Water Innovation Lab

WIL Canada Resource Guests

Robert Sandford
EPCOR Chair in Water and Climate Security at the United Nations University Institute for Water
Robert Sandford
EPCOR Chair in Water and Climate Security at the United Nations University Institute for Water
Bob Sandford holds the EPCOR Chair in Water and Climate Security at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. In this capacity Bob was the co-author of the UN Water in the World We Want report on post-2015 global sustainable development goals relating to water.
In his work Bob is committed to translating scientific research outcomes into language decision-makers can use to craft timely and meaningful public policy and to bringing international example to bear on local water issues. To this end, Bob is also senior advisor on water issues for the Interaction Council, a global public policy forum composed of more than thirty former Heads of State including Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, U.S. President Bill Clinton and the former Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Brundtland. Bob is also a Fellow of the Centre for Hydrology at the University of Saskatchewan and a Fellow of the Biogeoscience Institute at the University of Calgary. He is also a member of Canada’s Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW), a national water policy research group centred in Toronto. Among many other honours, Bob received the Premier’s award in 2011 for his collaboration on the Northwest Territories water stewardship strategy.

Dr. Gail Krantzberg
Professor, McMaster University
Dr. Gail Krantzberg
Professor, McMaster University
Dr. Krantzberg is Professor with the Engineering and Public Policy Programs in the School of Engineering Practise and Technology at McMaster University offering Canada’s first Master’s Degree in Engineering and Public Policy. Gail completed her M.Sc. and Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in environmental science and freshwaters. She worked for the Ontario Ministry of Environment from 1988 to 2001, as Coordinator of Great Lakes Programs, and Senior Policy Advisor. Dr. Krantzberg was the Director of the Great Lakes Regional Office of the International Joint Commission from 2001 to 2005. She has authored 6 books and more than 190 scientific and policy articles on issues pertaining to ecosystem quality and sustainability and is a frequent speaker to media and the public. Her research interests include investigating Great Lakes governance capacity and methods to better integrate science and engineering in policy formulation and decision making.

Dr. Pascale Champagne
Director, Beaty Water Research Centre, Queen’s University
Dr. Pascale Champagne
Director, Beaty Water Research Centre, Queen’s University
Enhancing the value and sustainability of our natural and renewable resources has important societal, economic and environmental impacts. The key to ensuring a sustainable future requires the integration of a resource management approach for the valorization of residual streams and environmentally sound processes in the production of energy, fuels and bioproducts from natural and renewable materials. Scientific and technical progress in this field is increasingly dependent on the development and application of more environmentally sustainable processes; recovery, reuse and valorization of waste streams; and the discovery of innovative routes in the extraction and synthesis of bio-based products. The integration of lower environmental impact technologies and green chemistry is paramount to establishing a future supply of green and sustainable bio-based energy, fuel materials and chemical products, as well as a better management of liquid and solid waste streams. The challenge is clear – develop technologies that will be both efficient and effective over a long lifetime that will be compatible with the natural environment.
Dr. Pascale Champagne’s research focuses on the development of alternate water and waste management strategies and environmentally sustainable approaches with a focus on integrated bioresource management. Her research activities are interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary and have commonality with the fields of environmental and chemical engineering, biology and green chemistry; hence, she collaborates and has evolved synergistic relationships with a number of researchers in these fields to develop new integrated bioresource management practices, to introduce alternate aqueous and solid waste management approaches, and to create unique opportunities for the bioenergy and bioproducts sectors.

Dr. Geof Hall
Manager, Beaty Water Research Centre, Queen’s University
Dr. Geof Hall
Manager, Beaty Water Research Centre, Queen’s University
Dr. Hall is a multidisciplinary researcher spanning the fields of biology, engineering and public health. He holds degrees in both Biology and Civil Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Dr. Hall is the Manager of the Beaty Water Research Centre and coordinates the Queen’s Water Initiative, where he develops and supports water-related education, research and outreach opportunities.
Dr. Hall’s research interests include a surface and groundwater quality, including microbial biomes and their role in natural and engineered systems. In addition his interests include holistic approaches to the assessment of environmental factors affecting human health. These include the modeling and movement of infectious, water-borne and zoonotic diseases, along with heat-related illness effects at the community level.

Dr. Natalie Carter
Postdoctoral Fellow in the Environment, Society and Policy Group, University of Ottawa
Dr. Natalie Carter
Postdoctoral Fellow in the Environment, Society and Policy Group, University of Ottawa
Natalie holds a PhD in Population Medicine from the University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Environment, Society and Policy Group (www.espg.ca) in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Geomatics at University of Ottawa; and an Indigenous Knowledge Researcher at Environment and Climate Change Canada’s National Wildlife Research Centre. Natalie is the Community Research Lead of two projects: 1) Arctic Corridors and Northern Voices and 2) Inuit Knowledge about the impact of light geese on land, wildlife, and people, and recommendations for management in Kivalliq region, Nunavut. In these roles, she actively engages Inuit and Northerners in the development of potential management strategies related to national marine policy initiatives, and wildlife co-management. Natalie has spent 6 of the past 24 months in Canadian Arctic communities working closely with community organizations, youth, adults, and elders. This includes youth capacity enhancement, co-constructing projects, documenting local knowledge, and conducting analyses, results validation and sharing. As an epidemiologist, she is comfortable applying both qualitative and quantitative research methods, through an Ecohealth approach. She enjoys working at the intersections between southern organizations and northern communities; science and traditional knowledge; and modernity and tradition. You can read more about her research at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalie_Carter2 or follow her on Twitter @natalieancarter.

Mike Serpe
University of Alberta, Department of Chemistry
Mike Serpe
University of Alberta, Department of Chemistry
Michael J. Serpe received his B.S. at the University of Central Florida in 2000. He received his Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2004, working in the group of Professor Andrew Lyon. There he developed novel polymeric materials for applications in drug delivery, microoptic arrays, and photonics. After conducting research in industry, he joined the group of Professor Stephen Craig at Duke University in 2006. There he used single-molecule force spectroscopy to investigate reversible polymer bridging between surfaces. He joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Alberta as an Assistant Professor in 2009 and was awarded early tenure and promoted to Associate Professor in 2013. The Serpe Group is studying various aspects of colloid, polymer and surface science, with special interests in developing novel photonic materials from responsive polymers, water remediation, controlled drug delivery and polymer mediated surface-surface interactions. Prof. Serpe has been named a Grand Challenges Canada Rising Star in Global Health, received the 2013 Petro Canada Young Innovator Award, and has been named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine for 2013-2014.

Laura Avery
Program Coordinator, MEOPAR Training
Laura Avery
Program Coordinator, MEOPAR Training
Laura Avery is the Program Coordinator for Highly-Qualified Personnel (HQP) Training at MEOPAR. The Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) is a federally-funded Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE) based at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Established in 2012, MEOPAR funds research, trains highly-qualified personnel, develops strategic partnerships, and works to support knowledge mobilization in marine challenges and opportunities for the benefit of the Canadian economy and society.
Laura’s job at MEOPAR is to source, plan, and facilitate unique, value-added training opportunities for trainees working on MEOPAR research projects. These opportunities include administering Training Awards, funding for Science Communication training, Career Mentoring, and Postdoctoral Awards. With over a dozen years of experience in instructional design, training, and development, Laura has designed online and classroom training for clients including the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Laura has a Master’s in English Literature from Queen’s University, a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Western University, and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Instructional Design from Athabasca University.

Stephen Lougheed
Director Queen’s Biology Station
Stephen Lougheed
Director Queen’s Biology Station
Stephen Lougheed is a conservation & evolutionary biologist, Professor in Biology and Environmental Studies at Queen’s University, Director of the Queen’s University Biological Station, and Baillie Family Chair in Conservation Biology. His research focuses on applying genomics and spatial ecology to the conservation and management of taxa of conservation concern in Canada and globally, including fish, polar bears, lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs, and birds. He has > 35 years field experience teaching and conducting research in North America, Latin America, Africa, Australia, and China. He has taught over 50 field courses all over the world, including a long-standing international field course focused on environmental issues in the Yangtze River basin. He and his students have published >110 papers in journals ranging from Conservation Genetics to PNAS, coauthored chapters on conservation and ecology, and co-authored >20 governmental reports on genetics of species of conservation concern. Lougheed has supervised (or is currently supervising) 75 B.Sc., 30 graduate students and 6 postdocs.

David J. Phipps, Ph.D., MBA
Executive Director, Research & Innovation Services York University
David J. Phipps, Ph.D., MBA
Executive Director, Research & Innovation Services York University
Dr. Phipps manages all research grants and agreements including knowledge and technology transfer for York University. He has received honours and awards from the Canadian Association of Research Administrators, Institute for Knowledge Mobilization and The EU based Knowledge Economy Network. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his work in knowledge mobilization and was named the most influential knowledge mobilizer in Canada. He is the KT Lead for Kids Brain Health Network and Network Director for Research Impact Canada.

Douglas Wilton
P. Eng., President & CEO TECTA-PDS
Douglas Wilton
P. Eng., President & CEO TECTA-PDS
Douglas is a Professional Engineer with over 20 years of senior operational and general management experience and multiple successes in the development and management of new technical businesses in a variety of industrial environments.
Douglas assumed the role of President and CEO after leading the management buyout of TECTA-PDS from Veolia Water in early 2016. With sales in over 25 countries, he guides the organization as it pursues its mandate of revolutionizing the microbiological monitoring of water. He joined the company as Vice President, Operations in 2005 as its second employee and played a key role in the success that led to its acquisition and subsequent re-branding as ENDETEC, Veolia’s expert in water quality monitoring and Smart Water Networks.
Douglas is a member of PEO and OSPE and is the Co-chair of ONEIA’s Water Committee.

Georgina Riel
Traditional Indigenous Knowledge Keeper and Teacher
Georgina Riel
Traditional Indigenous Knowledge Keeper and Teacher
Georgina Riel is a Traditional Indigenous Knowledge Keeper and Teacher who originally hails from Sault Ste. Marie, ON and is a member of the Batchewana First Nations of the Ojibways. Her traditional name is Waabishki Mukwa Kwe which means White Bear Woman.
Georgina is an Indigenous Affairs Consultant and the CEO of RIEL Cultural Consulting. She has worked with various First Nations communities across Canada. Over the last 28 years Georgina has specialized in the fields of child protection, literacy, healthcare, corrections, arts, culture, heritage and various levels of education. In particular, she has worked for Native Children’s Aid Society in Toronto, served as a Literacy Coordinator in Kingston and as Director of the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre at Queen’s University. She is currently a guest lecturer and Indigenous Teacher in Residence with the Limestone District School Board.
Georgina has been very active within the Kingston community, volunteering on numerous community boards and committees. Over the years she has served on the Katarokwi Native Friendship Centre, Kingston Interval House, the Citizens Advisory Committee at Collins Bay and the Indigenous Health Council with the Napanee Health Centre. Georgina’s recent endeavours include memberships on parent councils of two Kingston schools, serving as co-Chair on one. She also serves on City of Kingston’s Mayor’s Art Committee and the City of Kingston Art Fund.
Georgina has also co-created numerous grassroots committees and events such as the Kingston Aboriginal Community Information Network (Co-Founding member) the, Kingston Indigenous Community Council (Co-Founding member), the National Aboriginal Day Committee (Co-Founding member) and the Ontario Native Women’s Association- Thunder Women (Co-Founding Member).
Georgina has also enjoyed the roles and responsibilities of manager, treasurer and assistant coach of several competitive minor hockey and ball hockey teams in Kingston as well as an Ontario wide Aboriginal based team.
Georgina has called Kingston home for the last 15 years where she has lived with her husband and two sons.

Jonas Heffels
Member of the Dutch waterboard – WaterWegen
Jonas Heffels
Member of the Dutch waterboard – WaterWegen
Jonas Heffels is a member of the Dutch waterboard – WaterWegen. His job at the waterboards is to facilitate local governance collaboration and organizational development. As member of WaterWegen he acts as a multi-stakeholder connector in the Dutch water sector. Innovative and with 21st century skills he mostly connects young Dutch entrepreneurs in dialogue and social innovation. His experience with training and facilitating on storytelling, creative thinking and Theory-U brings him all over the Netherlands to assist people adapt in the fast changing social environments.

Sue Roppel
Independent Advisor
Sue Roppel
Independent Advisor
Sue Roppel is an independent advisor specializing in innovation, strategy, and international program creation. Over the past 20 years Sue has worked extensively in the post-secondary and not-for-profit sector in Canada. She has served as Director of Academic Relations and Director of Academic Planning at Simon Fraser University, and Director of Strategic Projects at MITACS, where she helped to create the international research-based Globalink program. In 2012 she worked with the Vice Presidents Research and International from the University of Toronto, University of Alberta, and University of British Columbia to create the first international research centre of excellence (IC-IMPACTS) established by the Networks of Centres of Excellence program of the Federal Government of Canada. IC-IMPACTS is dedicated to international research and training programs in the area of water, infrastructure and health. She became its COO in 2013. In 2017, Ms. Roppel returned to her consulting practice and continues to work with organizations in the creation of unique global innovation programs. She also serves as President of the Kimberley Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the creation of programs that inspire, impact, and facilitate positive, environmentally responsible change in the world at the high school and post-secondary levels.

Nick Reid
Executive Director of Ryerson Urban Water
Nick Reid
Executive Director of Ryerson Urban Water
Nick Reid joined Ryerson as Executive Director of Ryerson Urban Water (RUW) in March of 2016 and is currently focused on achieving healthy and sustainable urban water cycles through applied research, education and outreach, and supportive policy.
He is a long standing member of the American Water Works Association and is currently a director of the Ontario Water Works Association.
Previously Nick was a Vice President with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), responsible for the day to day operations of Peel Region’s Water and Wastewater plants serving over 1.2 million residents.
Nick is a graduate of Trent University where his studies included environmental science and biology.

Émilie Lagacé
Senior Advisor, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Émilie Lagacé
Senior Advisor, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Émilie is a senior advisor and policy leader at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. She is involved in preparing A Fisheries Act for the Future for Canadians, which means restoring lost protections and modernizing one of the oldest and most important pieces of legislation for the protection of Canada’s freshwater resources. Émilie has worked in the field of water resources management for over 12 years both in the public sector in Canada and in the private sector at Arup in the UK. With the support of a Water Policy Fellowship from the Gordon Foundation and the Forum for Leadership on Water, she conducted research on lessons Canada could learn from the European Union’s experience with the Water Framework Directive. Émilie is also a long time Waterlution colleague, having organized and facilitated several residential workshops on water issues in Québec. She was a lead facilitator at the 2010 and 2013 Canadian Water Innovation Labs. Émilie holds an MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management from the University of Oxford.

Vernon Mishiikenh Altiman
Lecturer, Queen’s University
Vernon Mishiikenh Altiman
Lecturer, Queen’s University
Boozhoo gakina awiiya, Mishiikenh indizhinaakaz idash Mishiikenh nindodem. Mikinakominis o’omaa onjii’ idash Bkejwanong daa anakiyaad izhinakaadeg indonjiiba. Aandek Zaaga’igan izhinakaadeg indendaa noongom. Vern Altiman zhaaganaashimowin indizhinakaaz miiniwaa’ apijii nimino ayaa gaye niminwendam gekinoo’ amaagooyan oma’ ayaayan Gichii Ogimaa Ikwe gakina’ amaadii’igamig
Greetings everyone, my name is Turtle and I am Turtle Clan. I originate from here on Turtle Island and come from a place called Bkejwanong Territory. I now live at a place named Crow Lake. Vern Altiman is my English name and I am very pleased to be an instructor at Queen’s University. I have studied Anishinaabemowin for over 25 years with many traditional Elders in our Anishinaabeg community and I’ve taught formally at Georgian College and in various other community capacities.

Kelly Munkittrick
Executive Director, Northern and Water Initiatives at Wilfrid Laurier University
Kelly Munkittrick
Executive Director, Northern and Water Initiatives at Wilfrid Laurier University
Kelly Munkittrick is the Executive Director, Northern and Water Initiatives at Wilfrid Laurier University and a Professor in the Department of Biology. Kelly has a varied background, starting work in environmental consulting, before moving to the Federal government for 11 years (6 in Fisheries and Oceans and 5 at Environment Canada), 14 years at the University of New Brunswick as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Ecosystem Health Assessment, and 5 years as the Director, Environmental Monitoring and Risk Assessment, at Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) in Calgary. He is a co-founder of the Canadian Rivers Institute, was the Scientific Director of the Canadian Water Network, and has sat on scientific panels for UNEP, OECD, and the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission. He has developed regional monitoring programs in South America, Asia and North America, has worked with various governments to improve environmental assessment models, and has taught environmental monitoring study design in more a dozen countries.

Morris Blanchard (Onaagottoay)
Teacher, storyteller, spiritual advisor
Morris Blanchard (traditional name: Onaagottoay)
Teacher, storyteller, spiritual advisor
Morris Blanchard, whose Ojibwe name is Onaagottoay, is a Metis (Canadian and French-Ojibwe) father, artist, teacher, storyteller, spiritual advisor and herbalist. Raised in the bush by traditional elders, he is a self-taught painter. Blanchard credits the creator for his “artistic gift.” Early in his career, he spent time painting and sketching with renowned Aboriginal Canadian artist Norval Morrisseau, who encouraged him to find his own style. Today, using his talents to share the Ojibwe language, legends, songs and traditional ways has become his passion.According to Blanchard, “All the pictures comes from dreams. They are spiritual given. I fast to receive a vision and there is always a ceremony of thanks before I begin each painting. We need to learn from each other in a good way. We must not be stingy with our wisdom because it might help someone else. I live a good life because of the teachings and wisdom my elders passed to me.”

Ilana Altman
Director of Programming, The Bentway Conservancy
Ilana Altman
Director of Programming, The Bentway Conservancy
Ilana Altman is a cultural planner and designer who has a background in art and architecture. In her role as Director of Programming she works with the community to implement innovative and engaging programming, revealing new possibilities for public space.
Prior to joining The Bentway team, Ilana worked for a number of notable design firms including Studio Daniel Libeskind and Diller Scofidio + Renfro in New York and KPMB Architects in Toronto. She has led the curation and design of exhibitions and installations at the SFMOMA, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Additionally, she has worked closely with artists to realize public art installations for Toronto’s Nuit Blanche. In 2014 Ilana founded the Artful City, a Toronto collective that aims to advance public art research, policies, and imaginations. Additionally, Ilana founded and served as the Executive Director of the Pavilion Project from 2015-2017.

Alanna Syliboy
DENR Community Liaison Officer at the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaw
Alanna Syliboy
DENR Community Liaison Officer at the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaw
Alanna Syliboy is the DENR Community Liaison Officer at the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaw, she is a band member from the Sipekne’katik First Nation Community which is about 65km outside of Halifax. Alanna is the daughter of Bernie Syliboy and the Late Audrey Syliboy who are both residential school survivors, she takes pride in learning her culture and language so in the future she can teach her children and restore the Mi’kmaw identity she was inheritor denied as her parents were stripped of learning the way of life and their language.
She is passionate about mother earth and uses her passion to learn and grow for the betterment of our planet, she lived in the community most of her life experiencing a lot of environmental disasters and issues from a First Nation perspective.

Jerry Hanna
CEO and Founder of Clearflow Group Inc
Jerry Hanna
CEO and Founder of Clearflow Group Inc
Jerry Hanna is the CEO and Founder of Clearflow Group Inc and has 30 years experience related to water and water treatment systems and 11 years consulting experience in mining application. He has experience in Environmental Impacts, Water Treatment System design and application, Sediment and Erosion Control Construction, Surface Water Management, Water Treatment Systems and has completed projects in Canada and internationally.

Gaspard Durieux
University of Alberta
Gaspard Durieux
University of Alberta
Gaspard is a knowledge builder creating value at the interface between sciences and society. He is an entrepreneur in the field of water management and adaptation to Climate Change. After he graduated his masters in hydrology and resources management, he attended WIL trainings in India, Europe and Brazil and started working with University of Alberta. Together with the Serpe Group of chemistry Gaspard envisions technology developments that would enable people to engage in water resource sustainable management testing water quality from their smartphone. Gaspard speaks French, English, Russian Spanish and Portuguese; he is an explorer who loves making new connexions and discoveries related to water, people and the environment.

Gary Pritchard
Environmental Leader, Curve Lake First Nation
Gary Pritchard
Environmental Leader, Curve Lake First Nation
Gary is an Environmental Project Manager from Curve Lake First Nation and brings over 14 years of environmental experience. He has worked with and travelled to over 280 Indigenous communities throughout Canada and the United States. He has extensive knowledge of conducting environmental assessments, implementing environmental policy, project planning and permitting while working in conjunction with a variety of multi-disciplinary sectors. He has successfully collaborated with many stakeholder groups, researchers, institutes, government agencies and Indigenous communities and political organizations to address environmental concerns and identify practical solutions to environmental related issues. Gary also serves as a technical advisor and past professor at two post-secondary institutes within Ontario.

Tatiana Glad
Co-founder Waterlution
Tatiana Glad
Co-founder Waterlution
Tatiana is a social entrepreneur, sustainability practitioner and change strategist. She works across sectors and cultures to develop life-affirming and resilient leadership for whole systems innovation. She is passionate about systemic change, sustainability, water, enabling start-up initiatives/enterprises, creating synergies, good questions and meaningful conversations.
Along with her role at Waterlution, Tatiana is also a partner of Engage! InterAct, collaborator with The Hub and involved in The Art of Hosting fellowship. Tatiana holds a M.Sc. in Responsibility & Business Practice (University of Bath, UK). As a skilled and enthusiastic designer and facilitator of learning processes, she draws on participatory practices such as Circle, World Café, Open Space Technology, Appreciative Inquiry and other social technologies to enable transitions to new futures. She is certified as a FlowGame host, experienced in cross-functional process improvement and trained in CSR reporting assurance.

Melanie Robb
Program Manager, Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre
Melanie Robb
Program Manager, Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre
Melanie Robb has worked with student entrepreneurs as part of the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre team for nearly four years. In her role as Program Manager she enjoys working at the intersection of disciplines with the wide range of ventures that take part in DDQIC’s programs. While completing her bachelors in Chemical Engineering, Melanie volunteered with Engineers Without Borders for three years on youth outreach. Following graduation at Queen’s she explored her passion for food security through an agricultural internship and now volunteers in the Kingston community for organizations that work to improve food security and access to opportunities for youth.

Anne-Pascale Richardson
AquaHacking, de Gaspe Beaubien Foundation
Anne-Pascale Richardson
AquaHacking, de Gaspe Beaubien Foundation
Anne-Pascale Richardson is Project Manager for AquaHacking, at the de Gaspe Beaubien Foundation. Part of the AquaHacking team since 2016, Anne-Pascale has been instrumental in program design & development of the AquaHacking Challenge, has worked closely with the youth delegations, and is the main resource person supporting program alumni. Driven by strong environmental and societal values, Anne-Pascale is a microbiologist (MSc) and a biologist (PhD) by education, with extensive project management experience in academic, corporate and grass root organisations. Her work with cross-sector initiatives and collaborative multi-stakeholder processes, enables her to manage integrated projects and help ensure their sustainability. A true believer in entrepreneurship and disruptive solutions, Anne-Pascale is a great AquaHacking ambassador, always keen to talk about the fresh water tech challenge formula, the solutions that stem from the program, and the incredible unanticipated outcomes that just might change the way we better protect our watersheds.

Allen Lucas
Utilities Kingston
Allen Lucas
Utilities Kingston
Allen Lucas received a diploma of Survey Technology in 1979 from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, a B.A.Sc. Civil Engineering (Water Resources) in 1989 from the University of Waterloo, Facilitator of Adult Learning Certificate in 2000 from Loyalist College of Applied Arts and Technology, Certificate in Risk Management in 2017 from University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies and Canadian Risk Management (CRM) Program in 2017 from the Global Risk Management Institute.
Allen has been employed in a variety of roles within consulting engineering firms and within municipal utilities. Currently employed at Utilities Kingston as Manager Research and Projects, he was Project Manager for the $115 million Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant Secondary Treatment and Capacity Upgrades and is currently working on a number of innovation and sustainability projects for the City of Kingston and Utilities Kingston. As liaison with industry and academia, there are a number of research activities Allen is involved with and is currently working on operationalizing Utilities Kingston’s Enterprise Risk Management Program as well as supporting the Cyber Risk Program development.
Allen Lucas has served with Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) at the Chapter, Council and on committees. For his active service in PEO he was inducted into PEO’s Order of Honour on April 27, 2007 as an Officer and has been named a Fellow of Engineer’s Canada.
Allen has previously been active on Ontario’s Water and Wastewater industry associations, has contributed papers for conferences and publication and has presented on a number of topics at various technical conferences.

Julie Runions
Utilities Kingston
Julie Runions
Utilities Kingston
Julie Runions graduated with distinction, Deans Honour List and the J.W. McConnell Academic Scholorship, from McGill University in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with an Environmental Specialization. Continuing education courses include; Masters of Engineering courses at Queens University along with a course in Project Leadership and Portfolio Management from the Schulich School of Business in Toronto.
Julie started her career working in consulting engineering in the municipal water and wastewater sector, and has been employed by Utilities Kingston since 2009. Currently the Manager of Water and Wastewater Treatment Operations, she was previously a Utilities Engineer and Project Manager with the utility. She managed the $50 million upgrades to the Point Pleasant Water Treatment Plant which were completed in 2016 and prior to moving into her current role, she was Project Manager for the $90 million Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades which are ongoing.

Nancy Goucher
Knowledge Mobilization Specialist, Water Institute
Nancy Goucher
Knowledge Mobilization Specialist, Water Institute
Nancy is the Knowledge Mobilization Specialist for Global Water Futures housed at the University of Waterloo’s Water Institute. In her role, Nancy will ensure the knowledge that is produced is actively used and informs decision-making to help transform the way communities and governments prepare for and manage increasing water-related threats.
Nancy has previously held positions at Freshwater Future, Environmental Defence and the Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW). She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Master’s degree in Planning in 2007.
Over the past ten years, Nancy has played an important role in shaping water policy conversations across Canada and particularly in the Great Lakes region. She has broad experience with an array of water issues but specific areas of focus include algal blooms, Asian carp, drinking water and agricultural policy. Nancy has helped successfully negotiate policies including the Canada-Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan, the Great Lakes Protection Act and the ban on plastic microbeads. She brings her extensive network, multidisciplinary experience and experience with policy decision-making to her new role at the Water Institute.

Carolyn O’Neill
Manager, Great Lakes Office Environment and Climate Change Ontario
Carolyn O’Neill
Manager, Great Lakes Office Environment and Climate Change Ontario
Carolyn is the Manager of MOECC’s Great Lakes Office. Her job is to advance Great Lakes programs and policies including Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy, the Great Lakes Protection Act and Great Lakes agreements. Prior to joining the Ministry, Carolyn was with Environment Canada where she worked to advance protection of the Great Lakes and the Fraser River in British Columbia.
More Resource Guests will be added in weeks ahead.

Karen Kun
President & Founder, Waterlution
KAREN KUN
Executive Director & Founder, Waterlution
Karen is the Founder and Executive Director of Waterlution, and co-founder of Greatness – The Great Lakes Project. She credits her time living among Indigenous communities in Latin America as the inspiration behind applying water as a metaphor for everything essential in caring for and preserving ourselves and our planet. Thirteen years later, Karen continues to incorporate the practice of storytelling, building personal connections, peer-to-peer social engagement, and empathy as the fundamental tools in creating meaningful water dialogue.

Dona Geagea
Global Lead – Water Innovation Labs
DONA GEAGEA
Global Lead – Water Innovation Labs
Dona’s background is in water governance and community engagement. Over the past 7 years, she has been using creative methodologies and techniques to propel people and projects at the intersection of social and environmental (water) innovation as a facilitator and engagement designer. Dona is trained in the Art of Hosting, Cooperative Games, Non-Violent Communication, and Systems Theory. She is a member of the global organisation Water Youth Network, and combined with her work with Waterlution, she has hosted and facilitated workshops internationally at Water Innovation Labs – Canada, Europe, India; Budapest Water Summit; 7th World Water Forum in South Korea; Singapore International Water Week, and more. Her experience ranges from working with indigenous elders in South America, to presenting in corporate boardrooms.

Dawn Fleming
Program Lead – Water Innovation Lab Brasil
DAWN FLEMING
Program Lead – Water Innovation Lab Brasil
With 20 years of experience in performance, facilitation and cultural design, Dawn Fleming is director of Cultura Curiosa, an agency in São Paulo creating improbable encounters with incredible people. Dawn is a performer, director, and teacher, and she facilitates and produces creative and learning experiences in all sorts of settings – cultural, not-for profit, business, community, education and more. Dawn grew up in Canada and spent the greater part of her adult life in London, where she was born. For the last six years she has lived in Brazil (São Paulo and Rio). She worked on the creation and delivery of the first WIL in Canada in 2010, and is part of the facilitation team for WILPorto happening in September in Portugal.

Chris Corrigan
Teacher and facilitator
Chris Corrigan
Teacher and facilitator
Chris Corrigan is a teacher and facilitator of strategic conversations and a practitioner of the Art of Hosting whose work invites collective intelligence and collective leadership to be activated in the service of complex challenges. Chris has worked locally and internationally in a huge variety of contexts including social services, indigenous community development, immigration and refugee issues, business, government, food systems and education. He has written and contributed to influential books on the role of participatory processes in activating new forms of leadership and community development. His well known weblog, Parking Lot, has charted his own learning in the field since 2002. He specialises in Open Space Technology and design for large scale initiatives to work in high levels of complexity. He has worked with Waterlution multiple times over the last decade through co-designing the Art of Hosting Water Dialogues and on WIL Canada 2013. He is a poet and a musician. He lives on Bowen Island in BC.