Meet Your Consulting Team

Mike Nield

My fascination with creating aesthetically pleasing compositions and structures began at an early age. Born and raised on a farm in the Okanagan valley, I spent my childhood building tree forts and creating sculptural objects. At age 12 my first painting was installed on the ceiling of the X-ray room in the Summerland Hospital. Always drawing in my sketch book, I was sitting in the waiting room when a hospital administrator saw my sketch of ‘Donald Duck’ surfing; and asked if I could paint it larger on a ceiling tile for the X-ray room. This was the beginning to many artistic explorations that would eventually shift into building design.

My creative nature pushed me to explore diverse facets of thought processes to enable me to approach projects with diverse modes of thinking. After high school I pursued several disciplines, receiving a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and a Masters in Architecture from the University of British Columbia.

I have always been interested in the forces of natural and man-made elements. Inspiring to bring design and sculpture together; my sculptural and design work is an exploration into the phenomenon of forces, energy, and motion.

I like the viewer to experience the properties of natural elements as an exploration of its physical properties. My goal is to eventually fully merge kinetic sculpture with building design so that people can experience homes that are living works of art.

Jeff Gagnon

My interest in construction and building design continued to flourish when the house I was living in at the time came under construction. I was able to view first-hand, the process of excavation, concrete pouring and framing of the new house addition. I was able to help out and with odd jobs around the job site and impressed the contractor with my ability to read and understand blueprints with no prior experience.

From that juncture I knew I wanted to work in the industry. Graduating from Okanagan College with an AutoCAD technician certificate, I was fortunate to get hired by a family design firm in Summerland called Okanagan Development Consultants. Over the years I have dedicated myself to the study of construction, building design, the BC Building Code, and local bylaws. I also learned how to communicate with clients by listening to their needs and wishes. This is an incredibly important skill that is often overlooked as part of an enjoyable and successful design process. Over a decade of hands-on experience has helped me develop an ability for creative problem solving. Allowing me to guide clients down the path to the home of their dreams. I am grateful and proud to carry on the next phase of my career as a partner and co-owner of this family firm.

When not in the office I spend my time enjoying all the Okanagan has to offer with my wife Aimee and our two beautiful daughters.

-seven years on Naramata parks & recreation committee
-brief stay with Naramata APC committee

William (Bill) Coates

Duties: Coordination and management of property development projects, including subdivisions, rezoning and variance applications. Assist with various types of Land and Property Development projects, liaison with Municipalities, Regional District and other government agencies, including Agricultural Land Commission applications on client’s behalf.

Previous Career: Province of B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways – 30+ years as draftsman, surveyor, District Maintenance Management Coordinator, District Technician and Area Manager, Roads.

Bill began working with ODC after retiring from the Provincial Government in 2005. Bill’s many years of experience with the Ministry of Transportation and Highways is definitely an asset when dealing with development projects for ODC.

Aimee Gagnon

I was a member of the ODC family, through my husband Jeff, for almost 15 years but it wasn’t until 2019 that I started taking an interest in drafting and design as a career. I had thought one drafter in the family was plenty but finding myself immersed in it for that long it was bound to rub off on me and it wasn’t long before I found myself becoming more and more interested in the process of taking a house from a concept to a structure. I started helping Jeff with little projects here and there and before long I was designing Spec houses in my free time for fun. My flawless sense of timing led me to complete my Autodesk Revit Certification at Okanagan College in March of 2020 and I moved into an official role as a junior drafter just in time for the global crisis to shut our office down temporarily. The next blow came with the sudden loss of our employer, friend and mentor George the following month. We didn’t know what the future was going to hold for our little company without George at the helm but in the end Mike and Jeff were able to save the business and I took on the day-to-day business management alongside my role as a junior drafter. I wear a lot of hats in my professional life: Drafter, Bookkeeper, Marketer, Maintenance Crew and Waterer Of The Office Plants. I also moonlight as a wife and as a mother to teenagers. I am currently pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Drafting and Design Technology for work and Piano lessons for fun. I may take up recreational juggling, if I ever find the time.