Meet our staff

Doug Michaelides

Chair

Doug Michaelides is president of Platform Marketing, an Ottawa-based management consulting firm specializing in go-to-market strategy and performance. As passionate about the environment as he is about business, he is a strong advocate for corporate social responsibility.

Kristi Ross

Vice Chair

Kristi is a lawyer who specializes in environmental law and land use planning law. She clerked with the Federal Court of Appeal and worked at boutique, mid-sized and large law firms before founding her own law firm in 2014. Kristi is also part of the Ontario Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section. 

Connor Jones

Treasurer

Connor Jones is the co-founder of Armstrong Jones LLP. He has experience working in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors and specializes in the construction, residential development, and retail industries. He has a passion for helping his clients succeed, striving to be the person they call for financial advice when they need it. 

Robin Goldstein

Secretary

Robin Goldstein is a municipal sustainability specialist who is passionate about facilitating the transition towards low-carbon and resilient communities. She has worked in federal, municipal, and non-profit sectors to help communities across Canada implement creative solutions to their environmental challenges and take action on climate change.

Shanshan Shi

Director

Shanshan Shi currently works with the government of Canada as a programs officer. With over ten years of experience working with McKinsey & Company in a variety of roles, including practice coordinator and team leader of translation and interoperation services in the Greater China Office. She is fluent in English and Chinese, and conversational in French. ​

Erika Aruja

Director

 Erika Aruja is a Director with Posterity Group Consulting where she helps utility and government clients plan for the energy transition and meet climate targets. She has a masters degree in economics and certifications in the ISO 14064 standards for GHG emissions accounting.

Wendy Grimshaw

Director

Wendy is an experienced CEO with 30 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector, with an emphasis on strategy, finance, change management, governance, and risk management. She has a successful track record working with organizations committed to meaningful work to transform or scale up their operations and to expand their impact and reach. Wendy is passionate about working collectively to address the urgent climate change challenges we face.

Rodney Wilts

Director

Rodney Wilts describes himself as a values-based real estate developer. He’s best known for his work on the world-class Zibi project. Zibi is Canada’s first One Planet Community, transforming a formerly contaminated industrial site into a showpiece sustainable, mixed-use community, powered by a zero-carbon district energy system. Starting as an environmental lawyer, he founded Canada’s first green building supply company, and was a partner with Windmill Developments.

Gene Villeneuve

Director

Gene is a disciplined and compassionate software executive with over 30 years of leadership experience. He brings deep enterprise software expertise, strong operational and P&L leadership, and a global perspective to help EnviroCentre and other organizations scale. His strengths include team mentorship, GTM, customer focus, alliances, and marketing.

Sanita Alias

Director

Sanita, a trusted HR business professional and strategic partner at CIRA. There, she was instrumental in earning the organization multiple employer awards. Sanita’s own expertise has been recognized with the HR Leader of the Year and the HR Team of the Year awards at the 2022 and 2024 Canadian HR Awards. Sanita, a uOttawa alumnus who then sought advanced education at Queen’s and Harvard, also actively engages in her community, serving as a director on the board of Operation Come Home.

Nina Lothian

Director

Nina is a professional engineer passionate about bringing people and data together to find impactful solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. Nina leads GHGSat’s efforts to reduce methane emissions globally using the latest in methane measurement technology.

As the Director of Climate and Energy Policy for then-Minister Steven Guilbeault, Nina met key climate policy commitments, including the oil and gas cap, carbon pricing update, methane regulations, and clean electricity regulations. She previously worked with Indigenous communities in Alberta in advancing clean energy projects, and spent 8 years leading a team at the Pembina Institute, a clean energy think tank.

Jen Hunter

Director

Jen Hunter, a passionate leader with over 30 years of experience, built a powerful presence for the Deloitte Greenhouse in the region. She is known for her zest, her dedication to people, her leadership, for facilitating change, for speaking at international conferences, and launching a tech business. She also designed and taught Algonquin College’s Green Business program and serves as the first Canadian board member for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Jen’s love for life shines through in her service and engagement with leaders and organizations.