Chris Despins, P.Eng. Email & Phone Number

10 Peel Centre Drive, Brampton, ON, L6T 4B9

• Lead Project Manager for the development and application of an innovative Enterprise Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Tool in collaboration with the Region’s Enterprise Asset Management Division. The.
• Led undertaking a first-of-its kind inventory of the Region of Peel's Green Infrastructure assets on its portfolio of 400+ sites. Worked collaboratively with Conservation Authority staff, ROP IT and Enterprise Asset.
• Supported the creation of Climate Change Resiliency requirements as part of the Region's Net Zero Development Standard for new development, and facilitated several workshops to identify climate resiliency measures to.
• Worked closely with Peel Housing Corporation and the Region’s Real Property Asset Management (RPAM) Division to identify Green Infrastructure retrofit opportunities across 70+ Peel Living affordable housing sites.

Vancouver, British Columbia

• Led the development of a comprehensive suite of Action Plans to accelerate the implementation of green infrastructure as part of the city’s ambitious Rain City Strategy. Engaged staff from 20+ engineering branches to.
• Took on additional responsibilities as Acting Branch Manager on numerous occasions, employing strategic thinking and strong decision-making skills to represent the Branch's interests in meetings with other Branch.
• Undertook Acting Branch Manager duties for an extended period (March-May 2020) during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required I apply strong leadership, communication and organization skills to facilitate.
• Led engineering reviews and developer negotiations for the stormwater and groundwater management plans for several major developments. Enforced the City’s groundwater and rainwater management policies to secure the.
• Researched best practices for onsite non-potable water systems (ONWS) and district scale systems incorporating rainwater harvesting, groundwater, stormwater, greywater and blackwater, including design, construction.

London, United Kingdom

• Provided expert advice and support to Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) to deliver flood and coastal risk management (FCRM) infrastructure within the River Thames catchment.
• Engaged stakeholders, including LLFAs, Thames Water and the Environment Agency to facilitate the delivery of integrated schemes aimed at mitigating sewer, surface water and fluvial flood risk.
• Identified knowledge and resource gaps / opportunities within LLFAs to develop bespoke tools, training, and hands-on assistance to address their needs.
• Used expert knowledge of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) to identify new projects to add to the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee 6-year capital programme.
• Developed business cases for new and existing projects on the Thames RFCC 6-year programme using HM Treasury’s Five Case model, ensuring that projects demonstrate value for money.

Toronto, Canada Area

• Lead author of the Ontario and Alberta Guidelines for Residential Rainwater Harvesting Systems in association with the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs (MMAH), Alberta Municipal Affairs and University of Guelph.
• Developed a one-day "Design, Installation and Management of Rainwater Harvesting Systems" course and delivered course across Canada to 400+ engineers, contractors, and government staff in partnership with Ontario MMAH.
• Developed exclusive licensing agreement with CANARM (Canadian Association of Rainwater Management) to offer the RWH course for training and certifying practitioners across Canada.
• Consulted with numerous commercial, government and non-governmental clients on the potential water savings and stormwater runoff reduction associated with rainwater harvesting.
• Advised municipalities on the development of cost-effective incentive programs to promote the adoption of RWH systems.

London, United Kingdom

• Led a multi-disciplinary team of six, managing the team’s resources across a range of complex projects, undertaking performance appraisals, mentoring team members and supporting them through constructive feedback.
• Confidently engaged with clients, senior managers and other departments – building relationships to promote our team and win work, and to knowledgably communicate my team’s actions, decisions and outputs.
• Ensured that commercial considerations and risks were fully considered when preparing tenders and when undertaking work (such as through contract management/change control to manage scope creep) thereby improving the.
• Championed health and safety (H&S), providing training during new staff induction and ensuring staff undertook H&S evaluations and undertook appropriate H&S measures while out in the field.

London, United Kingdom

• Responsible for assessing flood risk (fluvial, tidal, surface water, sewer and groundwater) for commercial and residential developments and producing National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)-compliant Flood Risk.
• Providing ongoing expert advice to asset management firms to manage portfolio risk. For one firm, identified the type(s) and level of flood risk for each property in their portfolio, and for high risk sites undertook.
• Project managing Surface Water Management Plans (SWMPs) on behalf of councils in England and Scotland. As part of this work, I have engaged Council staff to identify the best means of addressing flood risk in their.
• Applying expert knowledge in sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) to support councils and private developers implement SuDS. As part of this work, I have Identified a range of SuDS practices that can be applied (both.
• Skilled at interpreting and applying national and local policies and guidance, including the Flood and Water Management Act, NPPF, Planning Practice Guidance, the London Plan, and SuDS /CIRIA Guidance.

Mississauga, Ontario

• Project managed key parts of CVC’s $1 Million Showcasing Water Innovation (SWI) program, aimed at fostering innovative approaches to address the challenges facing Ontario’s water infrastructure.
• Identified and analyzed current and pending legislation, using insights to provide expert advice to municipalities on how to develop master plans, policies and programs.
• Helped businesses identify opportunities to implement innovative water solutions by bringing technology vendors and government stakeholders to the table as part of the Partners in Project Green initiative.
• Led the development of a suite of guidance documents, providing direction to consultants and CVC staff on writing content for the guides and conducting substantive editing to tailor each for a target audience.
• Organized a two-day conference (planning, fundraising and staff management) promoting the sustainable stormwater industry that attracted speakers, exhibitors and attendees from across Canada.
• Flood Duty Officer responsible for monitoring stream level and weather conditions within the watershed to assess flood risk and issue flood messages to municipalities, media and other stakeholders.

Master Of Science (M.Sc.), Environmental Engineering & International Development

M.Sc. Thesis "Building Capacity for Rainwater Harvesting in Ontario: Rainwater Quality & Performance of RaInwater Harvesting Systems"..

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc), Biological Engeneering