< Back to Program < Conference Home

2024 API Conference Speaker Bios

Scott Borden, RPP, MCIP, Director of Community Planning, Fundy Regional Service Commission

Pre-conference tour

Scott Borden joined the Fundy Regional Service Commission as Director of Community Planning in April 2024. Scott received a Bachelor of Community Design Degree (Honours) from Dalhousie University and has practiced as a land use and environmental planner for the past seven years. Scott is a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) in the Province of New Brunswick and a Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners (MCIP).

Jennifer Kirchner, RPP, MCIP

Manager of Community Planning, City of Saint John

Pre-conference tour

Jennifer Kirchner is the Manager of Community Planning with the City of Saint John. Jennifer has a wealth of experience associated with heritage planning and conservation. This includes developing and operating the Heritage Management Program in Lacombe, Alberta, being a board member of the former Alberta Historical Resources Foundation and as the President of the Lacombe & District Historical Society, who owned and operated two heritage designated buildings.

Rodrigo Mendes Campos

Heritage Officer, City of Saint John

Pre-conference tour

Rodrigo Mendes Campos is the Heritage Officer for the City of Saint John. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urban Planning, with an emphasis in Heritage Architecture. He has extensive experience in a variety of projects including Heritage Restoration and Rehabilitation.

Wendy Watts

Community & Business Engagement Manager

Session 1

Wendy Watts is the Community and Business Engagement Manager with the Town of Stratford in Prince Edward Island. In this role she oversees the Town’s communications and marketing, holds responsibility for the diversity and inclusion file and is a business community liaison. Wendy was the staff lead on the Shape Stratford project and intricately involved in all aspects of the project throughout its development. Prior to joining the Town of Stratford team, she spent a number of years working for the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce.

Samantha Murphy, RPP, FCIP

We6 Planning Group and Shape Stratford Planning Lead

Session 1

Samantha Murphy, RPP, FCIP has a graduate degree in urban and rural planning. She worked at the municipal and provincial levels in both land use planning and municipal governance before moving to the private sector in September 2020. Much of Sam’s recent work has focused on housing and the ways in which municipalities can support housing supply and affordability and she acted as planning lead for the Shape Stratford project. As part of the We6 Planning Group, Sam has been formulating the policies and zoning requirements for a growth node along an active transportation corridor to implement a key Summerside Housing Accelerator Fund initiative.

Michelle MacDonald

Co-Owner & Chief Strategist, AOR Solutions and Shape Stratford Engagement Lead

Session 1

Michelle MacDonald is the Co-Owner of AOR 360, a management consulting and web development company firm. Michelle was the Engagement Lead on the Shape Stratford project. She worked as a consultant facilitating the development of the 2019 Housing Action Plan in Prince Edward Island and has served as the Executive Director of the Atlantic Planners Institute since 2016.

Kaitlyn Lacelle

Business Development Officer, Moncton Industrial Development

Session 2

Driven to make a tangible impact on her community’s growth, Kaitlyn works as a Business Development Officer at Moncton Industrial Development. Having practiced in both the public and private sector realms, she understands the complexities of real estate markets, and the importance of data-driven planning policy. Kaitlyn graduated from the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning. She is a Candidate Member of API and CIP, working toward full membership.

Neil Lovitt, LPP, MCIP

Vice President, Economic Intelligence & Planning, Turner Drake & Partners Ltd.

Session 2

Neil is a planner with Halifax-based Turner Drake & Partners; a real estate consulting firm specialising in the financial and economic facets of the built environment. With over a decade of experience and a talented team he takes the credit for, Neil’s work focusses on helping local government turn policy intent into tangible impact. These days, it is usually related to housing. Not content with his day job alone, Neil is also Board Chair of the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia, and an adjunct faculty member at the Dalhousie School of Planning where he teaches a course on Land Development Economics every once and a while.

Harrison Ellis, LPP, MCIP

Planner, Dillon Consulting Limited

Session 3

Harrison is a Registered Professional Planner with who supports primarily rural and Indigenous communities in Atlantic Canada with land-use planning, economic development, and community engagement. His core projects include municipal plan and land use by-law reviews, environmental impact assessments, economic development strategies, and market feasibility assessments. He is skilled in workshop facilitation and takes an active approach to working with clients to ensure broad community participation in planning and engagement initiatives. Harrison holds Master’s Degrees in International Public Policy from Wilfrid Laurier University and Urban Planning from Dalhousie University.

Alana Vigna

Indigenous and Socio-Cultural Planner, Dillon Consulting Limited

Session 3

Alana is an Indigenous and Socio-Cultural Planner with Dillon, with seven years of experience working in various land use planning and impact assessment processes in Canada. She has a thorough understanding of Canadian federal and territorial legislation and regulatory processes, including consultation and the duty to consult for impact assessments, land use planning, and conservation initiatives. She has extensive experience liaising and networking with Indigenous organizations, federal/territorial governments and departments, nongovernment organizations, and industry. She has experience guiding proponents through Nunavut’s regulatory process, conducting Indigenous and community engagement sessions, capacity building workshops, report writing, and giving presentations to a varied audience.

Matthew Robinson, RPP, MCIP

Planner, City of Fredericton

Session 4

Matthew is a Planner for the City of Fredericton, working on a mix of policy initiatives and development approvals. He is passionate about supporting diverse communities through policy that provides affordable housing, a mix of uses, and freedom of mode choice. Creativity, transparency, design-thinking, and a collaborative mindset are some of the many skills he strives to bring to each challenge that arises. Having lived and travelled around the world, he truly feels at home in walkable and green urban environments with coffee and baked goods just around the corner.

Sarah Anderson, RPP, MCIP

Manager of Development Planning, City of Moncton

Session 4

Sarah Anderson is the Manager of Development Planning for the City of Moncton, New Brunswick, currently one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Canada.
Sarah has more than 19 years of experience as an Urban Planner, having worked in rural Nova Scotia, Toronto, Ontario, and Moncton, New Brunswick.
Her breadth of experiences ranges from planning and place-making in a rural municipal context, conservation planning and regional policy analysis at the provincial level, and development planning in a rapidly urbanizing city. Sarah’s current position with the City of Moncton focuses on ensuring that decisions on new growth and development respect the priorities of environmental sustainability, a safe and vibrant public realm, meeting the housing need, and maintaining community integrity.

Mark Reade, RPP, MCIP

Senior Planner, City of Saint John

Session 4 & 7

Mark Reade is a Senior Planner with Growth and Community Development Services for the City of Saint John. A professional Planner and Engineer with over 25 years’ experience in the private and municipal sectors, Mark has been involved with a broad variety of municipal planning and development projects at various scales throughout Atlantic Canada including transportation planning and engineering, regulatory and policy development, and residential and commercial site design.

Yeva Mattson

Planner, City of Saint John

Session 4

Yeva Mattson is a Planner for the City of Saint John, New Brunswick, the oldest incorporated City in Canada. Yeva has 2 years of planning experience with the City of Saint John. Her experience ranges from policy planning with her involvement with a new Neighbourhpood Plan, to development planning as she works on rezonings and amendments.

André Daigle, LL.M.

Droit JURIS Law

Session 5

With over 30 years of experience working with local governments, commissions and provincial departments on legislative and regulatory reviews in both New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, André has distinguished himself in this field. In 1992, he began as a land use planner at the Province of New Brunswick and progressed towards more senior responsibilities, such as advising on municipal plan approvals, supporting and facilitating the creation and restructuring of planning commissions, supporting municipal amalgamation studies and leading an amalgamation/annexation exercise. He returned to study law in 1998 and worked for the Greater Moncton Planning District Commission before co-creating and planning consulting firm. André began his legal career in 2002 as a solo practitioner before joining the City of Dieppe in 2004 as the city’s Solicitor, Director of planning and development and eventually Clerk, where he worked on major municipal projects that included expropriations, legal, by-law and enforcement support, risk management and governance support to council and front-line staff as the City experienced rapid growth. André returned to private practice in 2011 where he offers a wide range of legal services and training in the area of local governance, land use planning and procurement. He currently advises on questions regarding governance including code of conduct breaches and conflicts of interest. André is fluently bilingual in both French and English.

Kieron Hunt

Planning Lead, FBM

Session 6

Kieron Hunt is an economic land use planner with over 20 years experience conducting planning and market analysis studies around the world. With a unique skill set specifically conducting retail market analyses and positioning strategies, Kieron is one of the country’s foremost retail development strategists. Kieron has led the analysis, merchandise layout planning and positioning of public markets in Canada and the United States and as the Planning Studio Lead for FBM, Kieron led the planning and development of the Saint John City Market Strategic Plan. With a current portfolio of projects coast-to-coast, Kieron is often requested to speak and present at conferences on the topics of revitalization strategies, main streets and market analysis.

David Dobbelsteyn

Acting Director of Growth and Community Planning, City of Saint John

Session 6

David Dobbelsteyn is an experienced senior leader with eighteen years of progressive responsibility, including ten years of public sector management experience with the City of Saint John. He is a candidate member with NBAP and is Acting Director of Growth and Community Planning for the City of Saint John where he oversees the teams responsible for Growth, Social Planning, Events, and the City Market. David has project managed the delivery of numerous planning documents approved by Common Council including the City Market Strategic Plan. When out of the office, he can often be found playing guitar or hiking in his backwoods.

Thomas Lewallen

Planner, City of Saint John

Session 7

Thomas Lewallen is a Planner with Growth and Community Development Services for the City of Saint John, with 4 years’ experience working in planning, research, and development. Thomas has assisted with the development and delivery of the City of Saint John’s ACTSJ: Pathway to Net-Zero (2024) as part of the project team. He also helped draft the CMHC’s Senior Housing Report (2019) while at the Canadian Urban Institute, drafting various sections of the written and visual aspects of the report.

Joshua Adams, RPP, MCIP

Principal Planner, Halifax Regional Municipality

Session 8

Joshua Adams is a Principal Planner for Halifax Regional Municipality focused on long-range policy for the Regional Centre Plan. Prior to working for Halifax, Joshua spent over 7 years working in Moncton, first as a planner for the Southeast Regional Service Commission, and later as a Senior Policy Planner for the City of Moncton. Joshua has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and a Certificate of GIS from York University, and a Master of Urban Planning from McGill University.

Byungjun Kang, LPP, MCIP

Planner III, Halifax Regional Municipality

Session 8

Byungjun Kang is a Planner III in Halifax Regional Municipality focusing on policy planning since 2022. Byungjun also spent 3 years working as a planner at the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, and some people also may know him from his previous work as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the award winning PLANifax video production. Byungjun has a Master of Planning Studies and a Bachelor of Community Design – both from Dalhousie University.

Eleanor Fierlbeck

Planner I, Halifax Regional Municipality

Session 8

Eleanor Fierlbeck’s education includes a Master of Urban Planning from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from McGill University. Her background working with community outreach organizations informed her thesis research on creative and accessible methods of public engagement, an area of interest that she continues to explore today. Eleanor has worked with HRM since 2022, where she started as a Communications intern that specialized in media relations for Planning & Development. She is now a Planner with Halifax and has gained valuable experience working with the Land Development and Subdivision and Regional and Community Planning teams.

Janice Harper, RPP, MCIP

We6 Planning Group

Session 8

Janice Harper, RPP, MCIP is currently Chair of the Professional Standards Board for the Planning Profession in Canada. She graduated with a master’s in urban and regional planning from Queen’s University in 2003. She has worked at both the municipal and provincial level and has been consulting for several years. She has developed numerous official plans and bylaws for municipalities, including implementing expanded buffer zones for wildlife habitat. She has written and delivered studies, reports and presentations on planning issues ranging from statements of provincial interest in Prince Edward Island to ethics in planning at the CIP conference in 2023. She is currently project managing HAF implementation for the City of Summerside, PEI, together with other members of the We6 team.

Ann-Maire Cashin, RPP, MCIP

Planner III, City of St. John’s

Session 8

Ann-Marie Cashin is a Planner with the City of St. John’s. Her background includes work in both the private and public sector 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 plan amendments related to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). Ann-Marie received her undergraduate degree in Geography from Memorial University and a Master’s degree in Planning from the University of Toronto.

Josh Davies, RPP, MCIP

Manager of Long Range Policy Planning, City of Moncton

Session 8 & 11

Josh Davies is the Manager of Long Rang Planning Policy with the City of Moncton. He graduated from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor of Arts (Geography) and later from the University of Auckland in New Zealand with a Masters in Urban Planning. Involved with the City of Moncton’s Urban Growth Strategy and the lead for the City of Moncton’s Development Charge By-law, he has worked closely with the public, consultants, landowners and elected officials in the creation and implementation of development charge areas. Josh was selected to the 2023 intake for CIP’s National Emerging Leaders Program and is proud to contribute to the continuing growth and development of his hometown.

Stephen Stone, RPP, MCIP

Planner, Partner, Dillon Consulting Limited

Session 9 & 12

Stephen Stone is a Partner and Planner with Dillon Consulting Limited’s Saint John Office. Stephen has 10 years experience in Municipal Planning, Community and Land Use Planning, Land Development and Environmental and Transportation Planning. Stephen is currently engaged by many municipalities and Regional Service Commissions across the Province in the delivery of Planning and Development services, including, Fundy Regional Service Commission, Western Valley Regional Service Commission, Regional Service Commission 8, City of Saint John, Town of Grand Bay-Westfield, Town of Hampton, Town of Sussex, and Town of Woodstock. Stephen has experience in process improvement as it relates to the development approvals process. Additionally, he has extensive knowledge of planning policy, development and application through development standards and regulations. He has assisted the City of Saint John, Town of Grand Bay-Westfield, Town of St. Stephen, Town of Sussex and Town of Woodstock with Municipal Plan, Secondary Plan, and Zoning Bylaw development. Stephen has a depth of knowledge with the legislative application of planning in New Brunswick and has represented clients at the New Brunswick Assessment and Planning Appeal Board. Stephen has extensive application of New Brunswick’s Community Planning Act and associated regulations.

Dwight Colburne

Planning Manager, Town of Quispamsis

Dwight Colbourne is the Development Officer and Manager of the Planning and Development Services Department at the town of Quispamsis.  Over the past 21 years with the Town, he has served in various capacities has the Town experienced rapid growth from a rural village to a modern suburban community of almost 20,000 people. While his formal education is in Geomatics Engineering and experience prior to joining the Town was in GIS software development and implementation internationally, his contributions to the growth and development with the Town has ranged from the development and implementation of a modern GIS system to Building Inspection, Engineering Management, Records and Information System Development, Asset Management Planning, and Land Use Planning and Development Services.  Dwight has been significantly involved and key in the drafting and developing of the Town’s Municipal Plan By-law, Transportation Master Plan, Recreation Master Plan, Active Transportation Plan and Asset Management Plan.  Dwight holds professional certificates as a Certified Building Official, Asset Management Planning, and his currently pursuing MCIP and RPP designation.

Session 9

Paul Dec, LPP, MCIP

Planner, Upland Planning and Design Studio

Session 10

Paul is an urban and rural planner with a sound knowledge of municipal governments, community planning and project management. Having worked on several continents prior to his arrival in Atlantic Canada, Paul brings a fresh perspective to communities of any size and facilitates their transformation. Paul works for public and private sector clients at UPLAND Planning and Design Studio. His academic research interests developed during planning studies carried over to his professional life: Paul is passionate about smart growth, Geographic Information Systems and is a published author on efficient use of urban infrastructure, compact development and urban sprawl repair.

Daryl Abbs

Managing Partner, Watson & Associates Economists Ltd.

Session 11

Daryl has over 10 years of public sector experience. Prior to joining Watson in February of 2015, Daryl worked at the City of St. Catharines (Ontario), undertook labour market forecasting for Service Canada (Labour Market and Socioeconomic Information Directorate), and worked for a Member of Parliament. Since joining the firm, Daryl has worked directly with Gary Scandlan, who has over 45 years of experience in the municipal finance sector. Daryl has participated in over 70 Development Charge studies, including all of the Development Charge Studies for Moncton NB, as well as studies for Regina SK, Metro Vancouver, BC, Brandon MB, and numerous municipalities in Ontario. Additionally, Daryl has undertaken a variety of other types of studies including fiscal impact analyses, water and wastewater rate studies, and service delivery reviews. Daryl holds a B.A. (Honours) degree in Economics from McMaster University, a Master of Business Economics degree from Brock University, and is currently a Professional Land Economist.

Erik Karvinen

Manager, Watson & Associates Economists Ltd.

Session 11

Erik Karvinen, MCIP, RPP, PLE, is a Manager with Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. Erik has 20 years of experience in demographic and economic forecasting, housing, real estate market analysis, and strategic policy development. Erik has managed and coordinated a range of high profile economic and planning studies completed for municipal clients across Canada. As a team leader, he has collaborated with a range of municipal and consulting partners on multi-disciplinary assignments. This has included Official Plan reviews, growth management strategies, housing studies, employment land strategies, and market studies. These studies have explored issues related to long-term growth and urban land needs, economic development, housing needs, and strategic policy recommendations.

Bill Budd, RPP, MCIP

Director of Planning and Development, City of Moncton

Session 11

Bill currently oversees Planning and Development Department within the Sustainable Growth and Development Services area at City of Moncton. Previous to this, he served as the former Executive Director for the Greater Moncton Planning Commission serving the City of Moncton and several other municipalities. Bill has also worked in various capacities in the Province of Manitoba such as Municipal Planning District , Community and Regional Economic Development, Community and Provincial Planning. Bill’s educational qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Mount Allison University in Geography & Small Town Planning, a Masters Degree in City Planning from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba, and an Economic Development Certificate from University of Waterloo. In addition to this, Bill has served as President of the Atlantic Planners Institute and was also a member of the National Council of the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and served as a past Vice-President for CIP.

Jennifer Brown, RPP, MCIP

Planner, Associate, Dillon Consulting Limited

Session 12

Jennifer is a Planner with experience in managing and administering community land use plans, regulations, and bylaws, facilitating high quality development projects through preparing and processing applicable applications, preparing community needs assessments, and providing guidance on legislation and process. She is skilled at drafting policy and regulations, facilitating community engagement, designing development processes, and assisting communities in facilitating high quality planning and development projects. Jennifer is knowledgeable in environmental, land use, and recreation planning, community development, active transportation, urban design, and downtown strategies.

Tim Moerman, RPP, MCIP

Director of Environment Planning and Management, City of Moncton

Session 13

Tim Moerman is an urban planner of twenty years’ experience, with a career-long focus on energy, sustainability and climate-friendly urban planning.

Lauren Wilson

Applications Specialist, Esri Canada

Session 14

Lauren Wilson is an Applications Specialist, Community Planning with Esri Canada. She works with communities across Canada showing them how to leverage location intelligence to meet their business goals. Lauren holds a master’s degree in GIS from the University of Edinburgh, a certificate in marine geomatics from COGS and an undergraduate degree in Geography and Biology from Mount Allison University. Lauren has more than 16 years of experience in the Geomatics industry. Prior to joining Esri Canada she worked for CGG and ION Geophysical, where she was involved in all aspects of collection of marine sensor navigation data.

James Donaldson.

District Manager, Eagleview

Session 15

James is the Canadian District Manager for EagleView(formerly Pictometry) and is fluent in both English & French. With a long history and passion for helping organizations in the government, energy and construction industries, James’ knowledge and expertise helps organizations improve; workflow GIS, Strategic Aerial Imagery Acquisition, GPS/Robotics Implementation and Machine Control Automation. James is a graduate from the University of Ottawa with an Honour’s Bachelor of Arts, Specialization in Geography, he holds both a Transport Canada Advanced Operations RPAS UAS License and FAA Part 107 UAS license (drones). In 2017, James was the recipient of Rock To Road’s Top 10 Under 40 for contributions to the Canadian aggregate industry.