Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee is an independent body with the main role of informing CLIMAtlantic on the needs, trends, and emerging climate issues facing Atlantic Canadians so that CLIMAtlantic can tailor their programs and services to best assist all users and decision makers.

A group photo of eight members of the CLIMAtlantic advisory committee in front of a black background.
Le français suit. A picture of a person with long dark hair with glasses on her head wearing a black jacket smiling at the camera, framed by a yellow circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux longs cheveux noirs, portant des lunettes sur la tête et une veste noire, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle jaune.
Chaim Andersen

Nunatsiavut Government

Chaim Andersen is the Community Climate Change Liaison for the Nunatsiavut Government, one of the four regions in Inuit Nunangat representing and governing Labrador Inuit. Her work focuses on providing opportunities and support for Nunatsiavut communities to pursue climate change adaptation and monitoring. Born and raised in Nain, her Inuit culture and language is very important and has been crucial in understanding climate change, it’s impacts, and our ability to adapt.

Le français suit. A picture of a person with short dark hair wearing a black top smiling at the camera, framed by a blue circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux courts et bruns, vêtue d'un haut noir, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle bleu.
Charles Bourque

UNB

Dr. Charles P.-A. Bourque is Professor of Hydrometeorology, Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Management at the University of New Brunswick.

Le français suit A picture of a person with short black hair wearing a white shirt and black blazer smiling at the camera, framed by an green circle. Photo d'une personne aux cheveux noirs courts, vêtue d'une chemise blanche et d'un blazer noir, souriant à la caméra, encadrée par un cercle vert.
Edmundo Fausto

City of St. John’s

Edmundo Fausto is the Sustainability Manager for the City of St. John’s, focused on energy efficiency, decarbonization, and climate risk adaptation. With over 10 years of experience in environmental, energy, and climate change, Edmundo has worked with local, national, and international teams and experts to deliver energy and climate action. His experience includes policy, energy efficiency projects, climate change risk assessments, as well as the development and implementation of corporate and municipal plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Le français suit. A picture of a person with short brown hair wearing a red hoodie and grey jacket smiling at the camera, framed by an orange circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux bruns courts portant un sweat à capuche rouge et une veste grise, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle orange.
John Sommerville

NRCan (in Halifax)

John Sommerville is a Policy Analyst with Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Division. He is the lead analyst for Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Platform’s Coastal Management and Mining Working Groups and supports nature-based adaptation initiatives across the Platform.

Le français suit. A picture of a person wearing a red hat and black jacket smiling at the camera, framed by a yellow circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne portant un chapeau rouge et une veste noire, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle jaune.
Adam Cheeseman

Nature NB

Adam Cheeseman lives and works in unceded Mi’kmaq territory in Sackville, NB. Adam works as Director of Conservation with Nature NB, an organization whose mandate is to celebrate, conserve, and protect New Brunswick’s natural heritage through education, networking, and collaboration. Adam manages Nature NB’s climate change adaptation projects, which focus on building capacity and expertise for nature-based adaptation approaches in Maritime Canada.

Le français suit. A picture of a person with short brown hair wearing glasses and a dark blue shirt smiling at the camera, framed by a blue circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux bruns courts, portant des lunettes et une chemise bleu foncé, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle bleu.<br />
Joel Finnis

MUN

Dr. Joel Finnis is an atmospheric scientist with Memorial University, Department of Geography. His research addresses climate dynamics, climate adaptation, and communication of weather/climate risk.

Le français suit<br /> A picture of a person with short brown hair wearing a dark colored jacket smiling at the camera, framed by a green circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux bruns courts portant une veste de couleur sombre qui sourit à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle vert.<br />
Vincent Leys

CBCL

Vincent Leys is a senior coastal engineer with the consulting firm CBCL, based in Halifax.

Le français suit. A picture of a person with long grey hair wearing a checkered blue shirt smiling at the camera, framed by an orange circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux longs cheveux gris, vêtue d'une chemise bleue à carreaux, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle orange.<br />
Patricia Manuel

Dalhousie University

Dr. Patricia Manuel is Professor of Planning in the School of Planning at Dalhousie University. She teaches and conducts applied research in environmental and community planning, specifically watersheds, coasts, climate change adaptation, social vulnerability analysis, and marine spatial planning.

Le français suit. A picture of a person with short brown hair wearing a green shirt smiling at the camera, framed by a yellow circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux bruns courts, portant une chemise verte et souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle jaune.
Garrett Mombourquette

Parks Canada

Garrett Mombourquette is a Climate Change Specialist in Prince Edward Island National Park, where his work focuses on building climate resilience while transitioning to net-zero carbon.

Le français suit. A picture of a person with long hair wearing glasses smiling at the camera, framed by a blue circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux longs portant des lunettes et souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle bleu.
Kathleen Parewick

Municipalities N&L

Dr. Parewick is a community planner and facilitator who supports MNL’s extensive municipal advocacy, policy and practice-related efforts through research, content development, engagement and education activities for the organization’s 275 member communities.

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with short black hair wearing glasses and a grey suit smiling at the camera, framed by a green circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux courts et noirs, portant des lunettes et un costume gris, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle vert.<br />
Dr. Xander Wang

UPEI

Dr. Wang is an Associate Professor in the School of Climate Change and Adaptation at the University of Prince Edward Island and he has over 10 years of research experience in high-resolution climate projection and flood modelling.

 

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with long blonde hair wearing a blue turtleneck smiling at the camera, framed by an orange circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux longs cheveux blonds, portant un col roulé bleu et souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle orange.
Emily Cumming

CCNL

Emily Cumming is an environmental scientist with a research background in environmental biogeochemistry. She is a Conservation Manager at Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador, a provincial environmental not-for-profit dedicated to youth employment and training in the environmental and cultural heritage conservation sectors, environmental education, and conservation science.

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with long ginger hair wearing a dark top smiling at the camera, framed by a yellow circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux longs cheveux roux, vêtue d'un haut sombre, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle jaune.
Ashley Smith

Fundamental Inc.

Ashley Smith is Owner and Managing Director of Fundamental Inc, an NL-headquartered climate action consulting firm.

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with long black hair wearing a black shirt smiling at the camera, framed by a blue circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux longs cheveux noirs, vêtue d'une chemise noire, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle bleu.
Heather Laiskonis

PEI Watershed Alliance

Heather holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Conservation and a Master’s Degree in Fisheries Resource Management from the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland. Heather has served as the Executive Director of the PEI Watershed Alliance since 2022, having worked her way through school as a wildlife technician on the South Shore of Prince Edward Island. Heather previously worked in management in the private sector in New York City and the greater Detroit Area. Her passion for animals and their habitat motivates her to spend as much time outside biking, kayaking, and hiking. She sits on many environmental committees and volunteers her free time to those causes.

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with long ginger hair wearing an orange jacket smiling at the camera, framed by a green circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux longs cheveux roux portant une veste orange et souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle vert.
Krystal Pyke

UPEI ClimateSense

Krystal Pyke is the ClimateSense Program Manager with the School of Climate Change and Adaptation at the University of Prince Edward Island, where they support local communities and professionals in navigating climate change by providing community capacity building and adaptation training opportunities.

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with short black hair wearing a grey shirt smiling at the camera, framed by an orange circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux courts et noirs, vêtue d'une chemise grise, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle orange.<br />
Timothy Bernard

Lennox Island First Nation

Tim Bernard is the Natural Resources Manager for Lennox Island First Nation, where he leads shoreline restoration, sustainable fisheries monitoring, and land-based food sovereignty projects rooted in Mi’kmaq values. Drawing on deep experience in environmental science, community engagement, and Indigenous Knowledge integration, he secures funding, mentors Guardian teams, and forges partnerships with agencies like Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Tim’s work centers on building resilient ecosystems and empowering his community to steward their lands and waters for generations to come.

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with long black hair wearing a black shirt smiling at the camera, framed by a yellow circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux longs cheveux noirs, vêtue d'une chemise noire, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle jaune.
Tina Northrup

East Coast Environmental Law

Tina Northrup is a staff lawyer at East Coast Environmental Law, a regional charity that provides public-interest environmental law services throughout Atlantic Canada.

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with short grey hair wearing a red diving suit and equipment smiling at the camera, framed by a blue circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux gris et courts, portant une combinaison de plongée rouge et un équipement, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle bleu.
Nicolas Winkler

Ecology Action Centre

Nicolas Winkler is the Coastal Adaptation Coordinator for the Ecology Action Centre based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax) where his work focuses on coastal protection, coastal access and adaptation issues. 

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with short brown hair wearing glasses and a dark shirt smiling at the camera, framed by a green circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux cheveux bruns courts, portant des lunettes et une chemise sombre, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle vert.
Matt Delorme

AIM Network

Matt Delorme is executive director of Atlantic Infrastructure Management (AIM) Network, a non-profit organization that provides training, education and technical assistance to local governments to support long-term service planning considering level of service, risk and capital investment. In his engineering practice, Matt’s focus has been designing for civil infrastructure projects for municipalities and  provinces with a specialty in channel and wetland design, stormwater management and climate change adaptation.

Le français suit.<br /> A picture of a person with long brown hair wearing a dark shirt smiling at the camera, framed by an orange circle.<br /> Photo d'une personne aux longs cheveux bruns, vêtue d'une chemise sombre, souriant à l'appareil photo, encadrée d'un cercle orange.
Rachel Mitchell

Clean Foundation

Rachel Mitchell is Director of Community Climate Initiatives at Clean Foundation and oversees municipal climate and sustainability programming in Nova Scotia and PEI. With a strong background in regional and municipal climate planning, Rachel’s work focuses on building local capacity to take on climate challenges.

Le français suit A picture of a person with white hair in a ponytail wearing a black windbreaker and smiling, framed by a yellow circle. Le français suit Photo d'une personne aux cheveux blancs attachés en queue de cheval, vêtue d'un coupe-vent noir et souriante, encadrée par un cercle jaune.
Danika van Proosdij

Transcoastal, St. Mary’s University

Dr. van Proosdij is a professor at Saint Mary’s University, Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.  As a coastal geomorphologist, she merges field studies and geomatics to understand how coastal ecosystems respond to natural and anthropogenic drivers of change, and how these responses can be leveraged to foster ecosystem resilience while assisting communities to adapt to climate change. This includes coastal vulnerability assessments and the use of nature-based adaptation approaches to manage flooding and erosion hazards in and outside of Canada. She is the co-founder and Director of TransCoastal Adaptations: Centre for Nature Based Solutions and has served as a scientific advisor for provincial, federal governments, international agencies, and NGOs in assessing coastal erosion and flood risk.  In particular, she has played a central role in assessing the vulnerability of provincial dyke infrastructure, providing scientific insights and guidance for dykeland climate change adaptation including managed realignment and saltmarsh restoration