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Ontario Nature Board of Directors, 2023 © John Hassell

Board of Directors

Our officers and directors are passionate, dedicated and talented volunteers who generously give their time and insight to guide the charity’s conservation efforts.


Executive

Andre Willi – Chair

Andre lives and works in Vaughan as a self-employed insurance broker specializing in employee benefits. He has an economics degree from the University of Guelph. Andre is a life-long nature enthusiast who enjoys learning about all aspects of nature. Conserving Ontario’s biodiversity and international environmental issues are important to him. He enjoys working with Ontario Nature in achieving its goals. He tries to get in a weekly hike at the Kortright Centre down the street from his house or find an alternative hiking spot.

John Diebolt – Vice-Chair
John Diebolt

John is a retired conservation officer who spent most of his career on Manitoulin Island working with local hunters and naturalists alike. John is active with the Friends of Misery Bay, of which he is a past president, and the Manitoulin Nature Club. John and members of the Friends of Misery Bay have worked in cooperation with Ontario Parks to build a Park Interpretive Centre and develop hiking trails and boardwalks along the unique alvars on the reserve. A keen birder, John welcomes visitors to Manitoulin to view its migrant and resident birdlife. In addition, John and his wife Rose have a well-known restaurant in Tehkummah.

Peter Winkley – Treasurer
Peter Winkley, Ontario Nature board, Treasurer

Peter is a CA, CPA who recently retired from his role as CFO of Algoma Central Corporation, one of Canada’s largest marine shipping companies. As part of the Algoma Executive team, Peter oversaw the Company’s generational investment in new vessels designed to help achieve aggressive carbon reduction goals. Peter has been a supporter of Ontario Nature for over two decades and lives with his wife and a daughter in Port Credit, with a summer home in Wasaga Beach.

Jeff Daley – Secretary
Peter Winkley, Ontario Nature board, Secretary

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary’s University and currently works in the finance sector. His passion for nature was sparked by a spring trip to Point Pelee National Park where he got hooked on birding. This led him to develop a broader interest in nature including bees, butterflies, and the importance of native gardens. He is also an active participant in various community science initiatives. Jeff is looking forward to dedicating his energy and experience to help protect Ontario’s biodiversity.


Nature Network Directors

Marilyn Baxter

Marilyn served as both Executive Director of the Bay Area Restoration Council and as Environmental Manager for the Hamilton Port Authority where her passion was the clean-up of Hamilton Harbour and its watershed from the early 1990’s until her retirement in 2018. The Eramosa River East Branch Naturalization Project (upstream of Guelph) was Marilyn’s most proud moment as President of the Eden Mills Eramosa River Conservation Association (EMERCA) in 2020. Canoeing, swimming, and hiking in the Great Lakes West area had prepared her to represent the Region.

Sylvia Bowman

Sylvia grew up in Calgary and spent a lot of time in the mountains of British Columbia and Alberta where she grew to love nature thanks to her mom. She is a registered nurse from Ottawa Civic Hospital School of Nursing with a BScN from the University of Toronto and has worked as a public health nurse for many years. She rejoins Ontario Nature’s Board of Directors having previously been a members from 2011 to 2017.

Carol Burnup
Carol Burnup

Carol has an academic background in ecology, a deep respect for nature and a thorough understanding of its healing effects with over 20 years of professional communications experience primarily within the environmental and social non-profit sectors. She is a member of the Ottawa Field Naturalists Club and enjoys all outdoor or nature-related activity, with her most recent adventures paddling the Yukon River and hiking the ruggedness of Iceland. When she is not donning her environmental cape, she is an avid explorer, having lived, worked or studied in over 25 countries and a performance artist.

Mike Fisher
Mike Fisher, The Friends of Ojibway Prairie – Carolinian West

Mike graduated from the University of Windsor with a masters degree in business administration and is a chartered professional accountant (CPA, CMA). He is a committed board member with The Friends of Ojibway Prairie and a member of the Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club. Mike is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys hiking, kayaking and cycling.

Peter Smith

Peter is transitioning from a long and fulfilling career in information technology consulting, where he gained experience managing projects and supporting teams. Recently, he completed a certification in Advanced Environmental Management from the University of Toronto to further explore his interest in environmental issues.

Paul Toffoletti
Paul Toffoletti, Hamilton Naturalists Club – Carolinian East Ontario Nature Regional Director Board Member

Paul is a retired Urban Planning Technician from the City of Hamilton and is an honorary member of the Canadian Association of Certified Planning Technicians. Active in environmental and heritage conservation since the 1990s, he volunteers with the Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club, Hamilton Naturalists Club, and Royal Botanical Gardens. He serves on the Ontario Trails Council Board and has contributed to environmental advisory committees for Burlington and Halton Region. Passionate about land use and conservation, Paul is also a Hike Ontario Certified Hike Leader who enjoys hiking, skiing, curling, cycling, gardening, and history.

* Read about the Regional Council.


Directors at Large

Belinda Bain

Belinda is a partner in the litigation group of a large Toronto law firm, focusing her practice on insurance law. She is happiest when out of doors, whether cycling, hiking, swimming or paddling. Belinda has long been inspired by her mother’s involvement in various naturalist organizations, and is a huge believer in the positive impact taking joy in nature has on well-being. She seeks to enable as many others as possible to gain access to and become passionate about Ontario’s beautiful natural spaces.

Laverne Barretto

Laverne has been a Canadian Diplomat and represented Canada in the international development and environment field. She managed programs in environmental governance, food security, desertification, disaster response, and education in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. As a Senior Environmental Officer with the Ontario Environment Ministry, Laverne was responsible for elevating pollution prevention initiatives and conducting industrial inspections. She has a Master’s in Environment and Development from the University of Sussex, UK, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Toronto. She dreams of a planet with immense biodiversity, harmony and social justice. Laverne has French language competency, is an advanced scuba diver, and is a fan of Motown, Star Trek and Get Smart.

Adam De Luca

Adam has an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto and J.D. from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law. His studies and experiences have focused on urban ecology, renewable energy, nature conservation and environmental advocacy. Adam has been a member of the University of Toronto Food Policy Council and is the president of the Lakehead University Environmental Law Students Association. He has worked on the Bloor Street Bike Lane Pilot Project, which resulted in permanent bike lanes along Toronto’s Bloor Street, and studied renewable energy systems implementation at the University of Reykjavik. His aim is to leverage his experience to advocate for environmental justice.

Tiffany Lee

Tiffany is a University of Toronto BSc graduate, founder of Deo Tutoring, and a Strategy and Planning manager at Cisco. As a youth, being an Ontario Nature Youth Council member and Duke of Edinburgh International Award recipient has shaped and inspired her to pursue a life of giving-back and protecting nature. In the past decade she mentored 45 high school students to achieve distinguishable academic performances and volunteering. She participated as a Canadian diplomat at the 2021 WBG-IMF Annual Meeting and wrote about green investments in Canada. Presently Tiffany loves participating in corporate green teams’ events and judging in environmental hackathons and projects.

Muhammad (Moe) Qureshi

Moe was a founding member of the Ontario Nature Youth Council in 2010. He has been named one of Starfish Canada’s Top Environmentalists Under 25 in 2014 and 2015, and was recognized by the Lieutenant Governor for his work in conserving Ontario’s natural heritage. Moe has worked extensively in the areas of conservation and the chemistry for renewable energy and has advised the Government of Canada for the 2016–2019 and 2019–2022 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. He holds a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto, a PhD in chemistry from KAUST. He has worked at Stanford University’s SLAC facility working on cutting-edge technology to develop clean solar fuels, which uses sunlight and water to generate energy.

Susan Robertson
Susan Robertson headshot

Susan is a principal planner at People Plan Community and has 15 years of experience in watershed management, Indigenous planning, and community engagement. A French speaker, she has worked across the Greater Toronto Area in policy and regulatory roles, collaborating with First Nations and various governance bodies. Her projects enhance public spaces through parks, trails, and conservation efforts. Susan is a Registered Professional Planner with the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, previously serving as a Commissioner for the Niagara Escarpment Commission.

“It was wonderful to stand with such inspiring, dedicated and passionate board members who tirelessly work to protect our natural world. Being on the board was an honour and a privilege. Thanks to the current board members for everything you do for nature in your personal, professional and volunteer lives.”
– Denice Wilkins, past board member

“Being on the board was a rewarding experience with so many passionate, knowledgeable and caring people. Ontario Nature is in good hands and must continue to hold the government to account as it seeks to ‘pave paradise’. I am honoured to count fellow board members as nature friends and to have supported such important projects together. Best wishes to you all and thanks for protecting nature with me.”
– Joanne Brown, board member from 2016 to 2022

Whorled loosetrife © Noah Cole

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