Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors plays a vital role in the success of The Couchiching Conservancy
Together, they provide strategic direction and oversight on important issues and ensure that our work is on track and moving in the right direction. We are grateful to the entire Board, for all of their efforts and passion for the work that we do.
If you would like to get in touch with one of our Board Members, please contact Meg Whitton and she can re-direct your request.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 705-326-1620
Councils & Committees:
- Past President's
- Advisory
- Development (scroll to the end of Corridors Campaign webpage)
President:
Jane Bonsteel
Jane moved to Orillia in 2016 and is retired after a career in drinking water treatment. She volunteers with The Couchiching Conservancy as a Water Quality Monitor and occasionally as an Ambassador. She participates in the Sundial Creek working group which is collaborating with the City to restore one of Orillia’s last cold water creeks. Jane is a also member of the City’s Environmental Advisory Committee. Her favourite places to be are out-of-doors, paddling canoes and kayaks, cross-country skiing or biking.
Past President:
Kathy Hunt
Kathy is a freelance marketing communications specialist, happily semi-retired, following a career in public relations and marketing. She enjoyed the opportunities her freelance career provided, especially with not-for-profit and public sector organizations. Most recently she worked with Lakehead University during the opening and development of its new campus in Orillia.
She has been involved with The Couchiching Conservancy over the years, originally as a corporate member with her freelance business, KH Communications. She worked with the organization to help develop and produce the organization's first newsletter, as well as promotional materials for special events and public awareness.
Kathy moved to Orillia with her family, husband Lance and three children, 30 years ago and loves the area, especially the opportunities for outdoor recreation. Her favourite pastime is exploring local trails, parks and waterways, preferably by canoe, kayak, rowboat, on skis or by bicycle.
Always interested in promoting the benefits of the Orillia lifestyle, Kathy has volunteered with local festivals, the Orillia Community Development Corporation, the Terry Fox Run, and most recently as a member of the Games Organizing Committee for the 2018 Ontario Winter Games.
Director:
Bob Sullivan
Bob is a dentist who has practiced in Orillia for 30 years. As a member of The Couchiching Conservancy for years, a past president and part of numerous teams and committees, his planning and management skills have been invaluable on the Board. Bob currently chairs the Heartwood Committee and serves on The Couchiching Conservancy's Investment Committee. He loves snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, canoeing, hiking and kayaking, and is a keen supporter of conserving land for future generations. He and his partner Wendy have three daughters and live in Severn Township.
Director:
Dale Leadbeater
Dale A. Leadbeater, B. Sc., B. Ed., R.P. Bio., P. Biol., graduated from the University of Toronto, then worked in the Botany Department where she administered the Green Plant Herbarium. A field associate of the Royal Ontario Museum and life member of the Field Botanists of Ontario, she has presented talks on many natural heritage topics, organized conferences and led outings as well as teaching Ecological Land Classification. An enthusiastic supporter of Land Trusts, Dale has worked with The Couchiching Conservancy as an event leader, Advisory Council member and volunteer. Dale lives on a 200-acre Conservation Easement near Kirkfield.
Director:
Tom Wilson
Tom has lived at least 2 months of every year of his 70 years on the shores of Lake Simcoe, moving there permanently in 2000 the day after he married Judy. He enjoyed an exhilarating career with General Motors and Peregrine, navigating through the Skilled Trades to Supervisory roles to Advanced Engineering and retiring as a Maintenance Supervisor after 30 years.
He's Involved in a number of community activities over the years including volunteering with the Beaverton Garden Club Board, Durham COPE Support, Carden Field Naturalists (12 years as President, now Past President), Couchiching Conservancy Community Science programs, Nature Festival volunteer, current Stewardship volunteer, and ongoing Couchiching Conservancy member for many years.
Tom enjoys wandering the Carden Alvar Properties to hiking the wilds of Gravenhurst with his 2 granddaughters, to meandering the trails the Wildernisk Farm in Fergus with his other 3 grandchildren. Tom and his wife Judy are spending more time learning and embracing Indigenous history and culture through events, literature, and participating in knowledge sharing community reconciliation groups in the area. Tom recently completed the 904 kms Bruce Trail with a group of friends in just 17 years.
Director:
Lisa Neville
Lisa, now retired, worked for the federal government mainly as an aquatic biologist in various locations across the country, including British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. She holds a bachelor of science degree in marine biology from the University of Guelph and a post-baccalaureate diploma in environmental science from Capilano College.
Passionate about environmental stewardship, Lisa has volunteered with The Couchiching Conservancy in many ways since moving to the area in 2012. Currently, she serves as Board Secretary and Policy Committee Chair, as well as a salamander monitor.
Lisa enjoys tending her gardens and the 4100+ tree seedlings planted at her property in Severn. She is especially excited when moose wander through, sandhill cranes visit the wetland next door, milk snakes sun themselves in her rock garden, and the whip-poor-wills’ calls wake her at 2:00 a.m.
Director:
Janet Machan
Janet Machan was an elementary teacher for 30 years throughout Simcoe County. Since her
retirement in 2017, she has enjoyed work as an occasional librarian at Orillia Public Library's Family Department. She has always been a voracious reader and a patron of the arts. She and her husband, Gary, have enjoyed rural life in Oro Medonte where they've raised their two children, gardened and walked the trails. Janet and her family have been Couchiching Conservancy members for a number of years attending pie auctions, music nights and Annual General Meetings. Janet has loved the opportunity to participate in the Community Science program learning about species at risk and searching for whip-poor-wills on warm summer nights. She is also a volunteer member of the Passport to Nature team which gives her the opportunity to invite others to share in her love of nature.
Director:
Morris Ilyniak
Morris has been coming to Lake Simcoe for more than 30 years. He enjoys kayaking, backcountry skiing, cycling, camping, birding, and citizen science. He grew up in the Burlington-Hamilton area where he first became active in nature studies. While living in Toronto, Morris worked for the Ontario Ministry of Finance as a senior economist and manager of an economic policy unit. Since retiring in 2016, Morris and wife Dana live at the cottage on the north shore of Lake Simcoe in Atherley, while still retaining a home in Toronto. Morris has served on several boards, including a long-term care facility and community health centre. Morris has degrees in urban planning, journalism, and intellectual property law. He can’t remember when he first joined The Couchiching Conservancy, so it must have been a really long time ago!
Director:
Susan Crowe
Susan is a local community member & retired business leader who brings a ‘business’ perspective & relevant skills to the Director role particularly in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, financial governance & relationship building. Her volunteer roles at The Couchiching Conservancy as a Monarch Monitor and Passport to Nature Committee member have been very rewarding & have provided a better understanding of the inner workings of the organization, its people & culture & the underlying passion & dedication that runs throughout. Susan holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Athabasca University & a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto & as a self-described lifelong learner is a voracious reader of many wide ranging topics. In addition to her equestrian related activities, Susan loves all of the outdoor recreational opportunities available in the local area and enjoys hiking, kayaking, camping, cross country skiing and spending quiet time working in her gardens learning more about native plants and trying to attract more bees and butterflies.
