facility. Business career Lehman worked for cities across the country to manage redevelopment and plan investment in their urban infrastructure. He worked with the city of Ottawa on projects that included a new district library, expansions to two community centres, and a plan to reduce corporate real estate costs following the amalgamation of the City of Ottawa with surrounding municipalities. In 2002, Lehman co-founded MKI, a small economics advisory firm. The firm specialized in public infrastructure primarily for large cities, specifically transportation projects and public buildings. Lehman's work included planning new transit systems in Waterloo, Ottawa and Toronto, and planning for industrial expansion and economic development in Regina, Calgary, Hamilton, Niagara, and Burlington. MKI was acquired by the predecessor firm to WSP. City council In 2005, Lehman established the Growing By Degrees task force to expand post-secondary education opportunities for students in Barrie. Lehman was elected to Barrie City Council in the municipal election in November 2006, representing Ward 2, the city centre. Lehman won the election with 49.98% of the vote, falling just one vote short of an absolute majority. As a councillor, Lehman was the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Council in 2007 and served as the chair of the city's Growth Management Working Group in 2008. At the time Barrie, the Town of Innisfil, and County of Simcoe were battling over contrasting visions for how the area should grow. At the heart of the dispute was whether additional jobs and population should be focused in Barrie, or dispersed among the 16 municipalities in Simcoe County. Barrie argued growth should occur in cities with urban services and in June 2009, the Government of Ontario stepped in and resolved the dispute, annexing additional lands for growth to Barrie and the lion's share of the additional jobs. In 2008, Lehman created the Historic Neighbourhoods Strategy, a plan for the older neighbourhoods in Barrie, generally those built before World War II. The strategy was innovative, as it focused on specific neighbourhoods, instead of considering services citywide, and because it was citizen-led. The project was co-ordinated by a committee of 16 volunteers from the 7 historic neighbourhoods and was approved by City Council in June 2010. Lehman played a prominent role in the ultimately unsuccessful battle to save two schools in his ward, Prince of Wales PS, and Barrie Central Collegiate, including starting a Facebook group called "Save Barrie Central", which