Ron holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from University of Toronto and a Master of Science (Plant Science) from the University of Alberta. He has served as President of the Alberta Association of Landscape Architects and of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects and was Chair of the Accreditation Council of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects for over ten years. He is Chair of the Discipline Committee of the Alberta Association of Landscape Architects and serves on the association’s Registration Committee. He served on the board of the Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation and the editorial board of the magazine Landscapes/Paysages. He has also been involved with the Canadian Land Reclamation Association, Canadian Water Resources Association, and the International Association for Public Participation.
He worked in several departments of the Government of Alberta leading multi-disciplinary teams conducting environmental impact assessment, public consultation, and mitigation for large scale water management and transportation projects. He retired from the position of Director of Environmental Management Services with Alberta Transportation in 2010 and started Mei • Environmental Consulting and continued to provide leadership and advice for large scale projects.
He was a Sessional Lecturer in Landscape Planning and Design at the University of Alberta for ten years and has also taught numerous courses for the University of Alberta Devonian Botanic Garden. He was a guest professor at Xihua University in Chengdu, China, advising on the formation of a new Landscape Architecture Program. He was on the Advisory Board for the Landscape Technology program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and has led accreditation teams for that program.
He has published articles in several journals and magazines, including the Journal of the Canadian Water Resources Association and the Journal of the International Association for Land Reclamation, River Research and Applications, and Landscapes/Paysages. He has presented papers at numerous conferences and workshops.
He has received the Premier’s Award of Excellence on three occasions. Other awards include: the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects President’s Award of Excellence, The Alberta Association of Landscape Architects Wild Rose Award, and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Schwabenbauer Award.