Our Team

Kirsten Biggelaar

Headshot of Kirsten Biggelaar, Office Manager
OFFICE MANAGER

KIRSTEN BIGGELAAR

Kirsten has a Business Administration/Finance Diploma from NAIT and has been a part of the finance industry for 28 years. She has experience in various roles from being a customer service rep at a local bank, working in the finance department at a large corporation, bookkeeping for a church, to various administrative roles in Interior Health, including the accounts receivable/finance department.

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Marc Biggelaar

Senior Civil Engineering Technologist

MARC BIGGELAAR

ASCT

Marc assists in project implementation and design/drafting. He has been in the Civil Engineering Industry since 2001 and has worked as a surveyor, a design and drafting technologist in Transportation, Municipal, Land Development and Environmental Projects. Marc was previously the CAD Manager in the infrastructure group at WSP Canada Inc. and a Senior Civil Engineering Technologist at Lawson Engineering, implementing CAD standards at both places. Marc graduated at NAIT in the Civil Engineering Technology Program in 2002 and has his AScT with ASTTBC.

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Greg Gillespie

Greg Gillespie Headshot
Senior Development Manager

Greg Gillespie

BSc, PMP

Greg Gillespie is an accredited Project Management Professional and land use consultant with over 16 years of extensive leadership and real estate experience. He delivers end-to-end land management results with success across a broad spectrum of portfolios, including residential housing, telecommunication networks, waste-to-energy facilities and large multifamily/mixed-use developments.

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Mahlet Abraha

Headshot of Mahlet Abraha
JUNIOR ENGINEER-IN-TRAINING

MAHLET ABRAHA

Mahlet is an Engineer-In-Training and recently graduated from UBCO with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering.
⁠Originally from Ethiopia, Mahlet has lived in Canada now for 10 years and has finally settled here in Victoria after living in Calgary and Kelowna for school. She has a strong background in project management, technical documentation, infrastructure assessment, and designing software skills, making her a great addition to our team.

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Emma Rendell

DIGITAL MARKETING & COMMUNITY OUTREACH

EMMA RENDELL

Emma joined the Gwaii team in 2021 as a social media manager, and has since expanded her role into community outreach, digital marketing, and supporting the grant writing team. Originally from a performing arts background, she brings a passion for storytelling & communication to her work, and enjoys getting to share the incredible work Gwaii is doing for First Nations in BC.

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Sally Hodgson

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

SALLY HODGSON

Sally made her way to Vancouver Island to attend university, quickly falling in love with the island’s breathtaking landscapes and welcoming community. She carried on to pursue a master’s degree while gaining experience in project management in the healthcare sector. Now, as part of the Gwaii Engineering team since February 2024, Sally supports the smooth running of billing and operations, and assists with grant writing, utilizing her organizational skills and attention to detail. Beyond the office, you’ll often find her exploring new destinations, enjoying quality time with friends, and embracing the island’s outdoor adventures.

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Matt Byrnell

JUNIOR CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST

MATT BYRNELL

Matt joins us as a Junior Civil Engineering Design Technologist. He recently graduated from Camosun College with a Diploma in Civil Engineering Technology and has a substantial background in carpentry. His diverse set of skills will no doubt provide a huge asset to our civil engineering team.

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Brandon Ducharme

Senior Project manager

BRANDON DUCHARME

MBA, P.Eng, PE, CPEng, PMP

Brandon is an internationally and multi-qualified professional engineer and project management professional skilled in strategic planning, commercial negotiations, and the funding and finance of infrastructure. He brings extensive client-side and local government experience with expertise in integrated water services, asset management and infrastructure investment capabilities to our team. 

Brandon has recently returned to Canada from Aotearoa New Zealand where he was responsible for the long-range planning of integrated water services for a local government.

Passionate about the vital importance and meaning of water to indigenous peoples, Brandon brings a values-based approach to infrastructure planning, engineering and development. The authority, life, and relationship between water and the people of the land are fundamental pillars to maintaining the health of water bodies, freshwater ecosystems, and communities that rely on them. These values are central to his practice in the long-range planning and development of community infrastructure.

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Kyle Anderson

Civil Engineering Technologist 

KYLE ANDERSON

Kyle is of Cree, Saulteaux and Swampy Cree heritage and has been a Civil Engineering Technologist with us since 2020, while also completing his diploma through Camosun College. Kyle has tended to the environmental aspects of land development contracts around the city of Victoria. His responsibilities include the timely collection of soil and water samples and preparing them for composite analysis, and writing technical reports pertaining to environmental site evaluation. He is also responsible for design drawings on AutoCAD Civil 3D for Civil infrastructure, as well as topographical survey, lay out survey and as-built survey for rural and urban development projects.

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Gladia Joy

Gladia Joy
Office Administrator & HR Specialist

Gladia Joy

Gladia holds a BSc & MBA in Human Resource Management, and is a member of CPHR BC & Yukon.⁠ Alongisde her role as an Office Administrator & HR Specialist, Gladia also assists with accounting & project management.

Gladia worked in Human Resources and Administration for 6 years in India before making the move here to Canada. ⁠

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