Sustainability Speakers Bureau
The Sustainability Speakers Bureau is a group of public servants available to speak to the community about their work on the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act. Speakers will typically talk for 15 to 20 minutes and then take questions.
Our speakers are listed below, with short bios and their areas of expertise. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a presentation. If your topic is not yet covered by this list, we will be happy to find someone for you.
Contact: Bill Turpin
Sustainability Speakers Bureau
Nova Scotia Environment
424-3325
turpinsw@gov.ns.ca
Chris Bryant
Director, Decision Support
Department of Economic and Rural Development
Expertise: Economic Development
Among his many duties, Chris chairs the senior officials group responsible for the implementation of the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act, as well as the Implementation Steering Committee for Opportunities for Sustainable Prosperity, the provincial economic growth strategy.
Before joining the Nova Scotia Public Service, Chris was President, Holland College (1992-94), and Director, International Program, Federation of Canadian Municipalities (1990-92).
From 1969 through 1990, Chris worked for CUSO where he served as executive director after starting as a volunteer in Grenada and working as staff in Ottawa, the Pacific and the Caribbean.
Chris holds an MPA(M) from Dalhousie, an MAT from Harvard and a BA from McGill. He currently sits on the Board of the United Way of Halifax Region.
He is married and has three grown children and one grandchild.
Bob Kenney
Solid Waste-Resource Analyst/Business Development Recycling Officer
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise:Solid waste management
Bob Kenney has 10 years of experience with Nova Scotia Environment as a solid waste-resource analyst, and more recently as a business development recycling officer. He previously worked in the private sector on a variety of recycling, composting, and solid waste-related projects.
Bob is currently focused on reducing Nova Scotia’s waste disposal rate to 300 kilograms per person, per year by 2015 – one of the targets of the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act. This is a 38 per cent reduction from 2006 levels.
Fluent in English and French, Bob has spoken on Nova Scotia’s waste diversion success at numerous conferences and speaking engagements in Canada (15), the United States (5), Japan (6 cities), Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and the United Arab Emirates. He has also hosted numerous regional, national, and international groups that have visited the Province to study its waste resource management diversion infrastructure and processes.
Solveig Madsen
Environmental Analyst
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise: Small business and the environment, sustainable procurement policy in business and Government, benefits to businesses from environmental improvements
Solveig Madsen has worked for Nova Scotia Environment for 20 years. Her passion for environmental protection and her belief that environmental stewardship is linked to maintaining a strong economy and healthy communities is evident in her work with pollution prevention and eco-efficiency.
Solveig's specialty is efficient and effective environmental performance for small businesses. This entails working with small business owners to enhance and support environmental performance while simultaneously lowering costs, leveraging marketing opportunities, lowering environmental and occupational health risks, and improving employee retention and attraction.
Lynda Rankin
Sustainable Procurement Specialist
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise: Sustainable procurement
For the past 20 years, Lynda Rankin has worked to benefit the environment in positions with public and private organizations. Her work focuses on the development of green/sustainable procurement policy and related initiatives within Government. She is also involved in providing green procurement research and technical support for Government and the MASH (municipal, academic, social, and health) sector.
In 2004/05 Lynda led the development of Nova Scotia Environment and Labour’s Environmentally Preferable Procurement Policy, and she continues to support its implementation. She also plays a key role in developing a Sustainable Procurement Policy for the Nova Scotia Government by 2009, as required by the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act.
George Foote
Director, Climate Change Directorate
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise:Climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy
The Climate Change Directorate developed Nova Scotia’s climate change action plan and has now taken on the challenge of co-ordinating its implementation. The directorate also provides the department with strategic analysis and policy advice on climate change. George Foote has a great deal of experience with provincial, national and international climate change issues. His expertise includes an appreciation of the technical and financial aspects of climate change mitigation strategies, and a thorough grasp of energy supply and demand options. Although he has focused on climate change for the past 10 years, George has devoted much of his 25 years in government to energy efficiency and renewable energy. George is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario. His hobbies include camping, cycling, cross-country skiing, and anything to do with small, self-propelled watercraft.
Robert Anderson
Acting Manager for the Environmental Trade and Innovations Branch
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise: How environmental stewardship can benefit business
Robert Anderson’s key responsibilities include the development and promotion of sustainable environmental technologies as catalysts for growth in the environmental industry sector.
Robert’s environmental sector career began with the Charlottetown Area Pollution Control Commission, after which he spent eight years working with the City of Calgary. He returned to the Maritimes in 1988 as Construction Supervisor for Nova Scotia Environment’s Utilities Division, and for the past 14 years has been promoting the growth of environment-related industries in Nova Scotia.
Robert’s involvement with the implementation of new sewage facility guidelines and his close working relationship with the onsite wastewater treatment industry have led to several opportunities for technology development, maximizing benefits for both industry and the citizens of Nova Scotia.
Brent Baxter
Acting Manager, Pollution Prevention Branch
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise:Sustainable business and the environment, contaminated sites, toxic substance reduction
Brent Baxter has worked for Nova Scotia Environment for 15 years in capacities related to hazardous materials and petroleum management, pollution prevention, and contaminated site strategy development and consultation. Most recently, Brent became acting manager for the Department’s pollution prevention branch with responsibility for coordinating strategic technical resources and standards for diverse priorities including hazardous materials, petroleum management, contaminated sites, onshore oil and gas exploration, mining, pollution prevention, and environmental home assessment.
Brent has degrees in science and chemical engineering from Dalhousie University, and has private sector experience in petrochemical production, analytical services, and as a science advisor for emergency response teams. Brent has represented the Department on national public and private sector committees addressing hazardous substances, petroleum storage system standards, pesticides, pollution prevention, contaminated sites, and environmental governance.
Peter Labor
Policy and Program Coordinator
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise: Protected areas
Peter Labor has more than 15 years of experience in wilderness management and responsible use. For the past seven years he has worked with Nova Scotia Environment to facilitate the establishment and management of protected areas. This includes developing policies and regulations related to the implementation of the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act and ensuring that the community and stakeholders are engaged in the process.
Prior to joining the Department, Peter was active in the adventure tourism industry, spending eight years developing environmentally responsible outdoor tourism opportunities. During this time he worked in capacities such as wilderness interpreter and public speaker, raising awareness of the value of our natural environmental trust. Peter also spent five years as a participant and leader with an educational canoe expedition from Montreal to the Arctic and Pacific oceans.
Peter has a Master’s in Canadian Heritage and Development Studies from Trent University and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science and an Honours degree in Outdoor Recreation from Lakehead University.
Oliver Maass
Protected Areas Coordinator - Central Region
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise: Protected Areas
Oliver Maass has been involved in conservation work with the Nova Scotia Government for more than 15 years.
At Nova Scotia Environment, Oliver is responsible for coordinating the stewardship of provincially designated wilderness areas and nature reserves. He is also actively involved with efforts to designate new protected areas, which will help achieve the Province's goal of legally protecting 12% of Nova Scotia's land mass by 2015, up from about 8.7% currently. This includes stakeholder and public consultation. Much of Oliver's work is in cooperation with people and groups who are passionate about our woodlands, waterways and wildlife.
Oliver is a talented nature photographer and may exhibit some of his photos as part of a speaking engagement. He enjoys hiking and paddling throughout our beautiful Province, and also tries to grow some of his own food.
Leif Helmer
Protected Areas Coordinator
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise: Protected Areas
Leif Helmer has been working to preserve and manage the use of Canada’s natural areas for more than 15 years. As Protected Areas Coordinator with Nova Scotia Environment’s Bridgewater office, Leif plays a key role in implementing the protected areas program for wilderness areas in the Province. His day-to-day responsibilities include implementing the Tobeatic management plan, addressing field management for existing properties, establishing new protected areas, facilitating ecosystem research and monitoring, liaising with federal and municipal partners, and building community capacity for conservation.
Prior to joining the Department, Leif taught graduate courses at Dalhousie University’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies. Previous to this, he spent almost five years as a park interpreter and subsequently conservation technician with the St. Lawrence Islands National Park.
Leif is a born storyteller, and enjoys sharing tales of adventures arising from his commitment to helping protect nature through his work and his passion for enjoying outdoor pursuits in his free time.
Andrew Murphy
Manager, Air Quality Branch
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise: Air Quality
Andrew is responsible for several program areas including: outdoor air quality monitoring; outdoor air quality policy, regulation and management; and ecoNova Scotia for clean air and climate change.
Prior to joining the Air Quality Branch in 2004, Andrew worked on solid waste issues, as well as trade and investment in the environment sector. Andrew graduated from Dalhousie University in 1996 with a Masters in Development Economics.
When not at work, Andrew's favorite past-times include downhill skiing, canoeing and seakayaking.
Johnny P. McPherson
Airshed Planner
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise: Airshed Management
Protection of air quality is essential to human health, the integrity of ecosystems, and the socioeconomic well-being of society. As an Airshed Planner, Johnny is responsible for applying the principles of sustainability and science to develop and support airshed activities for the province.
Johnny has a breadth of technical and practical experience in air quality and other environmental fields, enhanced by an academic background in Environmental Management, and Environmental Technology.
Johnny has been with Nova Scotia Environment for 10 years, and was previously the department’s air quality technologist, a posting that required regular travel to many corners of the province.
Prior to coming to work for Nova Scotia Environment, Johnny’s passion for the outdoors took him to the Arctic where he travelled extensively with his dog team, and other means, and worked on numerous environmental and education projects.
Thomas Rankin
Trade and Investment Officer
Nova Scotia Environment
Expertise:New Market Development, Investment Analysis
Thomas Rankin specializes in new market development and investment analysis for environmental service and clean technology companies.
He has been working in the fields of international trade and environmental technology development for five years, first with Jacques Whitford (2004-06) and then with Nova Scotia Environment (2006 onward). Day to day, Thomas is actively involved in matching new and innovative environmental technologies with potential funding and markets for continued growth.
Internationally, Thomas has experience developing business in the United Arab Emirates, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and in the International Financial Institutions sector. Over the past two years, Thomas has conducted four business development trips to Abu Dhabi, UAE, helping to build Nova Scotia’s private sector presence there.
Thomas has an MBA in Marketing and International Trade from the Dalhousie University School of Management and is pursuing his designation from CMA Canada with an emphasis on environmental accounting.
Thomas speaks English and French and is an active student of Arabic.