Meet Our Team

Cornerstone maintains a compact team of reliable core planners with experience in multi-disciplinary backgrounds including urban and rural planning, engineering, social and environmental sciences, architecture, business, economic development, and community engagement. Our team’s broad set of skills enable us to operate creatively in a wide variety of project and organizational contexts. Our office is located in Vancouver.

Our Team

Cornerstone Partners have decades of experience in strategic planning and Indigenous engagement. Because we take responsibility for maintaining high quality standards and effective customer service, each Partner plays an active and central role in all projects. We share a commitment to thorough analysis, effective consultation, innovative problem solving, and viable frameworks for moving forward. Our many repeat clients are a testament to the success of our philosophy and approach.

Each of our Associates has specific skills and expertise based on their varied educational backgrounds and work experience. Because our planning projects are strategic in nature, all our team members must be able to take on responsibility for particular aspects of the work, while functioning as an integral part of the team. As a result, all our Associates are at an intermediate to senior professional level, which ensures high quality outcomes and deliverables.

Partner

Quentin Talbot-Kelly

Quentin’s experience ranges from mechanical design and project engineering to project management and leading multi-disciplined teams. His experience in industrial construction exposed him to the complete scope of requirements to successfully execute projects from start to finish. With a strong focus on client relationships, he is committed to working as a team to deliver concise, valuable deliverables.

Quentin attended the University of Ottawa and holds a Bachelors in Applied Science, Mechanical Engineering. He is registered with Professional Engineers of Ontario, Engineer in Training.

Managing Director

Natasha Sischka

Natasha is a senior consultant at Cornerstone Planning Group. She is a seasoned strategist with over a decade of experience in business improvement, process engineering, evaluation, and complex project management. She has led planning, redesign, and systemic change projects in sensitive and highly visible environments, finding innovation and opportunity through authentic qualitative engagement and refined outcome and financial modelling. She has experience leading projects across a wide range of public sector portfolios, including healthcare, municipal government operations, public safety, recreation, child protection, among others. Natasha is a true “people person” and a natural facilitator, skilled in bringing diverse perspectives and objectives into alignment.
Partner (Currently on Maternity Leave)

Melanie Roskell

Melanie has a background in systems design engineering. Her experience in strategic and facility planning spans industries and geographies, specializing in complex multi-user systems such as healthcare and mixed-use facilities. Melanie’s focus on functional requirements drives her to deeply understand client and user needs to form solutions that are strategic, comprehensive, and implementable. Using practiced analytical methods, problem-solving skills, and project management expertise, she works closely with clients to realize their goals while keeping the strategic vision forefront.

Melanie holds a Masters of Science from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Waterloo (systems design engineering).

Senior Associate

Anthea Ho

Anthea brings over 12 years of experience in helping public sector clients including universities, colleges, and municipalities clarify and align their project vision to unlock potential. Her versatile skills span from authoring compelling business cases to meticulous space planning and collaborative stakeholder engagement work. Anthea's work encompasses projects of varying scales, from small office space retrofits to comprehensive campus master planning. With a background as a registered architect, she has followed projects through from the early definition stages to the completion of construction. This hands-on experience has equipped Anthea with a deep understanding of the critical questions that must be asked and explored during the initial phases to ensure a project's success in meeting user needs and realizing the envisioned goals. Anthea's diverse portfolio showcases her expertise in various typologies, including co-located community libraries, student commons, mixed-use student housing, health science facilities, trades facilities, community recreation spaces, and museum projects.
Senior Associate

Veronica Ardila Vernaza

Veronica is an architect & urban law specialist who holds a Masters of Engineering Leadership in Urban Systems (MEL) from the University of British Columbia. She has over ten years of international experience working in both private and public sectors in urban planning, community engagement and urban policy review, development, and analysis.

Veronica’s strong leadership and group management skills in multidisciplinary processes help her to coordinate and develop successful and thorough urban policies and regulations for the development of large urban infrastructure projects as well as multi-use developments. She has developed several Master Plans, Community Plans and Land Use and Urban Impact analysis for diverse organizations. Veronica has strong creative problem-solving skills and comprehensive and collaborative team-oriented attributes, that she brings to every project.

Associate

Bahareh Kardeh

Bahareh has a passion for implementing effective solutions grounded in rigorous data. As a trained physician and academic researcher, she is well-equipped with the skills that allow her to identify challenges and opportunities, design and conduct data collection and analysis, and develop evidence-based strategies.

With a decade-long track record of experience in quantitative and qualitative academic research in various healthcare areas, Bahareh is dedicated to excellence and best practices from project conception to completion. Her expertise encompasses diverse research methodologies, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observations. She has been involved in healthcare initiatives that required her to effectively engage with various stakeholders to understand their needs and preferences and drive positive outcomes.

Associate

Jonathan Mak

Jonathan is a planning professional with a Master of Planning in Urban Development and a B.A. in Geography (Environment & Sustainability). He has experience working on a variety of projects with the public sector and non-profits, including arts and culture planning, housing policy, supportive housing, and active transportation. With his experience working on projects with very different sets of needs in different communities, he is adept at tackling complex projects, understanding the differing needs and nature of every project, and using a data-informed approach to find solutions.

Jonathan is skilled in data interpretation and analysis, community engagement, report-writing, data visualization, and project coordination. He is passionate about finding creative solutions to complex problems and finding ways to communicate ideas in easily understandable ways.

Associate

Sean Montgomery

Sean has a strong background in methodical and analytical studies providing him with effective technical skills. He excels at data management by implementing planning principals to data collection and report writing, he is able to refine large data sets to allow for simple extraction. He is able to combine his education, practical skills, and passions in the workplace to become a driven and efficient professional.

Sean holds a diploma in Architectural Technologies, bachelors in Urban and Regional Studies, and post degree diploma in Applied Urban Planning.

Associate

Sarah Nickerson

Sarah is a planning professional with a major in Psychology and post-graduate studies in Applied Urban Planning. With experience in the public sector, she has a solid understanding of the development process from a local government perspective. Her background in municipal planning and development applications showcases her in-depth knowledge of legislation and municipal bylaws.

Sarah’s skills include community data and geospatial analysis, report writing, and project coordination. Sarah’s prior experience in the service industry has provided her with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills that serve her well when articulating planning information to a wide variety of audiences.

Associate

Niamh O'Neill

Niamh is an associate at Cornerstone Planning Group. She is a skilled researcher and analyst. She brings over seven years’ experience across a wide range of public and private sectors, including academia, healthcare, community settings, and government bodies, among others.

Niamh’s educational background helped her to develop and hone her research skills. From conception to design and execution, Niamh developed original research investigating a diverse mix of structures and systems. She has extensive experience using multiple research methodologies, making her an expert in both qualitative and quantitative data. Her work involves designing and implementing research questionnaires, interviews, and surveys to provide data-driven solutions. Her unique skillset and experience lend itself to her ability to develop effective strategic plans and manage complex projects.

Associate

Alec Young

Alec is a planning professional with a double major in Environmental Studies and Geography and post-graduate studies in Applied Urban Planning. Through his work, Alec demonstrates knowledge of urban spatial structure and the way in which facilities and their sited environments work. He understands the social and environmental impact of planning decisions on user groups and local communities, working to articulate planning issues to a wide variety of audiences. Alec solves problems using a balance of technical competence, creativity, and pragmatism. He excels in interdisciplinary teams that build consensus strategies and integrates multiple perspectives and ideas while meeting tight project deadlines.
Executive Assistant

Rebeca Galvao

Rebeca is a recent graduate from the UBC Sauder School of Business with a specialization in Operations and Logistics and a concentration in Sustainability and Social Impact. As an Executive Assistant, Rebeca applies her strong organizational and analytical skills to support daily operations and enhance team productivity. Her background in operations and commitment to sustainability contribute to her ability to handle complex administrative tasks efficiently and support Cornerstone’s strategic goals with precision and professionalism.
Canine Associate

Cleo

Cleo may be the youngest Canine Associate; however, she brings enthusiasm and dedication to the role that only a Bernese Mountain Dog/Australian Shepard could. Cleo loves the walk into the office, treats, and her fellow associates (human and canine).
Maisie
Canine Associate

Maisie

Maisie is a Bernese Mountain Dog, and our first canine associate. Giver of snuggles and eater of treats, she brings the office an adorable vitality.
Canine Associate

Phoebe

Phoebe, the lively Canine Associate at Cornerstone Planning Group, thrives indoors, where she excels at being the center of attention. Known for her bold personality, she keeps the team on their toes with her penchant for nibbling legs, eating stray hair, and staying at the heart of all office gossip. Even in her calmest moments—when sleeping—Phoebe's charm leaves a lasting impression.
Canine Assossicate

Wheeler

Wheeler's special skills include snacking and snoring. Although extremely goofy, he is very obedient with an unparalleled commitment to customer service.

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