Meet the CPAWS Team

Summer Employment Opportunity
Conservation Planning Assistant
Application deadline: July 2, 2009

Chapter Staff

We are pleased to introduce the staff of the Southern Alberta (formerly Calgary/Banff) chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS):

1. Grégoire Belland – Executive Director/Directeur Exécutif
2. Anne-Marie Syslak – Director of Education
3. Lindsay Allan – Administrative and Project Coordinator
4. Sarah Elmeligi – Senior Conservation Planner

Grégoire Belland – Executive Director/Directeur Exécutif

Born in Edmonton, Greg attended the University of Alberta where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. He began his professional career as a planner with Parks Canada and worked in many National Parks, including Banff, Prince Albert, Elk Island and Kluane. Between 1983 and 1986, he managed the National Parks Centennial Project for the National Parks in Alberta and British Columbia.

Greg has a consistent record of not only meeting – but exceeding – the objectives set for the projects he undertakes. For example, as Manager of Partnerships for the G8 Legacy project (which commemorated the 2004 G8 summit held in Kananaskis), Greg worked with a collaboration of conservationists, corporations, and the Federal and Provincial Governments to expand the project vision to include two wildlife underpasses rather than the one that was originally proposed. Through such efforts, Greg has won the respect of colleagues, staff and funders alike.

More recently, Greg was the Project Manager for the development and construction of the Centre de Santé Communautaire Saint Thomas, a community health centre serving the francophone community in Edmonton.

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Anne-Marie Syslak – Director of Education

Anne-Marie Syslak, our Acting Director of Education, joined the Education Team in the summer of 2004. Anne-Marie has a B.Sc, a B.Ed, and a M.Sc. in Environmental Education. She has worked in the environmental education field for the past twelve years and enjoys teaching about nature and ecological issues through her creative lessons.
Anne-Marie loves to travel, flirts with art and music, and is often found playing in the mountains. Originally from the prairies, Anne-Marie has a particular passion for plants and wildflowers. When she’s not howling like a wolf with her daughter, you might find her on the trail going ga-ga over a glacier-lily!

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Lindsay Allan – Administrative and Project Coordinator

Lindsay Allan joined the CPAWS team in May of 2004. She has a B.Sc. in Geography from the University of Calgary. For four years she planned the Chapter’s marquee event, The Wild Gala, in addition to Capture the Wild Photography Contest and Running Wild. Now back from maternity leave, she will be providing research assistance to the conservation team, as well as making sure everything in the office is running smoothly. When she is not working at CPAWS, she enjoys mountain biking, hiking, traveling and spending time with her family (especially the newest addition, Sadie).

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Sarah Elmeligi – Senior Conservation Planner

Sarah Elmeligi has a Masters of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies degree from the University of Northern British Columbia. Her thesis investigated the impacts of bear-viewing tourism on grizzly bear behaviour and visitor satisfaction/perceptions of impact. This research experience combined with her Bachelor of Science degree, zoology major, from the University of Alberta has provided Sarah with an intimate understanding of ecosystem ecology from theory and research methods/results to applicable and adaptive management options. She has extensive experience in science interpretation; from program development and delivery to visitor centre design and construction. Sarah comes to CPAWS from the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) where she worked extensively on the Cabinet-Purcell Mountain Corridor Project. Working with Y2Y has increased her understanding of large landscapes and the necessary programs to connect them. She is passionate about animal behaviour and ecology, living sustainably, and exploring as much of this planet as she can by foot, bike, rock-climbing shoe, and snorkel.

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