Core Staff Bios

• Carla Vandenberg, Financial Director
• Maggy Burns, Internal Director
• Mark Butler, Policy Director
  
• Julia Kemp, Office Manager
• Amy Hawke, Office Manager (on sabbatical)
• Lindsay Hunt, Communications Coordinator
• Emma Boardman, Website Coordinator

Carla Vandenberg
Email
Financial Director
(902) 442–0254

Carla has an undergraduate degree in science and an MBA.  She spent over 14 years working in the corporate world - primarily telecommunications. Various positions allowed her to live and work in NB, Alberta, Yukon and NS.  Her love of the outdoors helped steer her in the right direction and led her to the EAC.  She enjoys kayaking, hiking and camping.

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Maggy Burns
Email
Internal Director
902-429-5287

Before joining the EAC as a staff member in 2005 Maggy sat on the Board of EAC as the Treasurer and was dragged away kicking and screaming. Before becoming a member of the EAC team she worked for many years in the field of community economic development as a business counsellor, manager, facilitator and entrepreneur. Maggy has a BA (Philosophy) and BSc (Biology) and has spent time chasing strawberry poison-dart frogs in the Costa Rican rainforest, and teaching English on rooftops in China. She loves being Internal Director because the EAC is an organization with heart; one that constantly works to live its values, and provides a fun and healthy environment for staff and volunteers.

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Mark Butler
Email
Policy Director
902-429-5287

Mark has an undergraduate and graduate degree in Environmental Studies. Before joining EAC, Mark worked as a marine educator, a fisheries consultant both in Canada and overseas, and as a deckhand on commercial fishing boats. His passions include bird watching, mushroom collecting, ship watching, spending time with his son, and eating fresh fish, caught right.

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Julia Kemp
Email
Office Manager
902-429-2202

Julia is passionate about all things food-related.  She recently graduated from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist.  Her love of working with food began when she was coordinator for EAC’s first two Harvest Festivals. After that, she worked as a community kitchen and garden coordinator as well as a farmer’s market manager on Vancouver Island.  For the last two years, she has worked as Office Manager for a holistic health clinic in Halifax. EAC is thrilled to have her back for the year, as our Office Coordinator while Amy Hawke is on sabbatical. Julia also has a BA in International Development and Environmental Studies at DAL.

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Amy Hawke (on sabbatical, returning Summer, 2012)
Office Manager
902-429-2202

Amy's passion and strengths lie in bringing people together and supporting human networks. She believes her skills are put to no better use than in the environment that is The Ecology Action Centre where she has worked her magic since June 2009.

Amy completed the Advance Diploma in Public Relations at the Nova Scotia Community College in June 2006 and has a post secondary CV which includes business information technology, human services and child and youth care counselling. Prior to joining the EAC team, Amy worked for the Children’s Aid Society and The Chignecto Regional School Board and was the Communications and Membership coordinator for an artists' collective. Skills honed in these areas of intense personal interaction allows Amy to act in a supportive, problem solving capacity, paying particular attention to the needs of staff, members, volunteers and the daily running of the EAC office.
 

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Lindsay Hunt
Email
Communications Coordinator
429-2202

Lindsay has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a major in ‘passion for the environment’. She has spent the last five years working with youth from many different communities, and travelling the world in her spare time. Volunteering is in her blood and she is passionate about human relationships, bringing people together, and spreading the wonderful and passionate word of the EAC.

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Emma Boardman
Email
Web Coordinator
902-429-2202

Emma first became involved with the Ecology Action Centre by playing endangered skates, right whales and black bears as a member of the environmental theatre group, Hemlock Circus. She remained an active volunteer in various capacities - working in the office, writing for Between the Issues, and sitting on the Marine Issues and Volunteer Coordination Committees - until 2006, when was hired as website coordinator. She has a degree in Drama and Japanese Studies from McMaster University, and a diploma in Information Technology.