Planning Staff
Bonnie Brunner, RPP, MCIP
Senior Planner
Bonnie has been with ORRSC since March 2007. She is a native southern Albertan and graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a degree in Urban and Rural Studies with Distinction. She also holds a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Queen’s University. Bonnie has extensive professional planning experience in both urban and rural settings. She previously worked as a transportation planner and community planner in southern New Hampshire and was lead planner for the Land Use Division in Mesa County, Colorado.
Mike Burla
Senior Planner
Mike graduated with a degree in Urban and Regional Studies from the University of Lethbridge. He is a senior planner at ORRSC and has been with the organization for over 40 years. Mike brings an expansive knowledge of planning law and practice in Alberta to the organization. Over the years he has been an integral part of the creation of numerous regional plans, intermunicipal development plans, municipal development plans, area structure plans and other long-range planning documents.
Ryan Dyck, RPP, MCIP
Senior Planner
Ryan is a southern Alberta native and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban & Regional Studies from the University Lethbridge. Prior to coming to ORRSC in 2013, Ryan worked as a Planning Assistant with the Town of Taber, Development Officer with the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass, and Planning Officer with the City of Medicine Hat. Ryan has a passion for the southern Alberta landscape and the unique sense of place evoked by its urban and rural communities.
Steve Harty
Senior Planner
Steve has over 29 years of planning experience and has been with ORRSC since 1998. A Southern Alberta native, he holds a degree in Urban and Regional Studies from the University of Lethbridge (Dean’s Honour List) and began his career with the Town of Taber. He has a special interest in planning law and has served on several government committees, including the 2001 Provincial Land Use Strategy Core Action Team and the Oldman River Watershed Council.
Gavin Scott
Senior Planner
Gavin has been employed as a planner with ORRSC since March 2007. He is a native of small town Saskatchewan and was educated at the University of Saskatchewan and SIAST holding a BA in Studio Art, a diploma from SIAST as a CADD Engineering Technologist, and an Honors BA in Regional and Urban Development. Gavin has worked as a CAD Operator for Transport Canada in Winnipeg, a GIS Analyst for the City of Saskatoon Electrical System and a Redevelopment and Planning Analyst for the City of Mesquite, Nevada.
Maxwell Kelly
Planner
Max began his journey with ORRSC in 2019 after graduating from Texas A&M University with a Master of Land and Property Development. Invested in the future of southern Alberta, Max has a passion for rural planning and a keen interest in the land-water nexus. He enjoys exploring remote areas within the region and spends much of his free time pulling weeds on his 8 acres west of Carway.
Kattie Schlamp
Planner
Kattie came to Lethbridge from Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2009 to attend the University of Lethbridge. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Studies, she started her career in planning with the Town of Taber. During that time, Kattie worked in a variety of roles related to planning and economic development, where she gained a wealth of knowledge on the interrelationship between planning and economic growth. Kattie received her Applied Land Use Certificate through the University of Alberta in 2023, and aspires to gain her Registered Professional Planners (RPP) designation in the coming years. She has a keen interest in new urbanism and how the built form shapes our daily lives.
Mason Burtnik
Assistant Planner
Mason was born and raised in Edmonton and joined ORRSC in July of 2025. He graduated from MacEwan University in economics and holds a Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Alberta. In school, Mason enjoyed applying econometric methods to planning related topics. A notable project was estimating tree canopy loss caused by urban densification. Mason is excited to gain planning experience across Southern Alberta while working towards the RPP designation.
Harsimran (Sim) Kaur
Assistant Planner
Harsimran (Sim) Kaur joined ORRSC in 2024. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s degree in Planning, specializing in Rural Planning and Development from the University of Guelph. Sim’s professional experience spans diverse planning and architectural projects. She is passionate about rural and small-town community planning and development. She is also involved in developing community engagement videos for local communities and is proficient in various technical and design software. Sim brings strong creative hand-drawing skills, which she uses to support visual expression in her planning work.
Skylar Nikkel
Assistant Planner
Skylar grew up in the Lethbridge area and went to the University of Lethbridge where she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Statistics with a Concentration in Geography and Minor in Computer Science. She lived in British Columbia for 4 years and has moved back to the Lethbridge area where she started working at ORRSC in September of 2025. Skylar’s professional experience includes a variety of environmental projects such as wetland restoration, invasive species management and GIS management. Skylar is excited to get back to her roots and contribute to meaningful work in Southern Alberta.
Rachel Schortinghuis
Assistant Planner
Rachel has lived in Southern Alberta most of her life, with a 9-year detour to the west coast where she met her husband and started her family. After returning to Alberta, Rachel has worked in both the legal and municipal worlds for several years including as CAO of the Village of Barnwell. She has enjoyed camaraderie with several different municipalities and looks forward to continuing in those relationships in future projects and work. Rachel is currently working towards her degree in Applied Business Management while joining the planning team here at ORRSC in March 2023.
Kevin Theriault
Assistant Planner
Kevin joined ORRSC in September 2025. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Alberta, along with a Certificate in Sustainability. Originally from Edmonton, Kevin has participated in academic exchanges in France and Sweden. He is now looking forward to exploring Southern Alberta.
Subdivision Staff
Jennifer Maxwell
Subdivision Technician
Jennifer has been with the Oldman River Regional Services Commission since 2015. She holds a Bachelor of Professional Arts Degree with a major in Governance, Law and Management from Athabasca University, a Diploma in Business Administration with a major and Management from Lethbridge College and an Applied Land Use Planning Certificate from the University of Alberta. Jennifer brings with her several years of experience working in municipal planning and development. She is responsible for processing subdivision applications and managing the subdivision records.
Ronni Svrcek
Records Management Clerk
Ronni originated from southern Ontario and has been in Alberta for 50 years. She worked for Canadian Western Natural Gas Company, Calgary, in the Financial Department for 20 years. She found her way to Lethbridge where she started working for the Lethbridge Symphony office and then for the City of Lethbridge in the Electric Utility Department for the last 22 years. She retired in April of 2024, but she has come out of retirement to join ORRSC on a part time basis as a Records Management Clerk.