Robb Barnes

Climate Program Director

Robb is a climate advocate with over 20 years of nonprofit governance experience, including 14 years of involvement on climate and environmental issues. Robb’s work has focused on executive leadership, engagement organizing, climate-friendly cities and data-driven communications. A few of Robb’s favourite things are his family, music, food and yoga.

Robb can be reached at robb@cape.ca

Sabrina Bowman

Executive Director

Sabrina Bowman, interim executive director, is an environmental, climate and democracy advocate with over 20 years of not-for-profit and civil society experience. Sabrina has specialised in governance, campaigning, events management, community organising and educational design in Ottawa, San Francisco and Toronto and she is the founder of Boom Boom Bowman consultancy. Sabrina enjoys mentoring and supporting young people working on environment and climate, dance parties, Burning Man, co-housing, nature and cycling.

Karina Cardona

Development Manager

Karina has been engaged with matters of environment and health for over 20 years. Her work experience includes research, donor relations, teaching, administration, strategic planning, and collaborative arts. She is establishing donor stewardship initiatives and fund development plans for CAPE. A few of Karina’s favourite things are playing outdoors, making memories with loved ones, and caring for her plants.

Karina can be reached at karina@cape.ca

Patricia Clermont, PhD

Manager, Quebec Association of Physicians for the Environment (AQME)

Patricia has been involved in the Quebec environmental community for 20 years, working most recently as an independent analyst and strategist in public policy and political communication. She coordinates the Association québécoise des médecins pour l’environnement (AQME) and also serves as its media contact. A few of Patricia’s favourite things are theatre, music, mangoes and figs, and spending time with her little tribe.

For media requests or other inquiries, you can reach Patricia at patricia@cape.ca

Tynette Deveaux

Regional Program Manager, Regional Coordinator - Atlantic Canada

Tynette has decades of media and publishing experience, working as a writer, editor, producer, and director. She is passionate about clearing paths for social justice and action on climate change. Having grown up in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, she understands the complexity of local and regional issues and the value of community-based solutions. Her outlook has been shaped by Buddhism, work and travel in the Global South and Arctic, and parenting.

Based in Halifax, Tynette can be reached at tynette@cape.ca

Natalie Ethier

Director of Operations and HR

Natalie has over 15 years of experience working with NGOs, philanthropic organizations, and independent consultants to advance environmental and social initiatives. As director of operations and HR at CAPE, she oversees financial systems, HR processes, account management, and daily operations in a virtual workplace. In her free time, Natalie enjoys ballet classes, caring for her family of chinchillas, spending time with horses, exploring cities and escaping into nature.

Natalie can be reached at natalie@cape.ca

Reykia Fick

Communications Director

Reykia is experienced in non-profit communications and environmental campaigning. She works to support and amplify CAPE’s compelling voice in the world so more people may understand the urgency and be motivated to take action on the climate and ecological crises. A few of Reykia’s favourite things are eating good food, reading, dancing, and spending time in nature with her kids.

Reykia can be reached at reykia@cape.ca 

Rhiannon Fox

Regional Coordinator - Western Canada

With a background in grassroots organizing, Rhiannon has led initiatives for climate action, conservation, and urban sustainability. A dedicated advocate for public health and the environment, she is passionate about connecting communities and promoting policies that protect people and the planet. Outside of work, you can find her hiking, running, or playing board games with her family.

Rhiannon can be reached at rhiannon@cape.ca

Skylar Franke

Database and Donations Coordinator

Skylar has over a decade of experience in the environmental nonprofit sector and is often engaged in conversations about community, the environment, and politics. She focuses on changing systems, strengths-based leadership, and cultivating curiosity. She finds joy in reading, soccer, family, board games and chasing after her toddler.

Skylar can be reached at skylar@cape.ca

Anjali Helferty, PhD

Deputy Executive Director

Anjali began her career in climate activism nearly 20 years ago with youth climate organising both in Canada and the United States. Her advanced education and environmental advocacy has focused on settler solidarity with Indigenous peoples and organisational management, knowledge which she now applies in leading CAPE. A few of Anjali’s favourite things are baking for friends and family, hosting singalong parties, and hanging out on the porch with her chatty baby.

Anjali can be reached at anjali@cape.ca

Anne Keary

Regional Coordinator - Ontario and Manitoba

Anne is a climate advocate based in Toronto. With a background in academic research and experience in grassroots organizing, she believes that campaigns for climate justice require fostering community and building coalitions. A parent of two, she is committed to securing a climate-safe future in which all young people can thrive. In her spare time, Anne enjoys hiking, camping, gardening, connecting with friends, and exploring new places.

Anne can be reached at anne@cape.ca

Fiona Koza

Campaign Manager, Health and Economic Policy Program

Fiona brings over 20 years of experience working with environmental and social justice organizations as a campaigner, strategist and team leader. She is driven by a passion to protect people and the planet—while holding major polluters accountable. In her spare time, Fiona loves being active outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

Fiona can be reached at fiona@cape.ca

Loujain Kurdi

Communications Manager

Loujain is grounded in values-first work at the intersection of environment, health, and social justice. For 15 years, she has been working across agencies, NGOs, and grassroots coalitions, leading campaigns on fracking, fossil fuel divestment, plastic pollution, and sustainable development in Canada and beyond. Loujain loves wild swimming and dancing.

Loujain can be reached at loujain@cape.ca

Michelle Lee

Website Coordinator

Michelle brings a creative approach and a passion for sustainability to digital marketing, design, and user experience. She ensures CAPE’s online presence is engaging, accessible, and aligned with its mission to drive environmental and health advocacy. A few of Michelle’s favourite things are experimenting with new recipes, cultivating her indoor jungle, and travelling.

Michelle can be reached at michelle@cape.ca

Jane E. McArthur, PhD

Toxics Program Director

Jane has 25 years of experience working in environmental and occupational health. Rooted in community-based communications, research and advocacy, Jane aims to see widespread action on justice and primary prevention. She leads our advocacy, collaborations, and research on toxics and equity. A few of Jane’s favourite things are motherhood, family, community and the great outdoors.

Jane can be reached at jane@cape.ca

Dakota Norris

Fossil Fuel Extraction Campaign Manager

Dakota is a member of the Gwich’in Nation with several years of experience working across youth, Indigenous and climate spaces, often leading research and projects at their intersection. A few of Dakota’s favourite things are being outdoors, reading, and spending time with family.

Dakota can be reached at dakota@cape.ca

Nola Poirier

Manager, Health and Economic Policy Program

Nola has been active in the intersecting fields of environmental and social justice for close to twenty years as a researcher, writer, advocate, and scholar. At CAPE, Nola is using her skills to help minimize the impacts of climate change by addressing the health harms of fossil fuels. Nola also loves to write fiction, swim, run long distances, hang out with her dog, and make music with friends.

Nola can be reached at nola@cape.ca

Kiemia Rezagian

Director of Engagement and Training

Kiemia has over 10 years of experience as a community organizer and facilitator, co-creating opportunities to disrupt marginalizing systems. She has developed and launched our advocacy training program for healthcare professionals with a focus on equity. A few of Kiemia’s favourite things are hugging her family and friends, being in water, and getting lost in happy daydreams.

Kiemia can be reached at kiemia@cape.ca

Leah Temper, PhD

Health and Economic Policy Program Director

Leah has 20 years of experience working as an environmental justice advocate, scholar and activist, including as founder of the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice. She leads our initiatives to address the health harms and greenwashing of fossil fuels. A few of Leah’s favourite things are bike rides, growing and cooking food, and problem solving!  

Leah can be reached at leah@cape.ca

Megan Wilde

Communications Manager

Megan has worked in journalism, non-profit communications, and environmental advocacy since 2004. She loves using storytelling to create a more healthy, equitable, and wondrous world. Her favourite activities include walking dogs, gardening, watching movies, and letting her three children beat her at Mario Kart.

Megan can be reached at megan@cape.ca

Dr. Samantha Green

CAPE Board President

Dr. Samantha Green is a family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital and at Inner City Health Associates in Toronto. She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, where she has led planetary health curriculum development in undergraduate medicine, postgraduate training and continuing professional development. Her clinical work focuses on marginalized populations, including people experiencing homelessness, people involved in the criminal justice system and newcomers. She advocates for climate action with the aim of improving the health of her patients and community.

Dr. Sehjal Bhargava

CAPE President-Elect

Dr. Sehjal Bhargava is a family physician and a Public Health and Preventive Medicine resident at the University of Ottawa. Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, she completed her BSc in Kinesiology and her MD at the University of Saskatchewan before earning a Master of Public Health with a concentration in health policy from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Bhargava has been an active member of CAPE, serving as the founder and past chair of CAPE Saskatchewan, the current co-chair of CAPE Ontario, and as an elected member of the CAPE Board since 2023. In 2025, she was recognized by Corporate Knights Magazine as one of Canada’s Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders—an honour that reflects her growing national impact at the intersection of health, equity, and climate action.

Dr. Bhargava works at a community health centre in Ottawa and is passionate about the intersections between the environment and health, and the health of structurally marginalized persons. Her advocacy and research focus on access to primary care, equity-based approaches to adapting to extreme heat events, and the health risks associated with fossil fuel infrastructure.

Dr. Melissa Lem

CAPE Past President

Dr. Melissa Lem is a Vancouver family physician who also works in rural and northern communities within Canada. Director of PaRx, Canada’s national nature prescription program powered by the BC Parks Foundation, and president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, she is an internationally recognized leader in the field of nature and health. She has also engaged in advocacy and policy work on a broad range of issues, from healthy buildings and hydraulic fracturing to sustainable health care and nature-based solutions.

As a widely published writer, climate change panelist on CBC Radio’s Early Edition, in-house medical columnist for CBC TV Vancouver, and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, one of her major priorities is knowledge translation. She is currently a co-investigator and advisor on two international nature prescription research projects (PANDA and RESONATE) with total funding of $10M+.

Dr. Lem was the inaugural winner of University College’s Young Alumni of Influence Award at the University of Toronto, recipient of the 2024 Canadian Eco-Hero Award, a 2024 YWCA Women of Distinction Award and 2022 Adult Nature Inspiration Award from the Canadian Museum of Nature, and sits on the Advisory Committee of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Health and Well-being Specialist Group.

Dr. Monika Dutt

CAPE Board Member

Monika Dutt is the daughter of immigrants from India. She is a settler on Unama’ki (Cape Breton), Nova Scotia, where she lives with her son. She has worked as a family doctor as well as in public health as a medical officer of health in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and Ontario. She trained in public health and preventive medicine and family medicine. She has been chair of the board of Canadian Doctors for Medicare and the Cabot Trail Writers Festival. She is currently a PhD candidate in health policy at McMaster University with a research focus on employment, labour and health. She loves spending time on trails, by the ocean and in forests.

Dr. Laurette Geldenhuys

CAPE Board Member

Dr. Laurette Geldenhuys was trained as a physician and a pathologist in South Africa, and has masters degrees in Anatomical Pathology and Medical Education. She is a Professor at Dalhousie University and specializes in her medical practice in the pathology of medical diseases of the kidney, including transplantation. She also has interests in Medical Education, the Medical Humanities, including Medical History, and most recently and most passionately, Planetary Health. She served as Division Head and Service Chief of Anatomical Pathology at the QEII Health Sciences Centre for 10 years; and is a Past President of the Canadian Association of Pathologists (CAP-ACP); Vice Chair of the CAP- ACP Section on the Humanities and International Health; Chair of the CAP- ACP National Specialty Network on the Environment; Chair of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment’s Nova Scotian Regional Committee (CAPE NS); and member of the Board of Directors of the Ecology Action Centre, the Department of Pathology Green Team, and St. Matthew’s United Church Earth Spirit Action Team. She is particularly interested in the greening of health care; the health effects of the climate emergency; and the beneficial health effects of spending time in nature. Her three lovely daughters, her two adorable grandsons, and her love of nature inspire her in her planetary health advocacy.

Dr. Ojistoh Horn

CAPE Board Member

Ojistoh Kahnawahere Horn is a Mohawk / Haudenosaunee woman whose mother is from Kahnawake and father is from Akwesasne. She is Bear Clan, has many children, and is traditionally minded.  Working as a family physician she helps her people through all stages of the life cycle.  Presently, she focuses her time in the outpatient clinics, homes, and long-term care facilities of Akwesasne.  She teaches medical students and residents the complexities of providing primary care to Indigenous peoples and their communities.  Drawing on both Western and Traditional paradigms, working with like-minded Indigenous and non-Indigenous physicians across the country, and with a clear eye on the effects of the environment and pollution on health, she promotes the inclusion and support of traditional knowledge and ‘ways of being’ into a framework for providing holistic and primary care to her people.

Maya R. Kalogirou, PhD

CANE Representative

Maya Kalogirou was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She is a registered nurse with a clinical background in emergency room nursing and is a doctoral graduate from the University of Alberta. Maya is a planetary health nursing researcher who is specifically interested in 1) the decarbonization of the Canadian healthcare system and 2) exploring the intersection between climate change and health. She is passionate about engaging nurses and other health professionals in addressing the climate crisis, as well as finding ways to work together to advocate for a health sector that promotes the health of people and the planet. Maya is the president of the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment / Association canadienne des infirmières et infirmiers pour l’environnement (CANE/ACIIE), a member group of the Canadian Nurses’ Association’s Canadian Network of Nursing Specialties. She is also an assistant professor at the University of Alberta.

Dr. Kevin Liang

CAPE Board Member

Dr. Kevin Liang is a rural family physician with a strong focus on preventative care and a commitment to supporting the immigrant community. He is deeply dedicated to climate advocacy, understanding the critical role of addressing climate change in ensuring a healthy future. In collaboration with the Fraser Health Authority, Kevin is engaged in the development and promotion of respiratory care practices that are both effective and environmentally sustainable. Kevin has led multiple impactful CAPE BC Committee campaigns focused on catalyzing awareness to action on the health harms of hydraulic fracturing and natural gas within BC.

Theodora Mladénova

CAPE Board Treasurer

Theodora is a finance and impact professional with experience in investment management, social finance and advisory work for mission-driven organizations. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designations and is pursuing a Master of Legal Studies at UCLA School of Law with a focus on governance, compliance and business law.

Theodora has worked with social enterprises and impact-driven startups on capital readiness, fundraising strategy and impact measurement. Her background in investment management and product control provides a strong foundation in financial oversight, risk management and reporting.

She is deeply aligned with CAPE’s mission to protect human and planetary health and believes that strong financial stewardship is essential to advancing environmental justice and lasting impact.

Dr. Melody Porlier

CAPE Board Member

Melody Porlier is a resident doctor in emergency medicine at the University of Montreal with previous scientific experience in ecology, having completed a PhD on the impacts of environmental quality on the genetic diversity of bird populations. Her background naturally led to a strong interest in planetary health issues and environmental advocacy, and she joined the Association québécoise des médecins pour l’environnement (AQME) as an active member in 2020. Since then, she has worked on multiple local, national and international projects on planetary health and climate change education for health professionals, and she is a member of the Climate Crisis and Planetary Health work group at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montreal. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga and trail running—in no small part because it involves more hiking and getting lost in the woods than actual running.

Dr. Julia Sawatzky

CAPE Board Member

Dr. Julia Sawatzky is an emergency medicine resident physician at the University of Alberta and a co-chair of CAPE Alberta. During medical school, Julia worked with and led the Canadian Federation of Medical Students Health and Environment Adaptive Response Task Force (CFMS HEART) to advance planetary health education in Canadian medical schools. She holds an MSc in Global Health and Epidemiology and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Oxford, and hopes to weave together her interests in population health, clinical medicine, and public policy to help shape a healthy, sustainable, and justice-oriented future.

Dr. George Tjensvoll Kitching

CAPE Board Secretary

George is a Norwegian and Canadian of British ancestry. He is commencing training as a family physician at Queen’s University in Kingston. George graduated medical school at Western University in Windsor and holds an MSc. in Public Health from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. George was 2019-2020 co-chair of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students: Health and Environment Adaptive Response Taskforce which seeks to incorporate training around the health impacts of climate change into the medical curriculum.

Jacqueline Wilson

CAPE Board Member

Jacqueline Wilson is counsel at the Canadian Environmental Law Association. She has represented clients before various provincial and federal administrative tribunals, and has appeared at all levels of Ontario and federal Courts. She specializes in climate change, energy, and land use planning, and is CELA’s student program coordinator. She received her JD from the University of Toronto in 2010. Jacqueline has previously been a board member of Willowdale Community Legal Services and the Industrial Accident Victims Group of Ontario.

Raffi Cavoukian

Raffi is a renowned children’s musician whose recordings have delighted millions since the 1970s. Founder of Troubadour Records, he pioneered quality children’s music with hits like “Baby Beluga.” Raffi has earned gold and platinum albums and steadfastly refused commercial endorsements, receiving the Fred Rogers Integrity Award for his commitment to commercial-free childhood. In 2010, he established the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring to promote child-centered communities and sustainable practices. His numerous honors include the Order of Canada, Order of BC, and UN Earth Achievement Award.

Stephen Cornish

Stephen Cornish serves as general director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Switzerland, bringing over 25 years of humanitarian experience to this role. He advocates for vulnerable populations in conflict zones and champions environmental protection through his leadership and fieldwork. His extensive career includes managing major humanitarian interventions from Chechnya to Sierra Leone and serving as executive director of MSF Canada. Cornish previously led the David Suzuki Foundation as CEO and held significant positions with the Canadian Red Cross and CARE Canada. He currently sits on multiple boards, including as an honorary director of Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, continuing his commitment to humanitarian and ecological well-being.

Eriel Tchekwie Deranger

Eriel Tchekwie Deranger is a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), executive director and founder of Indigenous Climate Action (ICA), and 2024 winner of the global Climate Breakthrough Award. Deranger is active in international Indigenous rights advocacy movements participating in various boards and UN bodies. Deranger’s work focuses on Indigenous rights, climate justice and intersectional movements. She is recognized for her role as spokesperson for her community in the international Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign. Prior to this she was a specific land claims and treaty land entitlement researcher for the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.  

Deranger has written for various magazines and publications; featured in documentary films including Elemental (2012); and is regularly interviewed for national and international media outlets.

Honourable Rosa Galvez

Senator Rosa Galvez is a civil-environmental engineer and president of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network on Climate Change. Appointed to the Senate in 2016, she brings expertise in environmental engineering and climate risk assessment. Previously chair of Laval University’s Department of Civil and Water Engineering, she is an internationally recognized researcher who advocates for science-based policy and women in politics. Her achievements include publishing influential white papers on clean recovery and climate-aligned finance, and receiving numerous awards including the Clean50 Award and Women of Influence Award. She continues championing environmental sustainability through policy development.

Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, columnist, and the international bestselling author of nine books published in over 35 languages including No Logo, The Shock Doctrine, This Changes Everything, No Is Not Enough, On Fire, and Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, which won the inaugural Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction in 2024. A columnist for The Guardian, her writing has appeared in leading publications around the world. She is the honourary professor of media and climate at Rutgers University, associate professor in geography at the University of British Columbia and founding co-director of UBC’s Centre for Climate Justice.

Bruce Lourie, PhD

Bruce Lourie is president of the Ivey Foundation and a globally recognized sustainability leader. With expertise in climate change policy, he has founded over a dozen organizations critical to Canada’s net-zero transition, including the Canadian Climate Institute and The Transition Accelerator. His accomplishments include leading North America’s largest climate action by phasing out coal-fired electricity in Ontario and establishing the Ontario Greenbelt. A scholar-in-residence at McGill’s Trottier Institute and guest lecturer at Oxford’s Said Business School, Lourie is also co-author of two books, including the international bestseller “Slow Death by Rubber Duck.” In 2024, he was appointed to the Order of Canada for his lifelong commitment to sustainability and entrepreneurial efforts in establishing numerous environmental organizations.

Dr. James Orbinski

Dr. James Orbinski directs York University’s Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research. A physician, humanitarian, and scholar, he served as international president of Médecins Sans Frontières, accepting their 1999 Nobel Peace Prize. His research focuses on AI applications in humanitarian crises, climate change health impacts, and epidemic modeling. An officer of the Order of Canada and recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross for his work during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, Dr. Orbinski authored the bestseller “An Imperfect Offering.” He lives in Guelph, Ontario with his wife and three children.

David Suzuki, PhD

David Suzuki has made it his life’s work to help humanity understand, appreciate, respect and protect nature. He is familiar to television audiences as host of the CBC science and natural history television series The Nature of Things (1979-2023). David was the recipient of The Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award. David has been recognized by BC Achievement in partnership with the lieutenant governor of BC for his extraordinary work as a recipient of the 2021 BC Reconciliation Award. Dr. Suzuki is a companion of the Order of Canada and a recipient of UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize for science, the 2009 Right Livelihood Award, and UNEP’s Global 500. He is a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and has been honoured with 33 honorary degrees from universities in Canada, United States and Australia. His written work includes more than 55 books, 20 of them for children.

Ingrid Waldron, PhD

Ingrid Waldron is a professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health at McMaster University. She founded the ENRICH Project and co-founded the Canadian Coalition for Environmental and Climate Justice. Her groundbreaking research on environmental racism led to Canada’s first environmental racism/justice law in 2024. Her book “There’s Something in the Water” became a Netflix documentary co-produced with Elliot Page. Waldron’s advocacy created Nova Scotia’s first health service exclusively for Black women. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and continues to champion environmental justice and health equity for racialized communities.