Board of Directors
Sierra Club Canada appointed national board members through its chapters until 2003, when the first national board election by members was held.
Yearly elections are held in late spring, new board members are announced in July. Read the nominations details to learn more.
Have a question for the Board? Send them an email at: board@sierraclub.ca.
Current Board members are:
WILL AMOS completed honours undergraduate studies at McMaster University in 1998, and completed a Masters degree in political science at University of British Columbia in 1999. He spent a year studying at l’Institut des Etudes Politiques in Grenoble, France in 1996-1997. He also studied for a semester at the Law Faculty of Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. After graduating the McGill Faculty of Law, he was called to the Québec Bar in 2005 and the Ontario Bar in 2006.
Will worked as a Special Assistant to former Environment Minister David Anderson on species-at-risk and water policy files, and as a policy analyst at Environment Canada. In 2003, he worked as a legal associate at the Mexican Centre in Mexico City. He has also been a consultant for the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation.
Will has lived in Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa, Hamilton and (now) Chelsea, Québec, is fluently trilingual (English, French, Spanish), and is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He serves on the board of the Chelsea Foundation, an organization that has acquired land and seeks to develop a model eco-community centre. He is currently the staff lawyer at the Environmental Law Clinic in Ottawa.
PAULA BOUTIS is a practicing lawyer familiar with environmental laws, governance, not-for-profit and charities law. She has previously served on Sierra Club of Canada’s national board, and the Ontario Chapter Executive, the latter as Chapter Chair for two years.
Paula is currently on the WindShare I Board of Directors (the co-operative that operates the Ex Place Turbine in Toronto), and on the Lakewind Executive Committee, a joint venture of WindShare II and Countryside Energy Cooperative, She is also a member of the executive of the unincorporated Women’s Environmental Alliance.
Paula has a BSc (major, development biology and cell biology; minor in environmental studies), an MSc (genetics), both at McGill University and an LLB (specialization in environmental law), from Dalhousie Law School. She is currently affiliated with the Women’s Law Association of Ontario and the Ontario Bar Association.
ZOË CARON (Vice-President, ) was first involved with the Sierra Youth Coalition as a student volunteer at Dalhousie University before becoming staff for the Atlantic Sustainable Campuses Project for two years. She is the Climate Policy & Advocacy Specialist for WWF-Canada and is the co-author of ''Global Warming for Dummies". She serves as Editor on ItsGettingHotInHere.org and was a founding member of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. Zoë regularly attends United Nations Climate Change Conferences and was aboard the Students On Ice International Polar Year 2007 Expedition to Antarctica.
DR. AMELIA CLARKE (Past President - Ex officio) has been serving on the Sierra Club Canada Board of Directors for over 10 years, including three years as President (2003-2006). She has also served on the Atlantic Canada Chapter ExComm (1999-2001). In 1996 she founded the Sierra Youth Coalition, and then served as its first National Director (1996-1999). Currently, Amelia is a professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo. She obtained a PhD in Management from McGill University, an Master of Environmental Studies (MES) from Dalhousie University and a BSc from Mount Allison University. She has also taught in the McGill School of the Environment and in Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Management. Amelia has published in the areas of campus environmental management, community sustainability strategies, cross-sector partnerships and youth-led social (including environmental) entrepreneurship. She is most proud of launching SYC’s sustainable campus program which is now active at more than 70 universities, and of her efforts to help influence the creation of 10 new protected areas in New Brunswick. Amelia is bilingual (English & French), and loves to spend time in nature (preferably hiking, canoeing or sailing).
JECA GLOR-BELL (President) is currently Chair of the Cultural Sensitivity Committee. Jeca graduated from Trent University in 2003 with honours in Environmental Resource Studies and International Development. She worked for the Sierra Youth Coalition from 2003-2005 as the first Ontario Regional Coordinator for the Sustainable Campuses Project helping to build that project nationally through fundraising, program development, and staff training. During that time, she served on the board of the Ontario Young People's Alliance (children and youth driven organization creating a learning inclusive culture that mobilizes young people to help themselves and each other) as the Financial Officer. In 2004, Jeca was a co-founder of the Energy Action Coalition – a coalition of more than 40 organizations from across the US and Canada, founded and led by youth to help support and strengthen the student and youth clean energy movement in North America. She also co-founded the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition in 2006, to mobilize a united front of youth from across Canada to tackle the biggest challenge of our generation, the emerging climate crisis. At that time she was working as the Boreal Network Organizer for Greenpeace Canada's Kleercut Campaign – a hard-hitting grassroots campaign that is putting pressure on Kimberly-Clark to improve its business practices and stop destroying ancient forests. Jeca is now pursuing her Masters in Urban Planning at UBC seeking to learn more about how sustainable cities can reduce their emissions while retaining a high quality of life. She is part of the Steering Committee for the UBC Climate Action Partnership, which is developing a plan to take UBC to climate neutrality and beyond.
SAMANTHA GREEN (Youth Representative) Samantha holds a Bachelor of Arts & Science from McMaster University and is currently a senior medical student at the University of Ottawa. Throughout her studies she has been involved in environmental activism, most recently as Ottawa's medical student representative to the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, as a member of the Sierra Youth Coalition's executive committee from 2006-2009, and as the coordinator of a medical student advocacy group that explores issues of the environment and poverty through the lens of health and disease. In the past, Samantha represented Ottawa to the Canadian Federation of Medical Students' Global Health Program; coordinated the McMaster Student Union's environmental office; and represented Canadian youth on Canada's delegation to the Commission for Sustainable Development. Samantha aims to use her growing medical expertise to advocate on behalf of the environment and sustainable development. In between learning the medical profession and striving to maintain her environmental activism, Samantha loves to cook vegan feasts, run marathons, and bike around the National Capital Region.
GORDON MAIR (Treasurer - Ex officio) Currently serving as the Treasurer of the Sierra Club Board, Gordon Mair was formerly with the Club as its Chief Financial Officer and is now the Director of Finance and Administration with Amnesty International Canadian Section. A Certified Management Accountant, Gordon has worked in finance internationally as Assistant Country Director of CARE International in Zambia, as Finance Manager for the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in New Caledonia, and as the Director of Finance and Administration for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture in Costa Rica. Previously he had worked for Forestry Canada and for the Office of the Auditor General.
SEAN PETTY is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg, having completed a B.A. in English and History. A graduate of the Leadership Winnipeg program, Sean has also completed training in conflict resolution and mediation. In 2008, he was privileged to receive climate change training from former U.S. Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore.
Sean has worked extensively in government. He has worked for the Manitoba government (Highways and Government Services), the federal government (Canadian Heritage), and as a political assistant to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Hon. Dr. Rey D. Pagtakhan. In 2000, he had the privilege of serving as the Canadian Liaison Officer to the Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister at the War-Affected Children Conference.
Fluently bilingual (English, French), Sean has a long history of volunteering in the community. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Zoological Society of Manitoba, the Celebrate Canada Committee (Manitoba), the United Nations Association of Canada (Winnipeg branch), and the Sierra Club of Canada’s Winnipeg group. He has also sat on the Board of the Liberal Party of Canada (Manitoba), acting as Manitoba Chair to the Liberal Party’s National Standing Committee on Policy Development. In 2006, he co-chaired the Winnipeg City Summit’s Youth Speakout event at the invitation of Winnipeg’s mayor.
BRIAN PINCH’s membership in the Sierra Club has spanned more than 35 years and has included many campaigns and numerous executive positions. Currently, in addition to being on the Sierra Club of Canada Board, he is on the Board of the Sierra Club of BC and is the Chair of the Sierra Club of BC Foundation. He has also been active with other ENGOs and NGOs over the years.
Prior to retirement, Brian was a Financial Advisor for 22 years, and founder of the Pinch Group. As one of Canada’s pioneers in socially responsible investing, he was widely quoted in the press, including the Globe and Mail, the Financial Post and Macleans Magazine.
Earlier in his career, he held various positions in BC Government, mostly related to the social and environmental assessment of major natural resource projects. He has a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
Brian’s passion for the Sierra Club stems from his love of nature and wilderness. He is an avid backpacker, skier and kayaker and has a keen interest in natural history. One of his greatest joys is introducing others to the profound beauty of our planet. He continues to lead Sierra outings.
JOHANNE ROBERGE (Secretary) is drawing from her years as Chair (and Founder) of the Québec Chapter to bring a fresh perspective to the National Board. Deeply committed to the Sierra Club grassroots mission, Johanne is contributing to the Chapter outings program and its newsletter. On the professional level, Johanne cumulates nearly 20 years of experience in administration and communication; having worked for the last 7 years for Cirque du Soleil. Moreover, her volunteering activities have not been limited to the Club: scout leader, First-Aider for St.John Ambulance or outdoor guide all benefited from her bountiful energy. Her expertise in communications, her natural ability to organize events and her love of nature contribute at making Johanne a rallying point in the environmental movement.
Martin Singh is a pharmacist and co-owner of the two Forest Hill Drug Mart pharmacies and a founding partner in what will be the Your Pharmacist group of pharmacies (one current location in Liverpool). In addition to performing his responsibilities as a pharmacist, Martin invests his time and energy into finding new methods to meet the pharmaceutical care needs of his clients. Prior to entering into pharmacy, Martin completed both a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) and a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry).