Dr. Rebecca Saari is an Assistant Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at U. Waterloo. She is an internationally recognized expert in quantifying atmospheric impacts of climate change and climate policy. Her analysis of air quality-related impacts of climate policy has been requested by White House staff, cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) administrator in the press, and used to support climate legislation in federal court. She has over 15 years of post-graduate experience in professional engineering in consulting, federal government, and academia. She received the best dissertation award for her Ph.D. in Social and Engineering Systems at MIT. She completed an MASc in Mechanical and Environmental Engineering and BASc in Engineering Science at the University of Toronto.

Sasha Pejcic is Principal and lead of Stantec’s Global Bus and Transit Advisory practices. As a management consultant, Sasha helps transit agencies rationalize their services to grow ridership, improve customer satisfaction, and maximize cost efficiencies. Over the past two years, Sasha has led nearly 30 zero emission bus projects helping transit agencies planning their successful transitions in Canada, the US and New Zealand.

A demonstrated leader in transit, Sasha is an alumnus of ENO’s transit leadership program. He proudly serves as a Director of the Board for the Ontario Public Transit Association and is an appointed member of the Zero Emission Bus Task Force for the California Transit Association. A testament to his dedication for the industry, Sasha was named one of Mass Transit’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2018.

Dr. Tom Spicer is Professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas. He is a member of the AIChE Safety and Chemical Engineering Education (SAChE) Committee, the AIChE Education and Accreditation Committee, and is a Fellow of AIChE. As Director of the Chemical Hazards Research Center, Tom’s primary research interests are in the assessment of hazards from airborne contaminants, particularly those that are denser than air. Tom was a member of the Scientific Advisory Group that provided guidance to the Jack Rabbit II Test Program by leading the group tasked with releasing up to 10 tons of chlorine in a controlled manner to mimic a sudden vessel breach. Tom has directed an effort to characterize the reactivity of chlorine with atmospheric materials for use in atmospheric dispersion models.

Dylan Hemmings is a Vice President at Stantec Consulting with over 17 years of experience working on complex environmental site assessment and remediation projects including emergency response. He’s managed over 310 projects in Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, and Nunavut and has facilitated workshops and training courses on emergency response, quality assurance quality control, environmental regulations and environmental assessments. Dylan is also leading the multi-disciplinary climate change consulting practice in Canada providing climate risk and vulnerability assessments, ESG, mitigation and adaptation planning to help clients meet their objectives and understand how the future climate may impact assets, infrastructure and systems.

Lisa Ashton is driven by identifying ways to align and integrate environmental, economic, and societal goals. Her current PhD research is focused on this by exploring how agriculture can be a source for solutions to climate change, while producing enough food for a growing global population. Complementary to Lisa’s academic research, she has also contributed to a range of collaborative projects that focus on building sustainable agri-food systems. These projects include identifying the enabling conditions to enhance natural climate solutions in the agriculture sector, developing a framework for nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and evaluating the policy landscape for bioplastic waste management.

Her academic training began with an Honours B.Sc.Soc. in International Development with a minor in Political Science from the University of Ottawa, Canada followed by obtaining an M.Sc. in Global Change: Ecosystem Science and Policy from University College Dublin, Ireland, and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany. Lisa is currently a PhD Candidate in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics at the University of Guelph.

Stefan Jirka works on Nature-Based Solutions at Verra, exploring opportunities to scale up regenerative agriculture within Verra’s programs. He previously supported development of Verra’s LandScale initiative.

Prior to joining Verra, Stefan worked at One Acre Fund promoting agricultural development among East Africa’s smallholders; at Cornell University researching the greenhouse gas benefits of large-scale sustainable land management projects in Ethiopia; at the International Biochar Initiative, an NGO promoting the use of biochar for soil carbon sequestration and agricultural enhancement; and at Blue Moon Fund, a private grantmaking foundation supporting environmental and social sustainability initiatives.

Stefan earned his MS in Environmental Sciences and BS in Biology, both from Cornell University. He conducted his master’s thesis research in Mato Grosso, Brazil, which piqued his interest in the nexus of globalization, rural development, food production and environmental conservation.

Candace Vinke is the Director of Nature-based Innovations at Verra, where she is responsible for identifying and conceptualizing new standards, tools, and programs supporting nature-based solutions (NBS). She has an extensive and diverse background in environmental markets, sustainability, poverty and inequality. Before joining Verra, Candace was the Sustainable Development Director at Viresco Solutions, where she advised governments and corporations on emissions management strategies. Candace holds a Master of Arts from the University of Victoria and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Calgary in geography.

McKenzie Smith is Director of Stewardship & Regulatory Affairs at Fertilizer Canada where she is responsible for the development of policy and programs related sustainable nutrient management and environmental stewardship.

In this role, McKenzie works to promote and advance the 4R Nutrient Stewardship program which allows our industry to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable nutrient management. Specifically, she directs the development and expansion of Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Designation and 4R Certification programs and provides leadership on a number of files including the 4R Research Network and Fertilizer Use Survey. McKenzie continues to build upon key national and regional partnerships to ensure an increase in the awareness and adoption of 4R Nutrient Stewardship by Canadian growers and sustainability platforms.

Additionally, McKenzie provides technical assistance and advocacy support on environmental regulations related to greenhouse gas or air pollutants. This work helps shape polices that allow our member’s to demonstrate good environmental performance while maintaining competitiveness in a global market.