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administration + communications
Rebecca Danard
Executive Director
(705) 674-1685
Leigha has a graduate diploma in Science Communication from Laurentian University and a Bachelor’s degree in Bio-Resource Management from the University of Guelph
Leigha has been with reThink Green since 2016, first as Communications Director and now as its Executive Director.
Leigha believes that Sudbury has a major role to play in the environmental movement for northern Ontario communities.
Sustainability matters to Leigha for “a million reasons, but now mostly because I’m a mom. I want my daughter to grow up with clean water, clean air, and access to everything that I’ve been able to access. I do what I do for her and her generation.”
When Leigha isn’t working on rethink Green programs and advancing sustainability she practices yoga, active living and healthy eating. She can often be found outside enjoying what Sudbury has to offer with her family.
leigha benford
Community & Stakeholder Relations
Leigha has a graduate diploma in Science Communication from Laurentian University and a Bachelor’s degree in Bio-Resource Management from the University of Guelph
Leigha has been with reThink Green since 2016, first as Communications Director and now as its Executive Director.
Leigha believes that Sudbury has a major role to play in the environmental movement for northern Ontario communities.
Sustainability matters to Leigha for “a million reasons, but now mostly because I’m a mom. I want my daughter to grow up with clean water, clean air, and access to everything that I’ve been able to access. I do what I do for her and her generation.”
When Leigha isn’t working on rethink Green programs and advancing sustainability she practices yoga, active living and healthy eating. She can often be found outside enjoying what Sudbury has to offer with her family.
David st. georges
Director of Communications + events
A graduate of Cambrian College, David St. Georges had spent near 15 years working to build community change through the charitable sector. Starting by developing ground-level efforts for the Canadian Red Cross, David shifted his focus to the environmental field through reThink Green a few years ago. Having worked to lead teams in many natural disaster responses at the Canadian Red Cross, he felt this was his chance to prevent these events before they occurred.
Now an expert in frontline waste reduction, David has built many carbon reduction plans for businesses and events here in northern Ontario. Small changes over time that that are easy for people to understand is how David approaches every project. He believes living sustainably is a key strategy in growing social and economic efforts here in the North.
When not working in community sustainability, David volunteers as a community television host with Eastlink TV.
marc Maisonneuve
Communications Officer
Alison Dawson
Digital Communications Officer
Alison Dawson is a 2020 graduate of Cambrian College’s Graphic Design Program. She has interned with Greater Sudbury Utilities’ Communication’s department and with Fuel Media.
Alison started her environmental passion with Eat Local Sudbury before its closure. She has a personal mission to become waste-free and eats a vegan diet with a local focus to lower her carbon footprint. She is an avid animal lover and shares her home with two black cats, one white cat, four guinea pigs, a bearded dragon, and her partner.
programs
Simon blakeley
Program Director, Green Economy North + Smart Green Communities
Simon Blakeley has a Masters’ Degree in Urban Environmental Design, an Undergraduate Degree in Geography and Planning, and a Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Business & Administration.
Simon has approximately 16 years’ international experience, supporting and enabling sustainable business practices, across different levels of government, not-for-profits, academia, and the private sector. Simon is an active member of the Board of Directors at the North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) and the North Bay & District Multicultural Centre (NBDMC). He is also one of the founding members of Next Economy: North Bay (NENB)
shared platforms
Laura Fylyshtan
Green Building Research Coordinator
Motivated by a love of design and equipped with a Master of Science in Planning from the University of Toronto, Laura is committed to building sustainable communities.
She’s an advocate of Slow Living and the Circular Economy and believes in putting quality of life at the heart of every decision. Laura can often be found walking by the river, attempting to grow sunflowers on her balcony or eating all the cookies in her kitchen.