Karla Avis Birch is the Chief Planning Officer, Planning and Development at Metrolinx. Karla has been with Metrolinx for over 17 Years. She is a Civil Engineer who participated in TCBN Buildings Show Panel: A Collaborative Approach to Building Diversity in Construction.

Karla delivered the Keynote address at the TCBN summer retreat at Niagara on the Lake in 2021. Karla Graduated with a Civil Engineering degree from the University, formerly known as Ryerson. While at University, Karla became a founding member of the first Toronto chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. She credtis her engineering success in construction to never being afraid to get her hands dirty.