Course Instructors

AJ Winters, CRM, CAIB, ACSB

A.J. Winters, CRM, CAIB, ACSB, Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services (Victoria) Inc. | Assistant Vice President

AJ has been in commercial insurance working with contractors, business owners, and management teams for 14 years. He has served two terms as Vice-Chair and Chair of VICA’s Young Builders Network and was recently the recipient of VICA’s U40 Person of the Year award. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Island Equipment Owners Association. AJ works with a variety of clients and his main focus is helping contractors in the construction and forestry industries.

Allison Greaves

Allison Greaves | Human Resource Manager, Durwest Construction Management Inc.

Allison Greaves is the Human Resources Manager and a Principal with Durwest Construction Management. She has 10 years of experience in the construction industry and also provides HR consulting services to a wide variety of organizations as part of Reimagine Work's team of People and Culture Advisors. She is an active community member serving on the Vancouver Island Construction Association Board of Directors as well as a member of the Governance and Nomination Committee for the Power to Be. She holds a diploma in Human Resource Management and is a CPHR Candidate.

Craig Shirra, AScT, GSC, PSQ, LEEDGA

Craig Shirra, BTech CM, GSC, PSQ, LEEDGA, UBC Properties Trust | Director of Development

Craig is currently the Director of Development at UBC Properties Trust, where he acts as the owner’s project managers for all new capital projects at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus and Kelowna region.

Craig stated his construction career as a steel stud and drywall tradesman working on some of Vancouver’s most significant pre-Olympics projects, including the Richmond Oval and renovations of BC Place and the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Craig then joined Task Construction Management, a boutique CM firm, where he managed projects that included the Vernon Library and South Surrey Rec Center. In 2012 Craig joined Bird Construction where he was part of the team that delivered the new UBC Student Union Building, Kelowna RCMP building, and the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at UBC Vancouver.

Craig holds a degree in Construction Management, and Diploma of Technology as a graduate of the Architectural Building Engineering Technologies program, both at BCIT. He is also a LEED Green Associate, registered Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS), and has earned his Gold Seal designation in Project Management.

Craig’s current projects include the UBCO Interdisciplinary Collaboration & Innovation (ICI) Building (a 150,000 square foot research facility), and the new UBC Downtown Kelowna Campus.

Debbie Hicks, B.Sc

Debbie Hicks, B.Sc, DSH Consulting | President

Former President of the Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA) in BC for 22 years, with a comprehensive education background (Diploma in Business Administration, Bachelors of Science, teaching credential, and MBA in progress) learning has always been at the core of Debbie's career. During her time with SICA, she worked with a range of industry stakeholders including the buyers of construction services, architects, engineers, and contractors, coordinating and providing industry advocacy and education. Recent experience as the owner Rep for the construction of Kelowna Yacht Club's new Clubhouse has provided an additional perspective. Debbie's extensive experience in construction industry both as a stakeholder and educator make her uniquely qualified as a trainer and facilitator. With her energetic and dynamic instructional style, you won't want to miss an opportunity to train with Debbie!

Diane Jolicoeur

Diane Jolicoeur, Builders Code | Employer Advisor & Worksite Culture Training Facilitator

Diane is a certified coach in personal/professional development and emotional intelligence. Her experience in human resources includes specialized recruitment, employee relations, career transition and displacement; as well as training development and facilitation on subjects including worksite culture, stress management and emotional intelligence in the workplace. Diane supports employers and leaders in the construction and trades-related industries with resources and best practices for creating a positive and inclusive worksite culture.

Drew Willms, B.A.Sc., EIT

Drew Willms, B.A.Sc., EIT, Structure Craft | Business Development Engineer

As BD Engineer, Drew's responsibilities include pre-construction project management and estimating, as well as developing and coordinating new project opportunities. He has led the estimating effort on institutional and commercial mass timber projects across North America and Asia. Drew is also responsible for early project engineering and 3D design, working in collaboration with our engineering department.

He joined StructureCraft after four years as a Regional Engineer at one of Canada’s largest civil infrastructure companies, where he coordinated the design and site supervision efforts for bridge structure installations across the Pacific Northwest. Drew is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Civil Engineering program.

Elisa Brandts, AAA, OAA, NSAA, FRAIC

Elisa Brandts, AAA, OAA, NSAA, FRAIC, Stantec | Managing Senior Principal

Elisa is a Senior Principal and the Business Centre Managing Leader for the Stantec buildings group in BC. Her role combines active senior team leadership, financial and studio management with managing significant projects. Her project focus is particularly on large-scale alternate delivery scope, IPD and those integrating Lean process. Throughout her industry career Elisa has accomplished many major projects including: Eric Hamber Secondary School Replacement Project, Vancouver; Camosun College Alex and Jo Campbell School of Health Sciences, Victoria; Canalta Centre, Medicine Hat, Alberta; Sault Ste. Marie Event Centre, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario; Youngstown Convocation Center, Youngstown, OH, USA; and the Rideau Carleton Raceway, Ottawa.

Elizabeth Chick-Blount

Elizabeth Chick-Blount, Buy Social Canada | Executive Director

Elizabeth’s experience spans frontline roles in communities, consulting for the public sector, and working with social enterprises in the UK and Canada. As Executive Director at Buy Social Canada, she coordinates and connects Buy Social Canada’s work with public and private sector purchasers to design and implement Social Procurement and Community Benefit Agreement policies and practices. Elizabeth worked with the City of Vancouver on the development of the CBA implementation strategy and is working with PCL construction on the implementation of the CBA on the New St. Paul’s hospital development, and Chandos Construction on the implementation of a voluntary CBA. Elizabeth also continues to collaborate with the United Way GTA, TCBN and PCBN to connect the Metrolinx LRT projects with social enterprise suppliers in Toronto.

Elizabeth Zhu, BSc.

Elizabeth Zhu, BSc, Fraser Health Authority | Procurement Manager

During her 15-year tenure as Procurement Manager at Fraser Health, Elizabeth has built a highly specialized ten-person public construction procurement team that manages facility maintenance and construction projects across four health authorities in the BC lower mainland. As the acting procurement advisor to multiple BC hospital redevelopment projects, she has a thorough understanding of federal and provincial public procurement policies as well as a variety of construction delivery methods and contracts. Elizabeth is an active member of the BC Public Construction Council, and her procurement team has been recognized for excellence by the ICI industry as the two-time recipient BCCA‘s “Best Public Owner Award” in both 2017 and 2022.

Humaira Ahmed

Humaira Ahmed | Founder & CEO | BestHuman

Humaira Ahmed is the Founder and CEO of BestHuman, a leading leadership development platform to help managers become great people leaders.

BestHuman has impacted over 4,500 individuals through its coaching marketplace and tailored programs. Humaira's focus on the future of work as a community-driven space aligns with her belief that leadership must evolve in the face of ever-evolving dynamic business and workplace landscape.

Humaira is a recipient of Business in Vancouver (BIV)'s 40 under 40 recipient, Douglas Magazine 10 to Watch Winner, and has won multiple awards. Her thought leadership has been featured in various publications including CTV News, ChekTV and the Globe and Mail.

Ian Philip

Ian Philip has worked in construction claims and disputes with FTI Consulting since 2019. Mr. Philip assists owners and contractors by providing schedule and quantum analysis services in support of negotiations, and litigation and arbitration hearings. Mr. Philip has been engaged on projects such as bridge construction, highway expansion and revitalization, new LRT construction, government facility construction, ship building, and commercial developments.

Mr. Philip has been appointed as an expert on multiple occasions to provide both schedule delay analyses and quantum analyses in support of arbitration proceedings.

Through his engagements to date, Mr. Philip has provided schedule and quantum analysis services to both contractors and owners. Mr. Philip specializes in complex loss of productivity and disruption analysis, while also providing services related to critical path delay analysis, modelling of COVID-19 impacts, acceleration cost analysis, and prolongation and stand-by cost analysis. Mr. Philip is well versed in working with large data sets and critically analyzing projects to determine the most effective analysis methodology. Mr. Philip graduated from Queen’s University in 2017 where he studied mining engineering with a professional internship and an option in mechanical engineering. Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Mr. Philip worked in an automotive product development engineering role, managing the development and launch of multiple new vehicle programs.

• Appointed independent expert
• Schedule delay analysis
• Quantum damages analysis
• Claim preparation
• COVID-19 impact assessment

Izzy Perry

Izzy Perry, Microsoft Office Specialist Expert, Microsoft Certified Trainer

Izzy is an administrative professional with over twenty years of experience working with Microsoft Office. Her experience in various paralegal, corporate and government offices has given her differing perspectives to engage and develop both her knowledge and her students' knowledge. Izzy is a Learning Facilitator and Coach Evaluator certified through the Coaching Association of Canada and the National Coaching Certification Program. She is passionate about computers and software and brings that passion to her work and her classes.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Izzy has been teaching people to skydive for over ten years, and served as President of the Canadian Sport Parachuting Association and was on their Board of Directors for five years. In 2020, Izzy was the recipient of the Canadian Sport Parachuting Association Cathy Johnson Service Award, in recognition of her outstanding support, contribution and dedication to sport parachuting in Canada.

James Clapp

James Clapp, Managing Director | Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Inc.

James is a construction insurance and surety broker with 22 years of experience and over 300 clients across North America. He spends the bulk of his time reviewing tender and contract specifications, alerting his clients to any onerous conditions, and ensuring they understand and comply with insurance and bonding requirements. As a former surety underwriter, James also brings a strong background in construction accounting. He has served on VICA’s Board of Directors, including the role of Chair.

James Johnston, P. Eng.

James (Jim) Johnston, P. Eng., President | Quality Dynamics Inc.

Jim is a Professional Industrial Engineer, holds a CM-Lea designation, is a member of the Lean Construction Institute, an advisor to the Board of the Lean Construction Institute of Canada, and an Accredited Instructor for the Associated General Contractors’ Lean Construction Education Program. He has extensive experience and success implementing Lean Construction tools on construction projects that range in value up to $250,000,000. He is a nationally recognized trainer and speaker on the topic of Lean Construction having addressed audiences across the country. Jim has 25 years of experience as a consultant and instructor, leading organizations through Lean transformations, implementing quality assurance systems and business process optimization.

Jim Clement, GSC

Jim Clement, GSC, Graham Construction | Operations Manager

With over 40 years of experience, Jim is a seasoned construction professional with most of his time spent in the Calgary marketplace. An outside-the-box thinker, he enjoys finding creative solutions to complex design issues. He also recognizes and understands the importance of proper cost and schedule control, as well as the interactions required between the owners, consultants, and construction management personnel.

Jim has been the President of both the Calgary Construction Association and the General Contractors Association, has been awarded Person of the Year by the Calgary Construction Association for his industry contributions. Jim adds value to his projects through his effective management of project constructability and an understanding of the full project delivery. A natural leader, he provides clients with the optimum balance between cost, schedule, quality, performance and project lifecycle.

 Jim has worked on a wide array of construction projects including: commercial office buildings, residential towers, retail developments, parks and civil work, industrial facilities, and a variety of other project styles and types.

Katy Fairley

Katy Fairley | BCCA

Katy Fairley is an expert and adviser on topics related to project delivery, construction contracts and procurement best practices. She promotes and advocates for fair, open and transparent construction practices as Industry Standard Practices Consultant for the BC Construction Association (BCCA). Additionally, Katy works with public and private owners to improve project delivery by defining strategies and risk mitigation for procurement and contract administration. Previously, Katy was an owner and vice-president for a diversified general contractor and construction manager in southern BC. She served on the Board of Directors for multiple construction associations at a local, provincial and national level.

Keith Robinson, FCSC, RSW, LEED® AP

Keith Robinson FCSC, RSW, LEED® AP, DIALOG (retired) | Specifier

Keith Robinson graduated from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) as an architectural technologist in 1980 and has worked as a specifications writer since 1981. Keith worked for DIALOG; a multidiscipline architectural and engineering company since December 1996 until his retirement in early 2023.

Keith’s primary role in the last 20 years of his career was writing construction documentation for technically complex by providing project specifications and contract documents for unique and innovative projects. His project experience ranged from hospital and university campuses, high rise construction, bridge and tunnel infrastructure, and commercial/retail developments. His duties at DIALOG included maintaining the in-house master specification and technical library, and addressing various challenges associated with identifying building materials to address environmentally sustainable construction work results. Keith prepared contract documents for all forms of construction delivery including standard stipulated price agreements, construction management and design build agreements, and public/private partnerships.

Lee Kelly, M.A.A.T.O., P.GSC

Lee Kelly, M.A.A.T.O., P.GSC, Constructing Minds Inc. | President

Lee knows construction because she has built it. With over 30 years of construction management/General Contracting experience under her belt she has extensive knowledge of construction practices, processes and procedures in all contract delivery formats. Lee is a long serving member on the National Gold Seal Committee, and the winner of the Construction Institute of Canada (TCIC) “Chancellor’s Award of Excellence.” Her enthusiasm for training makes her a highly informative, interactive, motivated and sought-after trainer.

Lisa Gibson, P.GSC

Lisa Gibson, P.GSC

Lisa is a construction industry professional with a diverse background as both a Project Owner and General Contractor giving her a unique understanding of each of these stakeholder perspectives. During her time working for a national developer, Lisa led the internal construction services team responsible for the Western Canada portfolio. Over the past seven years she has since worked for a General Contractor and in her current role is involved in both operations and business development. Industry involvement is important to Lisa. She has been a board member of the Calgary Construction Association since 2017, as well as a volunteer with SAIT, Lean Community of Practice, Calgary General Contractors Association and wherever else she can provide support and value to the construction community.

Lorenzo Wallace, BSc., LSSMBB

Lorenzo Wallace, BSc., LSSMBB, KGC Consulting Services Ltd. | Senior Consultant, VP of Operations

With 40 years of experience in Canadian civil engineering, construction, and business development across all provinces and territories, Lorenzo has worked on projects of every size and shape of complexity. His career has been about embracing change, and as a construction industry professional, he enjoys finding innovative solutions to the increasingly complex challenges that project owners face today.

His experience includes every aspect of construction from development through to close out with experience in delivery methods that include: Design/Build, IPD, EPC, EPCM, P3, PM, CM and Design-Bid-Build, to name a few. As an advocate of continuous improvement processes and methodologies, Lorenzo’s approach to avoiding claims is by managing the root causes.

Lorenzo is an industry champion and has acted as the Past President of ACI (American Concrete Institute), the Past Director of ACI Ontario & Alberta Chapters and acted as an ACI Examiner; he is also the Past Chairman & Director of RMCAO (Ready Mixed Concrete Association of Ontario, as well as a former Director of multiple Construction Associations.