EALT People

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

There are six founding organisations of the Edmonton & Area Land Trust, each of which appoint a director to our board. These represent a broad spectrum of organisations: – philanthropic, developmental, municipal, and environmental. Our and founding organisations are:

City of Edmonton
Edmonton Community Foundation
Urban Development Institute – Greater Edmonton Chapter
Edmonton Nature Club
Legacy Lands Conservation Society
Land Stewardship Centre of Canada

Board

You can see a little more about each individual’s background and experience below.

Margaret Reine, President

Marg Reine has a science degree and teaching diploma from the University of Alberta. She has worked as a Federal and City Park Naturalist, Literacy Volunteer Coordinator, Teacher, and has been an active volunteer in the Edmonton Community. Marg has been involved with the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary Management Committee for over 25 years, managing and educating people about Natural Areas. As President of the Edmonton Nature Club, she encouraged the club to become a partner in the Edmonton and Area Land Trust, since many members had been working with the city for years to form a land trust.

Martin Garber-Conrad, Treasurer, Edmonton Community Foundation

Martin Garber-Conrad has been CEO of the Edmonton Community Foundation since March, 2005. For the previous 18 years Martin was executive director of E4C—a community organization that operates a variety of programs for women, children and youth-at-risk, primarily in the areas of housing, feeding, employment and outreach. Martin is chair of the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund, is responsible for the Social Enterprise Fund, served several terms on Edmonton’s Food Bank board, won a Muttart Fellowship, was recognized as one of 100 influential Edmontonians, and remains on steering committees for several collaborative programs in social and community services and education.

Paul Roberts, Secretary, Legacy Lands Conservation Society

Paul is a Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Advisor with ScotiaMcLeod at the Scotia Private Client Group in Edmonton. He has been managing investment portfolios for individuals, companies and non-profit organizations since 1993. Paul is a founding member of Legacy Lands Conservation Society and currently serves as its Treasurer and Secretary. He also serves as a director of North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society. Paul grew up in Edmonton and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta. He currently lives in St. Albert with his wife and two young children.

Grant Pearsell, City of Edmonton

Grant is a resident of Edmonton and is currently Director, Office of Natural Areas managing the City of Edmonton’s conservation programs. His background is in land use planning specializing in ecology and land conservation. Some of Grant’s recent work includes participating on the Alberta Water Council’s Provincial Wetland Policy Project Team; project manager for the creation of the Edmonton and Area Land Trust; Chair of the Alberta Land Trust Alliance; and team leader for the City of Edmonton’s Natural Connections Conservation Plan. Grant is also experienced rural land conservation and has worked previously for Ducks Unlimited Canada in Yorkton, Saskatchewan

Glen Thoman, Urban Development Institute – Greater Edmonton Chapter

Glen Thoman, a civil engineer, has worked for over 15 years with private consulting firms in the land development industry, both in Edmonton and Toronto. Glen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alberta and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto. Glen is responsible for the co-ordination, design, approval and contract administration of land development projects, with a specialization in water resources engineering that includes stormwater management, urban hydrology and stream corridor management. Glen is presently a Project Manager for Al-Terra Engineering.

Brenda Wispinksi, The Beaverhills Initiative, Strathcona County

Brenda Wispinski, employed by Strathcona County, is executive director of The Beaverhills Initiative (TBI) and is a founding member of the Alberta Land Trust Alliance. She has over 20 years experience landscape and environmental resource management and planning. Brenda developed a strong community connection from 25 years living in Strathcona, and seeks opportunities to build conservation and stewardship values in her professional and personal life. Her BHI work focuses on long-term environmental stewardship, science-based policy, resource planning and management, bioregional connections, healthy ecosystems, community connections, and municipal governance. She looks forward to building partnerships in Edmonton and adjacent areas.

Cindy Chiasson, The Environmental Law Centre

Cindy Chiasson is Executive Director of the Environmental Law Centre. She has extensive environmental regulatory experience, and worked on the development of Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and regulations. She has also acted as a consultant for the private and non-profit sectors on environmental law and policy matters. Cindy has been involved in legislative drafting, policy development and review, research, and public consultation and stakeholder review. She has experience in contaminated sites, air quality, and agricultural matters, and has written extensively on environmental topics. Cindy has been a Girl Guide leader and likes to keep active and go camping.

Raquel Feroe, Edmonton Nature Club

Raquel currently practices medicine in Edmonton. Her volunteer focus is to learn and serve in areas that allow her to promote human health by improving our ability to recognize, foster and protect healthy environments. Raquel volunteers locally, e.g., work on the Alberta Capital Airshed Alliance Board, participating in Edmonton’s Master Naturalist program, volunteering for Friends of the Kinnaird Ravine, and helping Riverdale’s Emerald Award winning Naturescape. Noting it is important for all of us to pick a place and protect it, Raquel feels working on the EALT board is a great way to honour that mission in a strategic way.

Jim Savage, Lexmark

Jim is Enterprise Sales Manager for Western Canada with Lexmark. Born and raised in Edmonton, he has a B.A., Geography, and an MBA specializing in finance and marketing from the University of Alberta. Jim manages a team of sales executives and consultants focused on marketing output solutions and professional services to the largest corporate and public sector organizations in western Canada. Prior to Lexmark Jim worked for Thane Consulting who operated both the Marmot Basin and Nakiska ski areas. Conservation and nature were part of Jim’s upbringing, and he’s particularly interested in preserving environmentally sensitive areas and Alberta’s watersheds.

Ron Hayter, Retired Councillor

STAFF

Pamela Wight, Executive Director

Pamela Wight, a geographer, has a strong background in conservation, with bio-physical and socio-economic degrees, and a certificate in environmental management and planning. She has worked with the private sector and industry, provincial government, universities, and not-for-profit and community organisations. She has worked in Edmonton and surrounding areas, and as a tourism and parks planning consultant, she has worked in Alberta, Canada, and internationally for the UN and international conservation organisations. She was on the Coordinating Committee of the Alberta Conservation Strategy representing the City of Edmonton, and is on the Board of the Land Stewardship Centre of Canada.

Pam can be reached at
Tel: 780 483–7578
Fax: 780 483–7627
Email: pamwight < at > ealt.ca
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Morgan Traverse, Project Coordinator

Morgan Traverse is a recent graduate from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. There she received her degree in Natural Resource Science, a unique integrated natural resource management and biology program. Before this, she graduated with honours in a Recreation, Fish and Wildlife Technology diploma from Selkirk College in BC. Morgan brings enthusiasm and practical experience, and technical skills related to soils, forestry, GIS and GPS. She has been a biological contractor, has trained and managed staff, and has worked with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and throughout Alberta, and been involved in baseline data, field assessment, monitoring and mapping.

Morgan can be reached at (780) 940–1421, or morgan < at > ealt.ca

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EALT actively invites involvement by a broad spectrum of individuals, for all its activities. Besides volunteering, this could include participation on our Board of Directors or as an Advisor. All Directors vote on key EALT activities and operational matters, such as: acquiring land or conservation easements, policy development, and other critical matters. All members of the Board are eligible for Executive positions.

EALT welcomes the public to approach EALT about their wish to be involved in any way.

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ADVISORS

Vivian Manasc, Manasc Isaac Architects & Director of the Canada Green Building Council
Toso Bozic, Agroforester/Woodlot Specialist, Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development
Ted Hogg, Northern Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service
Susan Barker, Prof, Department of Secondary Education, University of Alberta
Phyllis Kobasiuk, consultant
Patsy Cotterill, plant ecologist
Milton Davies, Arbor-Pro Tree Consulting
Michael Ferber, Assistant Prof, Geography & Environmental Studies, The King’s University College
Michael Evans, Teleologic Strategic Communications Inc.
Locke Girvan, Biologist, Strathcona County
Laura Harrison, HarrisonBowker Real Estate Appraisers
Kent Lamoureux, Agronomist
Harry Stelfox, Stelfox Wildlands Consultants
Glen Semenchuk, Federation of Alberta Naturalists
Glen Lawrence, Councillor, Strathcona County
Erica Thompson, Total Canada
Denise Verreault, First Nations Environmental Technical Services
Daniel Carroll, Field LLP
Dan Grant, Strategic Planning, Government of Alberta
Colleen Cassady St. Clair, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta
Colin Soskolne, Prof, School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Colin Lipsett, Davis LLP
Christy Boulter, Green realtor
Candace Vanin, Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration & Environment
Bob Gibbs, Eidos Landscape Architecture
Anna Vesala, Program Specialist, City of Edmonton

For further questions about the Land Trust, contact:

Tel: 780 483–7578
Fax: 780 483–7627
Email: pamwight < at > ealt.ca