Meet our leaders
?We all need to think more about what we?re fighting for. Real inspiration, real change, comes when we have a clear vision of the world we want ? a world where nature is healthy and strong and where human communities are happy and prosperous.?
Mary has built and led collaborative and innovative conservation initiatives across five continents. In southern Africa, she conducted fieldwork documenting the environmental and social impacts of mining and built an action coalition of community groups, scientists, aid agencies and mining executives. From Stockholm, she contributed to drafting the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and was a part of a team of European Union scientists writing protocols for integrating scientific findings into decision-making. From Washington, Mary co-led a World Bank project that established sustainability roundtables in more than 40 developing countries. At the City of Toronto, Mary initiated the roll-out of more than 10 new initiatives including the Climate Change and Clean Air Action Plan, the Renewable Energy Action Plan and the Green Economic Development Strategy. Mary has held positions at the Metcalf Foundation, the Stockholm Environment Institute, the United Nations, and the World Bank, the Earth Council, the City of Toronto and with an international engineering firm. In addition to her work at WWF-Canada, Mary was an advisor to Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City in his capacity as Chair of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.
Publications
MacDonald. M (2012). Resource Efficient Cities. Briefing Note for the Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Consumption and Production Unit. United Nations Environment Programme. MacDonald, M. and S.Holtz (2005). Sustainability in Canada. Canadian Institute For Environmental Law and Policy.Toronto/Ottawa. MacDonald, M. (1998). Agendas for Sustainability, Environment and Development into the Twenty-First Century. Routledge, London/New York. MacDonald, M., M. J. Chadwick and G.S. Aslanian (1996). The Environmental Management of Low-grade Fuels. Earthscan, London.
Gail has over 25 years of financial leadership experience in the not-for-profit and for-profit sectors at both national and international organizations. Most recently, she worked for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation as the Senior Director of Finance and prior to that held senior financial and leadership roles, including CFO, at Nestle Waters North America and Pepsi-Cola Canada.
Her family hails from the Maritimes, where Gail was able to see firsthand the importance of water to sustain life of all kinds. As a result, she has had a lifelong interest in water and the health of our watersheds. She still remembers the first time, as a child, she became aware of the plight of an endangered species ? it was the mighty right whale, which takes up residence in the Bay of Fundy in the summers.
Gail devotes much of her free time volunteering for her local community in Oakville, curling, walking, and reading. She lives with her husband David and cat Molly.
?From a very young age I wanted to work with remarkable people, doing remarkable things. This desire has fuelled my work and allowed me to help make our world a better place to live, not just for now, but for the future.?
A consummate fundraiser, Jay has spent over thirty years working with not-for-profit organizations, seeking to help make a difference and leave a lasting impact for future generations. His efforts have positively contributed to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Plan Canada, The Donwood Institute, the YMCA and most notably his seven years with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, where among other things he was responsible for the CIBC Run for the Cure. In his current role, Jay is responsible for providing leadership and direction for all fundraising programs, all donor and supporter campaign planning, management and stewardship. Jay?s desire to always surround himself with extraordinary, passionate and driven Canadians makes his work often feel a lot like play. And for this reason he has the keen ability to leverage his surroundings to always be thinking about ?What Next? and how to push the envelope to increase untapped funding potential. Jay is a graduate of the University of Toronto. Jay?s most memorable moments growing up were spent ?cottaging? with his family in the Kawartha?s. So there is no time more precious to him now, than the days, weeks and weekends that he can canoe and kayak at his own cottage, followed by end-of-day sunsets on the dock, cheesies, white wine and green olives, surrounded by his partner and their daughters.
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Paul Crowley
Vice-president, Arctic
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Bettina Saier
Vice-president, oceans
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Monte Hummel
President emeritus
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Sarah Winterton
Director, nature in economy & communities
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Peter Ewins
Lead specialist, species conservation
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Hussein Alidina
Senior specialist, oceans
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Andrew Dumbrille
Senior specialist, sustainable shipping
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Janice Ryan
Senior specialist, fisheries conservation
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Jeffrey Anderson
Senior Manager, skeena
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Kim Dunn
Manager, National Oceans Governance
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Rachel Wang
Specialist, forage fish & marine conservation
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Elizabeth Hendriks
Vice-president, freshwater
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Megan Leslie
Vice-president, oceans (acting)
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Jeffrey Chu
Director, human resources & operations
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Sigrid Kuehnemund
Lead specialist, oceans
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James Casey
Senior specialist, freshwater
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Susan Evans
Senior specialist, science, research & innovation
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Brandon Laforest
Senior specialist, Arctic species & ecosystems
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Simon Mitchell
Senior specialist, freshwater, St. John River
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Devika Shah
Senior manager, strategic initiatives
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Jessica Park
Manager, arctic
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Colleen Parker
Specialist, western Arctic
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Anthony Merante
Associate specialist, freshwater
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Sophie Paradis
Director, Quebec region
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James Snider
Vice-president, science, research & innovation
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Philippe Devos
Director, communications and media
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Rinjan Shrestha
Lead specialist, tropical mammals
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Doug Chiasson
Senior specialist, arctic fisheries
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Aurelie Cosandey-Godin
Senior specialist, oceans
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Emily Giles
Senior specialist, species conservation
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Farid Sharifi
Senior specialist, renewable energy
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Sarah Saunders
Specialist, marine protection and renewables
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Heather Crochetiere
Specialist, freshwater
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Catherine Elizabeth, Paquette
Associate specialist, freshwater
