Designated Professional Appraisers (AIC)

David A. Fortier, AACI, P.App, B.Comm (Dist.) — Owner, President & Principal Senior Appraiser

David A. Fortier was raised on a grain, beef, and bison operation outside of Edam, SK, and attended Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alberta. David is a licensed professional appraiser holding the AACI, P.App (Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute) designation through the Appraisal Institute of Canada. He began working with Mattila Appraisals Ltd. in May 2008—mentoring for five years alongside founder Howard Mattila, AACI, P.App, P.Ag—up to 2013 when he purchased the company.

David has 18 years of experience in the appraisal industry and personally inspects, analyzes, and signs agricultural, commercial, multi-family, and building replacement cost assignments across Northwest and West Central Saskatchewan for the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Department of Highways, First Nations, and rural municipalities. Operating strictly as an independent, unbiased fee appraiser with no real estate brokerage conflict of interest—and backed by the firm’s proprietary Saskatchewan sales database dating back to 1971—his current and retrospective reports are regularly relied upon for pre- and post-loss insurance valuations, financing across all major banks, credit unions, Farm Credit Canada (FCC), and Indigenous financial institutions, as well as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), accountants, and legal counsel for tax compliance, capital gains, intergenerational farm rollovers, corporate farm reorganizations, estate probate/settlements, matrimonial property division, expropriation/right-of-way claims, and litigation support.

David holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (with Distinction) from Athabasca University, a Certificate in Real Property Assessment from the University of British Columbia, and Honors diplomas in Appraisal and Assessment and Advanced Business Administration from Lakeland College. Qualified as an expert witness by the Court of King’s Bench, he has successfully testified in open court on multiple occasions. David is a recognized authority in the province, with articles published in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, SaskToday, and Canadian Property Valuation magazine. He has also served as a guest speaker for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and Lakeland College. David owns and manages the company, working at the head office in Battleford, SK.

View David Fortier’s Full Curriculum Vitae (CV) →

Alex Scheidt, CRA, P.App, B.Comm — Senior Appraiser & Kindersley Regional Office Manager

Alex Scheidt grew up in the Luseland–Kindersley, SK area where her family operated a grain farm, and she manages our Kindersley Regional Office. Alex draws on a strong background in agriculture, business, economics, and real estate through her university training. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Athabasca University, an Appraisal and Assessment Diploma from Lakeland College, and a Certificate in Real Property Assessment from the University of British Columbia (UBC), and has completed advanced UBC valuation coursework including BUSI 401 (Commercial Property Analysis), BUSI 331 (Real Estate Investment Analysis and Advanced Income Appraisal), and BUSI 442/452 (Case Studies in Appraisal I & II). A member of the Appraisal Institute of Canada since 2012, Alex joined Mattila Appraisals Ltd. in May 2012—mentoring under Howard Mattila, AACI, P.App, P.Ag, and David Fortier, AACI, P.App—before earning her CRA, P.App designation in 2015. Alex specializes in residential, acreage, and rural residential valuations across West Central Saskatchewan, and regularly works with David Fortier completing commercial and agricultural assignments in the greater Kindersley, SK area.

View Alex Scheidt’s Full Curriculum Vitae (CV) →

Valuation Research, Operations & Administration

Richard Murray, Dipl. Agric. — Research Manager

Richard Murray grew up on a grain and cattle farm near Denholm, SK, and attended school in the Battlefords. He attended the University of Saskatchewan and was awarded a School of Agriculture Diploma in 1990, after which he actively grain farmed and raised cattle in the Denholm area for several years. Richard has worked in the appraisal field for over 20 years researching agricultural, commercial, and residential properties across Saskatchewan. Working alongside our appraisers in the valuation division, he is instrumental in the ongoing development, verification, and maintenance of Fortier Mattila Appraisals’ proprietary agricultural, commercial, and residential sales and land-title databases.

Shawn DeSouza — Business Oversight and Development Lead

Shawn DeSouza works alongside the firm’s appraisers and Research Manager in the valuation division, bringing over 25 years of combined experience in agricultural market advisory, farm and small-business tax consulting, quality assurance, and team leadership. Prior to joining Fortier Mattila Appraisals Inc., Shawn spent nearly five years with Cargill (Advisory MarketSense) working directly with grain producers to analyze per-acre production costs, farm operations, and grain marketing strategies, preceded by five years as a Local Tax Consultant with FBC (Farm Business Consultants) advising farm operators and rural small-business owners on tax planning and compliance. Earlier in his career, Shawn studied at DeVry and spent 15 years with Honda of Canada Mfg. in assembly, quality inspection, and team leadership, alongside hands-on experience in residential construction and renovation.

Geri K — Office Manager

Geri has served as Office Manager with Fortier Mattila Appraisals Inc. since 2013. Working from the firm’s Battleford head office, Geri oversees daily administrative operations across the appraisal division, client intake and scheduling coordination, corporate bookkeeping, and billing administration—ensuring seamless workflow and attentive support for financial institutions, legal and accounting professionals, and private property owners across Saskatchewan.

Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC) Standards & Designations

Founded in 1938, the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC) is Canada’s leading real property valuation association, representing over 5,600 professional members nationwide. AIC works collaboratively with provincial associations to grant the distinguished Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute (AACI™) and Canadian Residential Appraiser (CRA™) designations. Our appraisers are university-trained, fully licensed members of the AIC. All reports completed by our firm strictly conform to the Canadian Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (CUSPAP), ensuring complete independence, objectivity, and legal defensibility.