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Meet Our Experts

A diverse group of people smiling.

Real-world experience delivers real results.

Every PHBI instructor is an expert and a leader in their field, often backed by decades of experience working on site, selling and marketing homes, operating homebuilding companies, or working in trades and other industry-related professions.

They enhance your learning experience by sharing their proven expertise in the development of our courses and in the classroom. Education for builders, by builders – it’s the PHBI difference.

Our experts

Jessica McNabb
Sales & Marketing / Customer Service

Jessica is a highly experienced new home sales professional who has established a reputation for excellence in her field. With over 10 years of experience, she has worked as an Area Manager on-site, specializing in drawing plans and managing the custom-building process from start to finish. Her expertise in new home sales has made her a sought-after advisor for clients looking to build their dream homes.

Most recently she has started her own Real Estate team, Rise Real Estate Group with VIMA REAL Broker. This community of women hosts mindset mentorship events, speaks at women’s empowerment events and refers all preferred services and gifts to other women in business.

Greg Dudar
Construction Fundamentals For Sales/Estimating

Greg has been involved in the construction of over 1200 homes. Design experiences range from conceptual to architectural including 3D space planning and the interior design of details & finishes. Having been “hands on the tools” in every stage from Surveying to Service Tech provides a realistic understanding of “what really happens” in the field to make those plans become reality. On the business side, company positions have varied from fulfilling day-to-day operational positions through to General Manager, and entrepreneurial ventures from owning a Boutique Home Building Company to being on a Reality TV show. This combination allows Greg to speak from experience about specific topics, as well as how they interact and affect other areas of the home building industry.

Amelie Caron
Sustainability

Amelie is the Principal of EcoSynergy and holds a MSc Building Science degree. She is a LEED for Homes Green Rater, NRCan Energy Advisor, Net-Zero Energy Advisor, Passivhaus, Energuide and R2000 consultant, and is HRAI certified for multi-unit residential buildings.

Amelie is also a member of Canadian Association of Consulting Energy Advisors and previously a R2000 and Hot 2000 modelling trainer.

Umberto Cappella
Legal Issues / Law Fundamentals

Umberto is a dynamic lawyer whose expertise in civil litigation sets him apart from his peers. After earning his JD from York University – Osgoode Hall Law School in 2017, Umberto has dedicated himself to building a successful legal practice focused on representing clients in a wide range of disputes. His particular emphasis on residential construction and renovations has made him a sought-after advisor for clients facing complex litigation challenges.

Lena Gagnon
Plans & Specifications

With 19 years of experience in the Alberta residential market, Lena is a Designer/Architectural Technologist for a customer service award-winning Canadian single-family home building company.

Carmen Jackson
Plans, Specs & Drawings/Construction Fundamentals

Carmen brings over a decade and a half of experience in the design and construction industry and over six years of instructional experience in an institutional setting. With a range of experience from small scale additions to multi-million dollar projects she has been involved with many aspects of construction from zoning analysis and conceptual design to permit application, from cost analysis to progress monitoring, and from drawing out the details to completing the finishing touches. She is passionate about sharing the knowledge gained from her breadth of experience with future designers and industry experts.

Cara Pullan
Customer Service / Warranty / Problem Solving

With over 10 years experience in the home building industry as a Manager in Customer Experience & Warranty, Cara has honed technical, analyzing warranty claims, and policy development skills. She has a solid foundation in building code, climate change, and best building practices and holds a bachelor’s degree in education and PHBI certificates in Moisture Control and Customer Experience. Most importantly, she strongly believes in ‘building people that build homes.

Read Fenton
Radon

Read Fenton leads Metro Testing + Engineering’s geotechnical team with over sixteen years of geotechnical, materials engineering and project management experience on projects across western Canada. Read has an MBA with a focus on project management and leadership. Read has significant experience with geotechnical projects including high-rise buildings, schools, public buildings, highways, residential, commercial, large-scale industrial and rural developments. He currently holds stamps in BC, AB, SK, YK, and NWT.

Darrell Paul
Building Science / Moisture Control

Darrell is the Principal of Qualistat Building Performance Consultants. He has over 40 years of industry experience, and is a Certified Residential Air System Design Technician, ASNT Level 2 Thermographer, NRCan Certified Energy Advisor, Certified Master Home Inspector, Master Home Builder and Master Home Renovator.

Keith Jansen
Construction Technology / Codes

Having planned and built thousands of homes western Canadian families, Keith brings over 25 years of homebuilding experience and an extensive construction knowledge to PHBI. He specializes in condominium and multi-family project development. Formally trained as an Architectural Technologist, Mr. Jansen possesses exceptional skills in floor plan and project design, project management, fiscal responsibility, and construction supervision.

Madeline Sarafinchan
Condominiums / Sales

Madeline has 30 years of real estate experience, 20 years spent as a real estate broker. She is a certified instructor for the Realtors Association of Edmonton, Alberta Real Estate Association and Real Estate Business Institute. She has served on a committee to review the Condo Act and to recommend changes to government.

Karen Minty
Human Behaviour

Karen is currently a University/College professor, curriculum developer, instructional designer, and corporate trainer. She is certified in Human Behaviour and has earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Adult Education. Karen’s passion lies in helping others to change their mindset and develop effective skills in conflict resolution, leadership development and teambuilding.

Dalpreet Virdi
Problem Solving/Estimating

Dalpreet is an Infrastructure Project Manager at the City of Edmonton. He has executed successful housing projects across Alberta for over 10 years, and shares his expertise in estimating, project management, and construction practices to industry stakeholders.