Green Venture is a gender diverse and trans inclusive space working to empower Hamiltonians to implement greener practices in their homes and communities to make our city a climate champion.
Scroll down to see our staff, our energy advisors and the Board of Directors.
Giuliana has a PhD in collaborative forest management from the University of Toronto, a Masters degree in Forest Conservation and brings over 15 years of experience in environmental outreach, research,…
Liz Enriquez is a Geography graduate from McMaster University and has always been passionate about environmental education and stewardship.
Heather has a PhD in Cell & Systems Biology, and Collaborative Program in Environmental Studies and she is an Ontario Certified Teacher and a passionate environmentalist.
Liesel comes to Green Venture with a bachelor’s degree in Drama in Education and the Community. She has a strong passion for community education and empowering youth to make change.…
Dea is a recent graduate of the McMaster School of Social Work, and has returned to Green Venture to help as a program assistant on the Energy team.
Mackenzie comes to Green Venture with a background in biology, environmental conservation, and media production. He is passionate about teaching the community how to protect and preserve the earth we…
Sarah has a deep and enduring zeal for wild places which led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto. With a diverse background…
Nicole is a highly motivated project coordinator with many years of experience working with social impact and nonprofit organizations. Holding a Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurship and a fellowship in…
Tyler Bouman, Communications Assistant Tyler Bouman is a graduate from Brock University with a Bachelor in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing. He grew up in a family greenhouse…
Parker Johnston, Program Assistant – Education Parker has worked with Green Venture in the past as a volunteer and co op student and has returned to join the team. He…
Olivia Blaszkow, Program Assistant – Environmental Education Olivia is a third year Life Science student at McMaster University. With her experience in community work and academic knowledge of community engagement,…
Breanna Pinto, Program Assistant – Energy Breanna Pinto has recently graduated with a degree in Sustainable Chemistry from McMaster University. Her professional experience ranges from Li-ion battery science to biorefinery…
Sol Qiu, Program Assistant – Environmental Education Cindy (“Sol”) Qiu is a social science student at the University of Waterloo, specializing in social work and social policy. She is passionate…
Illyria Volcansek, Program Assistant – Environmental Education Illyria is an undergraduate Arts and Science student at the University of Guelph who studies ecology and creative writing. When she’s not scribbling…
Nikki Mohammadi, Program Assistant – Environmental Education Nikki Mohammadi is a student studying biology at McMaster University with a passion for environmental conservation. Nikki is excited to join the Green…
Rana Guler, Program Assistant – Green Infrastructure Rana Guler has recently graduated with a degree in Arts and Science and English and Cultural Studies from McMaster University. With experience in…
Alexia Da Poupada, Program Assistant – Green Infrastructure Growing up with such fascination with the world around us, Alexia obtained her BSc in Marine Biology from the University of Guelph.…
Asia Middlemost, Program Assistant – Green Infrastructure Asia Middlemost, Program Assistant- As a budding environmentalist and a recent graduate from Niagara College’s Horticultural Technician program, Asia hopes to continue learning…
Eliza Ritchie, Program Assistant – Green Infrastructure Eliza Ritchie, a student in the Arts and Science Program at McMaster University, focusing on psychology and biology, is deeply passionate about exploring…
Albany Sutherland, Program Assistant – Environmental Education Albany is a graduate from the Integrated Business and Humanities with Internship program at McMaster. She is a First Nation person raised in…
Dean: Senior Registered Energy Advisor
Dean has a background in building science and an engineering degree from McMaster University, and he has been actively involved in promoting energy efficiency in buildings for the past 12 years. He enjoys being a Registered Energy Advisor because he can help homeowners determine the best path forward to improve their home’s energy efficiency and comfort at the same time. His passion for connecting with people and connecting with the natural environment has been a major driving force throughout his career. Outside of work, he enjoys travel, camping and photographing nature.
Brent: Senior Registered Energy Advisor
Registered Home Inspector since 1999 with Ontario Association of Home Inspectors. Natural Resources Canada Registered Energy Advisor since 2002. 10 years as question and answer columnist for Canadian Homes and Cottages Magazine. Professional guitar player since 1979.
Kim: Registered Energy Advisor
No stranger to Building Science, Kim graduated as an Architectural Technologist from Toronto Metropolitan University. With over 30 years of residential building product sales specializing in windows & doors, HVAC, insulation and exterior finishes, she was originally licensed as an NRCan auditor in 2008. She has returned to continue educating homeowners on how to make their homes more energy efficient and more comfortable! Professional and approachable, she aims to make every audit experience enjoyable and easy to understand.
Glenn Stewart: Maintenance
Glenn has been a resident of Stoney Creek for 38 years. He worked as a Certified Ontario Millwright in various industries and was a Wastewater Plant Operator, Class 4 Certification. His hobbies include kayaking, outdoor trails, volunteering at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 622 House Chair and being a treasurer at New Horizons Seniors Club, Battlefield Branch.
Ruth: Registered Energy Advisor
Over the last fifteen years Ruth has been supporting the renewable energy industry and building sciences sector through provisioning of such services as energy audits, site assessment, and renewable energy project development, system design, and performance simulation. Ruth Cooper has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Carleton University and began her career as a Mechanical Engineer in the automotive industry. Realizing her passion was for sustainability and existing buildings more so than vehicles, she completed a Masters in Applied Science at McMaster University and started work as an REA in training.
Sebin: Registered Energy Advisor
Sebin has a Bachelor’s in Mechanical engineering from Anna University, India and began his career as a mechanical/project engineer focused on HVAC designs and installations. He has a solid background in building and construction associated with his professional roles in India and Qatar. After his immigration to Canada, he began his technical career working in a HVAC company to learn the Canadian standards and requirements in the HVAC industry. He is ready to focus all these knowledge and expertise to help homeowners evaluate and elevate their home’s energy efficiency. Sebin is a friendly face who enjoys meeting new people and exploring new places.
Michael Albanese: Rain Coach
Michael is a landscape consultant, designer, contractor, author, and public speaker operating under Avesi Stormwater & Landscape Solutions. As a certified Fusion Landscape Professional his work focuses on helping people discover how to use rain as a resource by applying an ecological approach to their landscapes. A native Hamiltonian, Michael strives to be a positive influence on both the community and the environment.
As a member of the Board, a Director acts in a position of trust for the community and is responsible for the effective governance of Green Venture. We are always looking for devoted members with a passion for sustainability and environmental stewardship, and community engagement to provide strategic and operational direction for the organization. A Director must be 18 years of age or older.
Candidates with the following qualifications and skills are encouraged to apply:
We are especially looking for members with experience with non-profit governance, fundraising, marketing and communications, legal, and human resources.
Please review the Board Member Description below and click the link to complete an application form:
Christine Hobson (Chair)
Administration, Hanscomb Limited
Born and raised in Hamilton, Christine takes great pride in the community and city as a whole. While having solid foundation as a seasoned bookkeeper, she is also an experienced administrator with a wide array of experience from a variety of professional settings. Being extremely passionate about the environment, and with a staunch commitment to animal rights, Christine is delighted to serve as Chair of the Board.
Samantha Dilorio (Secretary)
Samantha has a graduate degree from the University of Toronto in Sustainability Management. She deeply cares about the planet and strongly believes we all have a responsibility to take care of it. Samantha is happy to be part of Green Venture and participate in making her hometown of Hamilton a more climate resilient and sustainable city for all.
Sharron Hughes (Treasurer)
Sharron is a Manager of Accounting and Assurance at Pettinelli Mastroluisi LLP in Hamilton, Ontario, working with small owner-managed businesses and not-for-profit organizations. She obtained her Certified General Accounting (CGA) designation in 2003 and became a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) 2014. Sharron is deeply interested in how we can take better care of our environment.
Erin Jaggard (Director)
Strategy Manager, Climate Adaptation, Hydro One
Erin is the Strategy Manager, Climate Adaptation at Hydro One where she is transferring her strong understanding of the natural world into risk management and strategy development. She has worked in the energy sector for over a decade supporting clean energy development and operations across Canada. Erin holds a thesis-based Master of Science from Queen’s University. Erin is keen to invest and support her hometown, notably as we move into an era of significant energy transition.
Paul Harrison (Director)
McMaster University
Paul Harrison was born in Northampton, UK, and developed his interest in chemistry from a chemistry set that evolved quickly into an entire lab in the family home. He attended Oundle School in Northamptonshire, and spent a “gap year” working for ICI in Runcorn, Cheshire on catalysis before going up to Oxford. After 3 years of study and punting on the Cherwell, he conducted his Part II fourth year research project with Professor (now Sir) Jack Baldwin, where he developed a synthesis of L-a-aminoadipic acid, an unusual amino acid which is involved in penicillin biosynthesis. He moved to Alberta, Canada for his Ph.D., in which he worked on polyene antifungal antibiotics in the group of Prof. John Vederas. After post-doctoral work on terpene biosynthesis at Brown in Providence, USA, Paul started his academic post at McMaster. His research work has been at the interface of chemistry and biology, and includes the development of biomimetic chemical models of natural product biosynthesis, the cellular assembly of natural products such as acyl-tetramic acids and b-lactones, and understanding the mechanisms by which antibiotics exert their biological effects.
Paul Guagliano (Director)
Paul has been an avid outdoors person their entire life. All outdoor activities are high on their priority list and as a result they view protection of the environment of paramount importance. Paul recently retired from a long teaching career, including 10 years delivering an Outdoors Education Program, emphasizing fundamental respect and protection of the natural environment. Paul looks forward to continuing to help foster sustainable practices that enhance human well being, as well as biodiversity and healthy landscapes in their role on the Board of Directors for Green Venture.
Juliana Weber
Project Coordinator, CityLAB
Juliana brings 10 years of experience in non-profit program development and outreach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social and Public Policy from State University of New York (2016) and is currently the Project Coordinator for CityLAB Hamilton. An Ontario transplant from the Pacific Northwest, Juliana is passionate about environmental equity, sustainability, and nature-based learning.
Alison Stewart
Alison Stewart is a Senior Director in the biotech industry with over six years of experience. She holds a PhD in Biomaterials Chemistry and has a strong track record of spearheading innovative R&D projects, providing strategic direction, and cultivating meaningful partnerships. Alison has led the development of cell therapies for treating Type 1 Diabetes and other diseases. She excels in project management, risk assessment, and strategic planning. Guided by her passion for environmental sustainability, she enjoys gardening, hiking, and sourcing sustainable produce and products. Alison’s past volunteer roles include STEM outreach and roles in student governance. She is dedicated to creating a healthier world for future generations and is eager to contribute to Green Venture’s mission of promoting sustainable practices and fostering community engagement.