Board of Directors

HOWIE CHONG (President) has been working with companies and organizations for nearly a decade, helping them to assess and manage their environmental footprint. He is the founder of Carbonzero, which provides carbon reduction strategies and solutions. His experience includes greenhouse gas emissions accounting, carbon markets and international climate policy. In 2008, Howie was named one of Canada’s Future Environmental Leaders by Green Living Magazine for his work as an entrepreneur in the new green economy. He holds a degree in environment and political science from McGill University.

 

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SCOTT MCANSH is a lawyer practising municipal and administrative law in Ottawa. He is the founder and former President of the People's Pedal, Edmonton's bicycle sharing cooperative, former VP of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society, as well as former host and producer of Terra Informa, CJSR radio's weekly environmental news program. Scott holds an LLB from the University of Alberta and Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Waterloo.


 

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CHRISTOPHER BALL (Youth Representative) is an intellectual property lawyer currently living in Ottawa. Born in England, Chris moved with his family to Kingston, Ontario as a child. He holds degrees in engineering physics and law from Queen's University. Before becoming a lawyer, Chris had a diverse array of jobs, including working in a neuroscience lab, developing software for the Department of National Defence, researching novel methods of human-computer interaction, editing the Queen's Law Journal, and working as a legal intern and copyright reform advocate at the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC). In his spare time, Chris is trying to develop the perfect sourdough pizza crust.

 

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MEREDITH JAMES (Secretary) is a lawyer practicing environmental law. She is a former Sierra Club Prairie Associate Chapter Director and founding member of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. She brings experience working with a wide-range of environmental groups at the municipal, provincial, and national levels including The People’s Pedal (Edmonton’s bicycle sharing cooperative) and the Saskatchewan Eco-Network. Meredith holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Saskatchewan and Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from the University of Alberta.
 

 

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GORDON MAIR (Treasurer - Ex officio) is 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.
 

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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.

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TONY REDDIN a social activist and musician from Bonshaw, P.E.I. has been active in SCC since the Atlantic Canada Chapter began in 2001. A graduate of UPEI (BSc Physics), Tony was involved in the Maritime Energy Coalition for many years, and is presently the Energy Project Coordinator for the Environmental Coalition of Prince Edward Island (ECO-P.E.I.)and the PEI Representative to the Atlantic Canada Sustainable Energy Coalition (ACSEC). Tony has served on the Atlantic Board for OXFAM Canada and is active in the PEI Food Security Network. He also volunteers as an educator at schools, as a community event organizer, and as a leader of singalongs, contra dances, nature walks, canoe paddles and discussions of other alternatives to fossil fuel consumption. 

 

 

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CARL BICKERDIKE has many years of experience directing non-profit programs, specializing in environmental and outdoor education in both the U.S. and Canada. From 2009-2011 he was a member of the Executive Committee for the Sierra Club’s Cape Cod & Islands Group. He received his MA from Tufts University’s Department of Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning in 2012. Since moving to Montreal Carl has been actively engaged in environmental advocacy.

 

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ARTHUR LAM is a corporate growth and turnaround professional with experience in acquisitions, financial analysis, restructuring and operations management. He brings a track record of delivering high impact results on distressed & special situation investments and new business initiatives in US, UK, India, Brazil, and Canada. He has extensive governance experience, both in corporate and non-profit settings, and previously volunteered at Sierra Club Ontario.

 

 

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PAULA BOUTIS (former President) is a lawyer practicing environmental, non-profit and charitable law. Her commitment to the environmental movement extends to a number of a board positions including as a past director of WindShare, the co-operative that operates the Exhibition place turbine.  Paula has volunteered at all levels of the Club, including as Chapter Chair for the Ontario Chapter.