PGL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Environmental Consultant, Vancouver
Bruce is PGL's senior fisheries specialist in our Vancouver office. A Registered Professional Biologist with over 30 years of experience, he has a thorough understanding of the federal, provincial, regional, and municipal environmental regulatory framework, and provides services on a wide variety of environmental planning and habitat issues.
Bruce concentrates primarily on helping developments that impact fisheries, especially in urban and semi-urban settings, including riparian enhancement and setbacks. He has designed and managed environmental impact assessments, environmental monitoring programs, construction environmental management plans, mitigation/compensation plans, and habitat inventories related to master planned neighborhoods and communities.
Perhaps surprisingly, Bruce is an avid fisherman and hunter.
Carla manages PGL's Phase 1 service nationwide. Over the past 18 years she has worked on Phase 1's from Tofino, BC to St. Johns, Newfoundland.
Carla's client base includes lenders, realtors, developers and small family owned businesses. She recognizes that time is of the essence for almost all Phase 1 reports and makes sure that every client receives the highest level of customer care. Having completed over 1000 Phase 1s herself, she has an unparalleled depth knowledge on property risks. She is able to present this information to clients and their lenders in an effective way. Carla specializes in working closely with her clients to make sure they understand all the information presented. She has a great understanding of lender and realtor needs and the affects that environmental legislation can have on closing the deal. One of Carla's greatest strength is that she takes the time to understand her client's needs.
Carla was born and raised in the glorious sunshine of Kelowna. It's no surprise she annually escapes Vancouver's rain in exchange for the beaches of Mexico.
Job Titles:
- Environmental Consultant, Team Lead - Contaminated Sites
Chelsea is a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) and one of PGL's three Project Management Professionals (PMP). As a project manager, she's a big-picture thinker who ensures to understand client needs before jumping into a project.
Starting her career in 2009 working in northern BC and Yukon, Chelsea not only braved the elements during cold winter months but also learned valuable lessons in project preparation and risk management for remote sites. Chelsea has been working in our contaminated sites group since 2010, working on a range of sites, including complex redevelopment sites, bulk storage fuelling facilities, wastewater treatment plants, compost facilities, auto repair operations, and former
Chelsea has been actively involved in competitive sports at a national level since the age of 14. She brings her hard work, dedication, and time management from sport to each of her projects. You can often find Chelsea on the sideline of a field hockey pitch, hiking with her silver lab in tow, or in her garden trying hard to convert her black thumb to green.
Christina loves hydrogeology almost as much as she loves British Columbia.
Since 2002, she has been playing in groundwater as both a consultant and a regulator. She relocated to Vancouver and joined PGL in 2015 after a seven-year stint in Toronto with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. She now spends her weekends trying to keep up with her kids on the ski hill and bike trails.
She is a logical thinker and clear communicator, and is skilled in both contaminant and physical hydrogeology.
Her experience includes:
Assessing and managing aquifers;
Expert review of Environmental Impact Assessments on behalf of First Nations;
Conducting hydrogeological impact assessments to meet municipal, provincial, and federal requirements;
Investigating and resolving groundwater quality and quantity issues;
Regulating the sharing of groundwater and assessing source water protection plans;
Creating regulatory guidance documents; and
Managing and completing assessments and remediation of contaminated sites.
As a licensed Professional Geoscientist in BC and Ontario, Christina provides expert hydrogeological advice for clients in both the trillium and dogwood provinces.
Job Titles:
- Senior Environmental Consultant
Cory is a senior environmental scientist (P.Ag.) and project management professional (PMP) based in Vancouver, BC, with a focus on contaminated sites assessment and remediation. Cory has been with PGL since 2007, and has been working as an environmental consultant since 2000. As a Business Team Lead at PGL, Cory manages one of the teams in our Contaminated Sites group.
Cory is the client manager for one of our largest, and nationwide clients, Canadian Tire Real Estate Limited. As a result, he knows the regulatory regimes in BC, Alberta and Ontario inside and out. He has great client focus and customer service skills ingrained from his days as a Canada Safeway service clerk. Cory leads our internal project management Centre of Excellence and is heavily involved with our Joint Health and Safety Committee.
Cory is a sports fanatic, helps coach quarterbacks for his high school football team and recently retired from men's hockey due to a concussion. His hockey career included two beer league trophies and one scoring title in 20 years.
Job Titles:
- Environmental Consultant, Team Lead - Contaminated Sites
Cory has a refined focus on client service, delivering project objectives on time and on budget. And even though no two projects are ever the same, his focus never changes: helping his clients resolve the environmental problems affecting their business in the most efficient manner possible.
With over 10 years of experience in contaminated site assessment and remediation as an environmental scientist and professional agrologist, he enjoys what he does and it shows in his work.
He provides strategic advice to development companies, real estate professionals, and other stakeholders to help them make informed decisions on their property transactions and development plans. A friendly and approachable professional, Cory has built a loyal network of clients by helping them understand and successfully navigate the ever changing contaminated sites regulatory process.
His experience includes:
Designing and managing Phase I, II, and III Environmental Site Assessments, remediation and risk assessment projects suitable for property due diligence and regulatory approvals;
Evaluation of contaminant migration and exposure pathways, and the selection and implementation of remediation strategies;
Writing reports and preparing regulatory submissions for municipal permit releases, MOE Site Determinations and Certificates of Compliance; and
Communicating with clients, stakeholders, and regulators.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Cory has called BC home since he began his undergraduate degree at Simon Fraser University in 2002. He enjoys downhill skiing, whether it be teaching his kids on the bunny hill or racing in the Whistler peak to valley event, hockey and golf (despite being hampered by a lack of talent in both).
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President, Vancouver
Duncan is a world champion (retired) ultimate Frisbee champion and, not secondly, a very accomplished environmental engineer (P.Eng.). With a career focused on gasoline and diesel contaminated sites assessment and remediation, he skillfully helps acquire regulatory approval for contaminated sites.
He is one of the most active Approved Professionals with BC's Contaminated Sites Approved Professionals (CSAP) Society for regulatory submissions and is even considered a great resource by CSAP and Ministry of Environment staff, having made several successful ‘firsts' in the realm of regulatory approvals.
Duncan makes relentless use of common sense with respect to technical and regulatory issues… and is very pleasant to deal with.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Finance and Administration
Harvey joined the Company in January 2005, bringing with him 14 years of experience as a finance professional working in various industries including public practice, insolvency, forestry, technology and consulting. He has experience in the fields of accounting, financial planning and analysis and information technology management. Prior to joining PGL, he has held senior finance roles with Interfor, EDS and Creo Inc.
At PGL, Harvey provides business and financial leadership and is a trusted business partner to the consultants. He leads the firm's support teams and strongly advocates providing service excellence and creating value for all clients, employees and shareholders. He enjoys wearing many hats including PGL's chief data analyst, IT champion, risk manager and ROI cop.
Harvey is an honours finance graduate from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in 1991. He is also a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia, the Certified General Accountants of British Columbia and Canada and the Chartered Certified Accountants of the United Kingdom.
Job Titles:
- Lead Consultant, Team Lead - Contaminated Sites
Ingo is located in the Victoria office of PGL and brings over 22 years of contaminated sites experience.
He is an Approved Professional with BC's Contaminated Sites Approved Professionals (CSAP) Society through which he completed numerous submissions to the Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy. He is also actively involved within the Contaminated Sites Approved Professionals Society as a detailed screener and committee member.
His career involved working on sites under federal and provincial jurisdictions, and he is equally well versed in provincial and federal regulatory frameworks and technical guidance. His clients include federal custodians, developers, land owners, institutions, and commercial operations. He has provided his clients with cost-effective and time-efficient solutions to move sites from initial assessment to remediation and regulatory closure.
Besides work, he takes care of a community heritage homestead, his garden and keeps fit with cycling, hiking, kayaking, and yoga.
Katie is a detailed-orientated environmental scientist with over 10 years of experience in contaminated site assessment, remediation, and risk assessment. Ms. Scott is a Registered Professional Biologist, and she brings a friendly face and organized approach to all her projects.
Originally from the UK, Katie use to be an environmental youth and community officer on a 15,000-acre park in northern England. She moved to Vancouver in 2005 and subsequently joined PGL in 2007.
Working as part of the Contaminated Site team, Katie has progressed from spending the majority of her time in the field to project management and now focuses mainly on risk assessments and reviewing environmental management plans. She is also an advocate for Health and Safety and is a core member of PGL's Health and Safety Program.
Katie has extensive experience working for both public and private sectors in urban and rural settings. She has provided services to a wide range of clients including property developers, industrial plants, landfills, forestry, and First Nations with projects throughout BC, Yukon, and Alberta.
Outside of work, Katie naturally loves the great outdoors and can be found skiing down the mountains in the winter and hiking back up them in the summer. She often gets a quick workout in hiking the Grouse Grind prior to the start of her day.
Job Titles:
- Senior Environmental Consultant
Keith is a contaminated sites guy, from due diligence Phase 1s through remediation to Certificates of Compliance. As a professional engineer with over 35 years of combined industrial and consulting experience, he brings a hands-on, practical approach to solving clients' environmental problems without breaking the bank.
Keith's client base includes some of BC's biggest developers, large transportation companies and forestry companies. His clients, many with him for over 15 years, see him as part of their development team. He provides critical advice on property purchase and price negotiations where environmental liabilities turn up.
Keith also looks after PGL's agricultural, composting and waste management area, in part based on his experience managing environment at a Vancouver area paper plant.
If the site is contaminated Keith and his team provide all the necessary remediation and support. Keith and his team support the entire process from beginning to end. And then he plays golf. In Thailand, preferably.
Job Titles:
- Senior Environmental Consultant
Keven is a Registered Professional Biologist (R.P.Bio.) specializing in vegetation ecology and experienced in baseline mapping, vegetation impact assessment and restoration ecology. Keven is also an ISA Certified Arborist with standard tree risk assessment credentials vital to the development and implementation of effective tree retention plans in the urban environment. Rounding out his "veg-guy" status, he and his family routinely get their hands dirty as weekend warriors in Vancouver's original community garden.
Keven's diverse project experience includes a variety of environmental assessments from small to large-scale projects. He is consistently involved in numerous projects from start to finish including various levels of permitting and approvals, as well as compliance monitoring. He is an effective project manager that works hard to balance the needs of clients, stakeholders, and environmental responsibilities. Keven thrives in a team setting, and his "big easy" personality allows him to roll with the punches when the stakes are high and timelines are short. Unfortunately, this ability doesn't translate to the golf course.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Operations
Consulting in soil and groundwater contamination since graduating from Queen's in 1993, Kim leads PGL's operations team. Assembling and coaching teams is Kim's particular strength.
A PEng since 1997 and a QP RA, she has extensive experience with investigation, remediation and risk assessment, particularly in the downstream petroleum sector. Her experience also includes litigation support.
Kim's knows the regulators and municipalities, something that really helps. Kim is skilled at communicating on point advice in clear language. She enjoys using creativity and a sense of humour to navigate through the quagmire that can stand between a problem and solution. And you'll never see her without a smile.
Job Titles:
- Senior Environmental Consultant
Leslie is an environmental biologist with more than 25 years of experience in marine and estuary science and management, with an emphasis on using science for decision-making. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree from Queen's University and her Masters of Environmental Studies and Political Economy from the University of Toronto. Since then, Leslie has worked in a number of collaborative environmental decision-making processes across Canada. She joined PGL in 2007 following work as both a Project Review Coordinator and Water and Land Use Coordinator with the Fraser River Estuary Management Program and the Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Program (BIEAP).
Since 2011, Leslie has been working with First Nations and their legal counsel to review and respond to oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) pipeline, terminal, and shipping projects that are being proposed in British Columbia.
Leslie is an avid rock climber and a published author: these pursuits allow her to bring tenacity, creativity, attention to detail, and clarity in communication to her clients. Leslie is also the proud mother of a whip-smart teenager who keeps her sharp.
Job Titles:
- Senior Environmental Consultant, Team Lead - Environmental Planning
Matt is a biologist (R.P.Bio.) and environmental assessment specialist, based in Victoria, BC. He leads our Environmental Planning Group that delivers environmental assessment, monitoring and sustainability projects to our clients across Canada.
He began working on environmental projects in 2000 as a young biologist with an interest in chasing animals in foreign lands - mainly around the Mediterranean and Central America. After post-graduate work in environmental management, he joined PGL in 2004.
Over the last decade, many diverse projects have refined his expertise in EIA and regulatory process. He has become a trusted advisor for our clients involved in environmental approvals for resource or urban projects. Matt is particularly fond of tricky assignments where conflicting values require creative solutions.
He has delivered papers to international conferences, presented expert evidence to regulatory panels, and directed the independent technical reviews of several mega-projects for First Nation clients throughout Western Canada. He is proud to propel the improvement of EIA in Canada through his leadership in professional associations such as IAIA where he currently serves on the Board of the regional affiliate, and has facilitated many events.
After starting her career as a site assessment generalist in 2005, Michelle has focused on contaminated site risk assessment since 2008. The generalist experience helps her ensure smooth handoff from investigation to remediation/risk assessment.
A Registered Professional Biologist, Michelle covers both ecological and human health risk assessment, ranging from screening level, through from Preliminary Quantitative Risk Assessments, to complex Site Specific Risk Assessments. Her experience includes both Federal and provincial submissions for sites including First Nations reserves throughout BC, Ontario, Nunavut and the Yukon.
Michelle's approach is both creative and pragmatic. She is unusually organized in her approach to management, interpretation and presentation of chemical and toxicological data. She also brings a strong knowledge of federal, provincial and municipal requirements.
Job Titles:
- Environmental Scientist
- Senior Environmental Consultant
Mike is an environmental scientist whose experience has been focused on risk assessments, environmental impact assessments, and environmental site assessments. Other than a 5 year break for grad school, he has been an environmental consultant since 1989. He has served as Senior Review, Project Manager, and Technical Specialist on numerous projects involving the execution of environmental site investigations and human health/ecological risk assessments, evaluation of risk management strategies, and environmental assessments of proposed energy and mining projects.
Mike has worked on numerous sites, on behalf of the property owner or neighbouring parties, including dry cleaners, service stations, landfills, sawmills, mines, and chemical processing/distribution facilities.
While not a procrastinator and someone who tends to be quite pragmatic, Mike is drawn towards his hammock. This translates into someone who is solution-oriented and pushes to obtain closure for clients so they, too, can enjoy their hammock.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Senior Consultant
Ned's outlook and 40+ years of consulting experience in Canada and overseas allow him to focus on strategy and objectives without getting lost in technical detail. He has conducted and led projects, large and small, in contaminated sites, agriculture, forestry, land resource mapping, environmental impact assessment, linear projects, waste & compost management, regional planning and feasibility studies. His brief stint with the BC Agricultural Land Commission gave him valuable insight into the world of regulators. He has also been a land developer, and so understands one of our core client groups from the inside.
In addition to his technical expertise in soil science and physical geography, Ned has a broad base of knowledge in business, law, policy and economics. His excellent presentation skills have supported his expert testimony in public hearings and inquiries.
He has a passionate commitment to preservation and enhancement of salmon in BC, and likes nothing better than a game of golf.
Job Titles:
- Environmental Consultant
- Environmental Scientist
Salima is an environmental scientist based in Whitby, ON with a focus on supporting the nuclear energy sector. Salima has been with PGL since 2006, having previously worked in the environmental consulting industry for 10 years. Salima has a Bachelor's of Science Degree and a post graduate diploma in Resources Engineering.
Salima has over 18 years of experience in environmental consulting related to soil and groundwater contamination. For the past two years she has been PGL's Client Manager for multiple large construction projects at the Ontario Power Generation Darlington Station. She has effectively collaborated with projects teams from OPG, Black and McDonald, AECON, SNC and E.S. Fox. Project work has included conducting soil and water characterization programs, developing and implementing Soil and Water Management Plans (SWMPs). Preparing and obtaining MOECC Permit To Take Water, Municipal Approvals and Permits (Large Fill).
You can thank your lucky stars if you are working with Salima. The skill set she possess are transferable to any scale of project you may have. She thrives on meeting tight timelines and her delivery style is open and honest.
Job Titles:
- Lead Consultant, Team Lead
As an environmental geoscientist, professional agrologist and biologist, Stewart has been bringing his broad scope of knowledge to environmental consulting since graduating from the University of Alberta in 2000. Stewart's diverse background and consulting experience provides him with a unique blend of qualifications to work seamlessly across both of PGL's primary fields of expertise: contaminated sites and environmental planning. He manages projects in environmental assessments, environmental impact assessments, permitting and technical reviews. Stewart brings these assets to lead and expand PGL's presence in the Fraser Valley and Alberta.
In addition to his multi-faceted approach, Stewart thrives on providing tailored client management to ensure that projects are delivered in a timely and cost effective manner. He has gained a wealth of experience working on complex mining, energy, transportation, development and government projects which has taken him across Canada and to the Middle East.
When not consulting, you are likely to find Stewart with camera in hand, where he brings the same level of detail to his photos as he does his projects.
Job Titles:
- Environmental Scientist
- Senior Environmental Consultant
Tom is an environmental scientist (P.Geo.) based in Vancouver, BC with a focus on contaminated sites and project management. Tom has been with PGL since 2001. He has previously worked in the mining sector as an environmental specialist and an exploration geologist.
Tom has extensive experience with the property development sector. He has worked with property owners, developers and financial institutions. He works on all aspects of a project from initial environmental assessment to site remediation and regulatory approvals. Tom has also worked for a variety of clients with interests in the mining sector, both proponents and stakeholders.
Tom's approach to work and life has always been that of a realist and a pragmatist. His strengths are in managing projects, people and resources to maximize value and quality for his clients. In a way, he's like his own beloved Bernese Mountain Dog; loyal, calm and ever present at your side.
Job Titles:
- Environmental Scientist
- Senior Environmental Consultant, Vancouver Island
Tyler is an environmental scientist (R.P.Bio.) based in Victoria, BC with a focus on environmental regulatory/permitting matters. Tyler has been with PGL since 2007, shortly after completing a Master's in Resource and Environmental Management (M.R.M.) from SFU. He has previously worked in academia and as the Lands Manager for a Yukon-based First Nation.
Tyler has extensive experience with the energy sector (including renewable and oil & gas). This has involved work both on behalf of developers and First Nations, and work on all aspects of project from initial feasibility to major permitting to long-term monitoring and compliance. Tyler has also worked for a variety of clients in other resource extraction industries and residential building.
Tyler was a stubborn child. Fortunately for his clients, this has translated to a good consultant, who thinks critically to find the best fit for the project, instead of relying on boilerplate material.
Job Titles:
- President
- President, Vancouver
With his unique combination of training, experience, and aptitude, it's unsurprising that Will has few technical equals in the environmental consulting world. He became an environmental consultant in 1985, after studying at MIT and Stanford, and co-founded PGL in 1991 after cutting his chops working in Ontario and BC. As PGL President and a Professional Engineer in five Canadian jurisdictions, he spends half his time on company management and the other half on client work. Will's role for clients is predominantly as technical/senior review on contaminated sites projects and occasional forays into environmental planning. His breadth of experience and ‘can do' approach lead to a significant chunk of owner's engineer and litigation support projects. In person and in writing, Will is very persuasive and strives for clarity. PGL's core values are his: No passengers. We are all villagers. Just MacGyver it.
When he isn't working, you'll find him coaching softball/baseball, on the flying trapeze (yup), cooking, or reading low-rent scifi. He has four kids and they all play ball (though he did not).
Job Titles:
- Senior Environmental Consultant
Zayed started his career in science hoping to do the kind of work that could be featured in National Geographic magazine. While working on contaminated sites investigations and remediation in the Canadian arctic, the program received an article in Canadian Geographic…so almost.
Zayed has over 10 years of experience in contaminated site assessment and remediation and is a Professional Agrologist, and also member of the Contaminated Sites Approved Professionals Society of BC. He has worked for a large variety of clients and industries, and is a go-to technical resource at PGL. His in-depth knowledge of BC's regulatory regime often leads to innovative solutions that decrease the cost of our client's environmental approvals.
In recent years Zayed has made something of a specialty of managing urban development projects from due diligence and purchase through to final regulatory approval. His clients appreciate his friendliness, clear communication, and responsiveness.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Zayed enjoys typical Vancouverite pursuits: kayaking and hiking the summer, skiing in the winter, and reading a book leaning on a log at the beach.