Kathleen Maynard

1961 – 2024

It is with great sadness that we advise that Kathleen Maynard, Senior Director, Building Innovation, passed away from cancer on January 11, 2024. This came as a shock to us all as she only became aware of the cancer less than two months prior. Kathleen was a wonderful colleague, a trailblazing and central contributor to the sector and an all-around amazing person. We will all miss her tremendously.

A Celebration of Life is being held on Thursday, February 29 from 2-4pm at the Britannia Yacht Club (2777 Cassels St., Ottawa). The family is asking people to wear something bright, shiny or sparkly as that would make Kathleen happy!

For those who cannot attend but are wishing to contribute to charity in memory of Kathleen, we have set up a donation page in Kathleen’s honour on behalf of Kathleen’s husband, Marc. The donations go to the Canadian Cancer Society. You can donate here.

Kathleen’s CHBA colleagues Keith Herring (Director, Modular & Construction Systems, keith.herring@chba.ca) and Frank Lohmann (Director, Building Science, frank.lohmann@chba.ca) will be continuing the important work she was so passionate about.

About Kathleen at CHBA

In her capacity as CHBA’s Senior Director, Building Innovation, Kathleen headed up CHBA’s Modular Construction Council and Technical Research Committee. The sheer volume of building codes-related information she read through and actioned was staggering, and she was a wonder to her colleagues. Kathleen represented CHBA on the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes as well as CSA’s Strategic Steering Committee on Construction and Civil Infrastructure. She also chaired the CSA Technical Committee on Prefabricated Buildings, Modules and Panels and was a very active participant on the Joint Task Group on Impact Analysis under the new Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes – a core concern for CHBA members. Kathleen’s talents were many, and it may come as a surprise to some that she also was heavily engaged in the production of CHBA’s National Conference and its sponsor relations for many years—Kathleen loved the conference. Her creativity and attention to detail helped create a wonderful experience for members time and again.

Kathleen began her career working with the building industry in 1987 as National Director of Communications for Energy Pathways, an Ottawa-based environmental consulting company, until 1997, when she joined Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation as Marketing Officer for CMHC's Research Division initiatives and collaborations, such as Healthy Housing, FlexHousing, Affordability and Choice Today (ACT), Regulatory Reform, and NRCan's R-2000 Program. As the CEO of the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute from 2000 to 2016, she managed all facets of the institute’s operation and represented the factory-built housing industry. She then transitioned CMHI to become the CHBA Modular Construction Council in 2017, and officially joined the CHBA staff after having shared office space for many years.

Words cannot express how much everyone in the CHBA family, from staff to members to colleagues in other organizations, will miss Kathleen in so many ways.