BILD Calgary Region Association Board of Directors play an essential role in furthering advocacy initiatives for the organization as well as for Calgary and the Region. Below is a list of the 2024/2025 BILDCR Association Board of Directors’ Nominees for each of the categories. Next to the category is how many open seats are available for the upcoming Board of Directors Voting that will be sent out via digital ballot on Monday, June 3. Every BILDCR member organization that is in good standing will receive one vote (in each of the categories below) as well as additional votes based on members who are part of BILDCR committees. Each committee member is entitled to one vote, regardless of the number of committees they sit on. Voting will conclude on Friday, June 14 at 4:00 pm (MST) and the new Board of Directors members will be introduced at the 2024 BILDCR Annual General Meeting on Thursday, June 20. Nominees are listed alphabetically by first name.
Builder Developer – New Communities Nominees (Two Seats Available)
Chris Richer, Vice President, Alberta Homes – Brookfield Residential
Chris Richer is a passionate Albertan and born and raised Calgarian. Chris has been a member of the Brookfield Properties Development Executive Team for 10 years, currently serving as the Sr. Vice President of Alberta Homes. Chris came to Brookfield through the acquisition of ALBI Homes, where he served as SVP of Operations. He is responsible for all Single and Multi-Family residential construction in the province, leading Brookfield’s team in the construction of 700-900 homes annually.
Chris has over 20 years in executive leadership across multiple industries and has served in several for-profit and charitable board positions. Prior to joining Brookfield Residential, Chris was the President of AirSprint, Canada’s largest operator of private aircraft and served 7 years as a director and Co-Chair of HomeFront, a leading force in the elimination of domestic violence in Calgary.
Chris holds a diploma in Architectural Technology from SAIT and an MBA from the University of Calgary. He is proud to have spent several years in his early career working as a residential framer, designer and site superintendent. He has a deep passion for homebuilding and sees tremendous opportunity in the positive impacts of technology on our industry and our ability to establish Alberta as a North American leader in affordable, sustainable & healthy homes. Away from work you will find Chris enjoying the outdoors, adventure racing on his mountain bike, skiing with his family or enjoying a great meal, great wine and great music with his wife Samantha and their kids.
Jared Goldade, Vice President, WestCreek Developments
Jared Goldade has been with WestCreek Developments for 12 years in varying roles in both land development, as well as house building. Prior to WestCreek Jared worked with Stantec Consulting working as an Engineer.
Jared’s skill set includes land development planning and municipal approvals, construction management, bank financing and structuring, sales, marketing, and financial analysis. Having worked with WestCreek in varying roles he has been exposed to all facets of land development. Jared has worked with WestCreek Homes since its inception working with, sales, marketing, financial analysis, banking, and project management.
Jared has been committed to the industry through participation with BILD Calgary. He has been involved in the technical finance committee, the planning committee, and offsite levy committees, as well as the Board of Directors prior to UDI/CHBA amalgamation.
Having worked and with continued exposure to both the Land Development and housing sides of the real estate business, Jared is able to provide valuable insight into how BILD Calgary and our industry will move forward.
PS Sidhu, President of Genesis Builders Group and Senior VP, Home Building with Genesis Land Development Corp.
PS has been working for the past 18 years in the Calgary area’s homebuilding and land development industry. Currently, PS is the President of Genesis Builders Group and Senior VP, Home Building with Genesis Land Development Corp. PS has been actively involved in BILD Calgary Region over the course of the last decade. PS has utilized his knowledge and experience to co-chair the work of the Economic Advisory Committee, also an active member of the HR Committee and past judge of the BILD Awards.
By joining the BILD Calgary Region Board, PS will bring his knowledge, perspective and energy to further our industry and promote growth for Calgary and area. PS very much looks forward to furthering BILD’s advocacy efforts, and maintaining affordable housing options throughout the CMA.
Tara Steell, General Manager – Calgary Land – Dream Developments
Tara has had the privilege to participate on the Board of Directors for BILD Calgary Region this past term. Tara welcomes the opportunity to further deepen her contribution to BILD and our industry as a whole. While Tara has served on a number of Boards and Councils previously, her work on the BILD Board is enhanced with her committee work that started under the UDI Calgary banner including the Planning Committee, the Developer Advisory Committee and most recently the Off Site Bylaw Steering Committee. Tara brings a balanced and nuanced understanding of the development process while ensuring the interests of builders and in turn our customers (those that call our communities home) are reflected in the discussions and plans to ensure our region remains competitive and a desirable place to choose to live, work, play and invest.
Builder Developer – Established Area Nominees (Two Seats Available)
Jim Gordon, Senior Director - Real Estate, Calgary Co-operative Association Ltd.
Jim leads Calgary Co-op’s Real Estate & Development team and is responsible for all new development, leasing, property management and asset management for Calgary Co-op and all related subsidiaries as both Landlord and Tenant.
As landlord, Jim’s main responsibilities include strategy, leasing, and management of Calgary Co-op’s real estate portfolio consisting of 54 properties, +/-2 million square feet and 200 tenancies. He is actively growing the real estate portfolio through developing retail, mixed-use, residential redevelopments, and value-add projects across the broad range of inner city and greenfield properties owned by Calgary Co-op.
On the tenant side he is responsible for the leasing and retail growth strategy for Calgary Co-op, Community Natural Foods, Beacon Pharmacies, Freshpath, and Willow Park. His current focus is on driving efficiency and value within the existing store network, while driving geographic expansion of the Affiliate companies.
Jim’s background consists of consulting, local government, and development management. Most notably with a publicly traded real estate developer, developing retail shopping centers across western Canada.
He is passionate about retail and mixed-use developments because of how integral they are to everyday life. Outside of work he enjoys being outdoors, skiing, playing & watching hockey.
Norah Fraser, Vice President – Urban Development, Minto Communities
Norah is a Real Estate Executive with over 16 years of experience building master-planned communities and award winning urban projects. She is an experienced professional in leading and building teams with successful division start-up experience. Project Development experience encompasses all phases of the real estate lifecycle from acquisition to completion. Expertise in feasibility analysis, budgeting, product development, sales, marketing and project management. Norah seeks the opportunity to serve as a Director on the BILD Calgary Region board in order to help advance industry initiatives with Calgary’s regional municipalities. To advance BILDCR’s positive shift in Calgary to be viewed as leaders in equity, diversity, and inclusion as we grow Calgary by creating socially and environmentally impactful communities. Both as an industry executive and BILD volunteer, Norah advocates on behalf of the association since locating to Calgary from Ottawa in 2010. Norah’s volunteer roles include the BILDCR Awards, Airdrie Builder and Urban Redevelopment committees. As a marketing executive, she has lead investment in BILD sponsorship opportunities and advocacy investment.
Supplier/Trade/Manufacturer/Renovator (Two Seat Available)
Deanne Lord-Hunter, General Manager, Canyon Plumbing & Heating
Deanne has held a 26-year career with Canyon Plumbing and Heating; where she currently holds the office of General Manager.
Throughout her years with Canyon, she has dedicated her time and expertise to numerous events and initiatives across the city. For the past 13 years, Deanne has served with the BILDCR Associate Board and BILDCR labour force Committee. Her contributions extend beyond the above organizations, and also include a number of community-based volunteer roles. Her track-record of success is marked by her determination, persistence, and ability to think laterally through complex industry issues and opportunities.
Deanne has agreed to stand as a nominee for the Directors’ Election because she believes that continuous learning and knowledge sharing is key for personal and industry success.
Ken Crockett, Vice President, Star Building Materials
Ken Crockett’s been a builder from the day he was born. He grew up in a family business that included renovations; new home construction and custom log homes. One of his very first jobs was in a local home hardware store, loading customer vehicles and preparing deliveries. This was his beginning in the building industry, and he hasn’t looked back once.
At Star, Ken has developed a sustainable and ethical business structure, one that serves customers first and rewards those who take responsibility for their work. He’s helped Star become the reliable supplier and partner that it is.
John Wiehler, President, Wiehler Mechanical
In 2010, Wiehler needed to re-invent itself. Marty Wiehler (Founder) had run Wiehler from 1979 to 2010, experiencing several boom bust cycles. In 2010, John took over after Wiehler had a $570,000 top line revenue at a $-70,000 loss. The company at that time consisted of 3 people, Marty, John, and Christine. John consistently said yes to any type of work that was offered and learned how to estimate, work and collect; wearing all the hats of the business.
Wiehler has continued to provided Rockwood Custom Homes plumbing services since 2011 and has grown in lock step to continue to provide reliable and long-term client service. In 2015, the opportunity arose to take on a new client, Stepper Homes, and establish a Production Housing division. The company achieved the titles of ‘Trade Partner of The Year and ‘Most Improved Safety Performer’ for Stepper in 2017.
In 2017, Wiehler purchased an HVAC company (Anduro Industries) in order to incorporate HVAC into its business model. With this, the company grew from $1M to $10M, until amalgamation at the end of the 2024 fiscal year. Wiehler continues to provide clients with long-term mechanical service, working with past clients and relationships that span more than 30 years.
Wiehler established a dedicated Residential Service division in 2019. Wiehler also expanded into the Production HVAC division in 2021 to compliment its Production Plumbing division, and currently works for Truman, Mattamy, Excel and Hopewell.
Wiehler overcame significant accounting lapses in its 2023 fiscal year and integrated a new accounting team, processes and controls while retaining all staff members. Wiehler is now on pace for a top line revenue of $28,000,000 this year, and employs 115 full-time staff and 30 full-time subcontractors. Each division is headed by an expert in that field and John spends most of his time building integration and teamwork between divisions to best serve our clients.
John brings the knowledge and experience of a journeyman plumber and 14 years of growth, scaling, purchasing and integration of multiple business models within the Plumbing, HVAC and Mechanical industry. John has worked extensively on his own and within the leadership team on mental health and building meaningful connection with staff and clients.
Wayne Copeland, Vice President, Double R Building Products
For the past 30 years Wayne has worked for Double R Building Products, and currently is the Vice President. Wayne’s passion for this industry is evident through his numerous years serving as a volunteer on various committees and boards. He currently sits on the Fairmont Golf Advisory Committee and has done so for about 17 years. Wayne was proud to be President of CHBA-CR in 2014/15. During his time as President, the board decided to explore the possibility of merging the CHBA-CR with UDI Calgary. He was one of six members of the amalgamation committee that explored the possibility and eventually merged our two associations. Wayne takes a tremendous amount of pride in the work that was done to create what we now all know as BILD-CR. During his time as the Calgary President, he also worked on the CHBA-Alberta board and was a member of the amalgamation committee that formed BILD-AB. Wayne truly believed that the work involved in creating one association has afforded us the ability to have our unified, powerful voice heard and respected by our political officials and the general public. Wayne and his wife, Vicki, have been married for 24 years and they have had the joy of raising two amazing children, Syd and Kaleb.
Wendy Murphy, CEO, Timber Tech Truss LP
Innovative executive and strategist with expertise in developing organizational culture, implementing operational policies, detecting new business opportunities, securing the company’s position in the market, improving performance levels, and evaluating organizational success. Progressive history of 25+ years of leadership experience in the manufacturing industry and instrumental in conducting in-depth analyses of market trends and providing effective solutions to complex issues. Specialized knowledge in formulating new concepts to strengthen core services to clients, implementing new systems initiatives, and boosting and maintaining employee morale despite times of uncertainty and change.
Service/Professional/Consultant (Two Seats Available)
Don Dessario, Principal, NORR Architects Engineers & Planners
Don brings a wealth of technical insight to the design and construction of architectural projects, taking a valuable leadership role in consultant coordination, strategic cost control, constructability, project assessment and quality assurance. Don’s solutions-driven approach to project management on behalf of NORR clients has proven to be a vital success factor for numerous projects during design development and construction phases.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- CHBA AB representative to Building
Chair, 2012 – 2019
Subcouncil, 2010 – 2019 - President, CHBA-Calgary Region, 2009/2010
- Presenter, OAA/RAIC 2007 Conference:
Identifying New Trends in Contract
Relationships - CHBA National Urban Council, Past Chair
Guillermo Salazar, President, IRISCX
Over the last two decades, Guillermo’s technology career has spanned various facets of the real estate and construction industries. Alongside his technology career; his construction journey has taken him from roles as an investor and builder to a landlord and, more recently, a service provider.
His hands-on experience includes:
Constructing 7 homes (serving as the General Contractor for 2, a customer for 1, and an investor
for 4)
Owning and managing 9 rental units, including personally managing 1
Successfully exiting from 2 land banking investments
For 22 years, he has also contributed to the oil sands’ large construction projects, focusing on building comprehensive technology processes and reporting solutions. These solutions encompassed sales, billing, supply chain, project construction and maintenance, maintenance operations, finance, controlling, planning, and budgeting. This breadth of experience culminated in co-founding a consulting company, which expanded to 65 consultants specializing in delivering these critical solutions to energy companies. In his discussions with builders; it is hard not to hear similar issues surface in the builder industry.
In the past 4 years, he is the co-founder and CEO of IrisCX, a company at the forefront of integrating AI technology into warranty software solutions for home builders.
Joel Armitage, Managing Principal, Community Development, Stantec Consulting
As a key member of our leadership team in Calgary, Joel is focused on operational delivery and organizational effectiveness for his team. He brings over 20 years of experience in land development, municipal approvals, leadership development, and team building to the projects and clients he works with.
Fueled by solving complex problems, Joel collaborates with diverse stakeholders to achieve a consensus on goals and positions clients for success with their business imperatives. To offer the best service to clients and agile project delivery, Joel believes that staff and leadership development is crucial. He is passionate about mentorship and supporting a team of people to excel at what they do best.
Away from his desk, you’ll most likely find Joel hiking, backpacking, camping, or biking in the beautiful mountains and natural areas surrounding Calgary.
Michelle Kisil, Vice President, Experience & Initiatives, ATCO
Michelle Kisil, Vice President, Customer Experience & Initiatives leads a team that supports the current and future energy needs of residential, commercial, and industrial customers at ATCO Gas and Pipelines.
Michelle has spent over 20 years in the energy sector in various leadership roles; sales, operations, start-up, technology, and Indigenous relations. Her current role focuses on customer experience and initiatives as it relates to the immediate and future energy needs of ATCO’s customers. This means delivering safe, reliable, cost-effective natural gas while also demonstrating the value of new technologies and alternative energy solutions including hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and demand side management. From engaging with industry stakeholders, existing & prospective customers, advocating for policy change in the interest of a low carbon future to promoting energy literacy, she appreciates the power of collaboration and diversity of thought.
Michelle studied chemical and bioscience technology but her passion for people and culture inspired graduate studies at Royal Roads University where she acquired a Master of Arts in Leadership. She holds a position on the Board of Directors of the Energy Solutions Centre and serves on the Investment Committee for the Canadian Gas Association’s Natural Gas Innovation Fund.
In her personal time, she volunteers at the Women in Need Society where she served six years on the Board of Directors as Director and Chair. Michelle has also been a mentor to Indigenous youth since 2016.
