Panelists

Jacqueline Hamilton BSc'89

J Hamilton profile picture Jacqueline Hamilton is the Executive Director, Planning and Development at the Halifax Regional Municipality where she leads a multi-disciplinary team to advance bold plans and programs aimed at accelerating housing and driving smart growth outcomes. Jacqueline is an accomplished urban planner with a career spanning thirty years in the municipal sector leading transformational community-building projects. She has served with Halifax Regional Municipality for 16 years, rejoining the municipality in 2023 following a dedicated career at the City of Saint John, New Brunswick where she served as the City’s Commissioner of Growth and Community Services and led several award-winning municipal plans and programs. As part of Halifax’s executive team, she is championing urban planning reforms that are shaping the region’s growth and driving efforts to improve the municipality’s development processes with industry partners. She holds a Master of Urban and Rural Planning from Dalhousie University, is a Licensed Professional Planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Eva Parada, MSc Eng, P.Eng.

Eva Parada posing for a photo, smiling, with a sky coloured background Eva Parada is the National Senior Director for Preconstruction at Crombie REIT, where she leads the Estimating, Design and Tenant Coordination teams, including specific roles during the entitlement processes, project planning, risk management, and schematic design. With a robust background in engineering and construction, Eva brings a wealth of expertise to her role, shaped by 23 years of experience across the United States and Canada.

Eva holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) from Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia, and a Master of Science (Civil) from Pennsylvania State University. She is also a LEED-v2 Accredited Professional with the US Green Building Council. Since moving to Halifax in 2011 to be closer to family, Eva has made an impact in the local construction industry, contributing to key projects such as the Discovery Centre, Dalhousie IDEA and Design Building, Halifax Stanfield International Airport Expansion, the Halifax Boardwalk improvements and the Peggy's Cove Infrastructure Improvement project. Other notable projects across North America include the National Constitution Center Museum in Philadelphia, the Bread for the City Resource Center in Washington, DC, and the Children’s Hospital Translational Research facility in Philadelphia.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Eva is a dedicated advocate for empowerment and community engagement. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Philadelphia Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and has been actively involved in Nova Scotia through roles with Women Unlimited, the ISANs Mentoring Program, and Engineers NS Women in Engineering Committee. Currently, Eva is the Housing Chair for YWCA Halifax an organization which supports and provides a strong voice for women, girls, Two Spirit and gender diverse people and their families and create opportunities for them to thrive. In recognition of her contributions, Eva received the S.L. Devereaux Award for the Advancement of Women in Engineering in 2019 and a former member of the Council for Engineers Nova Scotia 2021-2023.

Eva Parada, MSc Eng, P.Eng.

Siba Saoud

Siba Saoud Profile Picture If you’ve ever met Siba Saoud, you know she brings warmth, grit, and realness to everything she does — especially real estate. A top agent with RE/MAX Nova, Siba ranked #1 out of over 280 agents in Halifax, #3 in Atlantic Canada, and #73 across all of RE/MAX Canada. But numbers alone don’t tell her story.

Siba is a proud mom of three boys, wife to a dedicated physician, and a former civil engineer who turned her life upside down to build a better one for her family in Canada. She brings that same courage and determination into every client relationship.

She doesn’t just sell homes — she advocates, educates, and connects. Whether it’s a first-time homebuyer, a growing family, or a custom new build, Siba treats every deal like it’s her own. She knows the market, knows what matters, and knows how to get things done — all while staying grounded in kindness, community, and a good laugh when needed.

Real estate is her passion, but people are her purpose.

Nabila Sufyani BComm'10, PMP

Nabila is a Banglo-Canadian SMU Alumni with a BComm in Accounting. With almost 2 decades of experience in the Canadian workforce in multiple sectors, out of which, in the past 5 years Nabila has been a Project Manager at Shoreham Development Limited.

In January 2021, the Nova Scotia Government announced a multi-year plan to make a significant investment in new long-term care beds and facilities. Under this plan, the Nova Scotia Government committed to the redevelopment of 27 existing LTC facilities and the commitment to provide new LTC beds by 2027.

Shoreham was hired by GEM an LTC Service Provider to provide the full spectrum of project management services through planning, procurement, design, and construction; for four (4) new facilities. As the Project Manager, Nabila, is an active member with the Project Teams, Service Providers, and the Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care; while adhering to the LTC Facility Development Approval Process. Three projects are currently in the construction phase, while one is in design phase.

Projects include the following:

GEM Health Care Group Ltd., Halifax, NS
June 2022 – Present;
Project Values

Gables Lodge ($72M est.)
Melville Lodge ($95M est.)
Cole Harbour ($98M est.)
Westwood ($70M est.)