2026 PlanON Award Winners

David Wise, MCIP, RPP, was the former coordinator for Housing Acceleration at the City of Ottawa, with carriage for the Inclusionary Zoning file for the past eight years. Prior to this, he was the Acting Director of Economic Development and Long Range Planning and Manager of Policy and Zoning, where he co-authored Ottawa’s Official Plan and developed the Zoning Strategy behind Ottawa’s New Zoning By-law. David is now with the Department of National Defense assisting with the massive recapitalization and development programs underway.

Rory Baksh, MCIP, RPP, is a Partner at Dillon Consulting Limited with nearly 30 years of experience across, Ontario, Canada, and internationally. His project experience spans multiple scales, contexts, and jurisdictions. He has been a tireless volunteer for OPPI, CIP, and PSB throughout his career and is currently serving on PSB’s Standards Advisory Committee. Rory is also a recipient of OPPI PlanON Member Service Award and an RPP Leadership Award.

Matthew Bennett, MCIP, RPP, a graduate of the School of Urban Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University, is a Registered Professional Planner and Land Economist. Matthew has experience and knowledge with a diversified range of both public and private sector development and land use planning projects. His work includes most forms and types of residential, commercial, institutional, resort, recreational and mixed-use development. At NBLC, Matthew has analyzed real estate throughout a wide range of consulting assignments across Canada.

Chun Chu, MCIP, RPP, is a registered professional planner with over 18 years of experience in community planning and policy development. She has led successful adoption and passage of official plans, zoning by-laws, and community planning permit systems. She has championed affordable housing initiatives through housing strategies, inclusionary zoning, and community improvement plans. Chun specializes in strategic long-term planning and helping communities make impactful and sustainable changes. 

Michael Hanifi, MCIP, RPP, is an urban planner and Project Manager in land development at Ottawa Community Housing. He has several years of professional experience in both consulting and land development. He is passionate about housing and urban planning, with a focus on creating thoughtful, inclusive and sustainable communities. He is a Registered Professional Planner and Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Nick Michael, MCIP, RPP, is a Partner at N. Barry Lyon Consultants Limited (NBLC), specializing in housing, real estate economics, development feasibility, and urban planning. He holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Queen’s University and is both a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) and Professional Land Economist (PLE). Nick advises municipalities, government agencies, developers, and non-profit organizations on complex housing, development, and land economics issues.

Megan Reddy, MCIP, RPP, is an Associate and Planner at Dillon Consulting Limited, where she specializes in community planning and development in Ontario. With experience spanning social policy research, community engagement, and planning, she brings a multidisciplinary perspective to shaping inclusive, resilient communities. Her work focuses on bridging the gap between technical policy and public participation to deliver people-centered solutions.

Jamie Tellier, MCIP, RPP, is a leader in municipal planning, serving as Director of Community Planning in Burlington, Ontario. Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to responsible growth, community building, and public service. Jamie enjoys bringing people together to find innovative and practical solutions to complex challenges that help create resilient communities where people can live, work, and thrive.

Steve Robichaud, MCIP, RPP, is the Commissioner of Development and Growth Management for the City of Burlington where he leads the Building, By-law Compliance and Planning Divisions. Prior to joining the City of Burlington, he was the Chief Planner for the City of Hamilton. In addition to overseeing the adoption of new residential zoning in Burlington, he is also involved in the application of AI technology to both the building permit review process and zoning review processes.

Carol Ruddy, MCIP, RPP, is the Program Manager of the Zoning Unit at the City of Ottawa. Carol has a Master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of British Columbia and has been with the City of Ottawa since 2002 working in the Heritage Planning, Development Review, Planning Policy and Zoning Units.

Jeff Nadeau, MCIP, RPP, is a Senior Planner with the City of Ottawa’s zoning team. Jeff started his career in management consulting for federal real property, gained development experience and perspective as a land-use planning consultant, and joined the City of Ottawa as a planner in 2020. For the new comprehensive zoning by-law, Jeff took the lead on developing the mixed-use zones and interpreting the Official Plan’s wider strategy for tall buildings in the City of Ottawa.

Robert Sandercott, MCIP, RPP, is a senior planner with the City of Ottawa, working extensively with the residential zones of the City’s new Zoning By-law. He has over 10 years of experience working as a professional planner, including work with development applications and municipal land-use policy. Robert holds a BES from the University of Waterloo.

John Lunney, MCIP, RPP, is a Planner III with the City of Ottawa, where he has spent most of his more than 12-year career in planning and land development. A graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Planning program, John contributed to Ottawa’s new Official Plan beginning in 2020 and later in the City’s comprehensive new Zoning By-law. He is particularly interested in developing planning regulations and policy that are evidence-based, clearly communicated, and consistently applied.

Alex Gatien, MCIP, RPP, is a graduate of York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies in the Program in Planning. He previously worked as a development planner for the City of Cornwall. He was responsible for sections on bike parking, rural zones and industrial zones in Ottawa’s New Zoning By-law.

Christina Culley, MCIP, RPP, is a Policy Planner with the City of Ottawa’s Zoning team. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Child and Youth Studies and Education (BA/BEd) from Brock University and a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning (MPL) from Queen’s University. Christina has worked at the City of Ottawa for over 5 years. She spent the first year of her planning career at the City working on Committee of Adjustment applications and joined the Zoning team at the beginning of the new Zoning By-law project.

Seana Turkington, MCIP, RPP, is an urban planner from Hamilton, ON and has worked at all three levels of government over her decade plus long career. She has worked in various roles working on development applications, Ottawa’s New Zoning By-law, and more recently, urban boundary expansion applications. She was key in helping Ottawa remove minimum parking space rates.

Tracy Tang, Candidate Member, is a Planner with the City of Ottawa’s Zoning and Intensification Unit with experience in policy planning, land use development, and community consultation from both public and private sectors. She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor in Environmental Studies, a minor in Urban Studies, and a specialization in Urban Design.

Edward Terry, MCIP, RPP, is the Manager of Policy and Community Planning for the Town of Fort Erie. With more than 25 years of planning experience, he has worked in the provincial, regional, municipal, and private sectors, specializing in policy development and implementation. Throughout his career, Edward has led major planning initiatives, including Official Plan reviews, Climate Change Action Plans, Community Improvement Plans, and Housing Strategies across Southern Ontario.

Aaron Hair, MCIP, RPP, is a planning and policy professional with experience leading strategic planning initiatives, coordinating complex projects, and supporting evidence-based decision-making. As a Project Manager, he works across teams and stakeholders to advance organizational priorities, develop practical solutions, and implement initiatives that strengthen long-term outcomes.

Ran Chen, MCIP, RPP, is a Senior Urban Designer with the City of Toronto’s Downtown Section, where she leads and contributes to transformative planning initiatives that advance inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant urban environments. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the Universidad de Panamá and a Master of City Planning from Pratt Institute in New York. Her work has shaped major city-building projects, including the East Harbour Precinct Plan, Regent Park Revitalization, and the Toronto Chinatown West Planning Study (Chinatown Tomorrow Planning Initiative).

Patricia Cho, MCIP, RPP, is a Community Planner with the Development Review Division for the City of Toronto. Patricia is dedicated to building stronger communities through collaboration. She actively engages local residents, stakeholders and municipal officials to ensure planning outcomes reflect the needs and perspectives of the communities she serves.

Willie Macrae, MCIP, RPP, have worked at City of Toronto in Community Planning for 19 years – managing development review in different areas of the City over that time. He has previously worked in private practice as planning consultant in Downtown Toronto for 2 years. Willie started his career as a land use planner for the Squamish Lilloet Regional District in Whistler, BC.

Emilia Floro, MCIP, RPP, is an urban designer and the former director of urban design at the City of Toronto. She creates transformational urban design visions and implementation strategies, delivering exceptional city-building projects. Working in both the public and private sectors with a focus on the re-urbanization of downtowns, urban centres, waterfronts, and transit corridors, she has made significant contributions to the quality of the built environment and public spaces.

Carly Bowman, MCIP, RPP, is a Community Planning Director in the City of Toronto, with the Development Review Division. Her 20 years of planning practice have been focused in the City of Toronto, scaled from local development to large-scale redevelopment. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Master of Science in Planning program.

Erika Hennebury, MCIP, RPP, is a Senior Cultural Affairs Officer with the City of Toronto, Economic Development and Culture, where she is project lead for the Cultural Districts Program and co-lead for the Office for Cultural Space. She holds a Masters degree in Environmental Studies, Planning (York University, Faculty of Environmental Studies and Urban Change) with a major research focus on community land trusts.

Sharon Hong, MCIP, RPP, has over 15 years of professional experience in the planning and heritage sectors. Her ability to navigate the nuanced interplay between urban planning and heritage conservation demonstrates her expertise, strategic thinking, and commitment to fostering sustainable and vibrant urban environments. At ERA Architects, Sharon has been a leader in the advancement of several strategic portfolios and advancing community-based methodologies for expanding inclusivity in the practice of heritage.

Nick Michael, MCIP, RPP, is a Partner at N. Barry Lyon Consultants Limited (NBLC), specializing in housing, real estate economics, development feasibility, and urban planning. He holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Queen’s University and is both a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) and Professional Land Economist (PLE). Nick advises municipalities, government agencies, developers, and non-profit organizations on complex housing, development, and land economics issues.

Khaldoon Ahmad, MCIP, RPP, is a professional Planner, urban designer, and trained architect with 26 years of planning and design experience in both the public sector and the private sector. Khaldoon is a graduate of the University of Miami’s School of Architecture and McGill University’s School of Architecture. He sits on the City of Brampton’s Urban Design Review Panel. Khaldoon has led teams and fosters partnerships to deliver award winning projects from incentives to streetscapes and civic spaces.

Katie Young, MCIP, RPP is a Senior Planner with Niagara Region, currently working in Development Services. She provides planning comments on development applications from a Regional perspective, helping to ensure proposed development aligns with Regional policies, infrastructure considerations, and broader community-building objectives. With more than seven years of professional planning experience, Katie has worked in both development review and long-range policy planning. She has also collaborated with Niagara Region’s Incentives Team to support the administration of development incentive programs.

Gulsvert Dela Cruz, Candidate Member, joined NBLC as a Planner and Real Estate Analyst in July 2023. He holds a Master of Planning in Urban Development from Toronto Metropolitan University. Since joining NBLC, Gulsvert has proven capable of quickly and effectively understanding the policy framework and financial environment across jurisdictions. He has provided invaluable support in creating and testing financial models relating to residential and mixed-use development.

Richa Dave, MCIP, RPP, is a Registered Professional Planner with nearly a decade of experience in the transportation planning industry. She currently serves as the Supervisor of Transportation Policy Planning at the City of Brampton, where she leads long-range planning initiatives that support sustainable mobility. Richa’s professional background spans municipal and regional governments. Her areas of expertise include transportation master planning, Vision Zero road safety, active transportation, and the integration of land use and mobility policy.

David Leinster, MCIP, RPP, is a recognized leader in public realm design with over 35 years of experience in landscape architecture and public realm design. David’s award-winning projects in Canada and internationally focus on place-making in the public realm and developing creative pedestrian priority strategies for urban spaces. He is currently the Chair of the City of Ottawa’s Urban Design Review Panel, a member of the Toronto Community Housing Design Review Panel and Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel.

Ron Clark, MCIP, RPP, is one of Parsons’ Canadian Vice-Presidents, and is manager of Parsons’ planning & engineering business in Ottawa, with a staff of more than 100. Ron is an RPP with 38 years of experience in the consulting industry. He is a transportation and urban planner, facility designer, and senior project manager. He specializes in transportation planning & design projects focused on complete streets, transit, and active transportation.

Andrew Sacret, MCIP, RPP, is currently the Chief of Planning and Design at the National Capital Commission. He and his team have completed several challenging planning projects in the last few years, including major updates to the Core Area Plan, Sir George Etienne Cartier Park Plan, Capital Design Guidelines, and the Confederation Boulevard Design Guidelines. Andrew previously worked as a campus planner at uOttawa, as Director of Policy and Public Affairs at CIP, as a town planning advisor through Cuso International, and as a senior planner at FOTENN.

Caroline Kimble, MCIP, RPP, has spent the past 36 years of her career in the municipal sector. She has been with the City of Peterborough for over 20 years. She leads the Policy Planning team for the City and has dedicated her efforts towards ensuring the City is well poised for opportunities and growth by responding to Provincial legislative changes, initiating changes to incentivize housing and housing affordability and streamlining the development approvals process.

Milan Nguyen, MCIP, RPP, is a Policy Planner with the City of Peterborough. Her experience includes municipal planning in Ontario and northern Canada, with work in policy planning, growth management and long-range planning. She has led municipal planning projects, including the Official Plan Review, land needs assessment and planning initiatives to respond to legislative changes.

Megan Peck, Pre-Candidate Member, is a Policy Planner with the City of Peterborough. She brings a diverse perspective shaped by her experience in private- and public-sector development planning, architecture and urban design, and community consultation. Megan draws on this experience to lead key municipal projects, including the development of internal policy documents such as the City’s Missing Middle Community Improvement Plan and the ongoing implementation of ArcGIS Urban to support scenario- and evidence-based policy planning.

Brad Appleby, MCIP, RPP, is the Director of Planning, Development and Urban Design Division for the City of Peterborough which includes development planning, development engineering, policy planning, urban design, and the heritage preservation office. Brad has been with the City since 2008, participating in numerous initiatives including preparation of the City’s new Official Plan, regional growth management reviews, environmental assessments,etc.

Justine Giancola, MCIP, RPP, is a partner, board member, project manager and professional planner with Dillon’s community planning group. She has over 18 years of experience managing a wide range of planning projects. Justine is very active in the profession, having taken on many leadership roles, and has served as a Council member and President of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.

Ashley North, MCIP, RPP, is an Associate and Planner with Dillon Consulting based in Kitchener. She specializes in multi-disciplinary land use planning and growth management.

Harane Jegatheswaran, Candidate Member, is a Planner at Dillon with over 2 years of experience working on a range of community planning projects, particular Official Plans, Secondary Plans and a Community Planning Permit System. Drawing on a strong foundation in policy review and analysis, comprehensive research, and report writing, she actively supports planning works and the preparation of community engagement items.

David Riley, RPP, is a Principal of SGL Planning & Design, where he has worked for over 18 years. David’s experience includes work on a wide array of projects and planning studies, with a particular focus on Official Plan reviews, Zoning By-law reviews, Community Planning Permit Systems, other policy studies and both minor and major development applications in municipalities across Southern Ontario.

Kyle Knoeck, MCIP, RPP, is City of Toronto’s Director of Zoning. He provides leadership to Toronto’s zoning regime to update and modernize zoning permissions across the City of Toronto. Kyle has overseen the development of the policy framework to permit multi-tenant houses across Toronto, updated zoning for Employment Lands, and the review of zoning to permit “missing middle” housing types, and Toronto’s on-going shift to zoning that permits more development as-of-right.

Caroline Samuel, MCIP, RPP is the Manager of the Zoning Section, in the City Planning Division at the City of Toronto. Caroline has over 20 years of experience in planning in the public sector and has spent the past nine years at the City of Toronto, leading the development of zoning regulations to address emerging city-wide planning policies.

Carl Knipfel, MCIP, RPP, is a creative professional planner and architect with broad-based training and experience in urban design, marketing, research and business development. He has served as Manager of Design Research for OCAD University and Manager of Business Marketing as well as Brand Manager for the City of Toronto. As Policy Advisor for the Ontario government , he formulated planning policy legislation.

Graig Uens, MCIP, RPP, is Director of Planning at Batory Planning + Management. He spent more than 15 years as a public sector planner, including 12 years with the City of Toronto, before joining Batory in 2022. Graig has considerable experience in development planning and land use policy, with a strong focus on housing.  

Hena Kabir, MCIP, RPP, is an architectural graduate and municipal planning professional with nearly 25 years of experience in land use planning, urban design, development planning, and municipal management. As Director of Planning Services for the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, she works to help guide growth and build complete communities.

Janice Robinson, RPP, has had a distinguished planning career of over 40 years. She held senior positions in municipal planning departments, private land development companies and land use planning consulting. After retiring in 2021, Ms. Robinson was a consultant on many varied and scoped assignments. She is currently a member of the City of Mississauga Committee of Adjustment.

Michi McCloskey, MCIP, RPP, has 12 years of experience in planning, development, and public engagement. She holds a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Design from the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Ireland and a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning from Toronto Metropolitan University. Michi contributes to a diverse range of policy and development projects across the region, spanning various scales and levels of complexity.

Maxwell Hartt, MCIP, RPP, is an Associate Professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning and Director of the Population and Place Research Lab at Queen’s University. Dr. Hartt is an unbridled optimist and a globally recognized expert in planning for demographic change – especially shrinking and aging communities. His research and practice focus on nurturing prosperity, quality of life, and joy in communities with shifting population dynamics.

Samantha Leger, MCIP, RPP, is a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto. Trained both academically and practically as an urban planner, she received her doctorate in urban planning from the University of Waterloo. Samantha’s research interests revolve around mobility justice and designing inclusive streetscapes.

Jennifer Dean, MCIP, RPP, is an Associate Professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo (Canada). She is a social scientist by training and earned a doctorate in health geography from McMaster University. Jennifer’s research broadly explores the relationship between local environments and human health and wellbeing.

Michelle Diplock, MCIP, RPP, is a Registered Professional Planner with seven years’ experience. Passionate about the next generation of land use professionals, Michelle contributes as a part-time professor to Mohawk College’s School of Urban and Regional Planning and has worked with planning and engineering public policy classes at various other universities. She is also a member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute’s Government and Public Relations Committee.

Pam Duesling, MCIP, RPP, is an Economic Development Professional with an expertise in on-farm diversification, who has been practicing in rural Southern Ontario for twenty-five years. Pam is currently the Director of Community Planning & Development at the Town of Pelham in Niagara Region, and has previously served in planning leadership positions in Brant, Norfolk, and Haldimand Counties. Dr. Duesling is a Sessional Lecturer at both the University of Waterloo and University of Guelph teaching courses in Professional Planning Practice and Urban and Regional Planning.

Aimee Powell, MCIP, RPP, is the Chief Planning Officer of Powell Planning & Associates, a land use planning consulting firm serving private and public sector clients across Ontario. Aimee brings 18 + years of industry experience as an instructor teaching planning at Toronto Metropolitan University, Board Member with the Black Planning and Urbanists Association and the Ontario Black Contractors Association, Executive Member of OPPI Council, and Vice-Chair of the Town of New Tecumseth’s Committee of Adjustment.

Heather Swan, MCIP, RPP, is a compassionate and passionate Plangineer (Planner / Engineer) who has dedicated the last 20+ years to being an ally and accomplice, amplifying Indigenous voices. She raises challenges and opportunities in places where she has the privilege to hold space and in her circle of influence. Her unique dual training and experience in planning and engineering supports an appreciation of varied viewpoints and consensus building, working tactfully and effectively with multiple and diverse individuals and organizations.