Kevin Jardine was reappointed Deputy Minister of Environment and Parks in November 2024 after more than four years serving as Deputy Minister of Environment & Climate Changes Strategy. Prior to this, Kevin was Associate Deputy Minister of the Environmental Assessment Office for five years, where he led the development and implementation of B.C.’s new Environmental Assessment Act (2018). Kevin’s career with the BC Public Service began in late 2000 after almost a decade working as a natural resource management consultant. In his early years with the Province, Kevin held a variety of senior management roles working on key files such as species at risk in BC and development of recovery plans for the Spotted Owl and Mountain Caribou. In 2005, Kevin assumed a leadership role in the Integrated Land Management Bureau as Assistant Deputy Minister, where he established GeoBC. In 2008, Kevin was appointed Deputy Cabinet Secretary of Cabinet Operations and, in 2010, was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government where he had accountability for public service revitalization and led open information and data initiatives. From 2011 to 2015, Kevin served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Court Services Branch in the Ministry of Justice. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography (Honours) from the University of Victoria, and graduate diplomas in project management and executive leadership.
Sonia Strobel is co-founder and CEO of Skipper Otto, a Community Supported Fishery (CSF) based on Coast Salish territory in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Sonia worked for decades in a variety of community-based organizations, non-profits, and as a high school teacher. A member of Community Supported Agriculture programs since the early 90’s, Sonia brought her knowledge of CSA’s to the family fishery, first conceiving of the idea for one of the first CSFs in the world in 2008. Through her innovative, sustainable wild seafood business model, members pre-purchase a share in the catch before the fishing season, guaranteeing harvesters a fair price, protecting a traditional way of life in BC’s coastal and Indigenous fishing communities, and disrupting a seafood system fraught with social and environmental injustice. Skipper Otto is a certified B Corp and certified Living Wage employer.Sonia is a sought-after speaker and mentor in Canada and globally, supporting the development of community-based food systems. She is on numerous executive and advisory committees including the Local Catch Network and Fisheries for Communities. In 2023, she spearheaded Local Catch Canada where she has convened Indigenous leaders, harvesters, academics, NGO’s, and fishing businesses to envision more just and equitable fisheries and food systems in Canada. She was an inaugural expert in Vancouver Island University’s Seafood Business Accelerator program in 2023, and creator of Local Catch's SAIL Mentorship program in 2023.Sonia has received many awards acknowledging her vision and leadership including: winner of Coralus (formerly SheEO) in 2015; Veuve Cliquot Business Woman Award 2018 Canadian finalist; winner of the Forum’s 2019 Pitch Finale; Inc Magazine's list top 100 female entrepreneurs, 2020; finalist in the BC Food and Beverage Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2023; and runner up for BC Business Magazines’ 2024 Women of the Year Award: Change Maker.
Lisa Brinkman is a dedicated planning professional with 25 years of experience in municipal and regional government in Canada. Her extensive expertise is instrumental in shaping resilient and forward-thinking communities. Currently the Manager of Community Planning at the City of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Lisa excels in development planning, project management, and policy creation, with a strong focus on affordable housing.
Ting Pan is the Manager of Sustainability at the City of Nanaimo. She advances environmental sustainability and climate action through collaboration across the organization and with the wider community, with 20 years of professional experience in green building design, renewable energy and climate policy development, change management and public engagement. She currently leads Nanaimo’s City Plan Monitoring Strategy development in addition to overseeing community-wide climate and environmental sustainability policies and program development.
Jonny Bierman is a sustainable travel journalist, sustainable tourism educator and consultant and the founder of Eco Escape Travel INC, a values-based destination marketing and sustainability consulting firm based in Vancouver. He connects community, culture, and conservation through his written and visual storytelling while showing how tourism can be a regenerative force for good that leaves places better than how we found them. Jonny actively contributes to Vogue, National Geographic, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, National Post, and more.
Simon Reid is an award-winning entrepreneur with a diverse background in technology development, sales, marketing, fundraising, and team leadership. He has a proven track record of building and scaling impactful ventures across biotech, AI, and regenerative agriculture. Throughout his career, Simon has led in various for-profit, co-operative, and non-profit ventures, taking a biotech venture he founded public on the TSX.V in 2015. He is a recognized thought leader, frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences. Simon holds a Commerce degree with a focus on Marketing and Finance from Dalhousie University, a diploma in Entrepreneurship from the BC Institute of Technology, and a diploma in Human-Computer Interface Design from the University of British Columbia. He also holds additional credentials related to Canadian securities and public company governance from the Canadian Securities Institute.
Dr. Jennifer Clark, Chief Scientist at Cascadia Seaweed, leads programs in cultivation, environmental monitoring, and R&D. With over a decade of experience in seaweed physiology and genetics, she has worked in Canada and Australia and collaborates on kelp restoration and traditional seaweed research with First Nations. Passionate about seaweed, she advocates for its role in sustainable food systems and healthy ecosystems.
Judy Stafford, Executive Director, Cowichan Green Community (CGC) was born in Vancouver, and lived in a variety of places across Canada and Central American, before re-locating back to the Island where she lived as a child, happily stumbling upon the beautiful Cowichan Region in 2006. During her time away from the West Coast, Judy acquired over 25 years’ experience in financial institutions, managing several bank branches and back-office administration functions. Judy joined CGC in September 2007, and has initiated a wide range of food security, environmental sustainability and agricultural initiatives. She has strong ties with local business and social organizations, and draws on decades of experience in facilitation, collaboration, and communication to make good things happen in the Cowichan Region. During her tenure at CGC, she has grown the organization from an extremely small team into three organizations with over 30+ staff and annual revenues of over $2M. She’s personally won several awards including the Downtown Business Improvement Association’s Spirit of Excellence, and the Real Estate Foundation’s Sustainable Food Systems Leader, and under her leadership CGC has won the Chamber of Commerce Black Tie Award for Green Business, the Real Estate Foundation Land Award, an Innovation Community Development Award, and the City of Duncan’s Commercial and Residential Awards among others. Judy is in the process of stepping down from her current role, transitioning into Grant Manager and reducing her hours to spend more time with her amazing five grandchildren.
More panelists will be announced very soon!
Sheena Robinson is a Storyteller at Kw’umut Lelum Foundation, a local Indigenous-led community foundation stewarded by nine Coast Salish First Nations from Qualicum to the Malahat. They collaborate with donors to expand cultural, economic, social, educational and recreational access in support of Indigenous children and their families. Working closely with the Executive Director, Sheena’s roles include proposal writing, prospect research, community engagement, program development, and some communications. She holds a BA in Indigenous Studies and Creative Writing from VIU and a MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Royal Roads University. Her short fiction, non-fiction, and poetry have been published in various magazines. Sheena is an urban member of the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) First Nation with Norwegian, Irish, and English settler roots, and formerly worked at VIU as an Indigenous Education Navigator.
More panelists will be announced very soon!
The VILC is a student-led, non-profit conference that aims to connect students' passion for leadership with the community. VILC is supported and facilitated by the Office of Co-Curricular Engagement & Learning (OCCEL) at Vancouver Island University.
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