Contacts

Assistant Director, Economic Development

Associate Professor and Director, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development

Dr. Jeffrey Wilson works at the interface of economic and environmental research and policy. Dr. Wilson’s research specializes in low-carbon pathways, corporate social responsibility, sustainability strategy, natural capital accounting, and ecosystem goods and services valuation. Dr. Wilson is committed to advancing sustainability innovation, corporate sustainability, and the net zero transition. He is an assistant director of the University of Waterloo Economic Development Program, a member of the University of Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, a member of the University of Waterloo Climate Institute, and an Affiliate of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing. Before joining the University of Waterloo in 2019, Dr. Wilson ran a boutique consulting firm for over 18 years working with industry and all levels of government specializing in sustainability measurement and strategy to advance low-carbon pathways. 

Paul Knafelc is an Assistant Director with the Economic Development Program and is an economic researcher as well as founder and President of Community Benchmarks Inc. He has established a reputation for innovative data products and for rigorous research approaches which have been used by private and public sector organizations to direct strategic initiatives and make evidence-based decisions. A distinct advantage of Paul’s practice is his deep knowledge of, and expertise with, Statistics Canada data sources, methodologies and custom data tabulation procedures. Paul also teaches a graduate course, ERS 619 Regional Economic Analysis, with the Economic Development program at the University of Waterloo.

Amy Arbuckle brings nearly a decade of economic development experience. Her expertise spans both the theoretical and practical aspects of economic development, drawing on her experience in education, research, municipal government, and consulting. Amy currently works as an Economic Development Consultant, Education Strategist, Business Coach, Sessional Lecturer in the Master of Economic Development and Innovation (MEDI) program at the University of Waterloo, and volunteers as a small business mentor with the Small Business Centre.

Amy holds a Master’s in Economic Development and Innovation from the University of Waterloo and has her Ec.D. designation. She is a small business owner who combines entrepreneurial drive with a passion for sustainability and community building.

Heather Hall is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Master of Economic Development and Innovation (MEDI) program in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development at the University of Waterloo. She received a PhD. in Geography from Queen’s University, an M.A. in Planning from the University of Waterloo, and a B.A. in Geography from Laurentian University.

Heather grew up in Northern Ontario and has a professional and personal interest in researching issues that are important to rural and Northern communities, including: innovation and economic development policy, planning and practice; the impacts of new technologies on the future of work; and the community impacts of mobile work and large-scale industrial projects. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally, and has informed government policy in Canada, Northern Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Sweden and Spain.

Heather is currently leading a project called Remote Controlled, exploring the impacts of new technologies in the mining sector and she is a co-lead with the Marine Biomass Innovation Project. Heather is also a member of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation and a former member of the Board.  She is the co-author of Planning Canadian Regions, 2nd Edition and a co-editor of the forthcoming book Extraction: The Community Impacts of Mobile Work in Canada's Natural Resources Sector.