Condo Living
November 30, 2023 Published by Grand River Chapter
Meet the Leaders Taking the Grand River Chapter into 2024
Let’s take a moment to welcome the Board of Directors who will be leading the Grand River Chapter (GRC) into the new year!
A chapter’s Board of Directors in the Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI) consists of a dedicated group of volunteer professionals in the condominium industry who are passionate and committed to making a stronger and more successful condominium community.
Each year, CCI chapters hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) where new board members are nominated and elected by chapter members.
So it should come as no shock to anyone that the Grand River Chapter’s Board of Directors is stacked with experienced and respected community members from Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Brantford.
Let’s take a moment to welcome the Board of Directors who will be leading the Grand River Chapter (GRC) into the new year!
Starting with our Past President, Brad Wells, who we’d like to thank for his hard work and dedication with the CCI-GRC Chapter, and wish him the best in 2024.
Brad Wells, Associa, Past President
Brad is the President of Wilson, Blanchard Management Inc. working in the Toronto, Waterloo, and Hamilton offices. He has been managing condominium corporations and commercial properties for over 18 years, achieving the RCM designation from ACMO and the RPA® designation from the BOMI. Brad is a member of the CMRAO Discipline and Discipline Appeals Committees. He has been a speaker at multiple CCI and ACMO events and courses and is an instructor for the ACMO RCM courses at Mohawk College. Brad is very involved in the condominium industry, participating as a Director on the Board of the CCI-GRC and as Chair of the CCI-GRC Education Committee while being actively involved with training and mentoring new Property Managers entering the profession.
Michelle Kelly, Robson Carpenter LLP, President
Well known in the industry, Michelle is a regular speaker at seminars and conferences. She also frequently leads lunch and learns and educates her clients on industry and best practices. Michelle values her relationships and ensures that her vast industry knowledge is shared with her clients and teammates.
Christine Merswolke, LCM Property Services Inc, Vice-President
Christine Merswolke is the President of LCM Property Services Inc., Waterloo Region’s leading Building Services Contractor. LCM specializes in working with condominium corporations, including their developers, property management and boards. In a challenging industry, Christine is the motivating force behind the 100+ people on her growing team. Providing consistently excellent client experiences is a matter of personal pride. As members of ISSA and CCI-GRC, Christine and the team at LCM stay abreast of industry trends and best practices.
Stephanie Sutherland, Cohen Highley, Secretary
An active member of the condominium community in Ontario, Stephanie is involved in the CCI Golden Horseshoe, Grand River, and London chapters, and sits on various CCI committees as well as the Golden Horseshoe Board. She is a frequent speaker at CCI conferences, courses, and seminars and contributes articles to condominium publications including Condo News. Stephanie obtained the former ACCI (Associate of the Canadian Condominium Institute) designation in 2015, and was granted the ACCI’s replacement designation, the LCCI (Leader of the Canadian Condominium Institute), in 2022.
Lauren Sorbara, RLB LLP, Treasurer
Lauren is a born and raised Guelphite and a Manager at RLB Chartered Professional Accountants With almost a decade’s experience specializing in the condominium audit niche, she is dedicated to providing a knowledgeable and superior client experience. With more and more people in our community choosing to live in condominiums, it is important owners are educated on the nuances and unique nature of this lifestyle choice. Passionate about her client’s success, Lauren is always available to answer questions and provide practical advice on all Condominium matters, ranging from best practices and compliance with the Condominium Act and Regulations to more complex issues.
David Outa
David Outa, BA, CIP, CRM. is a commercial Account Executive at Cowan Insurance Group. David has over 16 years’ experience in commercial and residential insurance. He specializes in insurance for condominium corporations at Cowan. David is regularly involved with CCI through his presentations at educational seminars and has contributed to Condo News Articles. He is a past director of CCI-Golden Horsheshoe, where he was also a member of various committees.
Sara Hicks
Sara is one of the Vice-Presidents and co-owners of MF Property Management Ltd. She attended the University of Guelph where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours and joined the MF team as a Property Manager in 2011. She obtained her RCM designation in 2013 and LCCI in 2021. She has been a part of the CCI Communication’s Committee for ten years and was elected to the CCI Grand River Chapter’s Board of Directors in 2023. In her spare time, Sara likes to spend time with her family, watch scary movies, read and go thrifting.
Chris Mendes
Christopher Mendes is an associate with SmithValeriote Law Firm LLP in the Condominium Law Practice Group. Chris has a B.A. (hons) in history and political science from the University of Waterloo, an M.A. in Political Studies from Queen’s University and completed his legal education with a J.D. from the University of Ottawa. Since his call to the Bar in 2018, Chris’ practice is strictly concerned with condominium law matters.
Shalon Chapman
Shalon is the manager of our Condo Team and focuses on Condominium Audits. She has over 10 years of experience specializing in condominiums. She’s passionate about condos and enjoys helping unit owners understand the complexities of condominiums while building relationships with the property managers and board members.
Shalon earned her diploma in Business Administration – Accounting from Conestoga College as well as a Bachelors in Business Administration from University of Windsor. She is incredibly organized and enjoys sharing her knowledge by training people. She has recently obtained her Leader of the Canadian Condominium Institute designation.
Her enthusiasm for condos has led her to her current role as Chair of the Canadian Condominium Institute – Grand River Chapter’s Communications Committee. Shalon has spoken at several conferences and seminars about the importance of Condominium finances.
Aside from work, she enjoys doing various crafts, caring for her fish and making time for her family.
Henry Jansen
Henry J. Jansen, P.Eng., ACCI, is the director of operations – GTA and Southern Ontario with Keller Engineering. He graduated from McMaster University in 1992 and earned his P.Eng. license in 1994. He has always been a design engineer helping to solve problems. Henry loves to help clients with their building needs and has developed a team of strong industry leaders to meet the demands of his condominium clients.
Ian Miller
Ian Miller is a building science engineer with a multitude of experience in the design, assessment, and repair of various buildings and building components. Ian is the Branch Operations Director and a Project Principal for Pretium Anderson’s Waterloo Region office, and the current President of the Ontario Building Envelope Council.
Natashia Houser
Natashia entered the condominium industry when she joined Wilson Blanchard in 2017, following over 20 years in the customer service industry. She achieved the RCM (Registered Condominium Manager) designation in 2020 after completing the educational components in 2019. Natashia is actively engaged in the training and supervision of new managers in the Waterloo Region office.
Stefan Nespoli
Stefan Nespoli is a leader in Edison’s Grand River office in addition to providing support to our team and clients across the GTA. He is driven to improve our built environment by developing solutions tailored to his individual clients’ needs and is passionate about making their lives easier in the process. Stefan began his career as a contractor and gained valuable experience on condominium, commercial, and hospital project sites in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario before finding his way to Building Restoration consulting and the Condominium industry over a decade ago.
His technical background combines the areas of Structural Restoration (parking garages, balconies, waterproofing), Building Envelope (Masonry, Window Systems, Heritage), and Capital Planning (Reserve Fund Studies and Performance Audits for Condominiums). With his breadth of experience, Stefan’s passion is working with Condominium Boards, Managers, and Owners to navigate the rough waters found at the intersection of Reserve Fund and Major Project Planning.
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