About Dayle Laing
Dayle transitioned from a passion for writing, speaking and practicing green interior design to being a founding volunteer board member of Brampton Environmental Alliance. She is also a founding member of BikeBrampton. Dayle shares her cycling passion to encourage others to use Active Transportation for health and the environment. She is a member of Brampton’s Active Transportation Advisory Committee.
Dayle is a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional). Dayle holds a B.A.Sc. in Consumer Studies (U of Guelph) and Diploma of Interior Design (Sheridan College).
Her scientific paper in collaboration with Walter F. Kean, MD, Clinical Professor in Medicine (Rheumatology), McMaster University, “The_Greening_of_Healthcare: Fabrics used in Health Care Facilities” was published in the Journal of Green Building, Fall 2011, and the scientific_poster and abstract were presented at an Inflammopharmacology Conference at Cambridge University in July, 2011.
She presented this research at at EcoCare_Health_Care_Conference in London, Ontario in October, 2010. Dayle was keynote speaker at Earth_Matters_Day at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in 2011.
A Sheridan College Instructor of Interior Design, Dayle lectured on Material Finishes, Textiles, Historic Textiles, and Business Practices for 19 years. Using humour, excitement and extensive knowledge, she shared her 35 years of experience in residential and contract design practice. From simple residential decorating consultations to complex commercial projects exceeding ½ million dollar budgets and requiring project management, Dayle displayed a broad ranging talent for the business and the creative side of design. She spoke at Construct Canada in 2012 and 2013 about Sustainable Interior Design Trends. Her seminars were accredited by IDCEC for continuing education for North American Interior Designers. Dayle spoke at Western University’s Staff and Leaders’ Conference on Conscious Consumer in February, 2012. She routinely presented and consulted to corporations on sustainability messages for their staff and customers.
Dayle researched and wrote an undergraduate thesis in partnership with fellow student David Laing (who became her husband). They studied “The Characteristics of Consumers who Recycle versus those who do not”. Recycling was in its infancy with volunteers who manned the collection of clear and green glass bottles, newspaper, and crushed food tins.
In her early career, Dayle gained valuable experience in the Pharmaceutical industry as a Marketing Research Analyst, a Professional Sales Representative and District Sales Manager. She built a well motivated team of 11 sales representatives and achieved ‘District of the Year’. She left the industry after 12 successful years to pursue her creative side in the interior design field. This background has been invaluable for understanding the organic chemical side of sustainable design and her work in health care sustainability.
About David Laing
David Laing, LEED AP, is an environmental advocate for various environmental initiatives including Active Transportation. He is president and founder of Brampton Environmental Alliance. He is chair and founder of BikeBrampton.
David has chosen this path because, for 35 years he worked in the corporate world, rising to Senior Vice President, eventually becoming a Management Consultant. Much of his career was spent helping organizations become more efficient and effective. He became very experienced at designing and implementing change management programs that dramatically affected the daily working lives of employees and altered the organizations’ relationships with their customers and suppliers.
Through this experience he learned that fundamental structural change is a difficult, yet virtually an inevitable part of business sustainability. When an organization faces one of these change points, it often represents a watershed moment. Those that step-up and make the transition are likely to continue prospering, those that don’t are unlikely to survive. There are many examples of companies that have been successful in making these transitions often despite strong internal opposition, aggressive competition, insufficient financing and/or questionable leadership.
David has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Consumer Business, and following corporate life, he studied for and received his LEED® Accredited Professional designation and became an environmental management consultant. He combines his passion and experience to write, speak, educate and motivate around the subject of sustainability.
David’s motivation is simple. Humanity is currently at a watershed moment in its relationship with the environment. The evidence is consistent and clear that collectively, we are living beyond the earth’s ability to sustain us. If we don’t choose how we alter the way in which we interact with it, the environment will force change upon us, in ways that could be very unpleasant. Those changes have already started. David remains optimistic and sees signs of positive change occurring in many places and at many levels. He is delighted to be part of the solution!
