MEET OUR TEAM
Westrek’s team is made up of professional engineers and geoscientists who bring a wealth of experience to our clients on a daily basis
Biography
Tim has been a practicing geoscientist for thirty years and founded Westrek in 1998, growing the firm from a sole proprietor to a vibrant team. A respected professional and leader in the field of landslide hazard and risk analysis, he aspires to be a mentor to others and to improve practice in the professions of engineering and geoscience.
Tim has been actively involved with Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (formerly APEGBC) for over twenty years and served as President in 2006/2007. A passion for the outdoors led Tim to his career, and he still loves to get out in the field, hiking around and helping people in their times of need. A native of Australia, Tim grew up in Sydney, graduating from the UNSW with a BSc in Applied Geology, and UBC in Forest Engineering.
Now based in Victoria, BC with his wife Karen, son Jimmy, and Wheaton Terrier Sparky, Tim spends his down time hiking and travelling with the family, skiing and mountaineering. His love of Nepal, where he lived through the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath, led him to become interested in Another Brick in Nepal, building schools for children in areas that have had little to no assistance in recovery and development.
Awards
- APEGBC Professional Service Award, 2004
Memberships
- Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC)
- Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophyscicists of Alberta (APEGGA)
- Division for Engineers and Geoscientist in the Forest Sector (DEGIFS)
- Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG)
- Geological Association of Canada (GAC)
- International Erosion Control Association (IECA)
Appointments
- President, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (APEGBC), 2006-2007
- Member of Council, APEGBC, 2001-2003
- Chair, Joint Practices Board (APEGBC & Association of British Columbia Forest Professionals), 2000-2002
- APEGBC Representative to the Professional Reliance Action Team (PRAT)
- APEGBC Representative to the Professional Reliance Task Force (PRTF)
- Member, APEGBC Audit Committee
- Chair, APEGBC Strategic Planning Committee
- BC Director, Canadian Council of Professional Geologists (CCPG)
- Chair, Division of Engineers and Geoscientists in the Forest Sector (DEGIFS) Risk Task Force
- Chair, Division of Engineers and Geoscientists in the Forest Sector (DEGIFS), 1999-2001
- Vice-Chair, Board of Directors of the Forest Management Institute of BC, 2000-2002
Biography
A specialist in terrain stability analysis, hydrogeomorphic hazards and GIS, Pete has worked in the resource industry for over 18 years, joining Westrek in 2011. He loves fieldwork in remote areas and has a passion for creating GIS based solutions and statistical models to aid in slope stability analysis. Pete hopes to develop his skillset to help Westrek further integrate innovative technology and processes, such as LIDAR, UAV-based photogrammetry and GIS analytics, to improve the work we do and branch out into new areas.
Pete grew up in Vancouver and completed both his BSc and MSc at UBC.
Pete lives in Salmon Arm, surrounded by lovely ladies whose names all start with ‘M’: his wife Michelle, daughters Maja and Monika and his furry snuggle baby cat Muffin. Pete and the M’s spend a lot of time skiing, cycling and travelling, and when he’s not watching sci-fi movies you will find him practicing his longsword fighting techniques for the next Historical European Martial Arts competition.
Memberships
- Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC)
- Division for Engineers and Geoscientists in the Forest Sector (DEGIFS)
Biography
Brandon has been an integral part of the Westrek team since 2010, specializing in resource based terrain stability work. A lover of the outdoors, fieldwork is Brandon’s favourite part of the job. Brandon studied earth sciences at Thompson Rivers University, Simon Fraser University and Gavle in Sweden, and is currently finishing his PGeo accreditation.
Based in his hometown of Quesnel, he is situated close to clients and the mountainous terrain for his passions: mountain biking, ski touring, snowmobiling and fly fishing, often accompanied by his son Logan and his faithful Labrador Frank.
An active member of his community, Brandon volunteers with the Gold Rush Cycling Association and the Wells Snowmobile Club.
Biography
Megan joined Westrek in 2018 after graduating with a BSc in Engineering Geology from Simon Fraser University. She is excited to be expanding on her education with practical fieldwork, especially landslide investigations and prevention, and learning about the triggers and mechanisms for slope movement. Megan hopes to become proficient with landslide management to help with better land and resource development, mitigating risks brought on by climate change and expanding into other aspects of engineering and applied quaternary geology.
To further her professional development, Megan is an active member of the South Central Branch of EGBC.
Megan moved from Langley to join our Kamloops office and is enjoying hiking, camping, swimming, kayaking and snowboarding in the surrounding mountains. Her secret talent is making a mean pizza, and the Westrek team is eagerly awaiting her contribution to the next potluck.
Biography
Leslie joined Westrek in 2018 after over ten years working in mineral exploration, geological mapping and forestry terrain stability. She obtained her BSc in geology and geography from UVIC, and her MEng from UBC and enjoys the opportunities for continued learning that her career provides.
Leslie values the environmental stewardship and public education aspects of her work and is focused on becoming an expert in terrain stability and post wildfire risk analysis.
After growing up in Manitoba, the BC Interior and Vancouver Island, Leslie has settled in Kamloops with her husband Sean, daughter June (who thinks she’s a cat as well as a little girl) and son Miles. Leslie enjoys the outdoors, traveling to far off places with her family and trying a myriad of D.I.Y. projects from Pinterest, some of which turn out as intended. While she can’t sing on key to save her life, she has a wicked sense of humour that brings a lot of fun and camaraderie to our team.
Biography
Viv joined Westrek in 2018 at the Kamloops office and quickly became an indispensable coordinator for the team. A graduate of the Business Administration program at Thompson Rivers University, she brings her skills, honed from 25 years in administration, to all aspects of the business, helping make the team cohesive and efficient. Having worked in government and companies of all sizes, Vivian loves the closeness of smaller companies and the variety that comes with every day. Always learning, she is looking to expand her skillset to Payroll and HR in the future.
Originally from North Vancouver, Viv left the city for the quiet life of Lac Le Jeune, which offers the outdoor lifestyle of mountain biking, kayaking and paddle boarding she loves. She and her husband Darren spend many hours driving son Devin and daughter Dawson to hockey rinks all over, often with their Mexican rescue dog Canela in tow. Viv also lends her skills and enthusiasm to both her kids’ hockey teams and is active in building the sport of female hockey.
Biography
Beverly joined Westrek in 2020 and brings fifteen years of experience in administration and community engagement from the public sector. She has a BA and an MA in English and has spent much of her career focusing on public service, research and training and development. She is looking forward to bringing her skills to further enhance Westrek’s online and social media presence.
Beverly grew up in Kamloops and has lived here most of her life, returning to raise her family after a few years away for school and travel. She keeps busy chauffeuring her two boys, Dylan and Carson to all their sports and activities. She loves watching hockey, hiking, collecting heart shaped rocks, visiting one of the many beautiful lakes and rivers surrounding the area and spending time with her very large extended family.
Biography
Jesse joined Westrek in 2021 and is a GIS Analyst based in our Kamloops office. He completed his BSc at the University of the Fraser Valley and then earned his Master of Geographic Information Systems from Vancouver Island University. Jesse has 3 years experience working in GIS analysis and geomorphology and loves the variety that his career path offers, from flying drones to capture images for mapping, to assessing landslides. He looks forward to progressing toward his PGeo designation and hopes to spend more time developing his expertise in terrain analysis, particularly on post-wildfire impacted areas.
Jesse just moved to Kamloops and he is looking forward to getting out to enjoy some of the skiing, camping, fishing and hiking opportunities the area has to offer. He is also an avid mountain biker and enjoys rock climbing, reading and spending time with his friends.
Biography
Dan joined Westrek in January 2023 after 5 years of GIS work in the forest industry. He is a graduate of the ADGISA program at VIU and lives in Campbell River on beautiful Vancouver Island. Dan specializes in Python Scripting, WebApp Development and LiDAR Utilization and he has a background in disaster management (wildfires), which is where his drive to bring advanced GIS solutions into areas where risk can be reduced comes from.
Biography
Jamie joined Westrek in the summer of 2023. A dedicated GIS Analyst, Jamie hails from Kamloops, where she grew up and received her education at Thompson Rivers University. She’s not your typical desk-bound analyst, though; she’s got an adventurous spirit that has led her to some exciting places in her career. With over 5 years in the industry, Jamie’s expertise goes beyond traditional GIS. She’s ventured into remote sensing, precision ranching, data mining, and forestry. Her favorite part of the job is creating captivating maps and models from her fieldwork observations, collaborating closely with geoscientists. Her sights are set on becoming a full-fledged geoscientist.
When she’s not working, Jamie enjoys embracing all four seasons! Whether it’s hiking, camping, travelling to far-flung destinations, birding, painting, or conquering the slopes on skis, she’s up for the challenge. Jamie also loves spending time with her husband Brandon and the rest of her close knit family, including her parents and brother. Some favourite activities include hosting game nights, volunteering for community events, and unwinding at the family cabin. One surprising fact about Jamie is her year-long adventure in New Zealand, where she worked with the Operation Nest Egg program for the Haast tokoeka kiwi.
Biography
Wyatt joined Westrek’s Kamloops office in July 2023. He comes to us with 7 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, including retaining walls, shoring, buildings, and novel systems design. He studied structural engineering in university and is able to apply those skills to various geotechnical designs. He is also experienced in stormwater runoff analysis and management design. His favourite part of his job is getting to see a lot of the province and country and the wide variety of projects that require specialized problem solving skills.
When he’s not working, Wyatt enjoys golf, skiing, hunting, fishing, weightlifting and spending time with his spouse Kaitlynn and their dog Whiskey.
Biography
Jas Thathar joined Westrek’s team in the summer of 2023. He is from Abbotsford and completed his BASc degree in Engineering at UBC Okanagan. He has worked as an EIT for 2 years and aspires to be a great PEng like his mentor. Jas’s favourite part of his career is doing geotechnical investigations and then, from that, coming up with unique solutions to geotechnical challenges.
Outside work, Jas enjoys hanging out with his dog Maple, hiking, basketball and travelling on his motorcycle. He is also an avid and incredibly talented landscape photographer!