Megan is recognized by cities across Canada as an authority on municipal sustainability. She has been with ICLEI since 1999, over which time she has held many roles in strategic energy planning, climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity, as well as sustainability management. Megan has shared her experiences by serving on steering committees with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Canadian Standards Association, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Urban Institute and QUEST.

As Director of ICLEI Canada, Megan oversees the governance of the non-profit organization. She holds responsibility for strategic planning, partnership development, and financial systems. The favourite part of her job comes when she talks to ICLEI members; learning about how they are handling the day-to-day nature of the ongoing quest for sustainability in their community.

Megan is member of ICLEI’s global senior management team which includes the Directors of all 14 ICLEI offices from around the world. The team is a great source of inspiration and comradery, and her only wish is that they could get together more often without having to travel thousands of miles and generate excessive GHG emissions.

megan.meaney@iclei.org

Ewa Jackson is a leader in the field of municipal climate adaptation and resilience. Ewa Jackson has worked with municipal governments for over 20 years in the fields of sustainability, public participation, and climate change.

In addition to managing ICLEI Canada’s operational and program activities, Ewa Jackson is project manager for many ICLEI Canada consulting activities and has worked on numerous adaptation and sustainability monitoring and evaluation projects, including those of local, national, and international scope.

Ewa Jackson’s particular field of interest is in the area of climate communications, and how effective and targeted communications can be used to move forward with the implementation of adaptive actions. She works with specialists in the field to keep officials at the forefront and responding to the advancements being made. She often speaks publicly on the state of adaptation planning across Canada and internationally.

ewa.jackson@iclei.org

As Engineering Director, Karina draws on her extensive experience working in local government to develop new and innovative programs that support broad and practical climate action. Karina is a licensed Professional Engineer who holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Environmental Engineering as well as additional training in infrastructure resiliency, climate policy and procurement, climate law, and asset management to name a few. She brings 20+ years of research, project management and supervisory experience in the field of municipal climate change.

Before joining ICLEI, Karina spent over 15 years working at the City of Windsor as Supervisor of Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change where she developed and led the implementation of the City’s Environmental Master Plan, Climate Change Adaptation Plan, Community Energy Plan and Corporate Climate Action Plan. Working in multi-disciplinary teams, Karina embedded climate change considerations across the organization. Her climate change efforts supported numerous successful grants including two Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund projects. Karina is inspired by the climate action being undertaken across Canada and is particularly interested in identifying opportunities to achieve mutual benefits with other municipal priorities including housing, affordability, and equity.

Josh is a driven climate action and sustainability professional who brings a wealth of experience in local government asset management, project management, climate action, and sustainability to his role of Engineering Director for the Climate Platform. He has spent over six years working in local government in a variety of roles gaining hands-on experience with almost every aspect of municipal infrastructure management and leading updates to various climate action plans and associated mitigation and adaptation implementation projects. Josh also has experience working in the forest industry and understands the potential of forest-based, low-carbon building products. Through his experiences in Prince George, BC, Josh understands the challenges and opportunities of smaller, northern municipalities.

Josh holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Environmental Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer in BC, a Project Management Professional, and a Certified Energy Manager. He is an active volunteer and participates in climate action and sustainability groups throughout BC.

Curniss is a communications expert, experienced digital marketing strategist, and an accomplished project manager with first-hand experience developing and implementing municipal sustainability and climate adaptation plans. She leads communication and engagement strategies for ICLEI Canada and applies a communication and behavioural science lens to projects, programs, and resource development.

Her career began conducting climate change and stormwater research before joining the City of Thunder Bay as Climate Adaptation Coordinator. Curniss worked with ICLEI from 2013 to 2015 to develop the City of Thunder Bay’s award-winning Climate Adaptation Strategy. She then stepped into the role of Great Lakes Advisor for the Province of Ontario where she led projects to protect and preserve the Great Lakes. Most recently, Curniss’ skills have been enhanced with experience in the communications and marketing field. Curniss holds a Bachelor’s of Science with Honours in Geology and a minor in Geography from Queen’s University. She is passionate about combining behavioural science, elements of culture, and collaboration to accomplish meaningful work and ultimately make communities more equitable, sustainable, and resilient.

As Operations Manager for ICLEI Canada, Maria works with the whole team across a variety of disciplines including office administration, executive assistance, human resources management, business management and policy development and implementation.

Maria has a strong background in various administrative roles and has recently completed a PhD and a post-doctoral position. In addition, she has over fifteen years of combined experience in multi-disciplinary research, knowledge translation, teaching, facilitation, project management, grant writing, and event coordination in university settings. Maria is interested in the ways storytelling can lead to action and is excited to support ICLEI Canada’s many initiatives in awareness raising and capacity building for sustainable development across diverse communities and municipalities.

As ICLEI Canada’s Climate Adaptation Program Manager, Juan leads an expanding team of adaptation and resilience professionals across various climate action initiatives. These initiatives, including the Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities (BARC) program and Local Climate Partnership project, support Canadian municipalities in achieving their climate adaptation goals.

Before joining ICLEI, Juan worked at Evergreen Canada, where he managed projects and initiatives to create better public spaces and promote sustainable urban planning practices. His work focused on promoting inclusivity and vibrancy, and creating resources to help diverse communities better understand the power of public spaces. He also brings valuable experience from the time he spent working in Colombia at the Ministry of Housing, overseeing projects to develop sustainable public housing and support underserved neighbourhoods nationwide, and at the City of Bogota, leading the Environmental and Climate Change objectives of their local public space policy.

Juan holds a Master’s of Urban Environmental Planning, a Master’s of Engineering, and a Bachelor’s of Environmental Engineering. Juan has made Canada his permanent home and believes cities’ transformative power lies in their capacity to be sustainable, inclusive, and diverse.

As Climate Change Program Lead within the Adaptation team, Adrián Tóth is involved in the Financing Resilient Infrastructure (FRIP) project to help understand the role of private capital in building resilient public infrastructure. He also supports the implementation of the Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities (BARC) program and the adoption of the Cost of Doing Nothing (CODN) Toolbox.

Having worked both with funding institutions as well as directly with cities on climate change, Adrián brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and practical insights to the team. Prior to joining ICLEI Canada, Adrián worked in Brussels at the nexus of climate change policy, sustainability, and city governance. He led transnational projects with European and national foundations, think tanks, academics and NGOs while working for the Green European Foundation and supported EU Covenant of Mayors activities with the Climate Alliance including the implementation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action (SECAP) plans.

Adrián holds a Master’s of Science in Biology from the Université libre de Bruxelles. As a published co-author in the fields of sustainability, just transition, and climate change Adrián is committed to driving positive change towards a more resilient and equitable future.

As a Climate Change Program Lead, Adlar leads mitigation projects within the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, supporting members on greenhouse gas emissions accounting, reporting and tracking activities. He works closely with Canadian communities to develop and provide support on GHG emission inventories, and local climate action planning. Adlar is also involved in developing resources and tools to build the climate change action planning capacity of Canadian municipalities.

Prior to working at ICLEI Canada, Adlar has had research experience within the academic, governmental, non-profit and private sectors in the areas of sustainability, land use planning, community energy planning, renewable energy business models and district energy. He has also studied best practices in Denmark at the University of Aalborg Sustainable Energy Planning and Management program as well as at the Nordic Folkecentre for Renewable Energy. Adlar holds a Master’s in Environmental Studies Planning from York University with a focus on Community Energy Planning.

As the Adaptation Lead, Climate Platform, Lubna supports the development and mobilization of Climate Insight with a focus on transforming data into valuable information and engaging stakeholders to effectively communicate climate change risks. She brings a wealth of experience including a broad spectrum of climate risk assessment approaches to the team.

Previously, Lubna worked for the International Institute for Sustainable Development, where she implemented a program focused on sourcing, managing, and integrating climate data to enhance understanding of the natural system’s responses to climate stresses. More recently, she worked at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, where she supported the climate science team in translating global and regional climate models into more locally relevant analyses to inform municipalities developing adaptation solutions in the Greater Toronto Area. Earlier in her career, Lubna was one of the technical leads of the United Nations Women Climate Vulnerability project, and a network officer for a United Nations Development Programme Water Capacity Building program in Bangladesh.

Lubna holds a Master’s in Climate Change from the University of Waterloo, and a Master’s in Resource and Environmental Management from North South University, Bangladesh. Lubna is passionate about applying her skills and over a decade of experience to help communities adapt to climate change using evidence-based climate change knowledge.

Naomi is a passionate storyteller and community-builder who sees relationships as the starting point for change. She believes that through listening and sharing our stories, we develop equitable social structures that are needed for thriving, resilient communities. In her role as Project Coordinator, she works on projects that build social and community resilience. She also provides assistance and supports the development of resources.

Previously, Naomi was a Storytelling and Engagement Lead on the Canadian Urban Institute’s Healthy Communities Initiative team. She has worked with over 1,000 projects, partner organizations, and community leaders to develop a network of placemakers and community builders committed to enhancing the public space landscape.

As a Climate Change Project Coordinator for ICLEI Canada, Sebastian works closely with Canadian communities on a wide range of adaptation projects through the implementation of the BARC program. Sebastian brings a wide range of experience working in climate change adaptation and mitigation in the private, non-profit, and public sectors as a consultant, researcher, and scientist. Previously, he was the Energy and Climate Change Analyst at the Town of Aurora, leading the production of the Town’s climate change and energy programs.

Sebastian holds a Master’s of Climate Change from the University of Waterloo’s Department of Geography and Environmental Management, as well as an Honours Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Guelph. He has a strong passion for the atmospheric sciences and the ways in which a changing climate affects the severity and frequency of weather phenomena. As he continues to advance his understanding of climate sciences, he is determined to help communities reach a more carbon neutral and resilient future.

As Climate Change Coordinator, Susan plays a lead role in the Building to Net-Zero project. She works closely with municipalities and community partners to achieve a more sustainable building sector. Prior to working with ICLEI Canada, Susan worked in academic, non-profit, and local government sectors where she has focused on energy transitions at the local level. She brings extensive knowledge of Canadian environmental policy and governance, local energy planning, sustainable transitions, sustainable building development, and various climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience strategies.

Susan is currently a PhD Candidate in Environmental and Urban Change at York University, and holds a Master’s of Environmental Studies from York University, and an Honours Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Her research incorporates mixed methods approaches and key equity-focused frameworks for advancing just transitions, including energy justice, energy democracy, community energy planning, and collaborative governance.

As a Climate Change Project Coordinator, Niloofar provides technical guidance and general support for a wide range of climate change adaptation projects including policy recommendations for local governments through the BARC program and the Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation (ORCCA). She draws on her experience working at the intersection of climate change adaptation, urban planning, and equity in her work, and particularly enjoys working with under-served communities to co-design neighborhood-based best practices for climate change adaptation.

Before joining ICLEI Canada, Niloofar developed research projects at the intersection of climate change adaptation, urban planning, and equity within the academic and non-profit sectors. Namely, she managed several research projects to investigate the interconnections of housing affordability, equity, and climate change in Canadian cities through the Climate and Equity Lab at York University. She holds a PhD in Planning from the University of Waterloo and has the experience of proposing equity-oriented policy recommendations for adaptation through green infrastructure planning. Niloofar also has a background in the spatial analysis of climate risks, such as flood risks, and has worked with federal government to create wildfire and flood maps at federal and provincial scales.

As a Climate Change Project Coordinator for the Quebec office, Claudie coordinates both adaptation and mitigation projects for francophone municipalities. She supports them to strengthen their resilience and achieve their GHG emission reduction goals. Claudie has experience in local planning, public participation and sustainability. She believes in the importance of sharing knowledges and supporting local initiatives to induce positive changes in communities and tackling the issues brought by climate changes.

Claudie holds a Bachelor’s in International Studies (concentration in Development) and a Master’s in Urban Planning from Université de Montréal. She has worked for non-profits in public participation and local development, as well as for companies involved in the fields of greenhouse gas emission management and sustainability solutions. She has also been involved in professional initiatives to share knowledge and best practices in planning and sustainability, such as Relève en urbanisme and B Local Québec.

As a Climate Change Project Officer, Pavils consults on a range of climate mitigation projects and supports the development of GHG emission inventories within the PCP program. In order to help Canadian municipalities formulate and implement their climate action plans, he assists members with emissions accounting, reporting and tracking activities, and develops resources and tools to help build local climate action planning capacity across the country.

For the past 8 years, Pavils has focussed his career around sustainability and recently completed an International Master’s of Urban Resilience Design and Management at Universitat International de Catalunya. His broad experience ranges from co-managing the Municipalities in Transition project in Europe, that helps municipalities and civil society groups coordinate climate actions through inclusive governance, to installing green roofs across Toronto. Pavils also holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology from the University of British Columbia.

As Climate Change Project Assistant at ICLEI Canada, Ariane (or Ari) uses her research capabilities and project implementation skills to support various projects, develop resources, and contribute to knowledge and capacity building through research, writing, and workshops. Prior to this role, Ari gained valuable municipal experiences as an Environmental Outreach Student at the City of Mississauga, where she conducted research and implemented strategic plans for municipal environmental initiatives. She also worked as an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Student where she honed her ability to effectively collect, analyze, and apply climate data in a project context. Ari also has experience in community engagement and agricultural research with the University of Toronto where she actively contributed to organizing and delivering workshops on diverse topics.

Currently in her last year at the University of Toronto, Ari is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science and Environmental Biology. She is Passionate about local urban systems and sustainable agriculture and driven to make meaningful contributions to climate change initiatives, by seamlessly blending research, project implementation, and workshop facilitation.

As Climate Change Project Assistant, Nikita supports the Adaptation Team with facilitation, stakeholder engagement, research, resource development, and communications on a variety of projects. With a diverse background spanning the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, she brings a wealth of experience in climate action, community mobilization, and environmental communications.

Before joining the ICLIE Canada team, Nikita worked on various climate initiatives including public engagement for the City of Fredericton, electric vehicle policy research and the electrification of school buses in Atlantic Canada, and Carbon Conversations Toronto. She enjoys the challenge of conceptualizing and implementing innovative and engaging programs and transforming eco-distress into informed action. Nikita holds a Master’s of Environmental Management from the University of New Brunswick.

As an Intern with our Quebec office, Aryane is working on the Living With Water: Toolbox for Flood-Resilient Construction project— a project that promotes large-scale adoption of construction practices resilient to all flooding types. Aryane is currently completing a Master’s in Environmental Management at Université Sherbrooke. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law and has previously worked on stakeholder mobilization in Quebec’s energy sector. In addition to her passion for the systemic issues at the root of today’s climate and environmental challenges, she is motivated to work with local stakeholders to build (or rebuild) fairer, more resilient cities. 

As Planning Intern, Ronald supports ICLEI Canada’s Adaptation Team. He is developing an inventory documenting the role and use of Green Development Standards in adaptation and supporting a project to advance adaptation policies in the City of Thorold’s Official Plan. Ronald is currently working towards his Bachelor’s in Urban and Regional Planning, with a minor in environmental urban sustainability at Toronto Metropolitan University and a specialization in housing. He is passionate about sustainable development, addressing environmental challenges, and creating a future where everyone is homed with smarter buildings.