Our Team
Building flourishing cities through thought leadership.
Our team members bring a diversity of perspectives, talents and experiences to city building.
Evergreen's Leadership Team provides the strategic direction to propel our organization forward, ensuring our programs build flourishing cities where all can thrive. Our Specialists are experts in their fields, called to time and time again to share their expertise through interviews, speaking engagements and conferences.
Go to the profile for Geoff Cape, MM, CM
Chief Executive Officer
As founder and CEO, Geoff oversees the idea development and relationship building that advances Evergreen’s mission to create flourishing cities. Working with the Board of Directors and Executive Team, he sets overall strategic direction, goals, and priorities while maintaining…
Go to the profile for Kathleen Buzek, CPA, CA
Chief Financial Officer
Kathleen oversees Evergreen’s finances and fiscal responsibilities. She manages Evergreen’s internal and external financial reporting and designs the systems and solutions to ensure the organization is financially resilient. Kathleen’s work allows Evergreen to be adaptable and…
Go to the profile for Orit Sarfaty, MUP
Chief Program Officer
Orit provides the visionary leadership to develop the programs needed to further strengthen Evergreen as an internationally recognized leader in placemaking. Orit’s work is guided and informed by the organization’s overarching goal: to drive urban innovations that make Canadian…
Go to the profile for William Scott, PhD
Chief Advancement Officer
William oversees Evergreen’s Development, Communications, and Strategic Initiative teams, ensuring the organization conveys and embodies its mission to create flourishing cities. He is dedicated to putting in place the inclusive systems and policies that seek out and integrate…
Go to the profile for Martin Canning
Executive Director, Smart Cities
Martin oversees Evergreen’s local and national programs that put into action our vision for flourishing cities. He makes sure that Evergreen adapts to the needs of the communities it serves and that programs evolve and grow to take advantage of new opportunities. Martin works to…
Go to the profile for Lois Lindsay, MA
Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives
Lois directs Evergreen’s Strategic Initiatives team, which works to develop emerging programs and partnerships. She brings a system-focused approach to her work, identifying the key levers of change that can help Evergreen achieve its mission to make cities flourish. Lois…
Go to the profile for Cam Collyer
Executive Lead
Cam is the driver behind Evergreen’s efforts to connect children, nature, and the built world. His work gives young people access to the nurturing natural environments and play opportunities that are a key part of flourishing cities. Cam developed Evergreen’s school ground…
Go to the profile for Robert Plitt, MFA
Executive Lead
Robert champions Evergreen’s efforts to create a Canada-wide network of academics, foundations, governments, and corporations focused on building flourishing future cities. He leads Evergreen’s work with Future Cities Canada and develops novel partnerships and innovations in the…
Go to the profile for Alireza Anvari, MES, LEED AP O+M
Director, Facility Management
Alireza oversees Evergreen Brick Work’s 42-acre campus, ensuring that the site’s LEED Platinum and heritage buildings operate smoothly and efficiently. He works to keep EBW a physically resilient space that demonstrates the best of urban sustainability and green design. His work…
Go to the profile for Isabel Cascante, PhD
Program Director
Isabel directs a program portfolio focused on Evergreen’s city building projects, including the Housing Action Lab, 100In1Day, and Future Cities Canada. Her work is driven by a belief in the importance of broad-based coalitions, and her projects work to integrate the strengths…
Go to the profile for Lisa Ditschun, MArch
Program Director
Lisa oversees a program portfolio focused on Evergreen’s national children’s programs and the revitalization of greenspaces such as Toronto’s Don River Valley Park. Her work is driven by a belief in evidence-based solutions that respond to identified and understood needs. Lisa’s…
Go to the profile for Tara Gruhn, MBA
Director, Business Development
Tara directs Evergreen’s business development, building the organization’s financial resilience. She focuses on creating opportunities for Evergreen to grow and evolve as it pursues its mission to make cities flourish. Tara identifies and screens new ventures for Evergreen’s…
Go to the profile for Jo Flatt, MPP
Mid-Sized Cities, Community Engagement, Laneway Suites
Jo is a Program Director at Evergreen. She has spent the past several years delivering programs in communities across Canada. Currently, Jo is co-leading the program development of a national initiative, the Community Solutions Network, to support the digital and technological…
Go to the profile for Marina Queirolo
Food Systems, Public Markets, Community Engagement, Hubs
Marina manages Evergreen’s initiatives related to food policy, public markets, and hubs. She works to change the status quo of city systems, like food, to make them more just, equitable, and sustainable. Marina developed Evergreen’s Food and Public Market Action Plan and created…
Go to the profile for Michelle German, MES
Housing, Mobility
Michelle manages Evergreen’s action labs, blending together research and action to advance solutions. Her work is focused on building partnerships with people from a variety of backgrounds to identify shared challenges. Michelle works together with partners to break down…
Go to the profile for Cam Collyer
Outdoor Learning & Play, School Ground Design
Cam is the driver behind Evergreen’s efforts to connect children, nature, and the built world. His work gives young people access to the nurturing natural environments and play opportunities that are a key part of flourishing cities. Cam developed Evergreen’s school ground…
Go to the profile for Robert Plitt, MFA
Urban Innovation, Future Cities
Robert champions Evergreen’s efforts to create a Canada-wide network of academics, foundations, governments, and corporations focused on building flourishing future cities. He leads Evergreen’s work with Future Cities Canada and develops novel partnerships and innovations in the…
Go to the profile for Will Kwan
Featured Artist
Will Kwan (b. Hong Kong, 1978) is a Toronto-based artist whose work examines diverse cultural practices as impacted or resurrected in the flows of historical and contemporary economic relations.
Kwan received his MFA from Columbia University in 2004 and from 2004 – 2006 was a…
Go to the profile for Indy Johar
Hubs, Innovation
Indy Johar is a Senior Fellow for Future Cities Canada, providing direction in the development of its innovation programs. He is co-founder of 00, a Senior Innovation Associate with the Young Foundation and Visiting Professor at the University of Sheffield. On behalf of 00,…
Go to the profile for Duane Linklater
Featured Artist
Born in Moose Factory, Ont. in 1976. Lives and works in North Bay, Ont.
Duane Linklater is Omaskêko Cree from Moose Cree First Nation. Working in performance, installation, film and other media, Duane Linklater addresses issues of cultural loss and recovery as well as…
Go to the profile for Mark Cabaj
Developmental Evaluation, Innovation
Mark Cabaj is a Senior Fellow for Future Cities Canada, providing direction in the development of its innovation programs. Mark worked as an Investment Advisor in Poland’s Foreign Investment Agency, the Foreign Assistance Coordinator for Grants in the new Ministry of…
Go to the profile for Heidi Campbell, MLA
Outdoor Learning & Play, School Ground Design
Heidi designs children’s play and learning landscapes that are beautiful, resilient to climate change, and nurture young people’s development. Her creative approach is driven by a desire to innovate, and she strives to generate new designs that address the challenges facing…
Go to the profile for Christine Martin
Volunteer Engagement
Christine manages the more than 6000 volunteers who help support Evergreen’s mission for flourishing cities. She works to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to use their unique strengths and built the strategy, framework, and resources for Evergreen Brick Works volunteer…
Go to the profile for Kari Cwynar, MA
Public Art
Kari Cwynar is the Curator at Evergreen Brick Works, where she is developing a program of temporary, site-specific public art projects in Toronto’s Don Valley. The Don River Valley Park Art Program launched in 2017 with new works by Duane Linklater, Maria Hassabi and Life of a…
Go to the profile for Dan Hoornweg
Sustainable Development, Innovation
Dan Hoornweg is the Keystone Meekison Fellow for Future Cities Canada.
He is also is the Richard Marceau Chair and Associate Professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), and the Chief Safety and Risk Officer for the Province of Ontario (Technical…
Go to the profile for Alex Ryan
Innovation, Systems Design
Alex Ryan is a Senior Fellow for Future Cities Canada, providing direction in the development of its innovation programs. He is VP of Systems Innovation and Program Director of the MaRS Solutions Lab. He most enjoys bringing diverse groups of participants together to jointly…
Go to the profile for Helen Burstyn
Board Chair
Helen Burstyn has enjoyed a 35-year career in government, business, academia, broadcasting and community service. She is currently the Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Social Venture Zone at Ryerson University and the Chair of Waterfront Toronto, a tri-partite government…
Go to the profile for George F. Dark, FCSLA, ASLA
Chair Emeritus
George is a senior partner at Urban Strategies Inc., an international award-winning planning and urban design firm that works to shape and enhance urban places through strategic action, holistic design and progressive policies. He has over 35 years of professional experience as…
Go to the profile for Anne Brace, MBA, CPA-CA
Vice Chair, Treasurer, Chair – Finance and Audit Committee
Anne Brace currently sits on the board and audit committee of Strongco Corporation (TSX:SQP) and is a director at Evergreen as well as the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN). She also serves as Treasurer and Chair of the Audit and Finance Committees for OTN.
Prior to retiring,…
Go to the profile for John D. Coyne
Secretary
John has been with Unilever Canada since 1992 and today works with professionals and multi-disciplinary teams in law, sustainability, corporate and government relations, regulatory affairs, quality assurance and safety. He is a member of Unilever Canada’s board of directors as…
Go to the profile for Alan Dean
Chair – Governance and Nominating Committee
Alan Dean is president and executive director of Brookfield Partners Foundation, the charitable arm of Brookfield, an international asset management company based in Toronto. Alan retired from Brookfield in 2008 after 20 years in communications, governance and shareholder…
Go to the profile for Jamison Steeve
Chair – Program Committee
Jamison is Executive Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute and the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity, two of Canada’s leading think tanks. With a background as a teacher and a lawyer, Jamison has spent the last decade committed to developing and implementing…
Go to the profile for Julie Bowen
Board Director
Julie joined the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN) in 2012 as VP – Experience and Engagement after four years at TELUS Spark, and 18 years at the Ontario Science Centre. At the CMN she is responsible for the retail and revenue-generating operations as well as programs, exhibits…
Go to the profile for Andy Chisholm
Board Director
Andy Chisholm is a member of the Board of Directors of Royal Bank of Canada. Prior to that he spent most of his career at Goldman Sachs & Co, which he joined in 1985 in New York. He served in a variety of progressively more senior leadership roles within the organization during…
Go to the profile for Karen Clarke-Whistler
Board Director
Karen Clarke-Whistler has been the Chief Environment Officer of TD Bank Group since 2008. An environmental scientist, she spent more than 15 years consulting a diverse base of clients in North and South America, Europe and Africa prior to joining TD. Karen developed and leads a…
Go to the profile for Saleem Dedhar
Board Director
Saleem is the founder and president of S2S Environmental Inc., an environmental consulting firm providing a broad range of environmental due diligence services for the real estate sector. Previously the vice chairman and president of a private multinational environmental…
Go to the profile for Renée Gomes
Board Director
Renée is the Director of Development at Waterfront Toronto, the agency tasked with transforming over 2,000 acres of land as part of one of the world's largest waterfront revitalization projects. Renée oversees a range of development projects in the West Don Lands and East…
Go to the profile for Andy Macaulay
Board Director
Andy built two of Canada’s most recognized advertising agencies on business success created for leading marketers like IKEA, Pfizer, Unilever and Molson. As a partner in Roche Macaulay & Partners, he helped it become Canadian Agency of the Decade for the ‘90s (Marketing…
Go to the profile for Shabin Mohamed
Board Director
Shabin is a Chartered Professional Accountant and non-profit director. Shabin has volunteered on various non-profit boards over the past 15 years and currently serves as a trustee of the Art Gallery of Ontario and a director of the Aga Khan Museum and the Toronto International…