From left to right, top:
Gareth Thomson, Executive Director of ACEE
Sue Hayduk, Stakeholder Specialist, the City of Calgary
Kathy Worobec, Alberta Greenlearning
Pat Worthington, Director of Human Resources, Rockyview School Division

From left to right, front:
Jeff Reading, ACEE Chair and Environmental Specialist, City of Calgary
Walter MacDonald-White Bear, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
Carole Stark, Executive Director, Chinook Institute for Community Stewardship
Lori Gammell, Suncor Energy Foundation

Missing:
John Kristensen, Assistant Deputy Minister, Parks (retired)

About our Board and Staff

Pat Worthington is the Director of Human Resources with Rocky View Schools.  An educator for twenty-five years, Pat has worked with students of all grades levels and has made teaching about the earth the foundation of his career.  In addition to classroom teaching, Pat has worked as a school-based administrator, including roles as an assistant principal and principal.  Active involvement in a number of organizations including the Global Environmental and Outdoor Education Council of the Alberta Teachers Association, has allowed him to share his passions with others.  He and his wife Kathy live in Calgary with their two sons.

Walter MacDonald-White Bear is Aboriginal Project Coordinator - Chinook Lodge with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. A Cree singer-songwriter originally from the First Nation of Moose Factory, Ontario, he is an educator, performer and motivational speaker.  He has been performing acoustic and flute music for several years.

John Kristensen is a retired biologist who has been an active natural historian and outdoor enthusiast for his whole life. He started his career as an environmental consultant, and then worked for the Alberta government for 25 years, most recently as Assistant Deputy Minister of Parks, where he oversaw a program consisting of over 500 parks and recreation areas. John has been a member of many provincial and national committees, boards and councils; and has authored many publications, articles and papers on natural history and Aboriginal subject matters. He and his wife Sharon have lived in rural Strathcona County since 1978 and have dedicated most of their land to wildlife conservation under the Buck-for-Wildlife Program.

Kathy Worobec is The Pembina Institute's Director of Alberta GreenLearning. Kathy has over 20 years of experience in developing, implementing, delivering and managing environmental education programs for youth and teachers. Kathy has taught in the classroom, worked in the energy efficiency field with the Alberta Department of Energy and worked as a consultant before joining the non-profit environmental education sector. She received her education degree from the University of Alberta and joined the Pembina Institute's Edmonton office in 2003. Kathy enjoys biking/skiing the trails of Edmonton and numerous activities with her family.

Jeff Reading is Chair of the ACEE Board and Environmental Specialist with the City of Calgary's Ecological Footprint Team.  He has been an environmental and outdoor educator for close to thirty years, working as a teacher, consultant, and specialist with the Calgary Board of Education.   Jeff is a member of the Alberta EcoTrust Foundation's grant review committee, and has served on numerous Boards including the Global, Environmental and Outdoor Education Council of the Alberta Teachers Association, the Association For Experiential Education, and the safety committee for Outward Bound Canada.   His wife, Shelagh, and their children, David and Meghan, share a love of international travel and exploring natural environments together.

Lori Gammell has worked in public relations, communications and fundraising for educational and environmental organizations including the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. After 15 years with the non-profit sector Lori joined Suncor Energy Inc. where she manages the activities of the Suncor Energy Foundation and strategic partnerships with non-profit organizations. In 2008, the Suncor Energy Foundation marked its tenth anniversary. Over the past decade, Suncor and the Foundation have invested more than $74 million in community, educational and environmental initiatives. Lori is active as a volunteer and spends much of her free time exploring the natural wonders of Alberta with her partner, Peter.

Sue Hayduk works with the City of Calgary’s Ecological Footprint team to educate and engage stakeholders in the reduction of their ecological footprint.   She is a nature enthusiast who has worked in the field of environmental education and protection for over 17 years.  She has a diploma in Resource Management and an undergraduate degree in Parks and Protected Area Management.   Her passion for environmental education grew while working at the Cross Conservation Area where she developed and delivered conservation education programs and worked as a Development Officer.   Sue is committed to community environmental initiatives and is currently initiating an environmental best practices program to promote sustainable options with condominium management companies in Calgary.

Carole Stark is the Executive Director of the Chinook Institute for Community Stewardship, an organization that assists mountain communities in Alberta and British Columbia to plan for and manage growth while protecting their natural and cultural assets.  She is an adult and community educator and a community development practitioner, and has worked as an environmental education consultant, organized professional development in environmental management, and has led outdoor and development education programs for youth.  She  holds a M.Ed. in Adult Education from the University of Calgary, and a B.A. in Recreation Administration. She is a long-time resident of Canmore, Alberta where she pursues her passions of skiing, horses, music and traveling with family and friends.

Gareth Thomson is Executive Director of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education. He has twenty years experience in delivering environmental education programs and supporting teacher professional learning, working for the government of Alberta and then as the first Education Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS). He has taught at an International Baccalaureate high school, served on Canmore town council, been a judge for the Alberta Emerald Awards, and volunteers for the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation on their grant review committee.  He has an engineering degree, an M.Sc. in Environmental Geology, and is a certified teacher. He received a lifetime achievement award from the Global Environmental and Outdoor Education Council (GEOEC) of the Alberta Teachers Association, and the national ‘Non-Profit – Individual’ award from EECOM.  A proud father of two exceptional children, Gareth can still occasionally be sighted on the hiking trails around Canmore.

You can contact ACEE or its Board members c/o Gareth Thomson:
Phone: 403-678-0079
E-mail: gareth@abcee.org
Mail: 911 Larch Place, Canmore, AB. Canada T1W 1S5