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

Anne-Marie Legault is the Manager of the Quebec office of ICLEI Canada. She is in charge of programs and partnership development, as well as operations. Before joining ICLEI Canada, Anne-Marie Legault was programs director at the World Federation of Science Journalists, where she steered science literacy projects in Africa and the EU for journalists.

Anne-Marie has over 18 years project management experience both internationally and in Canada. She has held various positions at the International Development Research Centre in Ottawa and at Équiterre in Montréal. She is committed to capacity building for making societies more sustainable and resilient. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in geography from Université de Montréal and a Master’s of Science in environmental studies from Université du Québec in Montréal.

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 ICLEI Canada’s Climate Change Project Manager, Aynsley leads ICLEI Canada’s team of adaptation and resilience professionals in a variety of climate action initiatives. As an experienced leader, facilitator, and project manager, she expertly manages projects, develops partnerships, and supports an active roster of adaptation programs.

Before joining ICLEI, she worked at EcoSuperior Environmental Programs, a local environmental non-profit organization, where she developed, implemented, and managed community-based climate adaptation and mitigation projects in partnership with diverse stakeholders including municipal government. More recently, Aynsley served as the Sustainability Coordinator in the Office of Sustainability at Lakehead University, where she was responsible for implementing the Sustainability Action Plan. This role involved collaborating with various institutional and community partners as well as project coordination, communications, event planning, and administrative duties. Additionally, Aynsley has substantial teaching experience and a compelling research and publication profile, both academic and professional. Aynsley holds a Master’s of Health Sciences specializing in social-ecological systems, sustainability, and health.

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 Adaptation Program Lead, Hiba works on a wide range of adaptation projects across local, provincial/territorial, and national scales. She supports the management and implementation of BARC, working closely with Canadian communities throughout the climate change planning process: from conducting adaptation assessments (climate science, vulnerability, risk), to identifying best practice and actions, all the way through to implementation planning and measuring progress. Hiba also develops and delivers a number of tools and resources to build the knowledge and capacity of local governments and stakeholders in the climate change adaptation space.

She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Psychology from the University of Toronto. Prior to working at ICLEI Canada, Hiba has had experience in the environmental non-profit sector working on species at risk, ocean health, and grassroots environmental initiatives.

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 Climate Change Project Coordinator with the Toronto office, Josh works on a wide range of adaptation and mitigation projects across local, provincial/territorial and national scales. He provides direct support and strategic policy, planning and implementation advice to Canadian municipalities participating in the BARC program, as well as coordinates the research and development of a number of climate change related resources and tools.

Prior to working with ICLEI Canada, Josh worked for over 10 years managing, developing and delivering environmental programs and projects with a number of Canada’s leading environmental non-profits. His research and personal interests include earth system sciences, capacity and resilience building, risk and vulnerability assessment and local food systems. Josh holds a Master’s of Science in Environmental Practice and a Graduate Certificate in the Science and Policy of Climate Change from Royal Roads University; a Bachelor’s of Education from York University; and a Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Geography from Trent University. 

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 Climate Change Project Coordinator, Haley supports a wide range of climate adaptation projects and the development of climate adaptation resources for local governments. She finds joy in co-creating human-centered sustainability solutions — an approach she strives for in all of her work. With an Honours Bachelor’s of Design (BDes) from York/Sheridan, a Master’s in Urban Development (MPl) from the TMU School of Urban and Regional Planning, and nearly 15 years of experience working on sustainability-focused initiatives, she brings a unique blend of research, design thinking, and entrepreneurship to her work.

Prior to ICLEI Canada, Haley helped organizations achieve circular economy goals by creating transformative services, programs, and business models. Her experiences span sustainable transportation, waste management and the circular economy, community safety, wellbeing, green infrastructure, and urban farming, and she has been involved in collaborative work in various sectors, communities, and regions throughout Canada and the US. She has successfully secured grant funding and support to implement innovative circular economy, material reuse, and building deconstruction projects. Haley is passionate about fostering collaboration, breaking down silos, and translating sustainability visions into tangible actions. She is also an avid gardener and upcycler.

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.

Adrienne works as ICLEI Canada’s Communications Coordinator, drawing on her expertise in communications and sustainability. She began her career doing project management and storytelling for cross-border conservation initiatives, before shifting to focus on communications, engagement and advocacy for urban sustainability. Most recently, Adrienne spent five years working as a Communications Expert for ICLEI Europe, before returning home to Toronto to apply what she learned abroad to support Canadian municipalities.

Adrienne holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the McGill School of Environment, and a Master’s of Science in Environmental Governance from the University of Freiburg. Her master’s thesis used the City of Toronto as a case study to better understand cities’ participation in networks including ICLEI. She is passionate about using clear and engaging communication to build more sustainable and just cities and communities.

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 Climate Researcher, Kristen draws on previous research and experience to analyze and devise strategies for municipalities to decarbonize and adapt to climate change. Through this work, she helps members of the PCP program conduct greenhouse gas emissions inventories, develop climate action strategies to foster sustainability, and assess and monitor the results of various sustainable initiatives. Her work also supports other initiatives including the BARC program, the Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership (N-ZAP), and the FRIP project.

Kristen recently completed a Master’s of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Toronto. She also holds an Honours Bachelor’s of Arts and Science in Environment from McGill University. Her experience lies in various sustainability themes, including sustainable strategies, sustainability reporting, sustainable finance, and climate vulnerability risk assessment.

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 Project Assistant, Paris supports the development of the Online Climate Platform for local governments. Paris is a COP27 climate observer, McMaster Engineering Leader in Sustainability, Co-Founder of the McMaster Students for Bike Share Campaign, and serves on the Board of Directors of Environment Hamilton. She has completed multiple co-ops across a variety of climate sectors including working with the City of Mississauga’s Environment Team, within green building consulting, and as a climate change research assistant studying the effects of climate change on the heating and cooling demands of buildings in Canada.   

Paris is currently studying a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering with a minor in Economics at McMaster University. She is passionate about the intersection between civil engineering and climate change and is currently working to develop a climate change civil engineering course at McMaster University to inspire her peers to consider climate change in their work as engineers. She is excited to bring her civil engineering background to work to advance low-carbon, resilient infrastructure projects across Canada. 

As Planning Intern, Dana supports ICLEI Canada’s Adaptation Team with local, provincial, and national planning policies. She primarily contributes to ICLEI’s pilot initiative, ORCCA. Dana works on planning policy research, including policy analysis, policy gap matrix, and gap report to make policy recommendations and implementation guidelines for local government partners.

Dana holds an Honours Bachelor’s of Arts in Geography with a certificate in Geographic Information Science from Western University. She is currently pursuing her Master’s of Planning in Urban Development at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is passionate about planning for climate change and helping communities develop climate-consciously.