The Facilities and Sustainability department oversees the safe, healthy, and efficient day-to-day operations at all George Brown College (GBC) buildings, including those at Casa Loma, St. James, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), and Waterfront campuses.
The department is responsible for campus planning, including the Campus Master Plan process, and oversees the college’s sustainability strategy, including efforts to update utility infrastructure and building efficiency to support the GBC’s goals.
What we do
Campus planning
The Facilities and Sustainability department leads planning efforts for the short- and long-term development of the college's buildings, infrastructure and environments guided by George Brown's Vision 2030, Strategy 2026 priorities.
Facilities management
Caretakers and cleaners, campus managers, maintenance, safety, shipping and receiving employees and many others play an integral role in making GBC a great place to learn and work every day.
Sustainability
Environmental sustainability is among the college's strategic priorities, and the Facilities and Sustainability division plays an essential role in realizing long-term goals that focus on increased energy efficiency and reduced emissions.
Department Leadership
Michelle McCollum, VP, Facilities & Sustainability
Michelle McCollum oversees operations of George Brown College's Facilities Management department and leads the development and deployment of the sustainability strategy, campus planning, and the evolution of the college's physical footprint.
Department leads
Campus Planning
Daniel Woolfson, Director
Daniel's bio
As Director of Campus Planning and Development, Daniel Woolfson leads forward planning of George Brown College campuses as we progress the development of the Master Campus Plan and consider ambitious plans for the future of our built environment. His portfolio includes the space management team.
Dan joined George Brown College in 2023, following his role with CreateTO as Manager of Development. Dan's exceptional experience extends over a decade with proven expertise in a broad range of innovative planning and development projects across Toronto. Prior to his work with CreateTO, Dan held various progressive roles in the planning departments at the City of Toronto and the City of Vaughan.
Dan holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Environmental Studies from York University.
Facilities Services
Sue Maynard, Director
Sue's bio
Sue Maynard leads a team that provides a comprehensive range of services, including building maintenance, housekeeping services, elevator maintenance, landscaping and groundskeeping, fire safety, shipping and receiving, waste management, recycling, personal protective equipment, utilities and disposal of hazardous materials at all George Brown College campuses.
Sue brings over 30 years of experience in facilities operations management, including oversight of capital projects and experience in campus planning and development. She joined George Brown College in 2022, following her role as senior manager of real estate at BGIS. Previously, she worked as director of office services at Loblaw, director of building operations at the Toronto Sun, and facilities operation manager at the Financial Post.
She holds a diploma in Business Management from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Building Systems certificate from Seneca College.
Limberlost Place
Nerys Rau, Project Director
Nerys' bio
Nerys Rau is uniquely qualified to lead integrated facilities planning, having moved through various roles in the education sector, and thus able to bring multiple perspectives to a project. Nerys joined George Brown College (GBC) in Finance and Operations and, over the next few years, managed numerous projects and partnership initiatives, and subsequently moved over to manage the development of the college’s state-of-the-art LEED Gold Waterfront Campus. This scope included planning and implementation, but also stakeholder engagement in the Interprofessional Education theme of the building. While in this role, Nerys also project managed the construction of GBC’s first residence in Toronto’s Canary District created by the Pan Am Games.
Subsequent roles at the college included Director of Strategic Planning and Governance and Director of ITS operations, before moving back to lead the development of Limberlost Place and expand the role to manage all Design and Construction.
Nerys has also taught as a part-time instructor in the School of Business, teaching Introduction to Project Management and is often asked to guest lecture on the topic for a variety of organizations.
Nerys has a BSc. from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University. ’
Sustainability
Mary Livera Ranaweera, Director
Mary's bio
Mary brings significant experience from her various progressive roles over a 10-year career with Bell Media, most recently as Senior Specialist Environment, Health and Safety. In her role at GBC, Mary will build an institutional sustainability team and create a new plan for sustainability including goal setting, standards development and targets. Mary will lead a collaborative process to build a foundation and framework for enhancing institutional initiatives for our community and support the development of sustainable infrastructure.
Mary holds a Master of Business Administration in Sustainable Commerce from the University of Guelph, a Post-graduate Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety from Toronto Metropolitan University, a Post Graduate Certificate in Environmental Control from Sheridan College and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto. Mary is an ECO Canada certified Environmental Professional and has a passion for life-long learning.
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