CERTES - Key Persons
Dermot O'Connor, PhD - Social Science & Indigenous Rights Research Consultant - As the Principal Consultant of Oak Road Concepts Inc., Dermot specializes in community-based research with First Nations, Métis, and municipal governments. Areas of expertise include Indigenous knowledge, use and occupancy studies, community histories, residential school survivor interviews, community-based monitoring, cumulative effects studies, reviews of environmental assessments, and socio-economic impact assessments. Dermot enjoys participating in interviews with community members, joining field expeditions, facilitating workshops, training research partners in research methods, conducting archival research, and developing new projects. With his research and writing skills combined with unique experiences working with diverse groups locally and globally, Dermot is becoming a leading expert in his field and a proud partner on projects with Certes since 2018.
Heather Hatch - Business Manager - With over 30 years of administration and financial reporting experience in a variety of industries, Heather's expertise speaks for itself. Before immigrating to British Columbia in 2008, Heather held the post of Finance and Administration Manager with the Scottish Police Force. This entailed supporting the Area Commanders in the open and transparent accountability of the Force's use of the Revenue Budget allocated by government to the Highland Division, the largest geographical area in the UK, population approx 300,000 and supported by 715 police officers. Heather's impeccable work ethic combined with excellent organizational and communication skills sets her apart as a Business Manager of the highest standard.
Jim Thrower - PhD, RPF - Jim has over 30 years of experience in the forest industry - mostly consulting to industry and Government in strategic planning, valuation relating to fibre supply, growth & yield, inventory, data management and analysis, and quantitative silviculture. In 2006, he sold the consulting firm, J.S.Thrower & Associates Ltd. that he founded and managed for 15 years - and has subsequently been operating as an independent consultant. His most recent areas of activity have been in strategic planning and fibre supply, due diligence for acquisitions, corporate valuation, business development and analysis and technical project management. Jim's areas of technical expertise include strategic fibre supply planning, inventory design and analysis, growth & yield, site productivity estimation, quantitative silviculture, volume and value yield, timber valuation, and scientific research.
Keely Winnitoy, MA - Cultural Anthropologist - Cultural Manager -Keely has senior level expertise in Traditional Land Use Studies, Aboriginal consultation and impact assessment based on over 10 years working for Aboriginal groups, industry and government in provincial, territorial and federal contexts. She has extensive experience in the successful design, implementation and management of cultural research conducted with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Nunavut and Ontario, primarily in relation to the assessment of pipeline, mining and transmission developments.
Lauren Swan, BMath - GIS Analyst/Database Technician - A graduate of the Geographic Information Systems Certificate program at Okanagan College, Lauren has worked with Certes for over 10 years. Lauren's experience and expertise is reflected in the quality and high standards of her work. As a GIS Traditional Land Use Data Specialist, Lauren has respectfully and meticulously created Traditional Land Use archives for many of our First Nations clients, preserving their history for generations to come. Lauren's aptitude for data collection and analysis using ArcGIS and QGIS makes her a versatile member of the Certes GIS team.
Wendy Jennings, BPE, AdvDiplGIS - GIS Analyst - Wendy's experience as a Senior GIS Analyst ranges from data analysis for site index sampling to data management and RESULTS inventory data updates. Currently, Wendy is part of the team providing data analysis for pilot studies focused on broadleaf management and wildfire threat analysis and reporting. In addition to natural resource sciences, Wendy has worked in the municipal GIS environment and brings her considerable technical expertise to supplement the Certes Civil program.