Current Staff
Kirsteen Laing
Administrative Manager
Kirsteen graduated from UBC with a BSF in 1979. She worked for MacMillan Bloedel on Vancouver Island and obtained her RPF before heading overseas to work for two years in Moçambique with CUSO. After a year of travelling she returned to BC and worked in Prince Rupert with TM Thompson. The following year, 1986, she and her partner established Laing & McCulloch Forest Management Services and based their operations out of Smithers. She was involved… Read more about Kirsteen Laing
Rick Budhwa
Research Program Manager
Rick Budhwa is the principal of Crossroads Cultural Resource Management located in Smithers, BC. He is currently working with several government agencies, First Nations and industry to help bridge differences in perspectives and establish cultural resource management (CRM) and indigenous land management initiatives. Over the past 7 years, Rick has been successful in creating and implementing alternative CRM methodologies for multiple stakeholders in British Columbia. These initiatives have resulted in… Read more about Rick Budhwa
Amanda Follett
Communications Coordinator
Amanda was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario and graduated from Carleton University’s Bachelor of Journalism program in 1997. After graduation, she moved out west to Canmore, Alberta, where she worked as a reporter and then assistant editor at weekly newspaper The Canmore Leader while exploring the Canadian Rockies. Always in search of adventure and new experiences, Amanda visited Smithers in spring 2006 and decided to stay. She began working at the Bulkley Valley Research… Read more about Amanda Follett