GOOD25 Presenter Bios
Rob Emerson
Manager of Digital Transformation & User Experience, City of Barrie
Rob Emerson is an accomplished senior manager with 20+ years experience helping organizations realize their full potential through transformational projects and by building new relationships with technology. Rob draws upon a diverse background that includes a Bachelor of Commerce (major in Information Technology) and a wide diversity of experiences in in municipal government, campus life, facilities management, capital development, and community recreation. For the past 8 years Rob has been leading the City of Barrie's digital transformation efforts, and he is currently leading an innovative, multi-year project to realize operational efficiencies and service enhancements through the introduction of Artificial Intelligence and other technologies.
Sheldon Fernandez
Marilyne Carry
Associate Professor, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University
Dr. Marilyne Carrey is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre at Brock University. Dr. Carrey's research applies geospatial technologies within a sustainability science framework to study invasive species, urban forests, wetlands, and grasslands in a changing climate. Committed to community engagement, she collaborates with local organizations to address environmental challenges. She has mapped invasive species like Phragmites in the Long Point Biosphere and is interested in proactive management in the Niagara Region, including ongoing collaborations with the NPCA and other stakeholders
Eugene Chen
Chair, Canadian Open Data Society
Eugene Chen has spent over a decade in the design and development of data visualization tools, and more recently completed his MSc in Computing Science with a published, Top 3 paper on using AI in puzzle games for IEEE’s AAAI conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment. He has been exploring the direct role of AI in software development and data visualization, and built a collaborative generative AI platform that uses different AI models in 2024. Eugene’s public work has been shared in media outlets like the New York Times, CBC, NPR, and CTV. He is a board member of the Canadian Open Data Society and a member of Canada’s Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Open Government. After spending a decade as the CTO of a successful data visualization firm, he has transitioned to contracting on technical management and development work, most recently with Natural Resources Canada and Code for Canada.
Wendy Baldin
Manager of Digital Transformation and IT,
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
Wendy Baldin has over 25 years of professional experience in the public, private, and consulting business sectors. Wendy has a BES from the University of Waterloo, obtained her Project Management Professional and Geographic Information System Professional designations, and specializes in geospatial and IT project management. She is currently the Manager - Digital Transformation and Information Technology for Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. Wendy is also the President of BeSpatial Ontario.
