Bio coming soon
A
Director with the Regional Environmental Action Committee since 1999, Jule
became an environmentalist at age 11 upon reading that Lake Erie had caught
fire. In her time at REAC, Jule has produced two educational video
productions, "My Life as a Plastic Bottle" (2003), and "My Life as a Tire"
(2007). She has represented the Alberta Environment Network at the
Government of Alberta's Waste Management Stakeholder Group, and represented the
Canadian Environment Network at the Committee for Environmental Cooperation's
review of the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes. She has
presented at conferences including the Canadian Centre for Pollution
Prevention, and Waste, the Social Context. Jule is currently working
toward the realization of an Alternative Energy Demonstration Project at the
Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation.
Mark enjoys the privilege of being the Executive Director of the Bow River Basin Council and has held the position for the past 9 years. In this role he is blessed by the opportunity to work with great colleagues, both staff and volunteers. Working with the Council offers both challenges and rewards and is never boring. Mark and his family came to Alberta in 1998 from Winnipeg where he had spent the previous 14 years in Emergency Management, where he learned a great deal about the value of planning and teamwork. These two skills lend themselves well to the operations of the Bow River Basin Council. Mark also learned that the secret to success is to know what you’re doing and to surround yourself with really good people. He has the latter covered and is always working on the former.
Mark holds an undergraduate degree in biology from Queen’s University. He has both a Certificate in Public Sector Management and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Manitoba. Mark’s recent studies include the pursuit of an Environmental Management Certificate from the University of Calgary and a Non-Profit Management Certificate from Mount Royal University.
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As
executive director of Miistakis, Danah oversees multiple landscape
ecology and land use projects that focus on the integration of spatial
(GIS) and biological information in collaboration with both government
and non-government organizations. Prior to her work at the Miistakis
Institute, Danah worked as a wildlife biologist in Banff National Park
focusing on large mammal movement through corridors. Danah completed
her B.Sc. in biology at McMaster University (1994) and her M.Sc. in
ecology and environmental biology at the University of Alberta (2001),
and has worked at Miistakis for the past seven years. Danah joined
Alberta Ecotrust's Grant Review Committee in 2008.
As Encana's Lead for Community Investment, Patricia works with numerous environmental partners, and she brings a depth of knowledge and experience to the Alberta Ecotrust Grant Review Committee table. Prior to working with Encana, Patricia received a M.Sc. degree in Geology from the University of South Carolina, worked in environmental consultation and regulation, and earned an MBA from the University of Calgary with a specialty in Environmental Management and Sustainable Development. Patricia lives in Calgary with her husband and two amazing teenage daughters.
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Leona Gibb joined TERA in 1993 and became a Director in 2005. As a Senior Environmental Planner, she has worked on behalf of numerous junior and senior oil and gas companies throughout Alberta as the Project Manager and primary author of Conservation and Reclamation (C&R) Reports for over 90 pipelines. Her duties include route selection, regulatory strategic planning, government contacts, public and First Nations consultation support, First Nation liaison, consultation with DFO and Transport Canada, environmental impact assessment as well as environmental protection and reclamation planning.
Paul
has
worked on a wide range of environmental issues associated with the
energy sector. Since 2003, he has managed EnCana's Environmental
Innovation Fund, a program that provides financial support for the
development of innovative clean energy technologies. He has a B.Sc. in
Earth Sciences from the University of Waterloo and an M.Sc. in Water
Resources Management from the University of Calgary. He lives in
Calgary with his wife and two children and enjoys cycling, skiing and
photography.

Drew has over 20 years of environmental solutions experience both in Canada and internationally. He is a General Manager at Newalta where he oversees the operations of the company's Western facilities. Prior to joining Newalta in 2008, he was the Chairman of the Terra Group in Dubai, UAE, President of Valiant Environmental in Alberta and held various senior positions with Laidlaw Environmental Services and ECL Environmental Services. He enjoys playing squash, hiking, travelling and camping in Kananaskis with his wife, son and daughter.
Linda Graf is the
Manager, Environment and Stakeholder Engagement, Canadian Arctic, at ConocoPhillips
Canada and has been working with the Environment and Sustainable Development
group since 2004. The majority of her work with the company has been on the
proposed Parsons Lake natural gas development in the western Canadian
Arctic. It was a natural fit with her previous 17 years of experience
living and working in the Arctic. Ten of those years were spent with the
Joint Secretariat - Inuvialuit Renewable Resources Committees providing support
related to developments under review through the Inuvialuit Screening and
Review Process. While in the Arctic, Linda also worked as a
biologist both privately and for the Government of the Northwest Territories,
held the position of Chair and Member of the Inuvik Ducks Unlimited Committee,
and was a Volunteer Fire Fighter. She received her BSc (Biology) degree
from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. Linda now lives in Calgary with her husband,
Gordon, and two curly-coated retrievers.
Stewart is the representative for the ATCO Group and currently serves
as corporate co-chair on Alberta Ecotrust's Board of Directors.

Margot is a naturalist living and working in Grande Prairie. Actively involved in conservation and natural history in Alberta for the past three decades, Margot currently works as an interpreter for provincial parks. As part of her ongoing effort to promote the natural history of the Peace region, she has produced guidebooks for two local natural areas and writes a weekly nature column for the Peace Country Sun. Margot has served on the grant review committee of Alberta Ecotrust for nine years.
Coming Soon
Klaus graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1962. After
completing post-graduate training in veterinary pathology, he worked
for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and later for Health Canada. He
has been retired for eight years, but he still has a keen interest in
how the world works and the impact we have on it. He is trying to make
his small contribution to make us walk more gently on this earth.
Equipped with a biology and environmental engineering background, Nikki
headed east from Vancouver to work at Alliance. As part of the
Environment Team, she has a wide range of responsibilities, including
implementation of the Environmental Management System and coordination
of environment-related regulatory approvals for construction and
operations in Canada. In addition to her participation on Alliance's
Corporate Community Investment Committee, she also began representing
the company on the Alberta Ecotrust Grant Review Committee in May 2006.
Being involved with Alberta Ecotrust's Grant Program has been an
inspiring opportunity to witness and encourage environmental
stewardship at the grassroots level.
Coming soon.
Cindy is the manager of safety, health and environment in
Imperial Oil Limited's products and chemicals division. She works with people across Imperial,
ExxonMobil, governments and outside stakeholders on strategies to improve our SHE performance and to be recognized
for those improvements. Cindy is
married and has
one daughter. She enjoys spending time with her
family, good friends, her church, and outdoor
activities such as gardening, kayaking, hiking and canoeing.
Shawna Mattison is the Manager of Health, Safety, and
Environment at Pembina Pipeline Corporation. She has been active in the
environmental field for more than 20 years. Her environmental interests include
fish habitat conservation and restoration, protection of native prairie, and
the restoration and protection of green space within urban areas.
Bio coming soon
Growing up in the Bow Valley, Kathryn developed tremendous respect and
awe for the environment, as well as a keen interest in how people can
minimize their environmental footprint. These influences shaped her
education choices, volunteer activities, and career in the
environmental field. Kathryn's formal education includes a Bachelor of
Science in animal biology from the University of British Columbia and a
Masters of Environmental Design from the University of Calgary. She
connected with Alberta Ecotrust Foundation through her company, Nexen,
where she works as an environmental analyst in upstream oil and gas.
Kathryn enjoys being exposed to a plethora of worthwhile environmental
projects and meeting the dedicated people behind them. Kathryn is also
a volunteer member of Bow Valley WildSmart and the Bighorn Corridor
Environment Committee (BCEC).
Joe Obad brings
extensive experience in land use issues and communications to the Alberta
Ecotrust grant review table. Focusing on the connection between land-use
science and policy, he has written a number of policy briefs that have
significantly altered the practices of both industry and government. As former Conservation director with the
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Joe consulted extensively with
stakeholders across southeastern Alberta on a variety of land-use topics, and
worked to educate the public on science and land-use as project manager for
initiatives such as Selected Ecological Resources of Alberta's
Castle Carbondale and the Exploring the Castle Hiking Guidebook published by Rocky Mountain
books. More recently, in his work with
Water Matters, he has co-authored Source of Opportunity: A Blueprint for
Source Water Protection in Southern Alberta. Joe has bachelor degrees in
English and Education.
As
part of the Government and Public Affairs Team, Melanie supports BP
Canada's natural gas liquids and oil sands businesses. She has been
with BP since early 2007. A degree in environmental and conservation
science as well as diplomas in journalism and public relations has
opened up exciting doors in Melanie's career, one of the highlights of
which includes being a published author of eight science textbooks
currently being used in schools in both Canada and the United States.
Melanie joined Ecotrust's Grant Review Committee in 2008 and is excited
to participate in this unique partnership.
Philip
is committed to making a positive contribution to the natural
environment and health of the planet wherever he can. He is both
fascinated by and passionate about nature. One of his biggest concerns
is the increasing pressure that a growing global society places on the
earth. He believes it is vital that current and future generations
develop a healthy relationship with the natural world, where they are
both knowledgeable about nature and prepared to take action on behalf
of the environment.

Aside from working as a Land Use Officer for Alberta Parks,
Angela Perry has been a member of the Peace Parkland Naturalists Club for two
years and is currently the group's program coordinator. With a biology and
education degree, she brings experience in both disciplines - as an
environmental educator and a wildlife biologist for an environmental consulting
company - to the Ecotrust Grant Review Committee. She lives in Grande
Prairie, where she takes every opportunity to enjoy the Northern clime through
hiking, photography, fishing and other modes of exploring. She is excited
to be involved with Alberta Ecotrust and to represent Northern Alberta at the
committee table.
Jim Pissot brings nearly 30 years experience advocating western wildland and wildlife conservation, responsible management of Crown lands, agency oversight, and sustainable rural economic opportunity. Jim served for two years as executive director of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, working with Canadian and U.S. scientists and advocates to identify, protect and connect wildlife habitats in the Rocky Mountains. Subsequently working with Defenders of Wildlife, he led efforts to secure adequate wildlife mitigation on the Trans-Canada Highway through Banff National Park, end the grizzly bear hunt in Alberta, and convince Canada's railways to commit $40 million to repair rail cars that leak grain, attracting grizzly bears and other wildlife to their deaths on the tracks. Jim holds a master's degree in resource management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He and his wife Valerie enjoy backpacking, back-country skiing, photography and canoeing.
Jason is the Program Assistant at the Environmental Law Centre. He holds an
interdisciplinary MA degree, specializing in Global Change. His MA research
focused on studying some of the not-for-profits and co-operatives that make up
Alberta's social economy, with an emphasis on 'green' social enterprises. He
also holds a BSc in physics and has spent many summers researching near-Earth
space physics. Jason is currently serving as the Policy Director for the
Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society. He likes spending time on his
bicycle, backpacking in the mountains, making music, taking photographs, and
traveling. Two noteworthy trips include a road trip to Guatemala and back and
spending nine months trying to get lost in Asia.
Jeff
Reading is an environmental specialist with the City of Calgary's
Ecological Footprint Team. He has been an environmental and outdoor
educator for close to thirty years, working as a teacher, consultant
and program specialist with the Calgary Board of Education. Jeff has
served on numerous boards, including the Global, Environmental and
Outdoor Education Council of the Alberta Teachers Association, the
Association For Experiential Education, and the Safety Committee for
Outward Bound Canada. His wife, Shelagh, and their children David and
Meghan share a love of international travel and exploring natural
environments together. Jeff has been an active member of the Alberta
Ecotrust grant review committee since 1994 with a two-year hiatus in
2002-2003.
Formally
trained as a wildlife research biologist, Amit specializes in managing
natural resource and biodiversity issues for Devon. Amit's expertise is
primarily with large carnivores, including grizzly bears, black bears
and wolves – he has even worked on special assignment with tigers in
India, but he has also written conservation plans for songbirds and
tiny endangered orchids. Prior to joining Devon in 2007, Amit spent the
past 15 years working as a wildlife biologist for Parks Canada, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several environmental consulting
firms. Amit has a B.Sc. in forest ecology from the University of
Alberta and a M.Sc. in conservation biology from Arizona State
University. He joined Alberta Ecotrust's Grant Review Committee in
2008. Born in Edmonton, Amit now lives in Calgary with his wife and
young daughter.
Terra Simieritsch is
a policy analyst with the Pembina Institute's Energy Solutions team. Her
research focuses on the environmental implications of oil sands development
with an emphasis on water and Aboriginal concerns. Terra has co-authored two
Pembina Institute publications on trans-boundary issues in the oil sands - The Waters That Bind Us and Carbon Copy - as well as Catching Up, a report on conservation
offsets. She has given many presentations to stakeholder groups on the
implications of current and future oil sands development. Terra has a B.Sc. in
environmental science from the University of Calgary and a diploma in forest
technology from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Jason K. Smith is a Senior Environmental Planner and Director at TERA Environmental Consultants in Calgary and has worked in the environmental consulting industry for 10 years. He specializes in National Energy Board-regulated pipeline projects and has managed numerous environmental assessments for work in Western Canada. He has served as project manager on several provincially and federally-regulated pipelines, including high profile projects like the Georgia Strait Crossing Pipeline Project and TMX - Anchor Loop Project.
Neil
is responsible for Suncor's sustainable development and environmental
reporting. He works with the socially responsible investment community
and provides support on greenhouse gas policy development. Prior to
joining Suncor, he worked on policy and issues management with respect
to climate change, land-use and boreal habitat protection, and
participated in multi-stakeholder groups including the Greenhouse Gas
Emission Reduction Trading Pilot and the National Round Table on the
Environment and the Economy's Boreal Forest Task Force.
He volunteered to represent the Suncor Energy Foundation on the Alberta
Ecotrust Grant Review committee because he is passionate about
supporting local action on environmental issues. My interest in the
outdoors led me to previous careers as a naval officer, trekking guide
and whale watching pilot. He continues to pursue his outdoor passions
through climbing, sea kayaking, trekking and snowboarding.
Anne-Marie Syslak, Acting
Executive Director of the Southern Alberta Chapter of the Canadian Parks and
Wilderness Society, joined the organization's Education Team in the summer of
2004 and took on the role of Acting Executive Director in November 2009.
Anne-Marie has worked in the environmental education field for the past sixteen
years and enjoys teaching about nature and ecological issues through her
creative lessons. She has a B.Sc, a B.Ed, and a M.Sc. in Environmental
Education. Anne-Marie loves to travel, flirts with art and music, and is often
found playing in the mountains. Originally from the prairies, Anne-Marie has a
particular passion for plants and wildflowers. When she's not howling like a
wolf with her daughter, you might find her on the trail going ga-ga over a
glacier-lily!
Erica Thomas is the Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholder Relations Advisor for Total E&P Canada. Prior to taking on her present role, Erica worked as the Community Engagement Coordinator for Total in Strathcona County on their Upgrader Project. In that position, she worked with local residents and facilitated the community investment portfolio for the greater Edmonton region. Before joining Total in 2008, Erica worked in Tourism and Economic Development for Strathcona County. Erica looks forward to bringing her community investment background and community development experience to the Alberta Ecotrust team!
Gareth
Thomson is executive director of ACEE and has twenty years experience
in environmental education, working first for the Government of Alberta
and then as the first education director of CPAWS – Calgary/Banff.
Gareth currently serves as a judge for the Alberta Emerald Awards, has
been a board member of several key environmental education groups and
grantmaking foundations, served on Canmore's municipal Town Council,
and taught at an International Baccalaureate high school. Gareth has an
engineering degree, an M.Sc. in environmental geology, and is a
certified teacher. He has been honoured by a lifetime achievement award
from the Global Environmental and Outdoor Education Council (GEOEC) of
the Alberta Teachers Association, and the 2008 Outstanding Individual
(non-profit) award from the Canadian Network for Environmental
Education and Communication (EECOM). A proud father of two children,
Gareth can still occasionally be sighted on the hiking trails around
Canmore.
Jason
Unger received his law degree, with a specialization in environmental
law, from Dalhousie University and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in
2002. After articling in Calgary he practiced in general litigation,
regulatory and administrative law and later went on to work for the
Alberta Wilderness Association. Prior to practicing law, he worked as a
summer student at the Environmental Law Centre. He also worked in the
field of biology following completion of his B.Sc. in biology from the
University of Winnipeg. Jason's current areas of focus at the
Environmental Law Centre include water law, species at risk and
wildlife law, conservation tools on private lands, and administrative
law. Jason is an avid Ultimate player and enjoys other outdoor
activities like hiking, camping and backpacking.
Peter Zimmerman
is currently the Manager of the Environment, Regulatory, and Stakeholder
Engagement oilsands group. Peter has over 30 years of broad experience in
the upstream oil and gas industry before joining Conocophillips in July
2008.
Peter has managed a wide
variety of projects and sustainability issues, at both the operational and
strategic planning level. This includes environmental impact
assessment & management planning, environmental auditing &
management systems, climate change and energy efficiency, biodiversity
conservation, life cycle assessment, liability management, remediation and
reclamation, and stakeholder engagement. This has included working with
various Aboriginal communities and many special interest groups.
Peter
is an active member of the conservation community. He has been a long
time member of CPAWS, including a term as a National Trustee, and also
represented several ENGOS on the Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Team. He
holds a Master's degree in Environmental Design from the University of
Calgary. Peter and his wife Dianne live in Calgary with their daughter
Grace.