On a daily basis, we are energized by the opportunity to work with members of the Ontario building community to bring green building best practices into the mainstream. Whether you have suggestions for improving this site, or want to explore opportunities for deeper Chapter engagement or partnership, we want to hear from you.
Meet Your Board of Directors
Passionate and accomplished, each member of the CaGBC-GTC board has made important contributions to advancing the green building movement – whether through advocacy and policy advancement, technological innovation or education. Their profiles reflect the diverse skill sets and thought leadership that our community relies on to facilitate enduring market transformation.
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Shawn Vanderheyden, Director & Chair
Manager of Sustainable Construction, PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
Shawn Vanderheyden was educated as a structural civil engineer and began working for Canada’s largest general contractor (PCL). Over the last thirteen years with PCL Shawn worked in strong, complementary roles to his current position as manager of sustainable construction. He acts primarily as a technical advisor and manager for the growing number of LEED projects, while aiding and guiding future LEED AP’s, and acting as a collaborative resource for developing and implementing a strategic plan of sustainable initiatives for his company. From working as a field engineer through to superintendent, estimator and project manager, he has demonstrated the ability and knowledge to not only incorporate sustainability into the built projects and office environment, but across his company and industry, through all stages of the construction process. |
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Michelle Xuereb, Director & Secretary
Sustainability Strategist, Quadrangle Architects Limited
Michelle’s passion for the environment was the impetus for her pursuing a career in which she could effect change. Michelle joined Quadrangle in 2006 as an architect and the firm’s sustainability strategist. Her role is to keep current with the growing body of knowledge of environmental issues and to ensure that sustainability is deeply embedded in every decision made by the Quadrangle team.
Michelle has become the ‘go to’ person for the firm’s complicated renovation work. She has developed the phasing strategies for some of our most complicated work, including the 130 Bloor Street West project, which involved reinforcing the existing building and adding seven storeys on top of a two storey heritage penthouse apartment, all while the office and retail functions of the building remained operational. In 2009, this project was honoured with a Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Award for Innovation in Architecture.
Michelle spent five years as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Waterloo School of Urban Planning, and continues to be involved as a guest lecturer and critic both at the University of Waterloo and Ryerson University.
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Mara Del Bianco, Director
TowerWise Conservation Advisor
Mara recently joined the Toronto Atmospheric Fund as the new TowerWise Conservation Advisor. She provides consulting to the Multi-Unit Residential Building sector on how to implement energy reduction strategies and serves as a one-window access point to utility incentive programs and special financing vehicles to fund projects. She has advocated on the importance of sustainable building practices and the economic proposition for retrofits over the course of the last 8 years as a Licensed Real Estate Professional, Sustainability Consultant and Architect and Design Sales Manager. Mara has served on a number of volunteer committees at CaGBC National and at the Greater Toronto Chapter and is currently chairing the 2nd Annual Gala Committee.
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Chris Ouellette, Director & Treasurer
Senior Manager, Sustainable Business
RBC Royal Bank of Canada
Chris Ouellette is the senior manager of Sustainable Business in RBC’s Corporate Environmental Affairs Group and a LEED Accredited Professional. In his role, Chris supports and advises RBC’s business units in the development of green financial products and services and informs them on environmental issues that represent risks or opportunities for RBC. The Corporate Environmental Affairs Group is responsible for overseeing the implementation of RBC’s Environmental Blueprint, the bank’s roadmap for reducing its environmental footprint, promoting responsible lending, offering environmental products and services, and promoting environmental sustainability.
Prior to joining RBC, Chris worked in various financial and operational capacities for a number of real estate firms, including FirstService, parent company to Colliers International, and O&Y Properties. He obtained his Bachelor of Commerce at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and his Master of Environmental Studies at York University in Toronto.
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Ian Theaker, Director & Vice-Chair
Principal, Integral Green Consulting
Ian Theaker is Principal of Integral Green Consulting, which helps companies & organizations in the development sector create capacity for deep green design and planning.
Ian’s engineering career has focused on green, energy-efficient buildings and communities for more than 25 years, in Canada and the U.S. In the early 90s, he co-authored “Building Environmental Performance Assessment Criteria”, a Canadian forerunner to LEED; and lead the team that created Green Building Design and Construction Guidelines for Santa Monica, California.
He was the key technical support for the New Green Buildings BC program, piloting the development of the first provincially-funded green buildings. Ian co-founded Vancouver’s EcoDesign Resource Society and Designers for Social Responsibility, and served as President of the BC Association of Energy Engineers, to green Southeast False Creek, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics Athletes Village.
Ian created and lead the groundbreaking energy simulation and analysis team for Interface Engineering, the largest M/E/P engineering firm in Portland Oregon, providing energy analysis and recommendations for several signature projects, including the LEED-NC Platinum OHSU River Campus, and Portland’s Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan, an AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten winner.
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Eleanor McAteer, Director
Project Director,Mayor's Tower Renewal, City of Toronto
Eleanor McAteer is currently undertaking the role of Project Director of the Mayor's Tower Renewal. She is responsible for implementing the Mayor's Tower Renewal Pilot Project, a multi-faceted initiative that the City of Toronto is undertaking. Eleanor previously worked as a Senior Engineer with the City of Toronto Energy Efficiency Office. She graduated from the University of Toronto in Civil Engineering in 1984 and Schulich School of Business with a Master of Business Administration degree in 1991 and has been a Professional Engineer since 1986.
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Andy Schonberger, Director
Manager, Earth Rangers Centre
Andy is the Manager of the Earth Rangers Centre, leading its efforts towards energy neutrality, sustainable operation, and LEED EBOM certification. He is a Mechanical Engineer who recently completed an MBA with focus on Business and Sustainability, and is also a LEED Accredited Professional. Andy’s background is in industrial operations management, making him an ideal fit for the many varied interwoven systems that the Earth Rangers Centre is integrating to achieve its operational goals. He is an active member of the CaGBC Greater Toronto Chapter, volunteering for the Marketing and Communications Committee, and a newly elected board member. At Earth Rangers, Andy is actively involved in engaging the green building community and showcasing the success that the LEED Gold building represents. |
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Dan Stone, Director
Manager of Policy Planning, Town of East Gwillimbury; Ontario Professional Planners Institute
Mr. Stone brings close to 20 years of experience in the municipal Planning sector, having worked for several municipalities in York Region as well as the Niagara Escarpment Commission and the Regional Municipality of Halton. Originally hired in 2004 as the Director of Planning for the Town of East Gwillimbury, Mr. Stone is currently in charge of the Town’s comprehensive Official Plan Review process and Growth Management Study. Mr. Stone has been integral in the development of the Town’s award-winning Green Building policies including Energy Star for housing and LEED® standards for new development in the I.C.I. sector. Mr. Stone holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Trent University as well as a Masters Certificate in Municipal Management from the Schulich School of Business. He is a full member in good standing with the Canadian Institute of Planners and Ontario Professional Planners Institute.
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Wells Baker
Minto Green Team
As the Manager of Sustainable Developments at Minto, Wells Baker is responsible for setting the sustainable design strategy and overseeing the LEED certification process for all of Minto’s high-rise condominium developments in Toronto.
He has always been fascinated with buildings and design. Wells studied Architecture at the University of Waterloo before transferring into Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University. It was there that he fostered an interest in sustainability with the university solar car team. Together with a team of student volunteers he designed, built, and raced a solar powered vehicle to 2nd place finishes in both the United States and Australia. After graduating his focus turned to green buildings. He became a LEED AP in 2002 and has over 10 years of experience working as a consulting engineer and LEED facilitator on a variety of commercial building projects. He is proud to have worked on some of Canada’s first LEED buildings including St. Gabriel’s Church (LEED-Gold) and first spectator hockey arena the K-Rock Centre (LEED-Silver). Wells first became involved with the Toronto Chapter of the CaGBC in 2003. He helped to form the Chapter and is honored to have served as Treasurer, Membership Coordinator and Sponsorship Coordinator.
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Jim Lord
Principal, Ecovert Consulting
Jim is a founding principal of Ecovert Sustainability Consultants, a Toronto based consulting firm that specializes in green building certification, green product certification, GHG calculation, sustainable policy development and occupant engagementJim brings Ecovert’s clients a fluent understanding of corporate social responsibility, implementable sustainability tools for facility managers and 20 years of real estate experience as a Tenant and Landlord.
In Jim’s spare time he is a member of the executive committee of Market Transformation to Sustainability (MTS) a non-profit based in Washington that is committed to accelerating the global transformation to sustainability as well as a past president of the Palace Pier Condominium Board and the Humber Bay Shores Condominium Association.
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Amanda Smith, Director
Project Manager, Infrastructure Ontario
Amanda Smith is a Project Manager at Infrastructure Ontario and Co-Chair of IO's Green Building Committee. At IO Amanda leads multi-disciplinary teams to deliver large complex social infrastructure projects. She is currently managing the redevelopment of the Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene, which is seeking LEED® Silver certification and aiming to incorporate sustainable energy and energy efficient elements in the design.
Prior to joining IO, Amanda worked as an engineer for an environmental consulting firm and later in operational planning for the City of Toronto. Amanda is a LEED® AP, a Professional Engineer and a Project Management Professional. She has undergraduate and masters degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto.
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