Meet the Steering Committee

Jennifer Babin-Fenske, with a background in Applied Zoology from McGill and a Ph.D. in Boreal Ecology from Laurentian University, specializes in insects of stressed forests. As the Climate Change Coordinator for the City of Greater Sudbury, she is integral to the city’s regreening efforts and environmental initiatives. A recipient of the Canada Clean50 award, Jennifer is dedicated to promoting sustainable practices and focuses on the impact of climate change on community natural assets

Angela graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa in 2009 and was admitted to the Bar of the Province of Ontario in 2010. Angela summered, articled, and practiced with a large Ottawa firm, in real property and municipal law and now works with Conservation Ontario as General Manager.

Angela has worked with Federal, Provincial, and Municipal governments on a wide range of environmental, development, and water policy issues including: source water protection, flooding, and planning and development approvals.

Frances Delaney, with eight years in climate change adaptation, currently works at the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, focusing on outreach and engagement. She has significant experience across various levels of government, from climate modelling to policy. Frances contributed to the National Adaptation Strategy and has specialized knowledge of the Great Lakes Basin, including leading Annex 9 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Since 2002 Al is an adaptation expert and has been developing adaptation resources for decision-makers globally. He has led regional vulnerability assessments in Ontario and co-authored a guidebook on ecosystems vulnerability assessment for the province. Al contributed to National Assessments of climate change impact and adaptation and served as an expert reviewer for the IPCC. His expertise encompasses climate science, impact, vulnerability and risk assessments, policy development, and adaptation planning in natural resource sectors. In 2016, he co-chaired Adaptation Canada 2016, the first national symposium on climate change adaptation since 2005, and was part of Canada’s Expert Panel on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Results.

As a pioneer in the field of municipal climate adaptation, in 2007 he initiated climate change risk assessments for City owned infrastructure and other sectors such as food and electrical supply. David catalyzed consideration of climate risk and interdependencies of infrastructure systems and climate related financial disclosures. Prior to joining the City, for 17 years David was an environmental management consultant and Certified Environmental Auditor working in over a dozen industry sectors across Canada and the northeast USA. David was Adjunct Professor at TMU and U of T, teaching courses at the university Masters level on environmental management systems and urban climate adaptation.

Jeremy Schembri has been a municipal climate change leader for over 15 years. His foresight and innovation has led to the establishment of governance structures, plans, and actions that enabled multiple municipalities to proceed down the path to achieve a low carbon resilient future. Jeremy has honed and advocates for the use of inclusive best in class change management practices to tackle complex crisis like climate change; regularly looking to other industries and sectors to learn how best to catalyze and optimize action.

Sarah Warren is a public health promoter specializing in the intersection of climate change and health. She is dedicated to enhancing climate resilience and promoting equity through intersectoral collaboration. Her focus includes raising awareness about the impact of climate change on health and integrating these considerations into climate action and public health initiatives. Sarah collaborates with various partners to support and implement health-focused climate adaptation strategies.

Nicole Yardy is a dedicated environmentalist committed to making a positive impact on communities and preserving biodiversity through community mobilization. She is currently working as the Climate Change Specialist with the Town of Collingwood and continues to advance her education through graduate certificates in strategy and climate policy. With a degree in Environmental Science, Nicole plays a pivotal role in developing and implementing comprehensive strategies to address climate change mitigation and adaptation within the community.