CPAWS British Columbia Staff

Nicola brings over 13 years of experience as a senior manager in the non-profit sector, most recently working in provincial fund development at the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Nicola's background centres around campaign management, having spent 10 years working in B.C. politics with a focus on outreach, fundraising, education, public relations and volunteer management. She holds a bachelor degree in political science from the University of British Columbia, with subsequent studies in non-profit and fundraising management at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Nicola was raised in British Columbia and is a longtime advocate for the protection of B.C.'s precious wilderness and seascapes.

Elyse graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences and a concentration in Conservation Biology. Through her academic experiences, travels and work as an environmental educator, Elyse has developed a primary interest in freshwater issues. Elyse has always been an avid outdoors enthusiast, and has enjoyed hiking, paddling and skiing in many of Canada's wild places. Originally from southern Ontario, Elyse has embraced the move out west, and spends as much of her time as possible exploring all that western Canada has to offer (she still hasn't gotten over seeing mountains every day). She is excited to be a part of protecting B.C.'s wilderness with CPAWS.

Gloria has been involved in the non-profit sector for more than 15 years and remains actively engaged in environmental and social justice work. She is committed to improving the life people, wilderness and Pacha Mama (Mother Earth). Gloria received a post-secondary education with certificates in Accounting and Office Administration at Vancouver Community College. Previous academic pursuits include biology studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, and conducting ichtyological lexicon research for the UN Food and Agriculture organization. Working with CPAWS represents a compilation of her work in the non-profit sector and her interest in nature and preservation of life.

Lana joined the SeaChoice program in 2007 while working with the Marine and Freshwater Conservation program at the David Suzuki Foundation. Prior to this, she worked with the Project Seahorse group at the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre. Lana also earned her degree in Environmental Studies at UBC through the department of Geography.

With a passion for the outdoors, Lana reconnects with nature whenever she can. She enjoys everything from hiking and skiing to stand-up paddling and learning to surf. Lana also loves to capture the world in her camera lens while travelling and exploring the world.

Having grown up in B.C., oceans captivated Leah's curiosity from a young age. Through her experience as a whale watching guide, fisheries observer and salmon researcher, Leah has been fortunate to intimately explore B.C.'s diverse coastal ecosystems. While completing her Environmental Science degree at SFU, Leah spent much of her time travelling and working abroad in Latin America and Australia, but has since realized that the beauty of B.C. is unparalleled. She is excited to work with CPAWS and focus her passion for the outdoors into effective marine conservation.

Sabine Jessen is the National Manager of the Oceans and Great Freshwater Lakes Program for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. She also serves as the Conservation Director for the British Columbia Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. Sabine has been involved with CPAWS since 1991 when she began four years of volunteer work, prior to becoming the first Executive Director of the BC chapter. She has worked on marine conservation issues since 1993, and also conducted research on land use planning in Canada’s Arctic.

Chloe spearheads the terrestrial conservation programs at CPAWS-BC. As the former Executive Director of CPAWS-BC, she brings considerable knowledge of the province's wilderness and conservation initiatives. Her work spans the province, with conservation sought from the southern Okanagan to the northeast boreal. She continues to bring her excellent leadership and fund raising skills to CPAWS-BC. She has been an Executive Director of provincial non-profit organizations in British Columbia for 34 years.

For 18 years, she taught non-profit management and lobbying for community groups at Vancouver colleges. She is committed to wilderness preservation in British Columbia and is an avid hiker and scuba diver.

Prior to joining SeaChoice, Neil Radix not only worked as a purchasing and supply chain specialist, but also as a Chef in B.C. and Alberta. With his expertise spanning nearly two decades, Neil brings a unique perspective to the SeaChoice team. Equipped with in-depth knowledge of all types of fresh food products as well as dealing with wholesale supply sources, Neil is our ideal partner in developing programs that will not only benefit our oceans, but all levels of the supply chain. As a professional buyer of seafood products for wholesale distribution, Neil has also had exposure to the hot button issues surrounding aquaculture and seafood industries. From dockside to dinner table, Neil is working to ensure that consumers are offered sustainable seafood choices now and in the future.