A Unique Approach: Meet the Diverse Team Behind Local Municipal Planning
- Admin
- Jun 27
- 5 min read
The Mackenzie Municipal Services Agency | Village of Berwyn
Ever look around and wonder why your community looks and functions the way it does? If you’re in one of the 12 municipalities they serve, it could have a lot to do with the Mackenzie Municipal Services Agency (MMSA).
Funded by its member municipalities, the MMSA provides a full range of professional land use and municipal planning services. Their staff balance competing interests to achieve ecological, social and economic sustainability—whether it is in our rural or urban landscapes.
Why is MMSA important?
The MMSA provides specialized services and resources. Their team of experienced professionals work collaboratively to benefit the wider region.
“We provide innovative community planning expertise and a full range of land-use planning services,” said MMSA Executive Director Brian Allen. “This is important because most of our members would not be able to financially support hiring planner positions in their organizations. Once they are a member, they have daily access to our professional planning staff.”
The MMSA Team
MMSA currently has a staff of seven—an executive director, a manager of planning, two planners, two GIS techs and an office manager.
“Our office manager Kristy Rees and I are from the Peace Country, and the rest of our staff are from outside of Canada,” said Allen.
Allen says MMSA’s small, diverse team provides many opportunities for collaboration and a team-based approach to projects.
“Each of our staff members has their own unique experiences, and I love the perspectives they bring,” said Allen. “They certainly look at their planning roles through a different lens than those of us who grew up here.”
Let’s meet a few of the team members at MMSA.
Inwon Nteogwuija, BA
Municipal Planner
Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in Nigeria. I moved to Canada in 2015 for my undergraduate degree. I studied geography and environment studies at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. In August 2024, I moved to Berwyn after accepting a job offer from MMSA.
My studies included a co-operative education option that enabled me to have work experience in my field of studies before graduation. My co-op experience included community planning, mapping, research and data analysis and community food system.
What are you passionate about as it relates to your role at MMSA?
Community growth, development and revitalization.
What do you enjoy about living and working in Northern Alberta?
I look forward to exploring Northern Alberta beyond maps, magazines and reports—especially locations where I can view the northern lights clearly. I also love visiting cozy bakeries and coffee shops where I can sit and read.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Well, in five years, I hope to be a registered planner and to advance in my career. Also, I hope to still be in the Peace Region.
Hector Perez Izquierdo, MSc
GIS Technologist
Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in Casas del Monte, a small town in Western Spain, where I grew up and pretty much lived until I moved to Canada in September 2013.
I have a BSc in forestry engineering and a masters degree in geographic information systems (GIS).
What are you passionate about as it relates to your role at MMSA?
I like to gather different types of data and manipulate it in different ways to produce a variety of map products that help others make decisions. It makes me feel professionally useful.
What do you enjoy about living and working in Northern Alberta?
I grew up in a small community in Spain’s countryside, similar to the area where I currently live. I very much enjoy the tranquility and stress-free nature of these areas. I commute from Peace River to Berwyn everyday with barely any traffic, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything right now.
Winters here are tough, but I don’t think they’re much better in many places in Canada, and the rest of the year is lovely. I like to go hiking and kayaking with my family, and in the winter, I recently started curling with friends, which I am loving.
Karien Beyer, MSc
Municipal Planner
Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in South Africa on a farm just outside a small town called Groblersdal. My dad was mostly a chicken farmer, but we did have the odd corn crop and a few sheep, ostriches, pigs, ducks and even bunnies.
I studied at the University of Pretoria to become a town and regional planner.
After university, I worked as a town planner for several years in a private firm and went on to join a large international firm, where I assisted them with land use management, acquisitions and the permitting of telecommunication infrastructure.
Before joining MMSA in Canada, I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mommy for a little while with my two little girls.
What are you passionate about as it relates to your role at MMSA?
I would have to say spatial planning. The first thing I tend to notice when visiting new places is the placement of certain businesses, houses and open spaces.
People might not always realize how important the placement of things is for the function and livability of a town. Just one small thing can have a larger impact on the growth or function of that town, be it good or bad.
It still amazes me to see things take shape, especially if you have worked on it, and helped make all the plans and policies.
What do you enjoy about living and working in Northern Alberta?
We came to Canada in September last year. From what we’ve experienced so far, we love it here, even the cold and the snow!
We made it out to the Pioneer Museum at Lac Cardinal for the old-fashioned Christmas as well as the pond hockey tournament. This was a first for us and the kids loved it.
We’re enjoying the safe environment. It’s a far more kid-friendly environment than what we are used to. This is one of the biggest reasons why we wanted to settle down and raise our kids in Northern Alberta.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Hopefully still here! I can truthfully see myself working at MMSA long term and raising my family here. This is one of the friendliest work environments I have been in where it is possible to have a work-life balance.
This is a great place, and we are honoured to have been welcomed into this community. We need to give a big thank you to MMSA for waiting so long for us and helping us get here.
Photography by Dani Wearden
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