Rolling into the summer with new hires & team advancement
Our continued growth as a team is fueled by collaboration, valued client relationships and increasingly diverse expertise. As we continue to advance our planning, design and engagement services into new geographic markets including the Capital Region and Metro Vancouver and expand our presence and service offerings to new industry sectors we are thrilled to welcome five new team members to B&A. We welcome community planners, Emily Kloppenberg, Zane Davey and Aaron Bomback, Sophia Fisher to our design team and Megan McClure to our communications and engagement team.
The opportunity for growth within B&A is immense and planners Chris Andrew and Daniel MacGregor can attest to it after their promotion to Associates in January 2022.
Before making the move into urban planning, Chris’s (pictured left) background in finance provided him with a unique perspective as a planning consultant on the financial and economic impacts of his work. He feels grateful for this opportunity and looks forward to generating positive change in our cities and feels that his promotion reflects the firm’s, “ability to grow our people by exposing them to a variety of projects and client work while supporting professional ambition.”
After nine years with the company, Daniel (pictured right) always looks forward to the wide variety of projects that have helped grow him into a jack-of-all-trades planner. Daniel is looking forward to creating relationships with new clients, strengthening relationships with existing clients and passing along knowledge to the new generation of planners joining the company.
We’re excited to welcome these five new additions to B&A, after we previously brought five other team members on board earlier this year.
Aaron Bomback is a new addition to the community planning team at our Edmonton office. Aaron holds a Master of Planning and Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Calgary. He is currently a Master of Landscape Architecture candidate at the University of Manitoba, where he recently received a Student Award of Excellence from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects for his studio project.
Aaron has been working as a Registered Professional Planner for engineering companies, universities and a variety of municipalities and cities. Aaron brings a wealth of knowledge of Alberta’s planning legislation and regional growth plans while offering his expertise in land use planning, landscape architecture, and geospatial analysis to support B&A’s customized planning services and solutions to clients.
Zane Davey came aboard as a community planner at our Calgary office after recently completing a Master of Urban Planning at McGill University. With a deep family connection to the Canadian prairies, Zane’s Indigenous heritage and passion for the public realm has influenced his interest in planning with reconciliation and vulnerable peoples in mind.
His graduate studies research focused on urban governance structures, urban design and inclusive developments. Zane researched both Indigenous-municipal relations and urban reserves with hopes of establishing a greater understanding of urban indigeneity and the process of decolonizing Canadian cities and space. With an extensive background in research-based analysis, public engagement, and non-profit community endeavors, Zane’s aspirations and curiosity continue to push him towards fostering equitable and caring communities.
Emily Kloppenburg joined our Calgary team as a community planner and is a graduate of the University of Calgary’s Master of Planning program and holds a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in psychology and urban systems from McGill University. Emily has experience in the medical and care fields, urban design, and community redevelopment in Calgary with an emphasis on public engagement and community collaboration.
Emily’s academic research focused on grassroots city-building, tactical urbanism, and placemaking where she developed a ‘make it happen’approach to changing urban spaces. Her passion for urbanism and collaboration focuses her work and continues to frame how she understands the human experience in urban and natural environments.
Sophia Fisher brings her sharp strategic eye to our Calgary office as a graphic designer. With a background in magazine publication, corporate brand strategy and creative direction, her career spans over 15 years, garnering an expansive and diverse portfolio of creative work.
Prior to starting her career, Sophia’s love of travel and the fine art world led to years of international art and design studies in Hawaii and Switzerland, landing her back in Calgary where she completed a graphic design internship in publications. Sophia continues to push dynamic creativity in her visual and digital design work, creating design that is meaningful, inspiring and fosters connection.
Megan McClure joined our communications and engagement team after recently completing her Bachelor of Communication with a specialization in public relations at Mount Royal University. Megan’s experience includes working in the non-profit sector with the Children’s Cottage Society as a Development and Communications Assistant, interning with the tech-recruiter Global Talent Accelerator in marketing and journalism and government as a Public Relations Summer Student with Alberta Energy Regulator. Prior to Megan’s transition to B&A, she worked for a marketing agency as a project coordinator.
Her skill set includes strategic communications, social media management and project coordination. She is eager to create and deliver communications and engagement strategies that are inclusive of diverse stakeholder perspectives. Megan enjoys, running, yoga, and spending time in the mountains in her spare time.
