Envision is a group of dedicated professionals that combine a deep understanding of sustainability with the power of information technology. Our team boasts technical expertise in integrated model development, scenario visualization and software development.

Envision professionals have over 15 years of experience in regional planning, environmental management and participatory processes. Envision has facilitated training sessions with stakeholder groups and decision makers in the private and public sectors. This unparalleled grouping of competencies has contributed to the emergence of MetroQuest as the most advanced and user-friendly sustainability communication tool available in the market today.

Read about some of our key team members:
Mike Walsh - Dave BIggs - Matthew Colclough
Denise Lawson - Dr. Ryan Gandy - Day Kirby - Jeff Carmichael

Cofounder and President

Mike Walsh is a co-founder and the President of Envision. As system architect of Envision’s MetroQuest and PowerQuest products, he is responsible for the technical creation and evolution of QUEST software. He is also responsible for the management of finance and administration within the organization.

Mike has over 15 years of experience in software engineering, finance and strategic planning. Prior to his work at Envision, Mike was integral to the development of the Georgia Basin QUEST software application in his role as the key technical contributor on an interdisciplinary team of industry leaders, government agencies, NGOs and universities. Mike also worked for IBM in a number of technical and financial roles before moving to British Columbia.

Mike has written a number of articles on the use of computer simulations in educational and strategic planning. He has presented at numerous conferences, symposiums, and workshops illustrating the application of QUEST to the challenges of regional planning.

Mike holds a Master of Business Administration from Dalhousie University, a Master of Science in Resource Management from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University. Mike also holds a P.Eng. designation in both Ontario and British Columbia.

Mike brings exceptional strategic, technical and problem-solving skills to the complex task of creating QUEST products.

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Cofounder and Vice President, Professional Services

Dave Biggs is a co-founder of Envision and the conceptual architect of Envision’s MetroQuest and PowerQuest products. As Vice President of Professional Services he is responsible for the marketing and delivery of Envision’s professional services, which focus on the effective use of QUEST products in successful stakeholder engagement projects.

Prior to his work at Envision, Dave was a co-investigator on an interdisciplinary team of industry leaders, government agencies, NGOs and over 50 faculty and graduate students from three Canadian universities in the five-year development and implementation of the Georgia Basin QUEST.

Dave also managed the Waterloo Simulation Research Facility at the University of Waterloo overseeing the Canada 2030 Sustainable Society Project. He has authored several books and papers on modeling and sustainability and has led over 100 workshops using computer models to interactively explore future scenarios of sustainability.

Dave’s educational background spans Environmental Studies and Engineering at the University of British Columbia and the University of Waterloo.

Dave brings to Envision a wealth of knowledge of sustainability and stakeholder engagement and an exceptional capacity for innovation.

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Vice President, Business Development

As Vice President of Business Development, Matthew Colclough is responsible for managing Envision’s sales and marketing division. His responsibilities include developing new markets for MetroQuest products and services, managing Envision’s relationships with strategic clients and partners and collaboration with the Envision team on product evolution.

Matthew has over 20 years of sales, business development, marketing and management experience. Prior to joining Envision, he was a Senior Client Partner with a leading international firm specializing in providing leadership effectiveness solutions to business and government. As an entrepreneur, Matthew has participated in successful business startups and turnarounds and managed firms during times of rapid, dynamic growth. Matthew has also held several executive and senior level business development positions for organizations focusing on US development.

Matthew holds a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University.

Matthew brings an innovative strategic partnership focus and world-class leadership knowledge and experience to the enhancement of Envision’s most important relationships.

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Vice President, Operations

Denise Lawson is the Vice President of Operations at Envision. In addition to managing the delivery of Envision’s MetroQuest and PowerQuest products, she is also responsible for product management and human resources management within the organization.

Denise has over 15 years of experience in the information technology industry, in strategic planning, product management and project management roles. Prior to joining Envision, Denise was Vice President of Operations for Columbus Group Communications, an e-commerce professional services firm subsequently acquired by Telus Enterprise Solutions (now Telus). She also held several management positions in her seven years with MPR Teltech, an advanced research and development subsidiary of BC TEL (now Telus).

Denise was also the Vice Chair of Mountain Equipment Co-op’s Board of Directors and participated in developing their corporate strategy for environmental and social responsibility.

Denise holds a Master of Business Administration, with a specialty in Environment and Management from Royal Roads University as well as a Master of Science in Computing and Information Science from Queen’s University.

Denise brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in organizational effectiveness to Envision’s multi-faceted team.

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Senior GIS and Systems Analyst

As the firm’s Senior GIS and Systems Analyst, Dr. Ryan Gandy is responsible for the geospatial analysis and processing of data required for the configuration of MetroQuest for specific regions. He also leads the design and development of automated tools and techniques for the data processing and scenario calibration processes inherent in MetroQuest configuration.

Ryan has over 12 years of experience in the development and use of GIS, 3D Visualization and Remote Sensing technologies for complex analysis and decision-making applications. Prior to joining Envision, Ryan was the Director of Operations for Visualization and GIS, for Innovative GIS Ltd, a company specializing in customized GIS, CAD and 3D visualization services for the land planning, environmental and landscape architecture sectors. Ryan also worked for several landscape architecture firms as well as in academia at the University of British Columbia.

Ryan holds a PhD in Forestry, with a specialization in Geographic Information based advanced traveler information systems from the University of British Columbia as well as a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pretoria.

Ryan has authored several publications on the application of GIS Visualization to forestry and landscape analysis.

Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with leading edge technologies and their application to land use planning as well as an exceptional capacity for improving systems to the world of developing regional specific versions of MetroQuest.

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Senior Interactive Experience Specialist

Day Kirby is Envision’s Senior Interactive Specialist. He is responsible for the design and development of the interactive experiences inherent in MetroQuest products and the MetroQuest website. He is also responsible for the non-spatial data configuration and calibration of non-spatial models for regional specific versions of MetroQuest.

Day has over 15 years of experience designing and implementing user interfaces for web-based and desktop-based computer applications. His wide-ranging experience on a variety of project types makes him an expert consultant in the strategic use of graphic design and user interface design. His in-depth knowledge of a wide set of graphics tools and programming environments allows him to implement high-impact solutions for many different applications and audiences.

Prior to joining Envision Day was the Creative Director for Communicopia Internet Inc. designing websites, Flash presentations, logos and other promotional materials for a wide range of clients with a social responsibility focus. His many years of experience specializing on these kinds of projects make him especially suited to projects involving public engagement, collaborative development and sustainability communications.

Day holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Victoria.

Day brings a rare and highly valued combination of creative and analytical capabilities to the challenge of designing MetroQuest products for ease of use and understanding in public engagement.

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Senior Modeler

Dr. Jeff Carmichael is Envision’s Senior Modeler, responsible for the design and development of the integrated models for each incarnation of QUEST. Outside of his role at Envision, Jeff also maintains a position as Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia, in the Department of Resource Management.

Prior to joining the Envision team, Jeff worked in Laxenburg, Austria at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) as a Research Associate. Jeff has over 5 years of experience in agricultural land use planning, economic modeling, water quality and climate change in Eastern Europe and the United States. He has an extensive background in integrated modeling and analysis, and social science issues such as participatory methods for public engagement. Jeff is a published author on integrated assessment modeling and the use of such models in public engagement exercises.

Jeff is also involved in research at the University of British Columbia into the impacts of climate change in the context of other social change.

Jeff received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder, specializing in the field of Environmental Economics.

Jeff brings to Envision an exceptional and rare talent for integrating models from multiple disciplines into a cohesive system.