Board of directors

Please note these are currently being edited.

Julie Rennick (she/her) – President

Julie believes protecting nature requires strong policy, credible evidence, community participation, and collaboration across sectors. Outside of her work, she enjoys swimming, supports better public transit in cities, and finds renewal in quiet walks on nature trails.

 

Shirley Barnea – Quebec Director

Shirley Barnea is an environmental activist from Montréal. Enchanted by nature since preschool, she gives everything she has to protect it, whether that be leading her high school and CEGEP green teams, convincing her parents to switch to an electric car or talking about climate change to everyone, all the time.

She has also written op-eds for The Globe and Mail and The Montreal Gazette. Since 2020, Shirley has been a core organizer with Fridays for Future Montréal (@pourlefuturmtl), leading student strikes and climate protests (25 so far) with as many as 15,000 participants. As spokesperson for the group, she has given dozens of interviews. She is energetic, hardworking, empathetic and optimistic, and hopes to bring her unique perspective to the Sierra Club Canada team!

 

Caryn Dooner (she/her) – Director (at Large)

Caryn is currently pursuing a medical degree at Queen’s University, having previously completed a Master’s degree in Biology. She is interested in a future career in Emergency Medicine and/or Family Medicine, with a strong focus on how clinical practice intersects with broader determinants of health. Her academic and professional interests are grounded in a commitment to evidence-based care and an understanding of how environmental and social factors shape patient outcomes.

Outside of her studies, she enjoys staying active outdoors—running, training for triathlons, and spending time hiking and walking with my dog, Ghost. She is particularly interested in climate health and sustainability, and in contributing to advocacy efforts that support healthier communities through environmental stewardship. She is excited about the opportunity to contribute to the work of the Sierra Club Foundation and to engage in efforts that advance climate and health priorities.

 

Samuel Eisner (he/him) – Atlantic Director

Samuel has worked and volunteered at environmental charities such as Ecojustice Canada and East Coast Environmental Law as a law student, and will be called to the Nova Scotia Bar as a new lawyer in June 2025.

He wishes to continue to engage and work within the Environmental NGO space and was made aware of this board position by a former coworker and current board member. He has a law degree with a certificate in Environmental Law from Dalhousie University and a bachelor of arts degree, also from Dalhousie University. As a student, he acted in executive roles with multiple student groups, such as the Dalhousie Undergraduate History Society and the Environmental Law Students Society, and served as Treasurer in both groups.

 

Micheal Fountain (he/him) – Director (at Large)

Micheal Fountain is a senior communications professional whose work focuses on helping for-profit and nonprofit organizations engage and connect with stakeholders and the communities in which they operate and support.

Micheal has 20 years of experience in the engineering and design services industry, including leading communications at Canada’s largest environmental consulting firm. He has advised on and led strategic communications, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement to build and improve corporate sustainability reporting, ESG, occupational health and safety, and Indigenous relations programs. Drawing on his family’s roots in environmental stewardship in the Algoma Highlands and North Channel area of Ontario, along with his past board experience with childcare and education nonprofits in Toronto, Micheal is excited to serve and support Sierra Club Canada Foundation’s vision and mission.

 

Andrea Fugeman-Millar (she/her) – Director (at Large)

Andrea brings a dedication to conservation and the laws that are needed to protect conservation areas. In addition to being a prosecutor, Andrea has over 20 years of experience in serving on national, provincial, and local Boards, and has a clear understanding of the governance model for Boards of Directors.

She has taken many courses on risk management for Boards and is committed to diversity and inclusion on a Board of Directors and in the staff that work for the Sierra Club. Andrea has attended the Banff School for Aboriginal Leadership, and served on the Board for the Indian Friendship Centre of Calgary. She also founded the hot lunch program at Piitoyis School (a specialized urban indigenous School ) as a charity and ran it for eight years.

She plays the cello in her community orchestra and has received her Master Gardener Certification through the Calgary Horticultural Society. She volunteers at a conservation area near her home in Rocky View, Alberta, and teaches children the ”Web of Life” and how conservation sustains the web of life. She believes we all have to be committed to conservation now, and intends to have this as her focus for the rest of her life.

 

Karen McCallum (she/her) – Director (at Large)

Karen has a lot of experience running programs, and is currently working for Indigenous Services at the Federal Government. She can offer research and policy skills as well as practical restoration support to the work of Sierra Club Canada.

Karen’s strengths include writing and communications, data analysis and research, and building multi-stakeholder partnerships. She is excited to work with a group of caring, passionate people who want to leave this world better than they found it!

Karen is a policy analyst, researcher, and community-minded person dedicated to advancing equity, reconciliation, and social justice. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, she brings over a decade of experience working at the intersection of public policy, interdisciplinary research, and community engagement—particularly in collaboration with Indigenous communities and organizations.

Karen currently serves as a Senior Policy Analyst at Indigenous Services Canada, where she leads national economic reconciliation initiatives in partnership with Indigenous governments and organizations. Her work focuses on developing policy frameworks that promote Indigenous economic self-determination. She has also contributed to Indigenous housing and homelessness policy through her previous role at Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada.

Karen holds a Ph.D. in Human Rights from the University of London, where her research explored settler responsibilities in Canadian environmental activism post-Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She also holds an M.A. in Gender Studies from McMaster University and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo. Outside of work, Karen is committed to community service and environmental advocacy. She volunteers with Shelter Movers assisting families fleeing abuse, engaging as a member of my local Hamilton Naturalist Club, and is active in her Union, serving on the Elections and Resolutions Committee.

 

Heather McKinnon – Ontario Director

Heather is passionate about the environment and dedicated to ongoing learning and advocacy in environmental sustainability and justice. Her efforts to protect local parkland and urban forests have deepened her understanding of the critical need to preserve green spaces for future generations.

From an early age, Heather’s passion for nature and wildlife was fostered through camping, hiking, canoeing and kayaking in British Columbia and Ontario. These experiences instilled a deep appreciation for the natural world and a commitment to its protection. She is particularly interested in initiatives that combat climate change, habitat destruction and raise awareness about biodiversity loss, promote environmental justice and healthy communities.

Heather works as an Operations Coordinator at a non-profit in Toronto, is currently the co-chair of the JHSC and has previously served on other workplace Joint Health, Safety and Environment committees. With a creative background working in photography and film production, she enjoys exploring and photographing urban spaces and natural places.

 

Andrea Miller (she/her) – Director (at Large)

Andrea is the editor of Lion’s Roar, the leading Buddhist magazine in the English language. Serving as a staff writer, she has written many feature articles, including a profile of Christiana Figueres who was a key architect of the Paris Agreement, and she’s interviewed prominent figures, such as Jane Goodall, Joanna Macy, and Thich Nhat Hanh. Andrea has also written for The Globe and Mail, Saltscapes, BirdWatching, and other publications. She’s the author of My First Book of Canadian Birds (Nimbus Publishing), Awakening My Heart (Pottersfield Press), and The Day the Buddha Woke Up (Wisdom Publications), as well as the editor of three anthologies, including Buddha’s Daughters: Teachings from Women Who Are Shaping Buddhism in the West (Shambhala Publications). Andrea is now finishing a book for Flatiron/Macmillan called This Is a Very Good Strawberry, which is about using Buddhist teachings and practices to have a deeper, more joyful, and ecologically sustainable relationship with food. It will be published in 2026.

 

Len Polsky (he/him) – Prairie Director

Originally from Montreal, Len earned a Bachelor of Commerce and both civil and common law degrees from McGill University. He went on to study at The Hague and practice at a law firm in Geneva before returning to Canada and putting down roots in Alberta.

Len spent nearly 30 years as a litigation lawyer, focusing on complex commercial and employment law disputes, and appeared at every level of the Canadian court system, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He then joined the Law Society of Alberta, where over more than a decade he oversaw its practice technology programs, led the Innovation Sandbox project, and established and directed mentorship programs for lawyers across the province. A recognized voice on legal technology, he writes and speaks regularly on the adoption of generative AI in legal practice.

Len has served on the boards and committees of numerous not-for-profit and professional organizations, contributing to strategic planning and governance across a range of corporate and organizational contexts. Outside of work, Len enjoys travel, hiking in the Rockies, and playing a mediocre level of guitar.

 

Nicole Tomasic (she/her) – Vice President & Yukon and BC Director

Nicole Tomasic is a lawyer currently practicing Aboriginal law in beautiful Coast Salish territory. She holds specializations in environmental, marine, Aboriginal and Indigenous law and has worked with several environmental non-profits.

Passionate and curious about environmental, social and Indigenous justice, Indigenous sovereignty, decolonization and sustainability, Nicole is humbled by the continuous (re-)learning and self‐reflection that these concepts provoke. She loves being outdoors, whether hiking, camping, swimming, cycling, canoeing or marveling at the ever-changing garden. Nicole can also be found juggling a book and a mug of tea or taking in the rain, the ocean or the trees.

 

Ruando van Rooi (he/him) – Sierra Youth Director

Ruando is a Senior Associate at PwC Canada, where he works primarily in assurance services, supporting clients across a range of industries. He holds a Chartered Accountant designation and has a strong interest in governance, financial oversight, and risk management, particularly in the context of mission-driven and not-for-profit organizations.

Outside of his professional work, he is deeply interested in environmental sustainability, climate action, and the role strong institutions play in driving long-term, systemic change. He is motivated by opportunities that combine sound governance with meaningful social and environmental impact, and he values collaboratives, values‑driven leadership.

 

Treasurer 

Laëtitia Eyssartel (she/her) – Treasurer

Laëtitia has spent the last 14 years working in the nonprofit sector, mostly in operations and leadership roles both in the environmental and food justice sectors. She was Senior Director at a food justice advocacy organization called FoodShare Toronto, providing strategic leadership to various areas of the organization including people operations (HR), finance, social enterprises, IT, volunteers and facility management.

Most recently, she co-founded a consulting business (Evenings & Weekends Consulting) that primarily works with emerging organizations/leaders, activist groups, charities and community groups in advancing equity, justice and social change in the way they do their work both internally and externally. She also acts as the managing director for the organization and handles all finance & HR, in addition to working directly with clients on recruitment (Board & staff roles) and other people operations. She has managed budgets ranging from $1M to $4M, and developed many financial policies and procedures, supported audit processes, and Canada Revenue Agency reporting.