The Aquality Team
Jay White, M.Sc., P.Biol, QAES, Authenticating Professional
Principal and Senior Biologist
The principal researcher at Aquality is Jay White, a certified Alberta Professional Biologist who earned his M.Sc. degree from the University of Alberta. He worked with Ducks Unlimited Canada on Frank Lake, the largest wetland restoration project in Canada.
Jay worked as a research associate at the University of Alberta for three years as the Land-Aquatic Program Administrator for the Sustainable Forest Management Network. Working with research partners from Forestry, Government and Health, he was responsible for creating and implementing long-term water quality monitoring studies on lakes and streams with multiple stakeholders on the effects of large-scale landscape perturbations from fire and forest harvesting.
Jay currently sits on the Alberta Water Council representing the Lake Environmental Conservation Sector. Jay has been involved with the Provincial Water Strategy (Water for Life) since its creation. Jay is involved with several non-profit groups such as the Alberta Lake Management Society, Inside Education, Ducks Unlimited Canada and Trout Unlimited Canada.
Josh Haag, B.Sc., P.Biol, QAES, Authenticating Professional
Senior Biologist and Project Manager/GIS Analyst
Josh Haag has a B.Sc. in Ecology from the University of Toronto, and has performed graduate work at the University of Michigan. His specialization is in plant community ecology, especially in understanding how nutrient cycling and small-scale variability affect the structure and diversity of wetland communities. His primary areas of experience are in the grassland/aspen parkland ecoregions in Alberta and in Great Lakes coastal wetland communities, but also has extensive experience with fish habitat and population dynamics, epiphytic and benthic phyto- and zooplankton, and aquatic macrophyte communities. He also has extensive experience with statistics, spatial analyses and GIS, and modeling ecosystem processes. In addition to his primary role as a biologist and project manager, he also provides IT support for the company.
Corey Stefura, B.Sc., P. Biol., QAES
Senior Biologist
Corey Stefura is Senior Aquatic Biologist with over 20 years of experience in the consulting industry, with a focus on fisheries and the aquatic environment.
Corey is a Professional Biologist within the Province of Alberta and meets the requirements of a Qualified Aquatic Environment Specialist (QAES). He has experience in fisheries and aquatic environment assessment methods, and experience determining mitigation measures required to maintain aquatic habitats. He has been involved in numerous projects in Western Canada, the Northwest Territories, and North-western United States. Corey has worked extensively with the Alberta Water Act, (including associated Codes of Practice and regulations), the Public Lands Act, the National Energy Board Act (Section 52 and 58 applications), Navigation Protection Act, the Species at Risk Act, and the Fisheries Act. He also has experience with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 and the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and British Columbia Water Act.
Corey has experience with projects involving environmental assessments for oil and gas, mining, and transportation developments (baseline data collection and reporting during the planning and routing stages, environmental permitting, construction monitoring, discharge measurements, post-construction reclamation assessments, and support during integrity digs). He also has conducted projects monitoring compliance, obtaining regulatory approvals, and responding to environmental protection orders (shoreline development, culvert crossings, watercourse modifications, etc.), reviewed detailed design drawings, work plans, and Environmental Management System (EMS) Documentation. Corey has also prepared and reviewed Environmental Construction and Operations (ECO) Plans to ensure conformity with the environmental aspects of the project and coordinated and conducted field audits to identify environmental issues and mitigation practices (e.g., erosion and sediment control).
Tina McLean, B.Sc., AIT, QAES
Agrologist
Tina McLean started her career path as a Registered Nurse, completing a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Calgary in 2002. In 2014, she returned to school to pursue a Bachelor of Environmental Science at Mount Royal University.
In 2021, Tina joined the Aquality team as a Junior Aquatic Biologist, conducting environmental and construction monitoring, water quality measurements, fish salvage through trapping and electrofishing, fish habitat assessments, and wetland assessments. Tina is involved in compiling reports and producing educational materials related to watershed health and Aquality’s wetland courses.
Prior to this, her work experience includes working with Ducks Unlimited Canada in the Habitat Asset Management Team conducting water control structure inspections, identifying invasive weeds, and managing properties. She has collected water quality and quantity data for research projects on watershed health, flood mitigation, and pesticide monitoring. Tina has also worked for the Alberta Lake Management Society as a Recreational Water Technician, which supports Alberta Health Services and other entities, with the collection of beach water samples for Enterococcus and Cyanobacteria, eDNA, and monitoring aquatic invasive species.
Victoria Adams-Parsons, B.Sc. BIT
Biologist
Victoria Adams-Parsons started her career path by completing a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology from Thompson Rivers University and a Diploma of Environmental Sciences in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation from Lakeland College. Victoria joined Lac Ste. Anne County in 2022 as a Weed Inspector where she conducted weed, clubroot, and grasshopper inspections throughout the county and compiled reports.
After completing her diploma in 2023 Victoria joined Aquality as a Junior Biologist conducting fish salvages, water quality measurements, wetland assessments, and wildlife sweeps. The Aquality team is teaching her all the skills and knowledge needed to become a professional biologist and has inspired her to specialize in wetland wildlife.