Council of the Great Lakes Region (Canada) Announces New 2023 Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

AUGUST 10, 2023

OTTAWA, ON and CLEVELAND, OH / August 10, 2023 – The Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR), a not-for-profit corporation in Canada, is pleased to announce that the following individuals have been elected to its Board of Directors after the organization’s virtual Annual General Meeting on July 21:

  • Maria Bocanegra, Chief Legal Officer, Port of Cleveland.
  • Amy Senter, Vice President, Global Sustainability, Martin Brower.
  • Danil Kerimi, Advisor, World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization. 
  • Dr. Johannes Dyring, Assistant Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, Toronto Metropolitan University.
  • Caroline Pajot, former Canadian President, and Global Off-The-Road (OTR) Tire Leader, Goodyear.
  • David Lindsay, Chair of the Board, Infrastructure Ontario.
  • Heather Brown, Vice President, Environment Health and Safety, Ontario Power Generation. 

The Council would also like to announce the reappointment of the following directors of the board:

  • Brian Ames, Chair of CGLR and former SVP, The Dow Chemical Company.
  • David Ceolin, Corporate Director and Partner, Innovation Grade Ventures. 
  • Peter S. Drummond, Founder, PSD+G Strategy Group and Adjunct Professor, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University.
  • Lorne Gorber, CEO advisor, Chief Communications Officer, and Reputation Management and Investor Relations Expert.
  • Howard Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law and Policy Center.
  • Eric Lee, Founder, Copper Country Capital Consulting, and Global Electrification Mobility and EV Ecosystem Strategist and Commercialization Leader.
  • Matthew McCurdy, CGLR Treasurer and Principal, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
  • Stephen J. Petras, Jr., Director, Cox International Law Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and U.S. National Director of the Canada – United States Law Institute.
  • Marie-Hélène Sicard, Entrepreneur, YPO Board Member, and former EVP, Business & Industry, Sodexo North America.
  • Jeffrey Weiss, CGLR Secretary and Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
  • John Wilkinson, Corporate Director and former Ontario Environment Minister.

While serving as the board of directors of the Council of the Great Lakes Region in Canada (“CGLR Canada”), these individuals serve concurrently as the Board of Directors of its sister organization in Ohio, the Council of the Great Lakes Region (“CGLR USA”), a nonprofit corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (as amended, the “Code”) and classified as a trade association described in Code section 501(c)(6). 

The members of the Executive Committee of CGLR USA form the board of the CGLR Foundation, an Ohio nonprofit corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(a) of the Code and classified as a public charity described in Code section 501(c)(3).

Together, this network of related organizations, organized and operated independently, provide forums to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future by uniquely bringing diverse perspectives and interests together from government, business, academia, and the nonprofit sector to discuss, explore and solve the most pressing socio-economic and environmental challenges facing the Great Lakes region.

Other actions taken at the Annual General Meeting of members of the Council of the Great Lakes Region in Canada included the reappointment of KPMG as the auditors for CGLR Canada and the presentation and approval of CGLR Canada’s audited financial statements for fiscal year April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

Quotes

“The Great Lakes region, shared by Canada, the United States and many Indigenous Peoples, serves as North America’s economic engine and the guardian of one of the largest freshwater surface systems on Earth,” said Mark Fisher, President and CEO, CGLR Canada. “These experienced individuals will help continue CGLR Canada’s growth and impact in solving for sustainability and achieving progress on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in the Great Lakes region.”

“The Council of the Great Lakes Region is very fortunate to have these seven outstanding people join the board,” said Brian Ames, CGLR Board Chair. “The board is looking forward to engaging with each of them to turn the Great Lakes region into the first sustainable region in the world.”

Visit the About Us page on our website to learn more!

For More Information:

Mark P. Fisher

President and CEO

613-668-2044 / mark@councilgreatlakesregion.org