Staff Profiles
Name: Sara Sutherland, CET, EP
Role: Project Manager
Location: Toronto, Ontario
What are your responsibilities as a Project Manager?
I’m responsible for coordination and management of projects from beginning to end, including preparing quotes, coordinating field work, liaising internally between Terrapex’s different service lines (environmental, geotechnical, hydrogeological, and ecological) to facilitate a smooth execution of multi-disciplinary project work and liaison externally with our clients and sub-contractors. I also complete and produce the final reports and approve project invoices, as well as provide support and mentorship to more junior staff.
Career Development:
After a five-year career in the freight forwarding and customs brokerage industry, I returned to school to pursue my interest in environmental science. I started my career at Terrapex as a junior Environmental Technologist, and have since progressed in seniority to Project Manager. My experience in the field has provided me with a very good understanding of what the time, costs and challenges are at various job sites and how to best approach them.
My professional development includes receiving various designations including OACETT’s C.Tech (Certified Technician) and C.E.T. (Certified Engineering Technologist) designations, and ECO Canada’s E.P. (Environmental Professional) designation.
What do you enjoy most in your role?
I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that comes from working on a project from inception to completion, especially large projects that may take several years of work and include Records of Site Condition, Risk Assessments and our other service lines. I also like that every project is unique with its own set of factors and challenges to work with and that each project adds to my knowledge and experience.
What other aspects of Terrapex make it a great place to work?
Terrapex has a great corporate culture with good flexibility and work/life balance for staff. We are lucky to have a place of employment that offers us great colleagues, challenging and interesting work, career development opportunities, and upper management that genuinely cares about you as an individual.
Finally, what keeps you busy besides work?
My favorite sports are snowboarding and kiteboarding (also called kitesurfing). I often travel in pursuit of these sports and have even lived on the beach in the Dominican Republic in order to get out on the water every day. My most recent adventures have included travelling to Australia’s Gold and Sunshine Coasts, as well as Sakalava Bay on the north coast of Madagascar.
Visiting provincial parks to do some canoeing and back-country camping with friends is a great challenge and is also a lot of fun. I am also a bit of a nerd who loves to read fantasy and sci-fi novels, play RPG video games and watch anime. I am always up to playing a card or board game with my friends and family.
Name: Craig Beaton
Role: Senior Project Manager, Client Contact for a major petroleum company, Eastern/Northern Ontario
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
What are your responsibilities as the Client Contact for a major Client in Eastern/Northern Ontario?
I manage the projects in Eastern and Northern Ontario for a major petroleum company and act as one of the primary points of contact between the Client and Terrapex. My principal responsibilities are to evaluate site conditions on the Client’s sites, determine what work is needed to meet the Client’s objectives and then ensure that the work is completed in an efficient and cost-effective manner. My responsibilities also include acting as a liaison between the Client and regulators, municipalities and property owners.
Why is a client specific contact important?
Providing a primary point of contact in different regions across the province ensures a consistent product that meets the Client’s requirements. It also allows the Client to rely on myself and Terrapex’s other regional points of contact to make appropriate decisions for their sites that reflect the Client’s values and objectives, based on working relationships we have with local municipalities and regional regulatory offices.
Career Development:
I began my career as a field technician and have grown professionally since then. In 2011 I became a Project Manager and was recently promoted to the role of Senior Project Manager. Through Terrapex I have been able to work on a wide variety of projects across Ontario for various clients including commercial and industrial clients, and federal, provincial and municipal government clients.
What do you enjoy most in your role?
I enjoy both the problem solving and service-driven aspects of consulting. I also like the challenge of evaluating site conditions to understand contaminant migration pathways, in order to develop practical and cost-effective options to remediate/mitigate the contamination.
What other aspects of Terrapex make it a great place to work?
There is a concerted effort to provide employees the ability to pursue different opportunities and grow as professionals/individuals. The flexibility afforded – I can bank my overtime hours to be used later. Finally the relationships with co-workers: the Ottawa office is a fun group and is a relaxed environment to work in.
Finally, what keeps you busy besides work?
Primarily sports (I play on recreational hockey and softball teams and play golf and tennis whenever I can); spending time with my wife and both of our amazing families; and, playing with our dog.
Name: Roxana Khoshravesh, PhD
Role: Botanist
Location: Toronto, Ontario
What are your responsibilities as Terrapex’s Botanist?
As Terrapex’s Botanist, my responsibilities involve conducting ecological surveys, specifically focusing on botanical surveys and identifying species at risk. I also provide plans and strategies to address these species in compliance with Ontario legislation, federal registration requirements, and municipal legislation. Additionally, I contribute to ecological land classification and wetland evaluation projects.
In addition to these core responsibilities, being involved in the conservation and preservation of endangered species is a significant aspect of my role. This commitment to saving these species resonates strongly and adds a deep sense of fulfillment to my work.
Career Development:
I’ve had extensive experience working in field biology, plant physiology, data analysis, and technical writing, and I hold a B.Sc, M.Sc, and Ph.D. in Plant Systematics. Parallelling my academic research, I’ve served as a project manager and as an expert in quality and environmental management systems within the industry. I have been a researcher at the University of Toronto and New Mexico, and a Senior Research Scientist at Lancaster University (UK). I’ve also co-authored numerous academic papers. I teach at Seneca Polytechnic and am a managing guest editor for the journal Perspectives in Plant Systematics, Ecology, and Evolution.
What do you enjoy most in your role?
One of the aspects I enjoy most about my role is being able to go outdoors, observe plants and listen to the birds. Having the opportunity to connect and enjoy nature is something I genuinely appreciate.
What other aspects of Terrapex make it a great place to work?
Terrapex offers a great working environment, particularly in terms of the sense of community. I feel like a valued member of a supportive community and a part of a team.
What keeps you busy besides work?
Outside of work, I spend my time reading, mainly novels and history books. I also enjoy writing about plants from a personal perspective, not just scientifically, and I like to express my approach and connection with them. I also like jewelry making, knitting, and spending time walking in nature.