Who's Who

These are biographies of staff and board members. If you are trying to contact someone, refer to the Contact Us page.

Bert Weichel is a lecturer in environmental studies and physical geography at the University of Saskatchewan and also a principal in the environmental consulting partnership, Johnson and Weichel. A long time board member of SES, he is also currently chair of the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council and secretary of the Saskatchewan Association for Resource Recovery Corp.

Jocelyn Orb is the Sustainability Coordinator for the Saskatoon Health Region and a former employee of both SES and SEN. Jocelyn has a BA in Environmental Studies from University of Victoria and recently completed her MA in Political Studies at the U of S. She has been a volunteer for SES since 2005, helping with events such as EarthQuest, the Sustainable Gourmet and the Hike and Bike Challenge. She is an avid composter, dog walker and baker of brownies.

Richard Matchett is a partner with the firm of Heagy Bailey Altrogge Matchett LLP Chartered Accountants and has practiced as a Chartered Accountant in Saskatoon for fifteen years. Richard is the current treasurer of the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council and has been so for over five years. Over the years, Richard has acted as treasurer for other community groups and churches. He is committed to waste and environmental issues. Richard is married to Janice Ford, a social worker, and has two children (Luke and James). He enjoys canoeing, fishing and hiking.

Max Abraham is retired from the Saskatoon Public School Division where he served as an elementary school teacher and administrator for his entire career.  He served the goals and objectives of Outdoor and Environmental Education throughout his career and was heavily involved in establishing new programs and supporting important environmental concepts across the curriculum.  For the three years following his retirement, Max served as manager of Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin and helped develop that organization both in delivery of program and creating a State of the Basin Report.  During the last three years he has served on the SES Water Committee.  Max’s spouse, Dalice, has recently retired from her position at RUH as a lactation consultant.  They now live at Pike Lake.

Sherry Buller is a mother of four, a board member of a local community association and donor and alumni relations coordinator at SIAST Kelsey Campus.  While she has a background in the military, involvement in other non-profit organizations and education in administration, health care, science, and psychology, she is currently working with groups who are interested in environmentally sustainable education and is the founding member of the Kelsey Green Group.  She is an enthusiastic vermi-composter, bicycle rider, bus taker and book reader.

Ann Coxworth was a member of the Saskatchewan Electrical Energy Options Review Panel and also was on the board of the Saskatchewan Energy Conservation and Development Authority throughout its 4-year lifetime. Ann has a background in nuclear chemistry research and adult education. She volunteers fairly close to full-time as SES's Research Advisor.

Murray Hidlebaugh retired after thirty-five years working in the recreation field. Three years were spent as a field consultant working in rural and northern Saskatchewan. Thirty- two years were spent teaching in what is now the Recreation and Tourism Department at SIAST, Kelsey Campus. His background is in urban and regional planning from a recreation perspective. He was involved in dam studies at Wintego Falls, on the Churchill River, the Nipawin Dam and Codette Lake project, as well as a series of dams proposed for the Saskatchewan River. He is currently involved in working with groups who are interested in promoting land and water uses that are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. He is on the Board of Regents of the Saskatchewan Association of Recreation Professionals. He is also appointed to the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association's Parks Land Use Committee, and to the Advocacy Sub-Committee. He is married and with his wife, Jeanette, operates a small tree farm just south of Saskatoon.

Margaret McKechney -- Born and raised a Saskatchewan girl, I love this land and have a passion for the environment. Educated at the U of S and St Andrew’s College led to careers as a Clinical Psychologist and minister in the United Church of Canada. I have served on Boards and committees at the local, provincial and national level. Through petitions, writings, liturgies, activism, I have been an advocate for Earth justice for decades.  In joining the Board of SES, I bring to it a deep concern about the development of a nuclear power plant; the extension of tar sands development in unsustainable ways; and the conservation of our water resources, precious wetlands and natural prairie. I desire an economy based on ecological sustainability as a first principle.

Judy Montgomery has been a member of SES for 16 years. She has worked on several SES projects including: Destination Conservation, Hike Bike and Bus Week, Green Saskatoon and is the coordinator of the Sustainable Gourmet. She has also volunteered as a speaker at various public events. Judy has also volunteered and worked for the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC) mainly in the area of Master Composter education. She resides in her passive solar home south of Saskatoon, with her husband Jeff. They are looking forward to adding a wind generator to their energy mix in the near future.

Joe Schmutz and his wife Sheila live on an acreage west of Saskatoon, starting in 1983.   My background is in ecology, with experience in prairie biodiversity and issues of prairie-ecosystem sustainability in general.  I'm an environmental consultant (Prairie Ecodesign Ltd.) and teach part-time in the U. of S School of Environment and Sustainability.  I've been member of SES for over 20 years, and a Board member since 2006.  Besides being a Board member, I'm active in the biodiversity and water portfolios within SES.  I'm particularly proud of SES's successes in sharing quality information, SES's proactive engagement on serious environmental challenges, and SES's successes toward creating on-the-ground solutions.

Melissa Strom is a former employee of the Saskatchewan Environmental Society. She was hired in October of 2007 to work as the Marketer for the Energy Conservation Programs. She left this role in 2009 to focus on her job as a Special Lecturer at the Edwards School of Business in the Department of Marketing and Management. Previously, she was a research technician at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the area of bio-control (no pesticides!). From a business perspective, she is interested in social entrepreneurship; businesses that exist with community to give back or participate in a sustainable manner. In her spare time, when she is not training for her first marathon, she is training to become a certified Pilates instructor.

Bill Wardell is a partner in the Saskatoon law firm Wardell Gillis. He is also an active cattle producer and grain farmer on land near Clavet, Sk. Before entering private practice, Bill spent fifteen years helping to establish the legal aid system in Saskatchewan, teaching law at the College of Law, as well as co-founding the Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan (PLEA). He gives his time to a number of organizations including serving as Riverbend Presbytery representative for the Clavet United Church. Bill served on the Board of Sasktel (05-08) as Chair of Environment and H.R. Committee and as a member of the Governance committee. Bill is President and Chair of the Board of the Saskatoon Co-op. Bill has a keen interest in environmental issues. His daughter Ellen graduates from the RUDD program, U o S, in May 09, and will begin a Masters Program in Architecture at UBC in September.  She has been a volunteer for SES.  His wife Florence and daughter Leslie are family doctors practicing together with City Centre Family Physicians. His son Stephan is a Resident in Internal Medicine in Saskatoon and he and his wife Megan have a two year old son, Bill's first grandchild.

Allyson Brady Since 1991, Allyson Brady has worked with the Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) to protect and preserve the provinces precious natural world.

For 14 years, she served as an SES Information Coordinator, sharing with
schools, businesses, institutions and municipalities her extensive working knowledge of environmental issues with a specific focus on grassland and forest ecosystems. In 2005, Allyson was promoted to the role of Executive Director, with expanded responsibilities including policy and procedural development, fundraising, financial oversight, networking and organization development, and administrative supervision.

In addition to several appointments to government and industry advisory bodies on forest issues, Allyson served for 11 years on the Canadian Environmental Network Forest Caucus steering committee, several years as its chair. Allyson is an alumna of the University of Saskatchewan and has participated in numerous professionaldevelopmentopportunities throughout her career. She has also been a contributing author and researcher to books about the environment and forests.

Rochelle Nault Rochelle was born and raised in Regina.  She received a B.A. degree in Political Science and History from the University of Regina and a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies from Carleton University in Ottawa.  Rochelle believes that some of the most important lessons she has learned has come from her family.  Her father and grandfather nurtured a love and respect for nature.  As well, her father entrenched the importance of volunteering and being part of the community as acts of good citizenship.  Rochelle has been the SES Administrator since 2006.

Angie Bugg, B.E., P.Eng. Since 2004, Angie has managed the SES energy conservation projects, working with schools, small businesses and non-profit organizations. She is a mechanical engineer who started her career in the oil industry, where she started a grassroots environmental group with some of her co-workers. Angie then moved into environmental engineering consulting, and specialized in contaminated site remediation and solid waste management.

Angie manages the Destination Conservation Saskatchewan program, which empowers students to make real changes to the energy use in their schools. She also works with small businesses, and non-profit organizations to identify energy conservation potential in their facilities. Angie conducts workshops for building operators, and provides Energy Awareness training for people in all types of office, school and health care facilities.

Angie’s words of wisdom: “Buy the most efficient one you can, and turn it off when you aren’t using it”.

Judy WiddupJudy began working with the Saskatchewan Environmental Society in 2009 after working as a chemistry and biology teacher in a high school setting for 13 years. As a science teacher, Judy worked to foster student interest in the natural world around them, and to think critically about their roles and responsibilities as part of that world. Because Judy believes that conservation and efficiency are lifestyle choices, not just abstract concepts, she has also promoted these ideas through her roles as a research technologist, small business manager, mother of 4 children, and now as part of the team for Marketing and Energy Awareness.

Pam Belcher - Pam has worked with the school based Destination Conservation Program for several years as a facilitator and more recently as a program planner. With a background in fine arts and a masters degree in special education, Pam has held a variety of positions which involved curriculum development, education advocacy and workplace communications. She and her family enjoy many outdoor activities including skiing, camping and canoeing. All the leftover hours are taken up with volunteering and painting in her home studio.

Jen Antony Jen Antony is an environmentalist, writer, and an activist-artist. Growing up on a mixed farm in the Calder-MacNutt area, Jen Antony's passion for the environment came from a childhood enriched by supper in the field. Taking a break from political studies at the University of Saskatchewan, Jen helped finance a hospital and a school in Africa by helping to found the concept store; Samsara Unlimited. As manager of production and publicity, Jen was instrumental in realizing the young company's dream of 'creating an ecology for compassion;' an idea that would inspire her to continue her studies as an environmental artist. As an environmental artist Jen founded the Free-the-free-bikes yellow bike project and participated in the 2007 Burning Man Festival – the 'Green Man' – in Black Rock City Nevada. She also shaved her head as one of the organizers of the fundraiser; 'Three heads, two causes, the power of one.' Working on the executive of the Visual Artists Student Union at the U of S, Jen over saw all operations of the Student Art Gallery as gallery Director. After a season of treeplanting in Northern Saskatchewan, Jen began working in Yorkton as a reporter with the Yorkton News Review where she was on the advertising committee for the local Habitat for Humanity effort. Returning to school to finish her degree Jen was employed with the Office of Sustainability as the communications intern. She has enjoyed working with the Saskatoon community to bring greater awareness to the power we have in our everyday choices!

Alina Siegfried - Alina originally hails from New Zealand, and graduated from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, NZ in 2003 with a Bachelors of Science (Honours) majoring in Geography. In the Southern Hemisphere summer of 2002/2003, Alina undertook a Graduate Certificate of Antarctic Studies, which involved three weeks of field research based at Scott Base, situated at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. After graduating, Alina worked for New Zealands Department of Conservation as a Back Country Ranger/Hut Warden, where she acted as a public liaison at one of several back country huts in a National Park, for periods of up to 7 days at a time. She also has experience in the planning sector, having worked as a planner for a rural district council in New Zealand. Alina and her partner Ethan are both enjoy hiking, fishing and canoeing and traveling to new places. In the 2006 summer, they embarked on a cross country road trip spanning from Whitehorse to the northern tip of Newfoundland and back to BC in time for the ski season! Alina spent 5 months living in Switzerland while her application for permanent Canadian residency was being processed and settled in Saskatoon in August 2007. Alina and Ethan have recently bought their first house together, and look forward to undertaking renovation projects and the planting of a giant vegetable garden this spring. Alina has an interest in promoting sound environmental stewardship and is thrilled to be joining the Saskatchewan Environmental Society as of January 2009. She looks forward to working with government, the public and community groups, towards a future where all water needs are met sustainably.

Greg Rooke - Greg's background is in sustainable management of green spaces.  He has a three-year diploma in horticulture and is currently in his third year in the Land Use and Environmental Studies Program at the U of S.  Greg has hands on experience as a gardener at the Niagara Parks Commission Botanical Garden, as a green roof and ecological restoration planner and installer with Natvik Ecological, and in his own business doing landscape design and consultation.  Greg became familiar with the pesticide debate while in Ontario when they were proposing the provincial ban on cosmetic pesticide use. He was a student and groundskeeper at the time, and had the opportunity to be involved in the debate.  It was argued that, while challenging from a landscaper's perspective, the ban was necessary, and that if we put our minds to it, as an industry and community, we could accomplish all our landscape goals without pesticides.  Greg is excited to be back in his home town of Saskatoon, to hit up the Farmer's Market, to hang out at Amigo's, to go camping in P.A. National Park, to be close to his friends and family, and to have the opportunity to work with the SES!

Karen Comer - Karen Comer is a professional student with B.A. Honours in Psychology and a B.A. in Philosophy both from the University of Saskatchewan. Since developing her love for non profit bookkeeping a few years ago, she has also taken numerous classes in accounting. Karen has done bookkeeping for several non profits in the city including the Broadway Theatre, Steep Hill Food Co-op, the Saskatoon Community Service Village, Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service and the University of Saskatchewan and, as an avid environmentalist, she feels like she is finally home! Karen volunteered with SES when she was a much, much younger version of herself and she currently volunteers as a Master Composter with the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council. She is a dedicated vegan with a love for all animals – including all of the vermi-composting worms that live in harmony with her two cats, two dogs and life partner, Kip Luce. Karen enjoys traveling, folk music and playing bike polo, even though she's not very good at it.

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