The roots of the Bird family are several generations deep in the Ottawa area, instilling in Graham the belief that as a native son he had an obligation to future generations to keep making Ottawa better. As Vice President of Development, Graham often says that helping to build Ottawa is a great privilege — to imagine what could be, to work with visionary partners, and then together, to build and achieve that vision. “Getting to be creative and help shape the city you were born and raised in really isn’t work – it’s play,” he says. Graham spends his days — and often many evenings — playing out possibilities to solve complex redevelopment projects to ensure they are completed on time and on budget. Most importantly, he works to ensure they are built so that a community becomes more memorable and more relevant. With more than 30 years of experience in the development business throughout Canada, Graham has managed a wide variety of multidisciplinary projects for both the public and private sectors. He is particularly respected for understanding the business force of development — the need for building solutions into the design, the construction and the operations of new infrastructure; solutions that are flexible and respond promptly to the requirements of clients or markets. Graham has a successful track record in leading-edge, complex redevelopment — whether it is institutional, commercial, residential, or mixed-use — through all of the applicable phases including planning, design, construction, financing, approval, communications, and operations. A member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario, Graham holds a degree in Applied Science from Queen’s University.