ALUS Team

CEO of ALUS since 2016, Bryan Gilvesy was the third participant to join the ALUS program and has been raising grass-fed beef with ALUS’ support since 2006. Bryan is a champion for progressive, sustainable farming and ranching, having embraced these methods on his own farm, Y U Ranch. The Y U Ranch has received numerous awards for its contributions to the environment and sustainability, including: (2016) Beef Farmers of Ontario, Environmental Stewardship Award; (2013) Premier’s Leadership Award for Agricultural Innovation; and (2009) International Texas Longhorn Breeder of the Year. Bryan holds a degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University, where he is Executive in Residence for Agriculture and Sustainability. Bryan is based in Tillsonburg, Ontario.

Lynn ensures that ALUS runs smoothly all over the country. Lynn has been working in the non-profit sector for over 20 years, notably as the General Manager of ALUS Ontario, a founder and senior staff member at Everdale (Environmental Learning Centre and Organic Farm), the Co-op Coordinator at the West End Food Co-op, as well as a member of the Environmental Advisory Committee of Erin, the Everpure Biodiesel Co-op and the Climate Change Action Group of Erin. She was the winner of the Credit Valley Conservation Award of Excellence in 2010. Lynn holds a Certificate in Co-operative Management from the Schulich School of Business. Lynn is based in Toronto, Ontario.

Jordan leads ALUS’ ecosystem services quantification and carbon quantification and credit issuance workplan. She is the former Vice President of Data Insights at Deveron, where she developed methodologies for field scale research which empowered farmers to utilize their own data to inform more efficient and sustainable management decisions. Prior to her work at Deveron, Jordan spent several years in academia doing research and modeling various ecological systems. From the causes of sudden aspen death in the Mid-Western United States, to the implications of lemur loss on tropical forests in Madagascar, Jordan strives to apply her knowledge of systems and mathematics to real world situations and challenges. Jordan has a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and an MA in Applied Mathematics from Wayne State University. Jordan is based out of Chatham, Ontario. 

Rhonda is responsible for sound financial management and partnership development in Alberta. Prior to joining ALUS, Rhonda was the Chief Administrative Officer for the County of Vermilion River, where she worked closely with County staff and Alberta Environment to pilot the first Wetland Restoration Agency in rural Alberta and to integrate ALUS Canada into municipal programming. She is a graduate of Business Management from Lakeland College and holds certificates in Local Authority Administration and Local Government Management. Rhonda was raised on a mixed farm in Northern Alberta and is now based in Kiscoty, Alberta.

Nadine leads ALUS communications team and champions the development of ALUS in Quebec by enhancing its visibility and securing funding. A digital and communications professional for more than twenty years, Nadine has been at the forefront of the digital transformation of the media industry and of the way we work and communicate. Nadine has held various leadership positions in media as well as at Microsoft and Cirque du Soleil. Before joining ALUS, as a consultant, she has assisted various enterprises and not-for-profit organizations with their internal and external communications and project management needs. She has always been driven by a desire to engage in meaningful work and to foster collaborative and inclusive work environments. Nadine is based in Montreal, Quebec.

Jill has a varied background in the non-profit sector, where she has worked closely with the business community. Prior to joining ALUS, Jill founded and managed for over 8 years Stock Exchange, a premium regenerative ag ‘nose-to-tail’ wholesale food production business. Jill’s personal interest and motivation to advance ALUS dovetails naturally with her desire to contribute to a strong community and create a healthier environment for her children to grow-up and thrive in. Jill is excited to stay connected to the agricultural community while helping to implement nature & climate solutions with the support of our partners. Jill is based in Waterloo, Ontario.

Penny brings an extensive not-for-profit background in fundraising, stewardship, and database implementation and management to ALUS. As a member of the Partnerships team, she collaborates with corporate partners to ensure their sustainability objectives are met.  Penny lives in her multi-generational childhood home where she raises chickens, has an extensive organic garden, and stewards the ecologically sensitive and diverse land she lives on. She is based in Prince Edward County, Ontario.

Christine liaises with our community coordinators and serves as a management resource for local ALUS projects throughout Alberta. Christine has extensive reclamation and project-management experience with collaborative research groups working in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region. She has also worked extensively with non-profits, chairing boards for animal rescue and many local events and initiatives. Christine obtained her B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from the University of Calgary, where she focused on wildlife conservation and genetics, and holds a Diploma in Animal Sciences. An entrepreneur with her own consulting agency, Christine continues to act as wildlife and biodiversity expert and advocate for First Nations stakeholders in Northern Alberta. Christine is based in Calgary, Alberta.

Paige liaises with our community coordinators and serves as a management resource for local ALUS projects throughout Saskatchewan and Manitoba. She has been involved with ALUS since 2012 when she came on board as the Program Coordinator for the first ALUS pilot program launched in Saskatchewan, and has also worked with a number of not-for-profit watershed organizations. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSA) from the University of Saskatchewan with a minor in Soil Science. Paige is based in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Nicole liaises with our community partners on the implementation of projects rooted in regenerative agriculture principles. Nicole has experience in the environmental non-profit sector, including the development, implementation, and management of nature-based solutions programs on a local, provincial and national level. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Toxicology from the University of Saskatchewan and has served in the Royal Canadian Navy as a reservist for 10 years, deploying both nationally and internationally as a Naval Combat Information Operator. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys reading, cycling, camping and hiking. She is located in Saskatoon.

Karen supports ALUS Coordinators in Alberta as well as Hub Managers from across Canada, and is also acting as program coordinator for ALUS Lacombe, Flagstaff and Vulcan. Karen is from Central Alberta and has spent her career in the Alberta agriculture sector. She has specific experience in the non-profit area particularly with the development of the organic grain sector where she applied her skills in program delivery and fund development. Karen also offers a background in agricultural lending and admits to enjoying budgets and ag finance. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSc) with a specialty in Agricultural Economics. Karen is based in Clive, Alberta.

Jennifer liaises with our community coordinators and serves as a management resource for local ALUS projects throughout Eastern Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. Jennifer has experience in the municipal and private sectors. Her experience has primarily been in the environmental field, where she focused on urban forestry and contaminated soils and groundwater. She also has experience in the construction industry. Jennifer obtained her B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences at Concordia University in Montreal. Jennifer is located in Montérégie, Quebec. 

Nadia liaises with community coordinators and serves as a management resource for local ALUS projects in Ontario and Quebec. Previously, as an editorial manager at a press release company, she wore many hats from team and project manager to translator, account manager, trainer and HR consultant. She developed an interest in agriculture and the environment at a young age, helping for years on her great-aunt’s farm and her uncle’s sugar shack. She holds a master’s degree in Linguistic Anthropology from Université de Montréal. Outside of work, she is passionate about Japanese culture and language, DIYs, knitting and cosplay. Nadia is based in L’Assomption, Quebec.

Koral holds a deep commitment to community-led conservation. Her experiences in this field across Ontario and before that in Scotland, Cambodia and Zimbabwe, are what drew her to ALUS. As the Partnerships Manager with ALUS, Koral will work to build effective networks to support the ALUS mission of building place-based projects to serve communities and the environment. Koral’s understanding of the connection between respectful community interaction and transformative approaches to environmental conservation previously led her to join the board of directors of the Global Institute of Forest Therapy (GIFT) and to become certified as a Regenerative Practitioner. Koral is based in Hamilton, Ontario.

Kirsten works to support ALUS’ community reporting and program evaluation efforts. She has experience working in rural stewardship across sectors, from academia to industry, focusing on agriculture and water quality in the Great lakes region. Previously, Kirsten also worked in the ag space as a Crop Specialist at AGRIS Co-operative. She brings project management, reporting and knowledge mobilization experience to ALUS from her time coordinating the Lake Futures project at the University of Waterloo. Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from the University of Guelph, and a Master of Science in Geography from the University of Waterloo. Kirsten is based in Sarnia, Ontario.

Joe is a farmer who has been involved with ALUS Norfolk since 2008, first as a participant, then as a PAC member, farmer liaison, teacher and mentor, and has now joined the ALUS Canada team on a part-time, ongoing basis to help support its national network of ALUS community leaders as our PAC Liaison. Joe is available to provide PAC Chairs and PAC members with support and advice as needed: ALUS PAC members can ask their Hub Manager to set up an in-person meeting, or they can contact him directly by phone anytime from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Eastern time). Joe is based in Otterville, Ontario.

Calantha funnels her passion for words and the wild outdoors into crafting creative content and behaviour change marketing strategy to inspire on-the-ground action for environmental resilience and social good. Prior to joining ALUS, she worked for an Ontario conservation authority developing and delivering private land stewardship marketing and outreach strategies. She’s also owned her own artisan bakery and has been involved in supporting and promoting local culinary and agri-tourism initiatives. When not deep in the words, you’ll find her deep in the woods running trails. Calantha is currently based in Sutton, Quebec.

A communications and digital marketing specialist, Todd is responsible for content creation and our digital communication platforms. He also supports communities with their communication needs. Todd was previously at Actual Media, where he applied his skills in web development, search engine optimization, copy editing and client management. Prior to that, he lived and worked in Japan, volunteered in theatre and event production, and engaged in community organizing and activism. Todd holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Guelph and a certificate in print and digital publishing from Centennial College, and is passionate about the environment, cycling and chess. Todd is based in Toronto, Ontario.

Lili holds a master degree in journalism, as well as a bachelor’s degree in theatre and a certificate in political communications. In her role at ALUS, she is responsible for the organisation’s external and internal communications in French as well as media relations, translation and collaborating on various communication and content creation projects in both official languages. Lili lives in Trois-Rivières, Québec.

Cat is responsible for supporting the organization’s technology and effectively leverage data. She has a diverse background ranging from energy trading and dispatch to accounting and IT. She has worked extensively in corporate and non-profit organizations. A self-proclaimed data nerd, Cat is excited to bring her expertise in privacy and IT systems like relational databases and all things Microsoft to ALUS. She is based out of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Stay tuned!