Kaela is the Director of Projects and Planning at M’akola Development Services with over ten years of professional consulting experience and has been working with M’akola since 2011. In that time, she has successfully grown the capacity of the organization to a professional staff of 15 with backgrounds in planning, research, environmental management, communications, finance/accounting, project management and public health.
Since being with M’akola, Kaela has directly managed or supervised the completion of 13 new construction, renovation/repair, or direct acquisition projects (representing over 375 units) with five new construction projects currently under construction (representing over 330 units). She provides strategic oversight and direction to all projects, with over 2700 units across the province representing just under $1B in construction costs.
Kaela’s vision and strategic planning has allowed for M’akola to expand their services to now include planning and research, community engagement, development consulting, project management, operations management and capacity building, and Indigenous relations.
She is a registered professional planner with the American Institute of Planners, has a Master of Urban Planning degree from McGill University in Montreal (2012), a Master of Education degree from St. Lawrence University in New York (2010), and graduated cum laude (honors) with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and History from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota (2007). In 2018, Kaela received recognition for her achievements and was named one of BC’s Forty under 40 by Business in Vancouver. She sits on the Women of UDI (WUDI) Capital Region Committee, Women of Urban Land Institute of BC (WLI) Committee, and is a member of the Leadership Team driving ULI BC’s Partnerships for Health Equity Program.
