Andre Boraks, PhD

Andre is a distinguished professional with extensive field experience in both North American and tropical Pacific forests. Since 2021, he has been a key contributor to ICFC, actively mitigating the accelerated loss of biodiversity worldwide.

A seasoned expert in mycology, botany, and ecology, Andre engages in addressing contemporary challenges related to biodiversity loss. Dr. Andre holds a PhD in Botany from the University of Hawai‘i, a MSc in Plant Science from the University of New Hampshire, and a BSc in Biology from the University of Guelph.

Andre's expertise is centered on arboreal ecosystems, where he demonstrates a keen ability to navigate intricacies and recognize the interconnectedness of flora within them. Andre's understanding of ecosystems, combined with his extensive field experience and unwavering commitment to academic excellence, positions him as a valuable asset in addressing contemporary challenges in biodiversity conservation

Nana Collett, M.S., MBA

Nana has over 25 years’ experience in program management and operations in the biopharmaceutical, environmental technology, and ecosystem research sectors. As ICFC's fractional COO, she plays a key role in supporting the leadership team. Nana also mentors ventures in the BC start-up community, focusing on health and cleantech. Previously, she was VP Program Management at NervGen Pharma for 3 years, where she was a member of the executive team, responsible for strategic and operational planning, product development and grants. Prior to that, she was VP Program Management at Genevant Sciences. Previous roles included VP Project Management at Arbutus Biopharma (formerly Tekmira Pharmaceuticals), where she was responsible for all development stage programs and alliances, including a significant agritech partnership. She is deeply committed to sustainability and conservation, going back to an M.S. in Ecosystem Science, with a personal highlight of appearing as a “Way Cool Scientist” on the Climates episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy. 

Carlos R. Garcia, MFC

Carlos is a conservationist with over 15 years of professional experience in Canada and Latin America. His conservation and research work has focused on the effective implementation of evidence-based conservation strategies to protect and maintain biodiversity and ecological processes of ecosystems, as well as the meaningful inclusion of traditional knowledge into Western approaches. In addition, he has taught university field-based courses and led backcountry expeditions in: Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, and the U.S.  He holds a Master's degree in Forest Conservation (University of Toronto), and Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies (York University).

Laurie Havinga

Laurie maintains our complex financial records in good order and keeps other aspects of our administration running smoothly. Laurie started her career with 10 years in the hospitality industry and for the last 21 years has run a bookkeeping & consulting business. During this time, she owned and operated 3 gyms, while serving clients in various business sectors, including not-for-profit. She bugs ICFC colleagues to keep things organized.

Scott Hecker, MSc

Scott leads ICFC's Shorebird Conservation Initiative and other projects for which birds are a key focus.  Scott has devoted his career to coastal bird conservation, while also conducting lectures nationwide, publishing research papers and guidance manuals, leading professional workshops, and appearing as an expert witness in legal hearings. Notably, Scott led Piping Plover recovery efforts for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, which saw the state's population of this threatened species increase from 126 pairs in 1987 to 530 pairs in 2002. He then expanded his efforts to protect terns and shorebirds as the Director of Coastal Bird Conservation at the National Audubon Society. In 2008 he co-founded Conservian Inc., where he consults on coastal conservation in the Gulf of Mexico. Scott completed his Master's work in Belize, and has traveled extensively in Latin America and the Caribbean. Scott works with Patricia Gonzalez in managing and developing ICFC's shorebird conservation efforts.

Anne Lambert

Anne has a background in biology and business. Her current focus at ICFC is laying the groundwork for new leadership and and expanding  the efforts to broaden ICFC's support base. Her mantra is "For Canadians concerned about global biodiversity loss or climate change, there is no better philanthropic opportunity than ICFC."  (See her reflections, as founder, on ICFC's  first 15 years.)  Anne has a degree in wildlife biology from the University of Guelph and worked as a biologist at Long Point Bird Observatory and in Wildlife Research at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources before starting a business (Science Connection) in 1991. She currently serves on the Board of the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics.

Jackie Leppard

Jackie comes from a career in Purchasing and Project Management with two small-but-mighty Nova Scotian engineering/manufacturing firms. She has a B.A. in International Development Studies earned through part-time study. Recognizing the connections between local agriculture, economy, community, environment and health, she has happily given many volunteer hours as a board member and bookkeeper helping to support a local farmers’ market. For the same reasons, she has long been a volunteer distributor of fair trade olive oil from Palestine. Jackie loves her vegetable garden and the birds and insects who love it too.

Anna Polden

As Development Manager, Anna brings over a decade of experience in non-profit fundraising to ICFC. With a strong foundation in marketing and communications, honed through years in the radio and news television industry, and specializing in non-profit management through her post-secondary studies at Simon Fraser University, Anna possess a unique blend of creative and strategic business expertise.

Anna has served organizations focused on conservation and international development in the Global South, forming essential skills in community-centered engagement. In her home province of British Columbia, Anna has helped raise millions of dollars for local non-profit organizations, driving transformative growth and fostering lasting impact.

Currently pursuing her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation, Anna is committed to staying at the forefront of best practices in fundraising. Beyond ICFC, Anna serves with the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Vancouver Chapter, supporting people and organizations to practice effective and ethical fundraising.

When not advancing ICFC's conservation efforts, Anna enjoys working on furniture restoriation projects, exploring the Canadian backcountry while hiking or camping with her Formosan Mountain Dog, Clover, and cultivating a love for gardening and cooking.

Contact Anna at Anna@ICFCanada.org to explore partnership opportunities and support our mission to protect and restore nature in regions where biodiversity is richest and most under threat.

Matthew Aruch, PhD

Matt earned a PhD in International Education Policy from the University of Maryland College Park (UMD) where he investigated transnational research and education partnerships for sustainable development with the Mebêngôkre-Kayapó in the Brazilian Amazon. With ICFC, Matt looks forward to expanding his engagement with the Kayapó Project and supporting ICFC’s growing portfolio of Indigenous-led projects. Before joining ICFC, Matt worked alongside community, school, university, NGO, and government organizations including UMD, the Earth Day Organization, George Washington University, the Protected Forest Association (Brazil), The University of Cuenca (Ecuador), The InterAmerican Development Bank, and Boston and Alexandria City Public Schools. Matt earned Master’s degrees in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Elementary Education from Mary Washington College (MWC) as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from MWC.

Adriano Jerozolimski, PhD

Adriano Jerozolimski is a biologist with a Master’s degree in Applied Ecology and Conservation from the University of East Anglia and a PhD in Ecology from the University of São Paulo. Conducting his PhD fieldwork in the Kayapó indigenous territory on the ecology of two species of Amazonian tortoises, he established a relationship with the Kayapó people, which led to a long-term partnership. For 15 years, he coordinated two Kayapó NGOs (Associação Floresta Protegida and the co-op COOBAY), on conservation and sustainable development projects.

In 2022, Adriano became Brazil Director of the Kayapó Project, assuming a broader role encompassing Instituto Kabu and Instituto Raoni as well as AFP and COOBAY. In this position he supports integrated actions among the Kayapó organizations that manage the large block of five contiguous territories under the control of the Kayapó people in the southeastern Amazon, strengthening their conservation and development strategies.

Natalie Knowles, PhD

Nat is a conservationist with a passion for the world's wild landscapes and diverse cultures. Currently a Mitacs Post-Doctoral Fellow with ICFC focusing on the intersection of tourism and conservation, she holds a PhD in Geography and Environmental Management from the University of Waterloo and a MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from Oxford. Nat works with the Kayapo Project using participatory research and citizen science to engage and educate Kayapo youth, students and tourists on tropical ecology with the aim of strengthening conservation in the Mebengokre-Kayapo territory.

Barbara Zimmerman, PhD, O.C.

Barbara trained as a tropical ecologist, doing field research in the Brazilian Amazon for Master's (University of Guelph) and PhD (Florida State University) degrees on an amphibian and reptile community in terra firme forest. Since 1989 she has been working with the Kayapo Indians of Brazil's Xingu Basin to develop conservation-based economic alternatives to logging and to strengthen Kayapo capacity for territorial control so that they are able to continue to protect from deforestation 100,000 km² of their legally ratified territories. Barbara works closely with ICFC's Kayapo NGO partners, other Brazilian NGOs and government agencies, and, of course, the Kayapo people themselves.

Susan Canney, PhD

Susan Canney leads the Mali elephant project, a joint project of ICFC and WILD Foundation. Susan has been key to research and conservation of Mali's elephants since 2003. She teaches at Oxford University, where she obtained her PhD on understanding changing human land use and its impact on a protected area in Tanzania. Susan has worked on a variety of nature conservation projects in Africa, Asia and Europe, and as a research officer at the Green College Centre for Environmental Policy & Understanding (UK). She is co-founder of the Earth Systems Science Special Interest Group of the Geological Society of London and collaborates with the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) based in Oxford. She has co-authored the book Conservation (2nd edition), published by Cambridge University Press in 2012.

Patricia M. Gonzalez

Patricia Gonzalez has for 20 years coordinated conservation and research teams working to protect shorebird wintering and staging sites in Argentina and more recently in Uruguay. She advises provincial and federal governments in Argentina, and participates in cooperative work with teams in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, French Guiana, USA and Canada. She trains rangers, coordinates conservation projects and is active in public outreach, garnering much attention to shorebirds and their needs. For her pioneering work in shorebird flyway protection, in 2000 she was the first recipient of the Pablo Canevari Award for Shorebird Conservation awarded by Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. Patricia runs our project at Bahía de San Antonio, Argentina, conducts other conservation actions and, with Scott Hecker, oversees ICFC's Shorebird Conservation Initiative.

Carmen Lishman, MSc

Carmen has had a dual career as conservation biologist and speech pathologist. Doing biological field research at James Bay, Carmen developed a passion for plovers which took her to the extreme south of Argentina to study a poorly understood species called the Magellanic Plover for her Master's thesis. Once setting foot in Latin America it was hard to direct her interests elsewhere as she made connections there with conservation groups throughout South America and eventually ended up working on grassroots conservation efforts for sea turtles on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Since returning to Canada in 2011 she continued to work part-time with ICFC while training and now practicing as a speech pathologist. .)

Adrian Forsyth, PhD

Biologist Adrian Forsyth is Strategic Advisor to the Andes Amazon Fund and a serial founder of conservation organizations and initiatives (Amazon Conservation, Osa Conservation, and the Andes-Amazon Initiative). He has served as Vice President of blue moon fund, Director of Biodiversity at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Vice President of Conservation International. He worked as a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution and the Royal Ontario Museum, and was a faculty member of Arizona State University in the Department of Zoology.

Adrian is the author of nine acclaimed natural history books and has developed five biological field stations in the Amazon and in Central America. He received his Ph.D. in tropical ecology from Harvard University under renowned biologist E.O. Wilson.

Nadine Geddes, PhD

Nadine is a partner at Scale Strategics, where she supports companies with a range of organizational and compliance activities.  She was director of operations of a startup company specializing in advanced materials, and she has held various research and project management positions at Loughborough University, King’s College London, Dalhousie University, and the Department for Work and Pensions in the United Kingdom.  She holds a PhD in Ergonomics from Loughborough University, specializing in assistive technology.  Nadine lives in Halifax with her family and enjoys hiking, kayaking and cooking when she’s not busy with after-school activities.

Diane MacDiarmid, MBA

Diane MacDiarmid is Chief Talent Officer, QuadReal Property Group, a real estate investment, development and property management company owned by BCI, the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation. QuadReal, which has over 2,000 employees globally, was formed in 2016 to manage BCI’s real estate equity and debt portfolio.

Prior to joining QuadReal, Diane’s career was in consulting, first as a consulting engineer and then with Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm where Diane worked with the senior leadership of companies across a range of industries helping them develop and execute effective strategies.

Diane has served on the boards of three TSX listed companies, as well as an Ontario based Land Trust and the Canadian arm of a Kenyan NGO where she served as Board Chair.

Diane holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Civil Engineering) from Queen’s University and an MBA from York University (Schulich).

Phil Otto, ICD.D

Phil is Founder & Executive Advisor at ChangeMakers, an international reputation, social impact and marketing team of over 400 seasoned, passionate experts of various disciplines working in offices throughout Canada and in the US. With more than 35 years of experience as an entrepreneur, business and community leader, Phil is a trailblazing strategist with a rare combination of brand, marketing, communications, corporate culture, reputational risk and M&A experience. He is dedicated to bringing clarity, creativity and courage to the brands he helps navigate. Named to Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEO Hall of Fame, Phil has served on the boards of numerous corporations and non-profit organizations. 

Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya, MSc

Ruthmery Pillco is a Peruvian wildlife ecologist and conservationist with over 12 years of experience working in the tropical forests of Peru and Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, she collaborates with the local NGO Osa Conservation, focusing on the protection of endangered tree species in the Osa Peninsula. In Peru, Ruthmery leads the Andean Bear Conservation Program as part of Conservación Amazónica in Manú National Park and its surrounding buffer zone. Her research investigates the impacts of climate change on the Andean bear, a keystone species whose migratory patterns and life cycle are essential for maintaining the health of the cloud forest ecosystem. The program also includes community-based restoration efforts and the training of conservation ambassadors. Ruthmery holds a Master’s degree in Plant and Fungal Taxonomy, Diversity and Conservation from Queen Mary University of London and Kew Gardens. She is also a National Geographic Explorer and has been honored as a Woman of Discovery.

Anne Lambert

Anne has a background in biology and business. Her current focus at ICFC is laying the groundwork for new leadership and and expanding  the efforts to broaden ICFC's support base. Her mantra is "For Canadians concerned about global biodiversity loss or climate change, there is no better philanthropic opportunity than ICFC."  (See her reflections, as founder, on ICFC's  first 15 years.)  Anne has a degree in wildlife biology from the University of Guelph and worked as a biologist at Long Point Bird Observatory and in Wildlife Research at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources before starting a business (Science Connection) in 1991. She currently serves on the Board of the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics.

Tom Welch

Tom holds degrees from Queen's University and the University of Windsor, has founded and run several small businesses. Tom serves as ICFC's chief financial officer.  Outside of ICFC, he is involved in private equity, specializing in green technologies, and he has served on the board of several organizations and companies. Tom and Anne live in Chester, Nova Scotia and founded ICFC in 2007.

Bryan Adkins, MREM

Daniel H. Janzen, PhD

Murray Neal, MBA, MSc, CFA

Murray is an experienced public and private capital markets banker who held progressively senior positions in Government Finance, Debt Origination and Debt Syndication at Canadian and international banks.  He is an angel investor and advisor, serves on several boards, and is Venture Advisor and member of the Investment Review Committee at Leva Capital, an early stage healthcare venture capital investor.  Murray has an MBA from the Ivey School of Business, an MSc. from the University of Western Ontario and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute.

Stuart Pimm, PhD

Robert Pringle, PhD

James (Jason) Stewart, MA

Jason Stewart has been extensively involved in helping conservation causes for two decades. Jason is the President of The Youssef-Warren Foundation, a long-time funder of conservation, and co-chairs the Advisory Council of the Couchiching Conservancy. He is a former board member of Earth Rangers, and former president and chair of Lewa Canada, which supports the conservation and community development of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in East Africa. In business, Jason has worked in financial markets, policy and research since the early 1980s. He is the author or co-author of more than 30 articles, reports and studies. Jason is an Executive in Residence at the Global Risk Institute, and a Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute. He is a board member of the Institute for Research on Public Policy, and of Innovate Cities.