Orchard is a small company with a lean structure. Our three principals, two based in Saint John, Canada and one in Cork, Ireland, are the primary points of contact for all clients and projects. We work with a network of professionals to deliver the most effective and cost-effective solutions possible.
To get in touch:
- Call 506-643-8490
- Email info@orchardgroup.ca
Principals
Sara Stashick is the Chief Sustainability Architect at Orchard. Sara’s specialties include project management, research and policy analysis, and public and technical communications.
Sara has a post-baccalaureate in Sustainable Community Development from the Centre for Sustainable Development, Simon Fraser University. Sara began her career in the private sector in business-to-business sales before branching out into solution- and service-based ventures. Her experience includes five years supporting the Canadian nuclear power sector and over ten years working in the non-profit sector in various capacities. This diverse background of experiences and resulting collage of skill sets makes her a particularly effective project manager, and her self-described “inner nerd” makes her a voracious researcher and analyst of public policy.
Sara has a clear understanding of how to achieve measurable outcomes with limited resources. Her work has informed community poverty reduction strategies and influenced municipal and provincial government policy. She is also known for creating connections between government, non-profit and business sectors, to achieve strong multi-sectoral partnerships that result in long-term, sustainable results. Sara’s most recent focus has been transformational implementations of organizational management and quality systems for small modular reactor (SMR) firms.
Dave Drinnan is the Process and Systems Guy at Orchard. Dave is a generalist with degrees in Physics and Psychology and 30 years experience in systems design, knowledge management, business process re-engineering (BPR/BPM) , and technical, policy and communications disciplines. Dave has served sectors as diverse as telecommunications, nuclear power generation, security and emergency planning. He also has specific experience with community engagement and municipal policy-making.
Dave’s passions include sustainable economic development, public policy, and urban mechanics. Dave creates solutions that provide lasting value to Orchard clients and their communities.
Bill Gill is Orchard’s Information Technology Specialist. In addition to many years providing IT administration and support services to a range of firms large and small, Bill has extensive experience in business process improvement, documentation development, and training. Bill’s accomplishments include Microsoft and SharePoint-based document and records control platforms, cybersecurity implementations, and client-focused solutions.
Team approach
Orchard operates as a collective. In addition to our principals, Orchard brings together a network of skilled and specialized professionals, including experts in:
- community engagement
- corporate and public communications
- corporate program design
- HR and employee engagement
- sustainable community development
- social enterprise development
- social policy and governance
- financial and economic analysis
- affordable housing programs and planning
- workplace inclusion, training and adult education
- urban and active transportation
- placemaking
- environmental design, assessment and restoration
- organizational performance.
This approach allows us to minimize overhead costs, passing the savings on to clients and ensuring maximum ‘bang for the buck’. It also means we can select a team that reflects the needs of the work at hand.