The current Board of Directors consists of 13 members drawn from a wide range of industries and geographic regions.
Thomas Mueller – President and CEO (Ex-officio)
Stephen Smith (Chair) Manulife Real Estate Seat: Real Estate Owners and Developers
Caroline Bordeaux Canderel Seat: Real Estate Owners and Developers
Clare Ashbee EllisDon Seat: Constructors, Builders, Home Builders, Trade
Conrad Schartau (Vice-Chair) Integral Group Seat: Professional Firms
Jean-Rock Tourigny Public Services & Procurement – Government of Canada Seat: Government & Policy
Jenny McMinn Urban Equation Seat: At Large
Joanne Perdue (Secretary) University of Calgary Seat: Academia and Research
John Pontarollo (Treasurer) CRH Canada Group Inc. Seat: Product Manufacturers, Suppliers and Retail
Martin Nielson DIALOG Seat: Professional Firms
Michael Brennan Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Seat: Not-for-Profit and Industry Associations
Michele Walkau (Vice Chair) First Capital Realty Seat: Real Estate Managers & Tenants
Morgan McDonald (Chair, Chapter Advisory Committee) Ledcor Group Seat: Chapter Network
Canada Green Building Council Suite 550, 1021 Hastings Street West Vancouver, BC V6E 0C3, Canada https://ca.linkedin.com @CAGBCCEO
Thomas Mueller is a Founding Director of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and became President & CEO of the Council in 2005. As Chief Executive, he leads the Council’s national green building strategy, programs and standards along with advocacy and policy initiatives. In 2018, he was appointed as CEO of Green Business Certification Inc. Canada. As a past Board member of the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), the World Green Building Council (WGBC), and as a Board member of the Cornerstone Standards Council (CSC) and Building Energy Innovators Council (BEIC), he supports the transition toward green building, neighbourhoods and cities at home and globally. Thomas is a well-known advocate for green buildings and sustainable community development. He participates frequently in government and industry consultations on green development and is a nationally and internationally recognized authority and speaker on green buildings. He is currently participating in a number of initiatives and groups including the WorldGBC Global CEO Network, and the Advisory Committee of Energy Efficiency in BC’s Built Environment Research Project at UBC. Thomas has an Undergraduate Degree in Geography, Planning and Applied Ecology from the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, Germany; and holds a Master’s Degree in Regional Planning & Resource Development from the University of Waterloo, Ontario. For his green building work, Thomas has received numerous awards. Most recently, he became a recipient of Canada’s 2015 Clean50 Award and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in 2016.
Manulife Real Estate Seat: Real Estate Owners and Developers
Steve has more than 25 years' experience in the commercial real estate industry. He's held a diverse set of roles including; leasing, marketing and asset management. Currently, Steve is responsible for oversight of all activities within Manulife Real Estate's western portfolio. Prior to that, Steve held a progression of senior roles within Oxford Properties. Among his more unique endeavours, Steve has developed an industry leading national call centre and a world class sustainability initiative. Steve is a graduate of the University of Toronto and a happy transplant to beautiful British Columbia.
Canderel Seat: Real Estate Owners and Developers
Ms. Bordeaux is the Director of Sustainability for Canderel. She joined in June 2016. She acts as the company’s national expert on sustainability, overseeing corporate strategy, undertaking research on industry best practices, technology and legislation, and providing support to property management and development teams to mitigate environmental impacts associated with our activities. Ms. Bordeaux has earned a Master’s degree in Business and Sustainability from Neoma Business School (France), as well as an Advanced Master degree in Environmental Management and Engineering from Mines ParisTech (France). She is also a LEED Accredited Professional (Operations and Maintenance) and a certified Agile Project Manager.
EllisDon Seat: Constructors, Builders, Home Builders, Trade Contractors
Clare Ashbee is the Vice President of Sustainable Building Solutions (SBS) at EllisDon, a world-leading construction and building services company. The SBS team is responsible for EllisDon’s work in leading and accelerating the transformation of the construction industry toward high-performance, resilient and green buildings, with a dedication to improving the wellness of their occupants. Clare joined EllisDon in February 2018 as a Director of Business Development focused on strategy and relationship building for the International and Capital Teams and was promoted to her current role in just under a year. With a background in consulting and project financing gained from international firms including Investec Bank in Toronto and PwC in London, England, Clare has a wealth of experience in originating and closing large scale energy, transportation, waste and social infrastructure projects.
Her experience also includes international development having held positions at the Aga Khan Foundation and the African Development Bank. Having lived and worked in 4 continents and traveled to 52 countries, throughout her career Clare has gained a breadth of insight into different ways to approach problems and building cross-cultural relationships.
Clare has a master’s degree in Economics from the University of British Columbia and an undergraduate degree in Applied Economics from Queen’s University. In 2015, Clare was nominated for the Canadian Women in Infrastructure Emerging Leader Award. Clare currently serves as Director and member of the Finance and Audit Committee for the Board of Directors of Canadian Feed the Children.
Integral Group Seat: Professional Firms
COO Conrad Schartau's open communication style and candid approach has helped propel the expansion of Integral Group while maintaining a transparent working environment. With over 25 years of experience in the building services industry, Conrad has led the strategic operations of several businesses, which has led to their increased profits and expansion. As a primary adopter of sustainable building design, Conrad introduced innovative knowledge of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat recovery technologies to the country. He constantly pursues new educational and personal development opportunities, which have enabled him to achieve his goals and arrive to the standing he embodies today.
Public Services & Procurement – Government of Canada Seat: Government & Policy
After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at Université Laval and an Honours degree in Philosophy from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Mr. Tourigny joined the federal public service in 1972. Since that time, he has worked in various departments and agencies, including Information Canada, Supply and Services Canada (SSC) and the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission (CEIC).
He completed a Bachelor of Applied Science degree at the University of Ottawa in 1992 and a Master of Applied Science degree at the École Polytechnique de Montréal in 2000. Mr. Tourigny returned to the public service and has been working for Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) / Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) since 1996. He has been involved in several major environmental projects at the regional level, such as PCB destruction, land decontamination, the multi-material recycling program, and significant environmental assessments.
Mr. Tourigny has been the Director of Environmental Services and Senior Director of Environment, Health and Safety at PWGSC/PSPC’s Real Property Branch Headquarters since 2006. His responsibilities include environmental compliance, Canada Labour Code compliance, climate change management (mitigation and adaptation), contaminated sites management and the sustainable development program for Real Property Services.
Urban Equation Seat: At Large
Jenny works with developers across North America to create business cases for their sustainable development goals, including carbon neutrality, community energy, and the One Planet Living designation. Her most recent clients include Sidewalk Labs, Oxford Properties, and all levels of Canadian government.
Before joining Urban Equation, Jenny spent 10 years at Halsall Associates (now WSP) helping developers, municipalities and building owners create award- winning, high performance green building and community design projects.
“I’m motivated by clients who are constantly striving to improve their environmental, social and financial impact,” she says.
A LEED accredited professional, Jenny holds degrees in architecture and environmental studies. She is a former member of the City of Toronto’s Design Review Panel.
University of Calgary Seat: Academia & Research
Joanne Perdue is the Chief Sustainability Officer for the University of Calgary. In this role she is responsible for defining strategic direction and facilitating organizational change to enable the university to meet its goal of becoming a North American leader of sustainability in higher education. Under her guidance, the University of Calgary has attained a Gold rating under the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment &smp; Rating System™, a North American framework for evaluation of sustainability in higher education. She is a recognized leader in both Canada and the US in the fields of sustainable building and community design, as well as organizational change for sustainability.
Joanne is an architect, a LEED Fellow, and a member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals. During her 20 years of practice she has been devoted to advancing green buildings and sustainable community design; as well as a key contributor to a number of award winning projects.
CRH Canada Group Inc. Seat: Product Manufacturers, Suppliers and Retail
John Pontarollo, Senior Vice President at CRH Canada Group Inc., oversees the Ontario & Western Canada regions of one of the country's largest vertically integrated building materials and construction companies, as well as associated assets in the Northwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. John is a strong advocate of sustainable construction helping to steer the industry to adopt sustainable construction practices. He fosters the principles of the triple bottom line ensuring a balance between stable economic growth, continual social progress and preservation of the environment. John’s support and leadership to sustainable construction practices includes the Cornerstone Standards Council driving sustainable aggregate procurement and operations. John is a passionate advocate of developing young talent, supporting the company’s programs for young Engineers and co-teaching civil engineering at the University of Toronto. He holds a B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
DIALOG Seat: Professional Firms
Architect AIBC, MRAIC, OAA, P.Eng., LEED® AP Principal
Martin Nielsen is a Principal with DIALOG, a multi-disciplinary design firm with 650 staff across Canada. A registered architect and mechanical engineer, Martin brings over twenty-five years of experience and leadership to the firm’s urban design, mixed-use development, higher education, and transportation projects. He is passionate about developing sustainable design solutions that are socially, economically, and environmentally responsible, with a portfolio of work that has been recognized with awards for planning, architecture and innovation.
Martin’s recent project work at UBC includes the new LEED® Gold certified Campus Energy Centre, the Transit Exchange, and Gage South Student Residences. He led the sustainable planning approach and LEED® certification process on the University of Calgary’s U-District neighborhood, one of the largest LEED® ND Platinum projects in North America.
Prior to joining DIALOG, Martin led the design and construction of UBC’s Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS); a LEED® Platinum certified and Living Building, considered one of the greenest institutional projects in North America. He has taught at the UBC School of Architecture and Faculty of Engineering and has served as chair of the UBC Advisory Urban Design Panel. He is currently serving on the UBC Land Use Committee, Squamish Nation Advisory Design Panel, and has served as chair on the City of Vancouver Urban Design Panel.
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Seat: Not-for-Profit and Industry Associations
Mike Brennan brings 26 years of executive leadership and a proven track record of operational success in the not-for-profit sector as well as turnarounds in for-profit companies in North America. He holds a Masters of Business from Carleton University in Ottawa and possesses a strong business acumen encompassing strategic planning, collaborative change management, and business process improvement. Throughout his career, he has focused on reducing operating costs and diversifying revenue streams while increasing performance and productivity. In addition to a solid business foundation, including in banking and manufacturing, Mike has an understanding of and commitment to the not-for-profit sector. His expertise takes in governance, fundraising, volunteers, advocacy, grant writing, stakeholder engagement and program implementation. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.
BA, M.Sc. First Capital Realty Seat: Real Estate Managers & Tenants
Michele Walkau is Senior Vice President, Brand and Culture at First Capital Realty. Prior to joining First Capital, she was a senior executive at GWL Realty Advisors where she led human resources, branding, sustainability, innovation and communications. Michele has an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters of Science degree in Education from Niagara University in New York. She sits on the board of directors of the Royal Canadian Military Institute and is the co-founder of the Historic Murray Canal District, a non-profit group working to improve the quality of life in the Murray Canal area in the counties of Northumberland, Quinte West and Prince Edward.
Ledcor Group Seat: Chapter Network
Morgan has charted a career trajectory developing triple-bottom-line solutions to multi-stakeholder projects. Since 2011 he has been Director of Operations with Ledcor Renew, helping owners to achieve high performance outcomes on new and existing buildings. His earlier work focused on renewable energy system design, carbon finance, and popular education on sustainability and appropriate technology. He was a founding director of the BC Sustainable Energy Association and he currently volunteers with Living Future Vancouver in addition to being Chair of the CaGBC BC Chapter. Creative and analytical, Morgan has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University and is also a Juno award-winning musician.