In this episode, Chad Hughes welcomes Matteo Villani, President of 3 Peaks Land & Engagement Inc, to the show to explore the regulatory environment in British Columbia and the complexity of navigating the Indigenous communities, the environmental and regulatory needs, and the agricultural land reserve restrictions in order to access land for oil and gas assets. Matteo takes us through his twenty year career in the industry and speaks from his experience working in BC.

With a landman father, Matteo was exposed to the industry early. The stories he heard from his father and father’s colleagues impressed upon him the idea of landmen as problem solvers which gave him a fascination with the industry. Out of university he secured an internship program at Shell Canada and started his career in a research team exploring northern Canada, the Beaufort Sea area. His career would then lead him to Enbridge Energy and finally to Crew Energy.

Matteo defines the layers of British Columbia’s regulatory system for Chad, starting with the Agricultural Land Reserve. An environmental report including soil examination, wildlife concerns, and even an archaeological assement, related to the Heritage Conservation Act, are all required. He explains the complexities of First Nations consultation as well. Matteo and Chad discuss the skills Matteo learned early in his career that assisted in working in BC, different regulation requirements in BC jurisdictions, and how to manage internal relationships within a company navigating a complex system. Matteo’s insight and advice are valuable and shed light on what is needed for a successful venture in BC land.

“I really could take some of the skills that I learned, particularly at, you know, the kitchen table and with communities across Canada. It's really honing in on that listening skill and making sure that you understand what the issues are and not assume what the issues are.” - Matteo Villani

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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin

Matteo Villani | President of 3 Peaks Land & Engagement Inc: linkedin

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In this episode, Chad Hughes welcomes Ramiro Roel, Senior Manager of Development at Leeward Renewable Energy, to the show to discuss his current position in being a key part of getting site control for Leeward’s renewable developments across the US. They explore Ramiro’s upbringing and how the relationships built in his early career influenced his work journey. Ramiro talks about many aspects of renewable energy, his expertise, and some of the reasons he hears for people rejecting renewables.

Ramiro was born and bred in Texas and grew up around the oil and gas sector. He tells Chad about the relationships he formed in the early days working on his dad’s ranch that still inform some of his work today. He names some of the influential people who helped shape his early career in Field Services and the lessons learned then that he’s always followed.

Chad and Ramiro explore renewable energy at depth, from the false narratives that people believe about renewables to the specific work Ramiro does in his current position at Leeward Renewable Energy. He describes his process of listening to landowners and learning from their concerns so he can be transparent about what the process is about. Chad hears the guiding principles that have led Ramiro throughout his career and solicits advice from him for anyone looking to get into the land profession. The conversation highlights how relationships drive careers and the opportunities inherent in renewable resources.

“I want to try to get them to understand, to better have a situation as to where we're coming from. We're not the big bad wolf. We're trying to come in and actually create energy for those folks that absolutely need it, and so if there's something that we can do about it, then obviously that's something where we step in and explain and lay all our cards out on the table. This is why we're here. This is what I'm trying to do.” - Ramiro Roel

About Ramiro Roel:

With an extensive background in land management and real estate within the energy sector, Ramiro Roel’s focus centers on leveraging project planning, development and supervisory skills to advance renewable energy initiatives. Leading Greenfield development campaigns, his role is pivotal in expanding renewable energy projects through expert lease negotiations and strategic project planning. Ramiro’s recent tenures at Kinder Morgan, Inc., and Buckeye Partners have honed his expertise in lease negotiations and stakeholder management, ensuring smooth project progression and sustainable land use.

Ramiro’s team's efforts in focusing on alternative energy solutions reinforce a commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement. Proficient in Spanish, he bridges communication gaps, fostering inclusive collaboration across diverse teams and international projects. At the core of his professional mission lies a dedication to optimizing land resources for the energy transition, with every successful negotiation reflecting this steadfast goal.

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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin

Ramiro Roel |Sr. Manager Development, Leeward Renewable Energy: website | linkedin

In this episode, Chad Hughes welcomes Kristina Hamernik, Energy Storage Development Manager at Innergex, to the show to talk about land access and stakeholder engagement from the developer perspective. Kristina talks about the personal experience she had living abroad that led her to study renewable energy. She shares her career journey since then, her philosophy, and how the technology being used to develop battery storage sites is changing.

It was the experience of living abroad in Krakow, Poland and developing allergic reactions to the smog while running that led Kristina to research clean air and into getting her Masters at Sciences Po in France. Her career has led her through Public Energy where shse was focused on diversifying energy mixes and fossil fuel dependant remote locations to her position with Innergex today. She tells Chad about her experiences working with land professionals and hearing landowner stories early on in her work.

Chad and Kristina dive into the very human element of land development projects, the company perspective of not just generating revenue but focusing on people and prosperity and ensuring a benefit to the planet, and what factors can cause land owners to back away from projects being discussed. Kristina also explains what battery energy storage looks like and her role in working to develop and expand the adoption and understanding of the advantages of energy storage. This episode highlights work in the renewable space and the vital importance of the human element of the land piece.

“... energy storage is moving fast, and it's exciting because it's moving quickly, which might be a cause for concern, but I have to say, this industry is so quick on adopting lessons learned. There are so many success cases. And then there are cases where there's definitely things to be taken for the future and adopting different measures. And I think principally everything is health and safety. That's the crux of it. But it's an industry where best practices are advancing so, so quickly because the lessons learned are being adopted and taken very seriously, which is really exciting. And then when you combine that with decreasing price trends because of increased demand, for example, these projects are commercially viable.” - Kristina Hamernik

About Kristina Hamernik:

While living abroad, a personal experience served as the catalyst for Kristina’s career change and dive into the energy industry. She is passionate about the opportunities for enhancing energy security while adopting clean energy solutions. Kristina has worked as a business and early-stage project developer for renewable energy solutions for remote regions and islanded diesel power grids and included work on projects for remote mining operations, Northern communities, post-natural disaster grid reconstruction and modular renewable solutions for military applications.

Kristina’s current role is Development Manager for Energy Storage at Innergex, where she is driven by the opportunities and benefits of wide-spread adoption of energy storage across Canada and internationally.

Based out of Montreal, Kristina is enjoys being active outdoors during all-seasons with a love for cross country and downhill skiing, hiking as well as regularly practicing kickboxing. She is currently training for her first triathlon.

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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin

Kristina Hamernik |Energy Storage Development Manager, Innergex: website | linkedin

In this episode, Chad Hughes talks with Sandra Dixon, Supervisor of Western Canada Gas at Enbridge and President of the Canadian Association of Land and Energy Professionals (CALEP). Sandra discusses how she came to her role in CALEP in 2019 and what it entails. The conversation looks at the scarcity of resources in terms of new people entering the land industry, how the roles and titles have changed, and the challenge of providing education and awareness about opportunities in the land profession.

Three areas of education are highlighted: awareness, recruitment, and training. Chad and Sandra address the specifics of all three and how CALEP is involved. Sandra addresses the need to change awareness of the industry by adjusting the perception of the roles as being just oil and gas-centric. She also discusses how much of the work is networking and face-to-face relationships, which are not where the younger generations have their strengths due to their greater online focus.

Chad and Sandra examine how potential recruits can come from people making career transitions, the types of former jobs that are a good base for heading into the land industry, the challenges around maintaining and creating higher education training for land professionals, and what people can expect to see from CALEP in the coming year. Sandra shines an insightful light on challenges and potential in the land industry and the role of CALEP within it.

“So yeah, there's definitely been a decline [in association enrollment] and we want to change that. But we have to make ourselves relevant. We have to have the education component put in play. And I would also suggest that we have to be piloting work programs, those types of aspects where we can get people some experience and exposure to what we're doing. I think that's super important.” - Sandra Dixon

About Sandra Dixon:

Sandra is an accomplished Land Management Professional and the Supervisor of the Lands & Right-of-Way Western Canada Operations Team at Enbridge. In her role, she is crucial in delivering leadership, mentorship, and support for land management activities across Western Canada, with specialized expertise in British Columbia land matters. With a strong background in land management, stakeholder engagement and regulatory affairs, Sandra excels in building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders, landowners, government agencies and regulatory bodies.

At Enbridge, Sandra provides expert counsel, leadership, and support to her team of regional Land Agents, overseeing land management activities in Alberta and British Columbia to ensure operational success. She plays a pivotal role in advancing regional core projects and associated operational programs. Additionally, Sandra manages the annual development of community and stakeholder engagement plans and is instrumental in shaping the strategic direction of her operational areas. Her active involvement in planning and development of teams, as well as task groups, underscores her commitment to Enbridge's objectives.

Sandra has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to volunteering her time and engaging with industry initiatives. Beyond her role at Enbridge, she actively mentors and supports others, contributing to the ongoing exchange of knowledge and fostering professional development. As President of the Canadian Association of Land and Energy Professionals (CALEP), a non-profit professional association for Land Agents in Canada, Sandra plays a pivotal role in public and government relations. She is dedicated to establishing the highest professional and ethical standards for Land Agents, while also promoting education and training to set clear expectations for those who interact with stakeholders. Sandra’s leadership and contributions make her a distinguished figure in her field.

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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin

Sandra Dixon |Enbridge / CALEP President: website | linkedin

Chad Hughes welcomes Andrew Fulford, Surface Land Manager of Birchcliff Energy, to the show to talk about Birchcliff’s unique culture and his thirty-plus-year career. Andrew, who got into the industry by going to Olds College in what was then called the Land Agent Program, got offered his role at Birchcliff twelve years ago, and he reflects on changes in his career and the industry while offering advice to newcomers in the surface land business.

Andrew discusses how the always-changing industry offers a lot of opportunity for growth in a career due to the progress and new skill sets required with the shifts. He says it does lead to being a bit of a jack of all trades and includes project management as one of his roles now. One of the things he learned very recently was the role of Indigenous relations when he not only needed to understand the new consultation regulations, but also become immersed in Indigenous history and culture so he could adapt to their way of doing business.

Chad and Andrew talk about company culture and what makes Birchcliff so unique and positive. Andrew highlights the relationships frontline people form with communities and the smooth communication they develop. He reflects on how much things have changed in the industry and how the training now would be substantially different than when he first started. His advice to people looking for a career in the industry is to learn about the whole industry, not just land.

“... when you first get into the surface land business, if you're passionate about it … I say to people, go to where you will learn the most. Go to those. Look for those places where you will gain the most skills and diverse skills. Don't just focus on one. It may not be the best-paying job that you take off the start, but it's probably the one that's where you're going to learn the most, and it's probably going to take you away from home for longer periods of time. I spent a good part of the first part of my career, you know, behind the wheel of a vehicle and sometimes away from home for 1 to 2 weeks at a time… but I'll tell you what. It paid off in spades towards the latter part of my career. And the skills that I built and the understanding that I had about the business when I did that.” - Andrew Fulford

About Andrew Fulford:

Andrew is the Surface Land Manager for Birchcliff Energy, responsible for surface land access, community and stakeholder engagement, indigenous relations and managing a team of 5 surface professionals.

He graduated Olds College in 1986 with a Land Agent diploma and over the next dozen years worked as a consulting landman for several land brokers and a royalty trust company. In the late 90’s he moved “in-house” to the role of Senior Surface Landman for PanCanadian Petroleum, a major exploration and production company which later merged with Alberta Energy Corp. to become into EnCana Corporation. Here he managed a one of the surface land teams focused on Coal Bed Methane development in southern Alberta. In 2012 he moved to his present role at Birchcliff Energy Ltd. an intermediate oil and natural gas company based in Calgary with operations focused on the Montney/Doig resources play in north western Alberta.

With over 35 years in the land industry, he has been involved with a diverse variety of projects across all 4 western provinces including acquisition of linear right of ways for powerlines, natural gas and telecom, wellsites, gathering systems and gas processing facilities, freehold and crown mineral land projects, stakeholder and indigenous relations and crown surface land disposition acquisitions.

He has worked with the Southern Alberta Institute for Technology to help update and develop their Surface Land Management Course which he also taught for a number of years and has also developed and taught short courses for CAPL and CAPLA (now CALEP and LEMAC) over the past 15 years.

Additionally, he has volunteered on various industry committee which presently include the CALEP – Field Acquisition Management Committee and the Olds College, Surface Land Management Program - Industry Advisory Committee.

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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin

Andrew Fulford |Surface Land Manager, Birchcliff Energy: website | linkedin

Chad Hughes invites James Thurston, a longtime friend and experienced land agent, to the show to discuss insights on their generation and its alignment with the industry. James Thurston reflects on his journey, emphasizing the importance of networking and building relationships during his time in the land agent program. He shares how chance and curiosity led him to the field, working on the Alliance pipeline and later in various locations across Western Canada.

James explores the unique characteristics of his and Chad’s generation, shaped by a lack of parental presence during childhood, fostering resilience, self-sufficiency, and a nomadic mindset. He highlights the generation's ability to adapt to industry changes, particularly during the boom in coal bed methane, and how they navigated through subsequent challenges like the 2008 financial crisis and the fracking revolution. Despite the positive traits, James acknowledges the downsides, such as reluctance to ask for help and potential loneliness.

Chad and James touch on the evolution of the land agent role, from individual well projects to centralized pad locations and a shift to Crown land. James emphasizes the importance of adaptability and problem-solving in the ever-changing industry. Their conversation reveals the unique characteristics of their generation and its impact on their successful navigation through the dynamic landscape of land agency.

“... if I didn't know the answer, I really made a conscious effort to seek it out. And it was a lot harder back then. As you remember, we didn't have the internet like we do now. We didn't have access to information, but I did have a large network of friends from Olds. And, you know, I leaned on that. … we had to all kind of learn from each other, you know, there was a lot of talk. There was a lot of consensus. There was a lot of sitting at a table and working things out and bouncing ideas off each other and really being open to that idea that not every problem has a simple solution.” - James Thurston

About James Thurston:

For nearly 23 years, James has journeyed through Western Canada acquiring land and overseeing large-scale acquisitions.

His path started in Camrose, Alberta, where he joined a small but busy land broker. Over the course of five years, he dedicated himself to acquiring hundreds of upstream projects. It was a time of growth and development, both personally and professionally. But when the call of opportunity beckoned, James found himself in Calgary. There, he took on the role of an in-house landman at Penn West overseeing large-scale drilling programs in West Central Alberta. As the company underwent transitions, James recognized the need for a new path and that journey brought him to Shell in 2014. He’s been able to leverage his skills and knowledge and enjoy a successful career at Shell during an ever-changing time.

James is also a proud husband and father of four young children who keep him on his feet and have helped him grow as a person and as a project manager and landman.

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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin

James Thurston | Discipline Lead, Surface Land, Shell Canada: website | linkedin

Host Chad Hughes welcomes Blandon Granger, Supervisor of Real Estate Services for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), to the show. Blandon has been in the energy industry at SMUD for the past seventeen years and supervises asset management and complex acquisitions. He talks with Chad about the impacts of EV charging and urban development on his role.

Blandon explains that SMUD has a “very aggressive” zero carbon plan and by 2030 wants all their energy to be from clean sources. He talks about how SMUD approaches that goal by developing themselves as well as partnering with developers with similar goals. Renewable energy and green initiative projects come with their own challenges that Blandon describes for Chad.

Chad and Blandon discuss how the real estate development deals are made, how SMUD is a public agency with an elected board of directors, how the green energy shift comes with decarbonization and the impacts of urban and residential growth on how his department operates. EV charging especially has come with its own challenges and Blandon addresses this and more with Chad in this eye-opening interview.

“So, you know, a big concern, I think, anywhere is wiping out [agriculture] lands for these solar projects. Agriculture is a big customer for us. I mean, you know, we've got agricultural customers, it's a part of our heritage in the valley here. I don't think SMUD really wants to be going out there and just decimating significant farmlands and so forth. So the thought is you would bring in compatible type of AG uses. So what we've seen so far is mainly grazing. Sheep are great. They don't bother or destroy the facilities.” - Blandon Granger

About Blandon Granger:

At SMUD, Blandon Granger manages all real estate activities of the nation’s sixth-largest publicly owned electric utility. With an annual budget of $1.6 billion, SMUD is a leader in renewable technologies and developing energy projects. Blandon’s group provides services for acquisition, management and disposition of all land rights necessary to operate an electrical utility with generation, transmission, distribution, retail, and administrative facilities. Blandon has also served on the City of Roseville Public Utilities Commission since 2012 and is responsible to the city council for recommendations on policies concerning evaluation, operations, and compliance with state and federal rules and regulations relating to the city's utilities within the city limits. Blandon has achieved the International Right of Way Association's (IRWA) Senior Agent (SR/WA) designation and serves on IRWA's International Electric and Utilities Committee and is the past chair of the Asset Management Committee.

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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin

Blandon Granger | Supervisor of Real Estate Services at SMUD: website | linkedin

Host Chad Hughes welcomes Jennifer Tidmarsh, Vice President of Indigenous Relations & Partnerships with Ontario Power Generation, to the show. Jennifer talks about the development of small modular reactors in the nuclear space and the challenges surrounding presenting those solutions to the community.

Jennifer explains some of the public perceptions around nuclear power that have been shaped by events like Three Mile Island, Fukushima, and Chernobyl, and even pop culture references like the nuclear power plant in The Simpsons. Her work involves a lot of education around changing those perceptions and explaining the new initiatives in place for nuclear waste management.

Chad and Jennifer discuss the Indigenous community's concerns about the storage and handling of nuclear waste, specific facts about nuclear waste, the complex regulatory process for it, and the value of nuclear energy for the future. Jennifer sheds light on the environmental assessments that go into nuclear power generation and how the OPG works to alleviate negative perceptions of nuclear overall and educate the public on safeties in place.

“But really the perception has been we want more information about nuclear as a whole, not just those little snippets of, okay, here's the permit we need for this, for the reactor. It's where does nuclear fit into the Ontario grid, and why are you doing this? So we've spent a lot of time really talking about, you know, pathways to decarbonization, which was a report that was put out by the IESO. And you know what, the fact that we need generation and why do we need generation and what's the plan going forward. And so that's been, you know, us doing a lot of that groundwork. And we have had pushback. You know, I can't sugarcoat it all, right?” - Jennifer Tidmarsh

About Jennifer Tidmarsh:

With a strong background in the energy sector, Jennifer has worked with various organizations, associations, regulated and unregulated businesses, Indigenous communities, governments, and ministerial departments. Prior to becoming the Vice President of Indigenous Relations and Partnerships at Ontario Power Generation, Jennifer was the President of Transmission in Canada for NextEra Energy, the largest renewables developer in North America.

In addition to business development in Canada, Jennifer also led the development and construction of the East West Tie transmission project in Northwestern Ontario, which went into service in March 2022. The East West Tie project is proud to have an equity partner in six First Nations communities, as well as training and employing a large Indigenous workforce in the region.

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Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin

Jennifer Tidmarsh | Vice President, Indigenous Relations & Partnerships: website | linkedin | opg instagram