Tanna Elliott - Chair
Executive Director
The Kensington Conservancy
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Tanna is the Executive Director of the Kensington Conservancy. In this role Tanna has lead the growth of this very new land trust. Tanna, as a long time resident of Northern Ontario has a great passion for her home, its open spaces and fresh water. Concerned about water quality and over development on the shores of Lake Huron, and the many pristine inland lakes; she has become a strong voice in educating landowners and municipalities on good stewardship practices. Tanna has spent more than 25 years working in an executive capacity as well as volunteering for non-profit organizations and charities.
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Wendy Cooper – Past Chair
Executive Director
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Since graduating from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario with an Honours BSc in Environmental Science & Biology, Wendy has had a variety of work experiences ranging from a Species at Risk Biologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to a Stewardship Officer with the Ontario Region of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Wendy’s work in the Great Lakes, and specifically the eastern coast of Georgian Bay began as the Project Manager of the Georgian Bay Coast Project, a large-scale inventory project along the eastern shore. Since September of 2003, Wendy has been Georgian Bay Land Trust’s first full-time Executive Director. Wendy also serves as a Director on the Board of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund which provides support for grassroots organizations working throughout the Great Lakes.
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 Jen Baker - Secretary
Head-of-the-Lake Land Trust
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Jen Baker has been involved for over 12 years in the conservation field - mainly with the Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC) where she has served two terms as a board member. Currently, Jen is the Land Trust Coordinator with the Head-of-the-Lake Land Trust, a program of the HNC but still continues to volunteer in her spare time for the HNC. Jen has extensive experience in project management, fundraising and communications and has participated in many OLTA events over the years.
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Susan Ungurean-Cumming - Treasurer
President, Legacy Financial Accounting and Administrative Services
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Brian Banks - Governor
Independent Communications/Project Consultant
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Brian Banks is a freelance editor, writer and project consultant specializing in business, geography, conservation and climate change. Most recently, he was editor of Financial Post Magazine, published by the National Post, and he has more than 20 years of business journalism and media experience. Brian is also a lifelong geographer and advocate for nature. He has a BA in geography from University of Toronto, attended Pennsylvania State University for a Master's, and has written extensively on the environment for national publications ever since. In 2009, Brian left the Post to move his career in its current direction, focusing more directly on conservation and in those areas where the environment, economics and business increasingly overlap. He volunteers with Ontario Nature, Nature Conservancy of Canada and is an Al-Gore-trained presenter with the Climate Project Canada. Brian enjoys canoeing, cycling and lives in Toronto.
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Gregor Beck - Governor
Director, Conservation and Science
Long Point Basin Land Trust
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Gregor Beck brings to the OLTA Board of Governors a broad spectrum of conservation experience from working with the Quebec-Labrador Foundation, Ontario Nature (Director of Conservation and Science), Bird Studies Canada and currently as Director of Conservation Science for the Long Point Land Trust. Beyond his involvement with the land trust, Gregor continues to consult in conservation and research for NGO, governmental and aboriginal groups. A noted conservation author of both scholarly papers and popular books, Gregor offers an unmatched expertise in conservation and wildlife research to the OLTA board – as well as a keen sense of fun.
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 Mark Carabetta - Governor
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Mark has been involved in land conservation and ecological restoration for more than 12 years, with a focus on forested and freshwater habitats. Prior to joining Ontario Nature as Conservation and Science Manager in 2006, his positions included Director of Conservation Science at the Connecticut Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and Environmental Scientist at a private consulting firm where he specialized in wetland and river restoration and dam removal. He is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist, holds a Bachelors degree in natural resources management and engineering from the University of Connecticut, and a Masters degree in botany from Connecticut College. He is a former board member and past president of the Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists and a former board member of the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources.
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 Peter Carson - Governor
Chair
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Peter’s interest in the out-of-doors started early in life and continued in bursts and starts until the late 80s from which point he has been able to spend most of his energies on natural history and conservation issues. He is currently the past president of the Norfolk Field Naturalists, president and one of the founders of the Long Point Basin Land Trust, and one of the founding committee members of and a board member on the Ontario Nature Trust Alliance which morphed into OLTA. He has been on the boards of Ontario Nature, Wildlands League, Tallgrass Ontario and Carolinian Canada. Peter is also co-chair of the Karner Blue Recovery Team and recovery team member for Spiny Softshell Turtles, Hooded Warblers, Acadian Flycatchers, Barn Owls and the Norfolk American Chestnut Working Group. Peter and his partner Mary Gartshore live in Norfolk County just north of Long Point where they own and operate a native plant nursery.
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Kim Gavine - Governor
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Kim Gavine has been working in the natural heritage field for twenty years. Most of her career has focused on land securement, land management and private land stewardship. As the Natural Heritage Co-ordinator with the Ontario Heritage Foundation (OHF), Kim was responsible for implementing both the Niagara Escarpment and Carolinian Canada Programs, as well as working with partners to manage over 100 natural heritage properties owned by the OHF. In 2003, Kim joined the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation as their Program Manager and was promoted to Executive Director in February of 2007. Kim has also supported her local community by sitting on the Board of Directors for the Couchiching Conservancy. Although Kim lives and works in Aurora, she and her husband spend as much time as possible at their rural property in Hillsdale, Ontario.
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Mike Hendren - Governor
Executive Director
Kawartha Heritage Conservancy
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Mike is currently the Executive Director for the Kawartha Heritage Conservancy. Previously, Mike was the Ecological Gifts Program Coordinator with the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada. This involved him responding to inquiries from donors, recipient organizations and related professionals and guiding applicants through the Ecological Gifts process. He was responsible for the review and determination of ecological submissions, real property valuations, property verification and consistencies. Mike has his Masters in urban and regional planning and is experienced as a real estate appraiser. He has consulted with numerous land securement projects and volunteered as a participant on landscape resource conservation in the Yorkshire and Humber District of northern England. Mike is an avid outdoor enthusiast.
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Gary Hoyer
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Governor
Professor, George Brown College
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 Patricia Short-Gallé- Governor
President
Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust
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Since 2001 and until her retirement as Regional Manager, Green Space & Outreach with Transport Canada in August 2007, Patricia Short-Gallé led the federal Green Space initiative to protect approximately 7,500 acres including the Oak Ridges Moraine portion of the federal holdings in Pickering as Green Space for future generations. Patricia was a member of the Duffins Watershed Task Force, the Rouge Watershed Task Force, the Duffins/Carruthers Watershed Resource Group and the Rouge Park Improvement & Heritage Committee. Throughout her career Patricia has been responsible for managing staff and large budgets. Patricia is a member at large on the Walker Woods & Glen Major Stewardship Committee of Toronto & Region Conservation Authority and is also a member of the TRCA Oak Ridges Corridor Park East – Management Plan Public Advisory Committee. Patricia is on the Board of Directors for the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust, President of the Board and a member of the Fundraising Committee. Patricia lives in Pickering.
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Mary Alice Snetsinger- Governor
Vice-President
Land Conservancy for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington
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Mary Alice is a biologist, who received a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Queen's University. She has worked for the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, St. Lawrence Islands National Park of Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. For the past 13 years she has been principal and sole proprietor of the firm Ecological Services, which undertakes environmental assessments, fish habitat assessments, resources inventories and other ecological work. Clients include the federal and provincial governments, conservation authorities and municipalities, and private firms and citizens. She has had several years of experience working with land trusts, and is presently the Vice-President of the Land Conservancy for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington.
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Angela Van Niekerk - Governor
Healthy Watersheds Technician/Wetlands Specialist
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority
avanniekerk@abca.on.ca
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Angela graduated from University of Guelph, with an Honours BSc in Biology. She has worked in the conservation field for 8 years gaining a variety of work experiences from banding birds, fish toxicology, benthic invertebrates to wetland restoration. Angela started working for the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority in 2006 performing water sampling, freshwater mussel surveys, fisheries surveys and benthic monitoring. Currently, Angela coordinates the Healthy Headwaters Wetlands Initiative at the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority in partnership with the Middlesex Stewardship Council, Huron Stewardship Council and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Together, the partners work to restore wet areas to wetlands or natural cover to improve water quality and conserve natural areas. Over the three years, the Healthy Headwaters Wetlands Initiative has restored 28 wetlands of approximately 112 acres. |