Sophie is Vice President at Pooni Group with a strong background in project management and communications. She has worked on some of the firm’s most complex development projects including the Riverview Lands in Coquitlam with BC Housing, Sapperton Green in New Westminster with QuadReal, and many of the most controversial development projects in Vancouver. Sophie was instrumental in growing Pooni Group's work in Toronto starting in 2014, developing and executing the public engagement strategy for Mirvish Village which has been praised as an outstanding example of successful collaborative planning in the city.
Katie Pystchula is the Marking Manager at Pooni Group, one of Vancouver’s most experienced Urban Planning and Communications firms specializing in public engagement. In her role Katie supports the Pooni Group team with a focus on community engagement, social and digital media adding value to both the clients and the communities the company works with. Katie developed Pooni Group’s online open house platform which has resulted in a number of highly successful online events.
As an Associate at Pooni Group, Laura’s role focuses on strategic advice, project management, public and stakeholder engagement, municipal policy expertise, and due diligence & highest and best use analysis. Her areas of expertise include: Project Coordination & Management, Public Engagement & Communications, Stakeholder Engagement, Policy Research & Analysis, Due Diligence, and Graphic Design.
Mark Holland RPP FCIP (he/him) is a Principal at Westplan Consulting Group with over thirty years of experience in urban planning and landscape architecture. Mark offers a unique and effective combination of private and public sector skill sets to lead projects from early visioning to policy development, to design and approvals and from financing to construction. A commitment to relentless innovation has driven Mark to challenge and push past the norms in all aspects of his work. He has won numerous awards and is credited with many innovations in Canadian Planning including sustainable communities, Agricultural Urbanism, creating urban vitality through Urban Magnets and many other progressive concepts.
Mark has also made significant contributions as a planning educator. He began as an instructor in the University of British Columbia’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture in the early 2000s. Since then, Mark has been a frequent speaker on topics related to planning and sustainability at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. Perhaps his greatest influence on planning education is the role he played in launching the Master of Community Planning degree at Vancouver Island University (VIU) in 2014. Ever since, he has played an instrumental role in the school, driven by a commitment to ensure that the next generation of planners is prepared to help communities create their future.
Mark is a Registered Professional Planner with the Canadian Institute of Planners and was inducted into the College of Fellows in 2022.