Annual General Meeting & Forestry Innovation Symposium
About the Symposium
Join us for our 5th Annual General Meeting & 2nd Biennial Forestry Innovation Symposium
We are excited to host our 5th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and 2nd Biennial Forestry Innovation Symposium, June 18-19, 2025, at the Best Western Glengarry, in Truro, Nova Scotia. We have combined our Annual General Meeting and Symposium into one streamlined and engaging experience for industry stakeholders. This premier event brings together industry leaders, workforce professionals, and innovators to explore the evolving landscape of forestry.
📅 Date: June 18-19, 2025
📍 Best Western Glengarry, Truro, Nova Scotia
This year’s theme, “Workforce Evolution: Regenerating Talent, Renewing Skills, Retaining Excellence,” highlights the critical role of a skilled and adaptive workforce in sustaining the industry’s future. We look forward to welcoming you to a showcase of the remarkable research, innovation, and workforce development happening in Nova Scotia’s forestry sector.
Registration
Conference registration includes all sessions throughout the event, lunch, dinner, and an evening reception on June 18, and refreshments throughout the morning of June 19.
| Registration type | Rate + HST |
|---|---|
| Forestry Sector Council Member | $300 |
| General Non-Member | $375 |
| Student & Class of ’25 Graduate | $250 |
June 18 – 19, 2025 in Truro, NS
Best Western Glengarry – 150 Willow St, Truro, NS B2N 4Z6
Book your stay by May 17th for our reduced rate of $179 per night
Our Sponsors
Thank you to our generous sponsors! This event would not be possible without their support.
Government of Nova Scotia
Scott and Stewart Forestry Consultants Ltd.
WoodWorks Atlantic
Join us in shaping the future of forestry! Sponsoring this even is a strategic opportunity to showcase your company’s leadership in the sector. As a sponsor, your brand will be prominently aligned with sector advancement, equity and inclusion, and the next generation of skilled professionals. Sponsorship enhances your visibility, strengthens industry partnerships, and demonstrates your support for a thriving, and future ready workforce. Explore our full sponsorship package below and contact events@forsec.ca for more information and to express interest. .
There will be multiple opportunities for symposium participants to visit exhibitor spaces during scheduled networking breaks on June 18 and 19. The cost to register for exhibitor space is $250 + HST in addition to event registration. To register for an exhibitor space, please contact events@forsec.ca by June 11, 2025.
Event Schedule
Join us June 18–19 at the Best Western Glengarry in Truro for two days focused on workforce attraction, training, and innovation in forestry. Conference registration includes two full days of practical and workplace-ready programming, meals, an evening reception, an exhibitor fair, and our AGM.
Please note: schedule is subject to change, check back regularly for updates as we confirm our speaker schedule
9:00am – 11:00am
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Registration & Refreshments |
10:00am – 11:00am
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Forestry Sector Council |
11:00am – 11:45am
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Bryce Tully, Speaker and Performance Psychology ExpertManaging Uncertainty: Where Resilience, Leadership, and Pressure Collide |
12:00pm |
Exhibitor Fair Starts |
12:00pm – 1:00pm |
Lunch & Networking |
1:00pm – 1:45pm
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Speaker TBATopic TBA |
Speaker TBATopic TBA |
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Speaker TBATopic TBA |
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1:45pm – 2:30pm
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Ben McArthur, Forest Products Association of CanadaBeyond the report: Unlocking a Future-Ready Workforce for Canada’s Forest Industries |
2:30pm – 3:15pm
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Jenna Phillips, Forestry TogetherEmployer Driven Inclusion: Championing Change Across the Workforce |
3:15pm |
Forestry Sector CouncilAfternoon Remarks |
5:30pm |
Evening Reception Begins |
6:00pmMinister’s Remarks |
Honourable Tory RushtonMinister of Natural Resources |
6:30pm |
Dinner |
7:30pm – 10:00pm |
Awards Presentation & Evening Networking |
8:00am – 9:00am
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Refreshments & Networking |
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9:00am – 10:00am
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Jenna Phillips, Forestry TogetherLeading with Purpose: A Reflective Workshop on Nurturing Inclusive Leadership |
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10:00am – 10:45pm
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Speaker TBATopic TBA |
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Speaker TBATopic TBA |
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Speaker TBATopic TBA |
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10:45-11:00am |
Jenna Phillips, Forestry TogetherRefreshments & Networking |
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11:30am – 12:30pm
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Moderator TBAFrom Entry to Impact: Early Professionals Panel |
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12:00pm – 12:15 |
Forestry Sector CouncilClosing Remarks |
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12:15pm – 1:00pm |
Refreshments & Final Networking |
More details coming soon!
Please check back soon for more details!
Managing Uncertainty: Where Resilience, Leadership, and Pressure Collide
Whether you’re leading a small team or a whole organization, navigating uncertainty has become a constant. In this session, Bryce will offer a practical lens on what leadership looks like when conditions are unclear, pressure is high, and your team is looking to you for direction.
Drawing from his work at the Olympic Games as a performance psychology lead with Team Canada, and his consulting work with organizations like McDonald’s and Telus, Bryce will share actionable strategies employers can use to:
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Lead with clarity when there’s no clear playbook
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Build team resilience and adaptability in the face of change
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Strengthen psychological safety as a tool for performance—not just wellness
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Recognize hidden culture risks that impact retention and morale
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Keep people engaged and focused—even when pressure is high
This session is for leaders managing complexity in real time who want to bring out the best in their teams while doing it.
About the Speaker
Bryce Tully
Co-Founder and CEO, Innerlogic
Bryce Tully is a sought-after keynote speaker, consultant, and facilitator with deep expertise in performance psychology and organizational culture. His influential career includes serving as a Performance Psychology and Culture Lead with Team Canada at the Tokyo Olympics, where he contributed to multiple medal wins across three National Sport Organizations.
Today, Bryce is the Co-Founder and CEO of Innerlogic, an AI-powered platform helping organizations measure and enhance workplace culture to drive business performance—used by professional sports organizations like the NHL and corporate leaders like McDonald’s. Bryce’s insights bridge the gap between data-driven decision-making and human-centered leadership, making him a dynamic voice on the future of work, engagement, and high-performance environments. He has delivered impactful workshops and keynotes for organizations such as Lululemon, Telus, McDonald’s, and the Canadian Armed Forces.
Leading with Purpose: A Reflective Workshop on Nurturing Inclusive Leadership
About the Speaker
Jenna Phillips
Senior Policy Advisor, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
Jenna Phillips (she/her) is a Senior Policy Advisor who joined FPAC in August 2023, with the mission to promote inclusive and productive workplaces within the Canadian forest sector. Jenna brings a systems lens to forest policymaking, especially when it comes to fostering gender equity, Indigenous reconciliation, and delivering affordable housing solutions through forest management activities. Jenna is an acting Co-Chair of “Forestry Together”, a national forest sector alliance that aims to build meaningful inclusion of sector employees and focus on increasing equity for all.
Prior to joining FPAC, Jenna worked on sustainability education and policy communications with the United Nations, academic institutions, non-profits, municipal government, among others. Jenna runs her own sustainability education platform called “Clear the Air”, where she breaks down complex issues and mobilizes thousands of youth to take climate action. She also earned a Bachelor’s of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and a Master’s of Global Governance from the Balsillie School of International Affairs.
Employer-Driven Inclusion: Championing Change Across the Workforce
This plenary panel will feature forest sector employers in sharing practical examples of how they are implementing inclusive practices within their organizations. The panel will explore strategies for addressing common challenges, building collaborative partnerships, and embedding inclusion into workforce development efforts.
Panelists will provide real-world insights on:
- Key steps taken by organizations to foster inclusion
- Measuring and sustaining progress
- Overcoming roadblocks and barriers
- Building partnerships and leveraging community support
- Inclusion’s link to workforce retention and organizational performance
The session is designed to inspire participants with actionable ideas and peer-driven guidance, supporting the evolution of a more skilled, adaptive, and inclusive forestry workforce.
About the Moderator
Jenna Phillips
Senior Policy Advisor, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
Jenna Phillips (she/her) is a Senior Policy Advisor who joined FPAC in August 2023, with the mission to promote inclusive and productive workplaces within the Canadian forest sector. Jenna brings a systems lens to forest policymaking, especially when it comes to fostering gender equity, Indigenous reconciliation, and delivering affordable housing solutions through forest management activities. Jenna is an acting Co-Chair of “Forestry Together”, a national forest sector alliance that aims to build meaningful inclusion of sector employees and focus on increasing equity for all.
Prior to joining FPAC, Jenna worked on sustainability education and policy communications with the United Nations, academic institutions, non-profits, municipal government, among others. Jenna runs her own sustainability education platform called “Clear the Air”, where she breaks down complex issues and mobilizes thousands of youth to take climate action. She also earned a Bachelor’s of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and a Master’s of Global Governance from the Balsillie School of International Affairs.
Beyond the report: Unlocking a Future-Ready Workforce for Canada’s Forest Industries
This plenary presentation will expand on FPAC’s national workforce findings and focus on practical, employer-driven strategies to address key industry challenges. Topics will include improving first-year retention, building internal mentorship, addressing local training gaps (with emphasis on tech and bioeconomy roles), and navigating infrastructure barriers such as housing and credentialing. The session will emphasize actionable insights and policy levers relevant to our sector.
About the Speaker
Ben McArthur
Director of Policy, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
As Director of Policy, Ben leads the development of strategic policy initiatives and products across FPAC’s focus areas—particularly those related to sector competitiveness—working closely with FPAC’s Vice President of Government Relations to advance the Canadian forest sector’s economic, environmental, and social objectives. He is the internal advocacy lead for supply chain and workforce development issues, supports the organization’s international trade and market access initiatives, and oversees the day-to-day operations of FPAC’s internal policy and government relations team.
Prior to joining FPAC in 2019, Ben held several research assistantships in digital humanities, international development, and political communications. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History from Western University in 2015, and a Master of Arts in International Studies from Simon Fraser University in 2019.
He can usually be found tending to his garden, sipping a nice coffee, or biking around Ottawa with his toddler and partner in tow.
Innovative Approaches to Tick Management
This presentation will highlight our work in the chemical ecology of ticks, including how they detect hosts through olfactory cues and how we use this knowledge to develop repellent products with plant-based active ingredients. We will also discuss the use of entomopathogenic fungi as biocontrol agents against blacklegged ticks.
About the Speaker
Dr. Luis Adriano Anholeto
Postdoctoral Fellow, Acadia University
Dr. Luis Adriano Anholeto is a biologist with a master’s and Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology from São Paulo State University, Brazil, with a collaborative period at the Tick Cell Biobank laboratory at the University of Liverpool, UK. Dr. Anholeto was a postdoctoral fellow at the Veterinary Parasitology Lab at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation – Embrapa Southeast Livestock, a state-owned research corporation affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, where he developed a patented nanoformulation with plant-based compounds against cattle ticks.
He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Nicoletta Faraone’s lab at Acadia University, studying the tick chemosensory system, how ticks detect odours from hosts, their responses to repellents, and developing innovative solutions for tick management.
His academic training and industry experience integrate different fields, including chemistry and biology, parasitology, nanotechnology, chemical ecology, and biotechnology. He also has a strong background in histology, histochemistry, and microscopic analysis (SEM, TEM, and confocal). His research interests focus on vector biology, integrated pest management, and developing novel, more effective strategies for vector and disease control, particularly in the context of climate warming and other environmental changes.
International Recruiting and Labour Solutions
Work Global Canada will provide an overview of work force solutions for employers. We will highlight the key programs available within the region, both permanent and temporary. Employers will be given information on the recruiting process and how international candidates can benefit your organizational structure as well as help you achieve and maintain your workforce targets.
About the Speaker
Wanda Cuff-Young
Work Global Canada Inc.
In 2012, Wanda partnered with former Immigration Minister of NL, Paul Shelley to form Work Global Canada Inc. Work Global provides turnkey labour and immigration services to employers throughout Canada in all sectors with a focus on the Atlantic Canadian Region. She also has a background in the tourism industry for more than 20 years throughout Atlantic Canada.
Forest Carbon Offset Opportunities in the Acadian Forest
Forest carbon offset markets have rapidly emerged in Canada over the past few years. The dynamics of carbon offset projects and markets will be explored along with an examination of the expected impacts for landowners, industry, and policy makers in Atlantic Canada.
About the Speaker
David Stevenson, Director of Canadian Operations
Finite Carbon Canada
David has been a professional forester in Canada for over 25 years and has worked for industry, consultants, and government. David joined Finite Carbon in 2021 to launch the company in Canada. He is currently leading the development of Alberta’s proposed forest carbon offset protocol and is part of the Technical Expert Team helping develop the federal forest carbon offset protocol.
Prior to joining Finite Carbon, David worked for the Saskatchewan Climate Change Branch where for three years he led climate and offset policy development developing an entire regulatory framework for the management of industrial greenhouse gases. Before that he spent ten years with the Saskatchewan Forest Service leading forest policy development, forest management planning, forest operations and compliance, and forest renewal. Before moving to Saskatchewan, he worked for KBM Forestry Consultants in Ontario on FMPs and forest audits. David began in forestry being devoured by bugs planting trees in northern Ontario.
David is a past President of the Association of Saskatchewan Forestry Professionals. He is an active participant with the ASFP and the CIF and is an RPF in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
NS Department of Natural Resources and Renewables
Panel Speakers
Royden Trainor
Senior Executive Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables.
Royden Trainor is a lawyer by training but a public policy leader by inclination. Royden recently received his Kings Counsel designation for “outstanding contribution to public policy leadership, innovation, impact and advancement the public good.” Royden has had the benefit of spending about half of his career in the private sector as a business and corporate governance executive and legal counsel both in Canada and the United States.
Royden is currently the Senior Executive Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. Royden has previously been the Senior Executive Director at the Departments of Public Works, Advanced Education and Labour and Executive Advisor to the Minister of Education on the formation of the new Nova Scotia Community College system in the 1990’s and been obsessed with training and workforce development ever since.
In 2013 Royden was seconded to Ontario to help lead the establishment of the Ontario College of Trades, and the Director of Apprenticeship for the largest agency of its kind in North America.
In his current position is provides critical strategic support the Deputy and the Department on critical and emerging issues, including supporting the implementation of the Lahey recommendations, transition issues in the forestry sector, first nations engagement, green hydrogen, Departmental reorganization and supporting critical relationships with the Forestry Innovation Hub, Invest Nova Scotia, the Forestry Sector Council to name a few. Royden has also been a long time leader in areas of inclusion, engagement, accessibility and non-traditional approaches to learning and doing.
Community-Led Forest Innovation
About the Speaker
Matt Miller
General Manager, Medway Community Forest Co-op
Matt began working with Medway Community Forest Co-op in November of 2021 and currently holds the role of General Manager. Matt graduated from the Maritime College of Forest Technology’s Forest Technologist program in 2007 and received a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Environmental Management from the University of New Brunswick in 2009. An avid outdoors enthusiast, Matt’s love of the forest grew from his experiences working with his father, helping to steward his family’s woodlands.
Applying Forsite's Tree Species Identifier to Operational Scale
Forsite has developed the Tree Species Identifier (TSI) software suite, a toolkit that uses remote sensing data (primarily higher density ALS) to identify individual trees including species across a land base. TSI is available at an industrial-scale and the individual tree inventory data serves as a fundamental building block to a statistically defensible and unbiased results. This data provides the ability to plan at the fine operational scale to being rolled up to stand-level for strategic purposes. Since the data is based on individual trees, it provides exceptional insight in piece size which is critical for both sustainable wood supply and wildlife habitat planning requirements. We will present some of methodology and real work results from successfully delivered projects.
About the Speaker
Maurice LeBlanc
Solutions Design Specialist, Forsite Consultants
Education in Forestry
Panel Speakers
Gareth Davies
Maritime College of Forest Technology
Gareth Davies is a Forestry Professional with more than 25 years work experience in applied operational forestry. Gareth’s professional expertise is centered on applied silviculture; ecological silviculture; forestry operations; and associated forest sampling and assessment. A full-time Instructor at the Maritime College of Forest Technology (MCFT) since 2013, Gareth is now the Academic Chair at the Fredericton Campus. In the role of Academic Chair, Gareth has lead MCFT’s recent review and revision of the Forest Technology Program and its supporting curriculum. Gareth is also a small farmer and active woodlot owner- living on a homestead-woodlot with his family in Stanley, New Brunswick.
Carla Rhyant
Chair, Forest Professional Regulators of Canada
Carla Rhyant has lived and worked in rural communities her entire life, having grown up in a logging family and on a farm in the interior of BC. She attended Coast Mountain College in Smithers, BC for Integrated Resource Management prior to relocating to Alberta in 2006. In 2017 she completed a Master of Arts in Leadership through Royal Roads University.
Carla has served as a leader in the non-profit sector for over 18 years, expanding the profile of non-profit organizations by shaping strategic direction, good governance, and building a strong network of supporters. Through her career of working within natural resource sectors, Carla recognizes the demographics, complexities, challenges, and opportunities facing individuals and businesses in rural Alberta. Carla has served on numerous boards provincially and nationally and is currently the Chair of the Forest Professional Regulators of Canada. She also operates a consulting business focused on strategic and business planning and project management.
Kate Snyder
Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning, NSCC
Kate is the Director of the Centre for Teaching & Learning at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) and is driven by a commitment to equity and innovation in post-secondary teaching and learning. Kate has a doctorate in education and is a former teacher and faculty member. Much of her work over the past ten years has been in teacher/faculty professional development and is now focused on supporting Faculty across NSCC in integrating progressive teaching practices and educational technology to enhance the student experience.
This session is sponsored by Nova Scotia Community College.
Supporting Innovation in the Emerging Forest Bioeconomy
Panel Speakers
Rod Badcock
BioApplied Innovation Pathways
Rod Badcock is the Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Innovation Hub. He is passionate about the bioeconomy and renewable resources, spending the beginning of his career in operational roles with Alberta Pacific Forest Industries and Bowater Mersey Paper Company where he specialized in forest management. In addition to an MBA from Saint Mary’s University, Rod holds a Bachelor of Science in Forest Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. Rod is also an entrepreneur and has been involved in the launch of several ventures that support product and process innovation in the Canadian bioeconomy.
Beth Mason
Verschuren Centre Inc.
This session is sponsored by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables.
Forest Supply Chain Sustainability
As an unmonetized advantage in the marketplace, this can drive competitive advantage. Since it’s the initiation of its conservation program, SFI has been working to develop the needed science to support environmental reporting, support innovative approaches to the conservation of rare and threatened species, inform the standard revision process to meet new and emerging challenges, and to better communicate the conservation value of managed forests in Canada.
This work has led to an overall boost to sustainability across the forest sector value chain.
About the Speaker
Darren Sleep
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Darren Sleep holds a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Guelph and is the Lead Scientist at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), where he focuses on leading SFI’s conservation and science program and on increasing SFI’s capacity to develop and manage impactful conservation and research projects in Canada and the United States. His primary area of expertise is in forest ecology, and the management of rare and threatened species.
Darren sits on a number of government and ENGO advisory bodies, including the Committee On the Status of Species At Risk in Ontario (COSSARO), and The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Boreal Team of Specialists, and the Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Prior to joining SFI, Darren worked as Project Leader in Forest Ecology at the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), where he worked on issues of relevance to the forest sector and liaised with the scientific and conservation biology communities.
NSCC Centre of Forest Innovation
Visit the new space at NSCC’s Truro Campus and learn about the exciting new core programs, continuing education and customized training that’s being developed for the forestry sector.
Session Speakers
Andrew Lafford has a strong connection to the land, the water and the people who form the communities around him. He enjoys being outdoors hiking, mountain biking, and discovering new areas of Nova Scotia.
Andrew has been working in the post-secondary education industry for almost 20 years. After completing his studies at the University of Prince Edward Island and the Information Technology Institute, Andrew began a career in Software Development for the Health Services Industry and found a passion for facilitating his knowledge, skills and experience to a new generation of learners.
From there, Andrew worked with students with unique backgrounds in a wide variety of educational settings. He later expanded his strengths in education when joining the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) as a Curriculum Consultant and has enjoyed several roles over the past 14 years. Currently, Andrew is the Dean for the School of Technology and Environment. Andrew is deeply committed to ensuring quality educational experiences and supporting students in achieving success in their studies aligned to employment pathways.
Program Director, Forestry Innovation Center
Leif is the Program Director at the new NSCC Centre of Forest Innovation. He holds a Master’s in Education Leadership from Acadia, with a MPA Leadership and a MES Environmental Studies from Dalhousie University.
With NSCC he works to advance the shift to ecological forestry in Nova Scotia. The Centre of Forest Innovation is a convener and training provider, and a research and funding partner to help drive innovative approaches to forests and forest products.
Leif volunteers on a number of boards, including as Chair of the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute (MTRI), and member of the National Pollution Reporting Inventory (NPRI) for Environment and Climate Change Canada. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) and serves as a director of the Maritime Chapter, and the new national Equity and Diversity Committee.
This session is sponsored by Nova Scotia Community College.
Funding for Forest Innovation
Panel Speakers
Associate Vice President, Applied Research & Innovation at NSCC
Dr. Jeffrey Taylor joined NSCC as its Associate Vice President of Applied Research, Innovation, and International in June 2016, where he is privileged to oversee thriving, research, innovation, international, industry liaising, and strategic partnership activities at all NSCC’s Campuses. He is on the Board of Directors of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, is the Chair of the National Research Advisory Council, sits on the Board of Springboard Atlantic, and teaches in Colleges & Institutes Canada’s National Leadership Institute. Prior to NSCC, Jeff worked in various positions in Academia at the University of Waterloo, the University of Colorado, the University of Denver, the National Ecological Observatory Network, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. He is a graduate of the National Science Foundation’s Leadership Collaboratory Executive Management Program and has a PhD in Physics from the University of Toronto.
Manager, Forestry Innovation Voucher Program at NSCC
Katrina is the Manager of the Forest Innovation Voucher Program with NSCC. She graduated from Mount Saint Vincent Universities Public Relations program in 2012 and is a Dalhousie University MBA candidate for 2024. Katrina worked in the non-profit sector, raising millions to support health care and education in Nova Scotia, before growing her career through increasingly senior roles at NSCC. Katrina is a driver for change, a relationship builder, and works to identify innovative solutions in complex situations.
Business Development Advisor at Mitacs
Matt works with industry and academia to help build industrial research projects with teams at post-secondary institutions across Nova Scotia. Matt works with clients across all sectors to understand their business needs, and to use research as the tool to propel their organizations forward. Through building collaboration with faculty, staff, and students, and providing grant funding to support the research engagement between industry and academia, Matt is keen to help build projects provincially and nationally. Formerly, Matt was a Research Scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, and is now using that background to help companies navigate the research space in Nova Scotia.
Forestry Research Lead at Research Nova Scotia
Kirsten Campbell was fortunate to be born and raised on Cape Breton Island on a hobby farm and woodlot along the Bras d’Or Lakes. Kirsten holds an animal science diploma and Forestry and Fish & Wildlife diplomas. Kirsten became an operations supervisor in CB at the local pulp mill and later took an opportunity to work in private land management. Kirsten is now in the research realm of forestry and learning lots! She’s been a proud board member of the NS Forest Technician Association since graduating from forestry school, volunteers on local school committees, and multiple other forestry-related groups, and enjoys playing hockey in her “spare” time. Kirsten is married to a fisherman and a mum of 3 small kids…all of which been in a harvester, never miss a wood truck on the road, and love the woods, plants, wildlife, and water.
This session is sponsored by Nova Scotia Community College.
Explore Applied Research with NSCC
Panel Speakers
Al Joseph, Ph.D.
Director of Applied Research at NSCC
Dr. Alain Joseph is the Director of Applied Research at Nova Scotia Community College. Prior to this, Alain worked at the College as a research scientist in sustainable energy working with community and industry partners to integrate energy hardware, software, and data technologies to improve energy management. Alain has an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in sustainable bioenergy from Dalhousie University.
Rachell Kendall
Research Associate, NSCC
Rachel Kendall is a research associate with the Applied Environment and Agriculture Technology Research Lab (EATLab) and joined the team in December 2021. After receiving a diploma in Environmental Engineering Technology from NSCC, she pursued an undergraduate degree at Saint Mary’s University and a Master’s degree at McGill University, where she worked on research projects on forests, wetlands, and peatlands. This began an interest in ecosystem processes and environmental science. Rachel grew up in rural Nova Scotia and is very interested in applying her knowledge to projects that support the sustainability of Nova Scotia industries.
Rachel brings over five years of experience working on a variety of environmental projects including forest and wetland ecosystems, soil science, restoration, and waste management. Rachel has an in-depth understanding of natural vegetation in Nova Scotia and enjoys learning new things from others about plants and wildlife.
Matthew Vankoughnett
Research Scientist at NSCC
Dr. Mathew Vankoughnett is currently a research scientist at Nova Scotia Community College where he is the principal investigator for the Environment and Agriculture Technology Lab. Mat’s research combines studies of basic ecological questions with applied research, to overcome real-world environmental problems and help address industry needs. Prior to joining NSCC, Mat was an Assistant Professor of Biological Science at the University of Wisconsin at Platteville, Richland Campus, and was also the Research Director of their Research Farm. Mat holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Western Ontario, a M.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Queen’s University, and a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from Trent University.
This session is sponsored by Nova Scotia Community College.
Public Trust: Common Messaging for Unity
Panel Speakers
Heather Boyd
Executive Director, Forestry Sector Council
Spencer Coulstring
Community Engagement Coordinator, Westfor Management Inc.
Spencer graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University with her Bachelor of Science Communications (major in Biology and a minor in Public Relations and Communications). Post graduation she moved to British Columbia where she worked with Species At Risk at the Nechako White Sturgeon Recovery Center. After her time working at the hatchery she started her journey in forestry. She started working with Avison Management Services Ltd. as a Forestry Technician in Northern, BC. She spent time doing operations layout, site plans, pine beetle surveys, and more. After working in copious amounts of blowdown she put her biology degree to use as an Environmental Technician with the same consultant. She spent the majority of her time there conducting stream restorations with local farmers.
After her time in the mountains she, like most Maritimers, got the call home. Spencer worked with Costal Action out of Lunenburg as a Watershed Restoration Technician. She spent her time there conducting fish habitat assessments, stream remediation projects, as well as partook in invasive species surveys. After her time there she started at WestFor Management Inc. where she still is today. She is happy to have a part in managing the forests she grew up in while supporting the local communities and wonderful people of Nova Scotia.
Stephen Moore
Executive Director, Forest Nova Scotia
Employment Insurance Reform in Canada
About the Speaker
Nancy Healey
Commissioner for Employers at the Canada Employment Insurance Commission
Nancy has been the Commissioner for Employers since July 2021, in this capacity she is an independent representative of employers within the Commission. The Commission has been actively consulting on Employment Insurance reform which is anticipated to be tabled in 2023. In addition, the Commission oversees proactive labour market development initiatives. Nancy has been a tireless advocate for business throughout her career primarily working in Industry Association and the Chamber of Commerce movement. She is a graduate of Memorial University and the University of King’s College and is currently pursuing an MBA from the University of Fredericton. She is married with 2 teenage sons and resides in St. John’s Newfoundland
Serve to Lead - Lunch Keynote
He will do this whilst recounting his times on patrol in the wadis and deserts of Afghanistan, and the lessons he learned on the way; ones that had been introduced to him during his training and became embodied during some of the most intense challenges a leader can face. Subsequently becoming the cornerstone of his leadership, he will share how he has successfully transferred and applied them in his second leadership career outside the Army.
Phil’s motto: Leadership is leadership is leadership, and it starts with ones self, regardless of the industry or profession.
About the Speaker
Phil Jewell
Impact Leadership
Most of Phil Jewell’s formal leadership training and experience has come from being a senior officer in the Army, a leadership instructor for an academic institution, and an executive in the public service.
He graduated from the British Army’s Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst, arguably the world’s best military leadership school, and by his mid-twenties he was leading soldiers in overseas combat. He went on to serve as a leader in both the British Army and Canadian Army, working alongside nations and cultures from around the world.
Although these experiences taught him some great lessons, he has also observed many other leadership examples and environments, both informally and formally, whether it was working on a farm as a 14-year-old or simply in his own personal life.
Phil is a leadership mentor, and an experienced executive and leadership instructor with much success leading teams from combat operations in Afghanistan, to large change initiatives in the civilian sector.
This session is sponsored by Nova Scotia Community College.
Ventriloquist Mark Crocker
About the Speaker
Vocal Illusionist
Crock of Laffs Entertainment has racked up an incredible resume of work. With his feet firmly planted in the Corporate Market Mark has found his niche!
Mark Crocker has been called to do TV shows on the Comedy Network, Network Commercials, and Consulting work on Episodic Television and Feature Films, as well as Cruise Ships around the world.
Mark Crocker was introduced to the ancient and complex art of Ventriloquism in 1977! From simple beginnings performing on the front porch, to local cub scouts and churches. Mark steadily progressed to every style of venue. Eventually Mark leaped from the “real job” to full time entertaining in year 2000.
Over four decades of entertaining audiences around the world, thousands of conferences, conventions, special events. Mark’s special blend of comedy delivered through ventriloquism, creates a wonderful mixture of old versus new.
This session is sponsored by A.L.P.A. Equipment Ltd.
Autonomous Vehicles and Trees, a Mixtape - A talk on the future of data driven forestry
First, we discuss the challenges and opportunities we see in the forestry industry for richer data and AI-augmented forest inventories. We will then go over how Gaia AI utilizes some of the most advanced technology in the world to scale inventories and collect richer data, explaining our technology stack and sharing how we apply insights from the autonomous vehicles field to forestry. We will conclude with an open discussion on how this data can lead to new opportunities for operational optimizations as well as new revenue streams for the timber industry. Our aim is to have the last half of this session be an open dialogue so that we might learn from the forestry expertise in the room, and collect any input or questions.
About the Speaker
Peter McHale
CEO
Peter has a Master’s in computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, a Master’s in robotics+AI from the University of Michigan, and an MBA and Sustainability Certificate from MIT. He worked on the early autonomous vehicles team at Ford, helped build the perception AI technology stack at Argo AI, and was the technical project manager at May Mobility responsible for software releases to their fleets of autonomous vehicles. He now leads Gaia AI, where his team is building the world’s most advanced data platform for forest management driven by similar AI to what they have built for autonomous vehicles. Gaia AI is looking for strong partnerships to pilot the technology, provide feedback, and ensure they are building the most valuable product possible for the forestry/timber industry.
This session is sponsored by Nova Scotia Timber Loan Board.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: A Personal and Professional Journey
Gordon’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey has been both a personal and professional journey. During his session he will recount some of his experiences with DEI both as a professional in the industry and through his own anecdotal experiences.
About the Speaker
Gordon Blackmore
Consultant - Diversity Employment Network
Gordon is a diversity and inclusion specialist, highly accomplished and a solutions-driven professional with theoretical and hands-on, progressive experience in team building, strategic planning, identifying initiatives, and facilitating action-driven plans to support cultural growth and objectives in both profit and non-profit settings. An inspirational leader with the proven ability to anticipate problems, offer solutions, develop strategies and address issues. Senior professional with dynamic communication and presentation skills, and a track record in maximization of efficiency, and stakeholder satisfaction. Excellent grasp of change and risk management.
Gordon has a long history of working in the black community and has among other things, been a Director of the Cultural Awareness Youth Group, Halifax, a counsellor at NS Home for Colored Children, Dartmouth and the Director of the Indigenous Blacks & Mi'kmaq Initiative at Dalhousie University.
Gordon is currently a special consultant at DEN to assist with the final development and implementation of the Diversity Employment Network programming.
