Dr. Ged McLean is an engineer and innovator who concentrates his efforts on developing and commercializing clean technology solutions. His experience ranges from fundamental academic research to new product innovation.

Brendan Hance is an entrepreneur and fractional CFO. After the successful sale of the family business in 2017, Brendan established a small family office managing a portfolio of investments and a consulting practice working with a diverse range of early stage companies looking to scale.

Nicole has extensive experience devising and implementing comprehensive, global strategies that mobilize resources, accelerate green growth, and promote climate resilience across diverse economic sectors.

Raymond has over a decade of consulting experience in grants and incentives, managing R&D projects in the resource and manufacturing sectors. With a technical background in engineering, he is interested in technological advancements and dedicated to bringing projects to fruition.

Amira has a background in the energy industry working in operations, business development and project management. She is passionate about the clean energy transition and unlocking opportunities with strategic partnerships.

Omar Mawji has a background in investment management in energy and late-stage venture capital. He is interested in understanding how companies will co-operate and invest in the clean energy transition.

Ashley Callister has a background in environmental science and 3 years experience in the bioenergy sector. She is passionate about low-carbon solutions and facilitating strategic partnerships to accelerate BC’s bioeconomy.

Chantelle Carden has an extensive background in carbon management systems, carbon credit systems, biofuels and hydrogen – working with the private and public sector for the last 8 years. She is also a recipient of the Hydrogen Economist’s 2022 Women in Hydrogen 50.

Sharleen Gale has been an elected Councillor of the Fort Nelson First Nation since 2009. She is an active indigenous leader and member of the Fort Nelson First Nation and envisions a future where all members are working together to become a strong, proud, healthy, and self-reliant Nation. She is the grand-daughter of Fred Burke and Madeline Needlay. Her roots run deep in the lives of her people and she enjoys being on the land with her family exploring the territory and teaching her son the traditional ways on how to hunt, fish, and gather medicines and berries during the seasonal rounds.

As a leader and Chief of the Nation, she understands the importance of upholding the spirit and intent of the treaty by asserting her peoples’ rights to their land and taking responsibility for ensuring that our future generations are able to live their lives in their territory in a way that honours our ancestors. Sharleen started her career at Westcoast Energy Inc. in 2000. Her various roles working in Administration, Finance, Maintenance, Planning and in Leadership have given her extensive experience in the oil and gas sector, the corporate world and the vision to ensure our people are managing our lands and our resources in our territory to the benefit of our members.

Sharleen is the chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) and believes that First Nations need to have the opportunity to have equity in major project infrastructure and access to meaningful financing for these projects happening in their territories. One that focuses on a balance approach of economic prosperity and environmental stewardship. Several First Nations have formed the First Nations Major Projects Coalition for the purposes of examining how ownership of major resource projects on their lands could be facilitated and how environmental practices can be improved to meet their needs.
The work of the FNMPC is directed through feedback received from the First Nations participating in the Coalition.

Paul is a Partner, Industrial and Climate Technology, with Fort Capital Partners – a boutique Investment Bank with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. Paul’s career includes positions with the Federal Government’s Western Economic Diversification (now PacifiCAN) as Advisor, Cleantech and he has worked for foreign multinational and Canadian corporations including Mitsubishi Corporation, Hughes Aircraft Company, Telus and MDS Mobile Data Systems.

Prior to joining Fort Capital in 2018 Paul served 9 years as Regional Director for Sustainable Development Technology Canada – a NFP Foundation created by the Government of Canada that provides non-dilutive grants to de-risk new technologies for cleaner air, water, soil, and reduction of Green House Gases over incumbent systems.

Paul maintains a wide network of corporate strategic, institutional, government and family office venture capital investors and connects these entities with private, Canadian climate tech firms seeking growth capital. Since 2019, Fort Capital has assisted its climate tech client’s raise over $1.3B in equity capital. Paul graduated from Queen’s University in Economics and completed the Hughes executive marketing program at University of California Los Angeles.

Located 14 km south of Lytton, BC, Patrick Michell of the Kanaka Bar Indian Band (one of the 15 indigenous communities that make up the Nlaka’pamux Nation today) has lived in the Fraser Canyon all his life. Since 1978, with awareness of growing changes within and upon their traditional territory caused by climate change, Patrick and his community, worked with many 3rd parties, to design and complete site specific programs and projects that re-establish sustainable community foundations in water, food, and shelter with supporting resilient systems like storage, energy, communications, transportation and waste management; building capacity and resiliency within the community and preparing Kanaka Bar, and its residents, for the environment and economy of today and more importantly – for tomorrow.

In 2018, Patrick was honored with a Clean Energy BC lifetime achievement award for his work in renewable energy project design, permitting, development and operations; and in 2021, Patrick was honored with a Clean50 Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on climate change awareness and action. Kanaka Bar’s 2021 Community Resilience Plan (or CRP) was also recognized as the Clean50 2022 Top national project.

Following the hottest ever recorded daily temperature in Canada, on June 30, 2021, Patrick, and his family, as did so many others, lost their intergenerational home in the Lytton fire and they have lived in response mode since. The same region has since had to manage the Atmospheric River in November 2021 that “wiped out” all but one road and in late December the Lytton region also lived through never before experienced “minus 32 degree” temperature along with a snowfall in excess of 4 feet in places.

Living in response mode, planning, and rebuilding a home, a neighbourhood, a town and a region while also going though compounding events is not for the faint of heart. The Lytton and area residents are working together, side by side, with external supports, to design and replace not only that which was lost, but are looking at anything reasonable, affordable and doable that will result in a community not only ready for the environment and economy of today but also for tomorrow.

With an affinity for public policy and finding solutions that improve both the economy and the environment, Mark joined Clean Energy Canada after a 25-year career with the British Columbia public service where he most recently served as Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. His public service career also included assistant deputy minister roles in various natural resources, education, and innovation portfolios. Mark also brings his academic leadership to the table, holding adjunct faculty appointments at the Simon Fraser University School of Public Policy, University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria. Mark holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of Guelph and has published extensively.

Lori is currently the CEO of Blueberry River Resources, an organization that serves as the independent economic development and management entity for Blueberry River First Nation’s commercial interests. Blueberry River Resources is wholly owned by Blueberry River First Nation.

Lori served three terms as the Mayor of the City of Fort St. John B.C. She leads with conviction to educate decision makers on the realities of our economy, our communities and the nation’s resource extraction.

With a diploma in Business Management, and a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Governance Essentials Program, Lori has spent her entire career working to benefit her community. Whether in paid leadership positions for local community groups, or as a volunteer, Lori has used her expertise and unparalleled drive to benefit her community.

Taking her expertise in local government and resource extraction on the international arena, Lori spent four years working with small communities in Peru. Through the Sustainable and Inclusive Communities in Latin America (CISAL) Program, she worked to improve governance, economies, community infrastructure and relations with the mining industry in remote regions of the country.

She represents Fort St. John on many local, regional and provincial boards and committees.

In 2016 Lori was named one of the Top 35 Most Influential Women in BC in BC Business Magazine and in 2019, the Energy Council of Canada honored her as the Canadian Energy Person of the year.

Lori is a leader, an innovator, a champion, a lifetime-learner, a mom, grandma, partner and friend.

Dr. Katya Rhodes is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Administration and member of the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria. Dr. Rhodes investigates the topics of low-carbon economy transitions and climate policy design using survey tools, energy-economy models, media and content analysis. In 2019-2022, she served as President of the Canadian Society for Ecological Economics organizing a national 2021 conference on post-pandemic recoveries.

Prior to joining the academia, Dr. Rhodes worked in the British Columbia (BC) Climate Action Secretariat where she led greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions modelling and economic analyses for the provincial CleanBC plan. Dr. Rhodes’ professional experiences also include the development of clean technology and green jobs databases at the Vancouver Economic Commission, analysis of the provincial policy for the Cumulative Effects Framework in the BC Government, and the investigation of public and stakeholder perceptions of BC’s carbon tax at the Pembina Institute.

Heather Campbell, P.Eng. has had a diverse, three decades long energy career in a full range of energy industries. She is the Executive Director, Clean Technology with Alberta Innovates.

Ms. Campbell holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science degree in Biochemical and Chemical Engineering from Western University in addition to a Master of Laws in Energy Law and Policy from the University of Dundee. She is a licensed professional engineer practicing in Alberta, Canada.

Ms. Campbell is an engaged, lifelong community volunteer, actively sharing her talents, resources and time by participating and often leading a purposely diverse range of organizations. Ms. Campbell is a board director with Calgary’s performing arts centre Arts Commons, is a member of the Advisory Council for Western Engineering, and is a Commissioner with the Calgary Police Commission. Ms. Campbell performs two clean technology advisory roles: an advisory council member of the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy and an advisory board member of the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program. She is the former co-chair of Alberta’s Anti-Racism Advisory Council. To commemorate her significant contributions, in 2023 Ms. Campbell was awarded with her late Majesty’s Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal.

Steve MacDonald has had an extensive career in the public and non-profit sectors focused on improving the design and delivery of supports and services, and acting as a catalyst for new ways of thinking in complex systems.

Most recently, Steve spent 6 years as CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), an Alberta-based, board-governed not-for-profit corporation with a mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and grow Alberta’s economy by accelerating the development and adoption of innovation technology solutions. Under his leadership, ERA invested $440 million in over 110 projects worth more than $4 billion.

Prior to taking the leadership role at ERA, Steve spent over 35 years in the Alberta Public Service, serving in a range of ministries including Treasury Board, Energy, Human Services, Innovation and Advanced Education and Executive Council. During this time, he led major initiatives to guide and transform policy and delivery systems to improve outcomes for Albertans including Alberta’s Social Policy Framework and province-wide economic and environmental initiatives.
Steve holds the ICD.D designation, is a board member for several not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. He has been a part-time instructor in the University of Alberta’s MBA and Executive Education programs. In 2018, Steve was honored to become a member of the Kainai Chieftainship.