meet the team

PhD FCIP RPP FRCGS

In a career spanning four decades, Pam has worked as a planner, educator and facilitator for communities across Vancouver Island and beyond. Pam is an accredited facilitator and recently completed the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification and the Trauma Informed Practice Institute Training.  

Pam is a 3M Teaching Fellow, Member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, a Fellow with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society as well as with the Canadian Institute of Planners, and a UNESCO Co-Chair on the IPCA: Research and Action Project. Pam is co-author of “Planning Canadian Communities” with the 8th edition currently under production. She is the Past Chair of the Canadian Biosphere Region Association and has served as an elected Board Member with the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Planning Institute to BC.  

B.SC MCP

Graham has over 10 years of experience in project management. He has worked with many BC municipalities and First Nations over his career supporting projects aimed at conservation of biodiversity, climate action, sustainable development, economic development and research. Graham is currently the Regional Research Institute Manager for Vancouver Island University’s Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research institute and BC Regional Director for the Canadian Biosphere Region Association. Graham’s educational background includes a master’s degree in Community Planning, a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Geography and diplomas in both Forestry and Hospitality. 

B.ARCH MCP

With over 15 years of professional practice, Sonal Deshmukh is an architect, community planner, facilitator, and educator. She currently serves as an instructor in the Master of Community Planning and Indigenous Lands Management Certificate programs at Vancouver Island University. 

For the past six years, Sonal has been the Planning Lead at Vancouver Island University’s Planning Centre, supporting Indigenous-led and community-based projects. In this role, she has collaborated with local municipalities, community organizations, and First Nation communities on Vancouver Island and beyond on applied planning and research initiatives. 

Some past projects include master planning, land use planning, comprehensive community plans, site-specific development scenarios, housing needs assessments, and both long- and short-term strategic planning initiatives. Her approach emphasizes inclusive, culturally responsive, and community-centered planning that ensures projects are resilient and reflective of the communities they serve. She lives and works on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation in Nanaimo. 

MCP

Kirsten is a graduate of VIU's Master of Community Planning Program. Throughout her educational and professional career, she has gained valuable experience in community engagement, collaborating with local governments and First Nation communities. Kirsten has been involved in facilitating community-led engagement strategies using diverse approaches to reach a wide variety of community members, including creating promotional materials and conducting surveys, pop-ups and in person engagements.