Lora Shrake joined the Council of the Great Lakes Region in 2021 as the Senior Program Director, Business and Sustainability and is currently serving as Interim Executive Director. With over 20 years of experience, Lora has dedicated her career to the environment and sustainability issues. Her management and leadership spans across non-profit operations, program management, stakeholder engagement, strategy, and research.

Prior to joining CGLR, Lora led a national green building council in the United Arab Emirates where she oversaw all aspects of the organization’s cross-functional development, including its impact and reach.

Ally Walker is the Program Officer of Circular Economy at the Council of the Great Lakes Region, where she leads several key projects under the Circular Great Lakes initiative, including the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup, Boat Wrap Recycling Program, Dart Stormwater Grant, Return to Retail Takeback Program, and Legislative Outreach and Education project. Since joining CGLR in 2022, Ally has combined her background in sustainability policy, regional recycling systems, and stakeholder engagement to drive cross-sector solutions that advance a more circular economy. She holds a Master’s in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and is passionate about building lasting change through informed policymaking and collaboration.

Dan is Associate Professor in Energy Systems Engineering at Ontario Tech University. For almost 20 years Dan was with the World Bank, including as Lead Advisor overseeing Sustainable Cities and Climate Change programs. Dan was the Chief Safety and Risk Officer for the Province of Ontario 2012-2020. Dan began his career in waste management working with City of Guelph and Region of Peel in Ontario and Government of Bermuda. He has worked with more than 400 governments on sustainability issues.

Dan is a Fellow with Canada’s Transition Accelerator and the Global Cities Institute at University of Toronto, a Board Member of the Georgian Bay Biosphere, past board member with Clean Air Partnership, and served as Chair of the Region of Durham’s Roundtable on Climate Change. Dan researches energy and material flows of cities and urban systems.

Michael is the Founder and Executive Director for the Atlas Initiative for Climate Resilient Infrastructure. For the past two decades he has been at the forefront organizing various policies, programs and events for engineering societies globally, including close relationships with the 120 members of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, representing 30 million engineers.

Currently he is Chair of the Pan American Federation of Engineering Organizations – UPADI Sustainability Committee with 20 national member societies from Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, South American, the Caribbean and Spain.