risk assessments, as well as the development and implementation of corporate and municipal plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
David Leinster, BLA, OALA, FCSLA, RPP, MCIP | Principal, The Planning Partnership
Session 3
David is a recognized leader in public realm design with over 30 years of experience in landscape architecture and urban design. His high-profile profile award-winning projects in Canada and abroad focus on place-making in the public realm and developing creative pedestrian priority strategies for urban spaces. Many of David’s designs incorporate significant cultural heritage elements, public art and ecologically sensitive design strategies. David has managed complex, large-scale public realm projects involving a wide range of issues and interests that have been successfully implemented. He is currently the Chair of the City of Ottawa’s Urban Design Review Panel and a member of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s Design Review Panel.
Ken Forrest, RPP, MCIP | Director of Planning and Development, City of Fredericton
Session 3 & 7
Ken Forrest is the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Fredericton. Ken has almost 30 years of experience in urban planning. He returned to Fredericton in 2013 after spending five years in Saint John as Commissioner of Planning and Development. In Saint John, he oversaw the completion of Saint John’s national award-winning municipal plan, PlanSJ. Ken has also worked in Alberta and Nova Scotia throughout his career.
In Fredericton, Ken successfully led the process to create Imagine Fredericton, Fredericton’s award-winning growth strategy and municipal plan. He has also guided the Planning Department through completion of the City Centre Plan, the Main Street Plan, the NBEX Plan, and the Fredericton Housing Needs Assessment and Affordable Housing Strategy. These plans are guiding Fredericton through one of the fastest periods of growth in the community’s history.
Mr. Forrest holds an Honours degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta and a Master’s degree in Urban and Rural Planning from Dalhousie University. He has also studied at the University of New Brunswick and the University of Virginia. He is a full member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and a Registered Professional Planner in the Province of New Brunswick.
Timothy Gouveia, LPP, MCIP | Planner, Dillon Consulting
Fast & Funny Presentation
Timothy Gouveia is a Planner with over four years of experience in the private sector and has been with Dillon Consulting for over three years. On the Community Plans, Approvals and Policies team, he works with municipalities, individuals, and private companies across Ontario and Atlantic Canada, managing projects such as municipal plan and zoning bylaw updates, public engagement initiatives, and land development projects. He attended the University of Waterloo, where he received his undergraduate degree from the School of Planning in the Faculty of Environment.
Maria Lutes | Planner, Dillon Consulting
Fast & Funny Presentation
Maria Lutes is a Planner with nine months of experience with Dillon Consulting on the Community Plans, Approvals and Policies team, and a Bachelor of Community Design, Double Major in Sustainability, and Honours in Urban Design and Planning, accompanied by the Director Service School of Planning Award. Her project work revolves around community and environmental planning, including community and stakeholder engagement. Notable previous experiences include conducting a municipal housing needs assessment as a planning summer student and contributing as a project assistant at Dalhousie Transportation Collaboratory’s (DalTRAC) CART Lab, along with consulting and engagement experience at OSO Planning + Design.
Morgan Boyco, RPP, MCIP | Associate, Planner and Public Engagement Specialist, Dillon Consulting, PhD Candidate, School of Planning, University of Waterloo
Session 4
Morgan Boyco, MCIP, RPP, is a PhD Candidate in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo. Morgan’s research focuses on public participation, contemporary planning and democracy theory, and the use of the latest digital civic engagement technologies to support local public participation processes. Morgan is also a professional planner and community engagement practitioner at Dillon Consulting, working with municipalities across Canada to more effectively involve their community members in local decision-making processes.
Tracey Wade, RPP, MCIP | Lead Consultant and Planner, We6 Planning Group
Session 5 & 9
Tracey has more than 20 years of professional planning experience in primarily rural communities, managing a wide range of planning initiatives in areas of climate change, health, and sustainability. With We6 Planning Group, Tracey has worked on coastal planning, researched conservation and habitat protection, and has created a number of guides for planning in the Province of New Brunswick. An experienced facilitator, Tracey has undertaken various engagement initiatives and public sessions related to health and climate change to community groups, elected councils, and university classes.
Donna Miller Ayton | Manager of Heritage and Policy, City of Charlottetown
Session 5
Donna Miller-Ayton is an accomplished Urban Planner and Sustainable Development Expert with a specialization in climate change and international development. She holds degrees from the University of Technology, Jamaica; the University of Reading, England (as a Chevening Scholar); and the University of Prince Edward Island. Donna currently serves as Manager of Policy and Heritage in the City of Charlottetown’s Planning and Heritage Department and is a candidate member of the Canadian Institute of Planners. Her extensive experience includes senior roles in Jamaica’s public and private sectors, including the Urban Development Corporation and the Office of the Prime Minister. She is also affiliated with UN-Habitat’s Planners for Climate Change initiative.
Jessica Paterson McDonald, LPP, MCIP | Director of Community Development, Town of Bridgewater
Session 5
Jessica McDonald is the Director of Community Development for the Town of Bridgewater, overseeing Planning & Development, Recreation & Culture, and Sustainability services. She was also the Energize Bridgewater Project Director until March 2025. Before joining the Town of Bridgewater in 2015, Jessica worked for eight years in Nova Scotia provincial government for both the Departments of Environment and Municipal Affairs. Since 2015, her department’s achievements include a major renovation to its historic downtown streetscape, establishing a permanent public transit system, and Energize Bridgewater – an initiative to accelerate the Town’s transition to a low-carbon future and tackle energy poverty.
Jamie Burke, RPP, MCIP | Senior Associate & Atlantic Lead – Urban Planning, Stantec
Session 6
Jamie Burke is the Atlantic Lead for Urban Planning and a Project Manager with Stantec’s Ottawa and Atlantic Community Development Team based in Moncton. Jamie joined Stantec in January 2023 after serving as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Town of Sackville, New Brunswick. Jamie has held several senior roles in municipal government, including Senior Manager of Corporate Projects, Senior Planner with the City of Moncton and the Greater Moncton Planning District Commission and planning roles with the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and the Eastern District Planning Commission.
Samantha Murphy, RPP, FCIP | Owner, SJ Murphy Planning & Consulting, Partner, We6 Planning Group
Session 6
Samantha is an independent professional planner, focused primarily on municipal planning, policy, and governance in PEI and Atlantic Canada. Samantha worked at the municipal level with the Town of Cornwall and at the provincial level as a provincial planner and later as the manager of Municipal Affairs in 2007 before moving to the private sector in September 2020. Samantha recently joined with several long-term colleagues to form a planning collective, the We6 Planning Group.
Aude Tessier | Team Leader, Urban Planning & Landscape Architecture Studio, Stantec
Session 8
Aude Tessier is one of the team leaders of Stantec’s Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture Studio in Montreal, which is among the company’s most important centers of excellence in urban design. She actively works to recognize the value of creativity and design in all forms of development projects, ranging from regulations and policies to space design. With field experience in New Brunswick, Aude is actively involved in several projects in the Maritimes, primarily aiming to strengthen downtown areas and find solutions to the housing shortage.
Janice Harper, RPP, MCIP | Planner, We6 Planning Group
Session 9
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 has developed Official Plans and Bylaws for numerous municipalities. She works as a planning consultant with the We6 Planning Group. Janice is the chair of the Professional Standards Board for the Planning Profession in Canada.
Mary Bishop, RPP, FCIP | Planner, We6 Planning Group
Session 10
Mary Bishop has been a planner for over 35 years, working mostly in Newfoundland and Labrador in both the private and public sectors. Her experience includes conducting research, analysis, and producing reports in areas of land use, economic development, tourism, and housing. She has prepared Municipal Plans and Development Regulations for over 15 towns, cities and regions. Part of We6 Planning Group, Mary currently provides planning advisory services to several municipalities in Atlantic Canada. Her work has been recognized by CIP and API for excellence in planning. Mary’s achievements earned her an induction into the CIP College of Fellows in 2004.
Matt Delorme | Executive Director, AIM Network
Session 10
Matt Delorme is the Executive Director of AIM Network, a nonprofit that supports municipalities in managing infrastructure through training, tools, and technical assistance. With a background in civil engineering and climate risk analysis, Matt helps communities make smarter, evidence-based decisions. He enjoys translating complex technical ideas into practical strategies that work on the ground. A frequent speaker and collaborator, Matt takes a systems-thinking approach to everything from asset management to coastal flood risk. He’s passionate about building resilient communities, fostering innovation in the public sector, and making government-funded programs more effective.
Xander Gopen, RPP, MCIP | Senior Planner and Housing Specialist, Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission
Session 10
Xander Gopen is a Senior Planner and Housing Specialist at the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission and the current President of the New Brunswick Association of Planners. In both his professional and personal life, he works to make rural communities healthy, thriving, and sustainable places, where humans exist within their ecological niche.
Sepehr Khosravi | CLIMAtlantic Newfoundland Climate Services Specialist
Session 10
Sepehr Khosravi is the CLIMAtlantic Newfoundland Climate Services Specialist, hosted by econext. Holding a Master’s degree in Environmental Science, he brings experience in climate change adaptation, the environmental industry, and training. Having lived and worked on the island for nearly a decade, he understands the local needs and cultural context for effective planning. His role involves empowering Newfoundland communities to build resilience against climate impacts. He provides municipalities and organizations with data, tools, training, and networking, fostering collaboration and tailored climate services for a more resilient future.
Chrystal Fuller, LPP, RPP, MCIP | Principal, Brighter Community Planning & Consulting
Session 11
Chrystal is a professional planner with over 20 years of experience in rural and remote planning, housing, and municipal approvals. As Principal of Brighter Community Planning & Consulting, she has led numerous planning files through appeal processes before the NSUARB and other regulatory bodies. Chrystal brings a practical, plain-talk approach to helping planners understand their role in legal settings and develop the skills to succeed.
Meaghan Dalton, LPP, MCIP | Planner III, Community Planning, Halifax Regional Municipality
Session 12
Meaghan Dalton is a Planner with HRM’s Community Planning team, but previously worked as a Community Developer, covering one of the most rural regions of the municipality: Musquodoboit Valley. She is passionate about reaching underheard voices and using an asset-based community development approach to planning and coming up with solutions to support communities more broadly. While she isn’t working, Meaghan stays busy exploring all HRM has to offer with her husband and curious two-year-old.
Mickie McDow | Community Recreation Coordinator, Parks and Recreation, Halifax Regional Municipality
Session 12
Mickie is a 34-year veteran Community Recreation Coordinator with Halifax Parks and Recreation. With deep roots in rural recreation, she advocates for the diverse support needed to help rural residents pursue leisure activities. In addition to planning and supporting municipal recreation services in the Musquodoboit Valley, Nova Scotia, she assists Halifax Parks and Recreation in implementing initiatives under the Halifax Rural Recreation Strategy. This includes identifying community needs and updating the Regional Council on progress. In her leisure time, Mickie is an avid “Junker Necker” who loves repurposing finds and exploring thrift stores for projects.
Dr. Patricia Manuel, LPP, MCIP | School of Planning, Dalhousie University
Session 13
Dr. Patricia Manuel is a retired Professor of Planning at Dalhousie University with post-retirement appointments in the School of Planning and the Marine Affairs Program. Although no longer teaching full-time, she maintains a visiting lecturer appointment with the Coastal and Marine Management program at the University Centre of the Westfjords, Iceland. She continues her research on climate change adaptation and marine spatial planning, participates in national and provincial climate change action advisory committees, and volunteers with NGOs on watershed, wildland, and wetland protection and coastal access. Patricia is a Licensed Professional Planner and member of the Canadian Institute of Planners.
Dr. Chad Walker | Assistant Professor, School of Planning, Dalhousie University
Session 13
Dr. Chad Walker (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Low-Carbon Transitions at Dalhousie University, where he holds a faculty position in the School of Planning. Chad is an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist with interests around justice, equity, and public support for low-carbon transitions. Recently published research includes studying the impact of environmental justice in shaping support for wind energy, the meaning of community energy, and pathways for Indigenous-led renewable energy development.
Dr. Kate Thompson | Instructor, School of Planning, Dalhousie University
Session 13
Dr. Kate Thompson (she/her) is an instructor in the School of Planning at Dalhousie University and teaches environmental planning and planning theory at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Kate’s research is centred on how novel ideas and approaches are brought into planning practice, with a recent focus on ecosystem services and aligned environmental approaches. The research she is presenting at API was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship and was supervised by Dr. Kate Sherren and Dr. Peter Duinker of the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie.