• Bill Turner, Executive Director and Founder
• Ian Fawcett, Deputy Executive Director
• Nichola Walkden, Deputy Executive Director
• Kathleen Sheppard, Director of Operations
• Connie Pedersen, Provincial Coordinator of Administrative Services
• Margaret Halsey, Director of Finance
• Agnes Kruitbos, Accounting Coordinator

• Heather Skydt, Manager, Communications
• Wendy Innes, Manager, Member Care
• Jennifer Hobson, Graphic Design Specialist
• Valerie Jane Watkins, Production Coordinator
• Kathleen Arnason, Large Gifts Officer
• Nathalie Chambers, Major Gifts Assistant & Agricultural Programs Assistant
• Jill Patterson, Outreach & Development Officer

• Nick Morley, Manager, TLC Enterprises
• Dianna Stenberg, Web Communications Coordinator & Project Officer, TLC Enterprises

• Deborah Hudson, Heritage Conservation Advisor
• Irene Ambeault, Abkhazi Garden
• Nicole Haddad, Warden, Vancouver Island/Coast Region
• Sharon Curtis, Site Manager, Sooke Potholes
• Jay Rastogi, Site Manager, Wildwood
• Dennis Kangasniemi, Area Manager, Vancouver Island/Coast Region
• Jeff de Jong, Site Manager, Abkhazi Garden
• Scott Harris, Property Maintenance Warden

• Alyson Skinner, Area Manager, Okanagan Region
• Dave Dittrick, Caretaker Grand Forks/HMDV

Kootenay North Region:

• Barry Booth, Regional Manager, North Region
• Emily Nilsen, Terrestrial Stewardship Advisor, Kootenay Area

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Provincial

Bill Turner – Executive Director and Founder

Bill Turner puts his belief in the protection of natural areas, heritage sites and agricultural lands for future generations into action every day. In August 2005, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of his work in saving special places. In 2007, Bill was awarded an Honourary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Victoria.

As an Accredited Land Consultant and Realtor, Bill has been working to protect B.C.’s special places for 16 years. Prior to his founding of TLC, he worked with the Nature Conservancy of Canada for several years.

Bill also served with the Saanich Police Department, both as a constable and as a detective. He later went on to work with an Emergency Equipment Company and was instrumental in helping to evolve that company into a Computer Development business.

In addition to his work with TLC, Bill volunteers in many other capacities. He currently sits as a member of the Executive Committee of the International National Trusts Organization (a coordinating body for the National Trust of the World). He also is a founder and board member of the American Friends of Canadian Land Trusts, and the Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia.

Kathleen Sheppard - Director of Operations

Kathleen Sheppard has been with TLC since 2001. She has worked extensively in the non-profit sector, including time with the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition and the Cows and Fish Program. From 1997-2001, she worked as a Research Assistant with the Medicine River Wildlife Centre in Alberta. Kathleen has a B.Sc in Geography and Biology from the University of Victoria. She lives in Duncan, B.C. with her partner Rob, two cat, Sophie, Abbey and her dog, Casey.

Development

Heather Skydt – Manager, Communications

Heather Skydt is responsible for strategic communications, public relations, marketing, advertising, and overall branding for TLC. She works with staff throughout the province to create awareness for TLC’s campaigns, programs, and projects. Prior to her time with TLC, Heather held several contracts with CBC Television in their Communications Department, and was employed with REALM Magazine as an writer, editor and media liaison, as well as The Langley Advance Newspaper as a reporter and photographer. Accomplished in her field, Heather holds a diploma in journalism from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and a degree in Applied Communications from Royal Roads University. In her spare time, Heather can be found pursuing her passion for photography, zumba, and film.

 

Valerie Jane Watkins – Production Coordinator

Valerie Jane Watkins coordinates and schedules outside and in-house printing, collects estimates, and works on ways and means for complex projects; she maintains the 100% post consumer waste mandate for all printed materials; operates the in-house Xerox DocuColor printer; liaise with Canada Post and commercial mail-houses for large volumes of membership mail, the LANDmark Newsletter, and fundraising, parcel shipments. “Our successful services are due to wonderful regular and on-call volunteers.”

Valerie has forty years’ experience in the graphic design and printing trade. A graduate of Geo. Brown College of Arts and Technology in Toronto (Graphic Arts); Fanshawe Community College in London, Ontario (Supervisor Studies); and The University of Western Ontario (Anthropology & Teaching ESL) in London, Ontario, Valerie has earned ‘with distinction’ in all programs. She owned and operated a community newspaper in rural Ontario; The Byron Advocate was awarded a commendation from the Optimist Club for Community Interest. Valerie has travelled and lived overseas, and worked as a graphic artist in the Caribbean for several years. Her special interests include boating, building, gardening – being outside!!

Wendy Innes – Member Care Manager

Wendy Innes has worked for The Land Conservancy since 2006 and has been fortunate to work within many areas of the organization from monitoring conservation covenants to fundraising. She is currently responsible for overseeing the membership division of the organization and enjoys working with members, donors, volunteers and staff across the province. Wendy and her team strive to provide the best level of service for TLC’s Members and donors because it is truly thanks to them that TLC has been able to protect so many incredible places across the province. Through growing up on Vancouver Island, many years as a Kayak Guide in Clayoquot Sound and through her B.Sc. in Geography from the University of Victoria Wendy has a deep appreciation for the places that make BC unique and is very excited to be working to protect them. In her spare time, Wendy can be found pursuing one of her many passions including sailing, traveling, snowboarding, and surfing.

Jennifer Hobson – Graphic Design Specialist

Jenn Hobson’s position as Graphic Design Specialist allows her an outlet to focus on projects that utilize her creativity and design savvy. She works with staff throughout the province to create collateral for all events, projects, and campaigns for the organization, including TLC’s LandMark newsletter. Prior to her time with TLC, Jenn worked with the YM-YWCA of Greater Victoria’s Youth Outreach Department and the Women of Distinction Awards program. In her spare time, Jenn can be found in her home office creating custom greeting cards which she sells at local craft markets and stores in Victoria.

Kathleen Arnason – Large Gifts Officer

Kathleen is a Canadian Best Selling Author with 6 published titles. She is the recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for her work in arts and culture and was recently awarded The Victoria Hospitality Award for excellence in service by the City of Victoria. Kathleen worked for the Senate of Canada for seven years as a researcher, was the Executive Director of the United Icelandic Appeal, is the Founder of Prairie Ocean Center of the Arts in Manitoba and producer of The Voice of the Lake a symphonic interpretation of Lake Winnipeg. This symphony was created to bring attention the environmental issues and damage that was being done to the Lake. Kathleen is also the founder and producer of The Fountain of Peace Project which is a national project that crossed Canada visiting 10,000 Canadian school children to help raise personal peace consciousness. Though new to TLC Kathleen brings a wealth of fundraising knowledge as well as 11 years of working with the process Appreciative Inquiry. Kathleen works as TLC’s Large Gifts Officer.

Nathalie Chambers – Major Gifts Assistant

Nathalie Chambers joined TLC in 2010 as our Agricultural Programs Assistant, working on the Conservation Partners Program and our native pollinator enhancement project. In that time Nathalie’s job and grown to include work as our Major Gifts Assistant as part of the development team.

For her,  the success of the Madrona Farm Campaign represented a testament of  the power of the people and what the community can accomplish if we all work together. The whole experience unleashed a world of possibility for creating the kind of world that she imagines, aspires and works hard to create. One where nature is valued, protected and stewarded for current and future generations,  biodiversity and wildlife.

Nathalie’s is a student of environmental studies/ethnobotany at UVIC, restoration ecologist, naturalist, and farmer.

TLC Enterprises

Nick Morley – Manager, TLC Enterprises

During Nick’s undergraduate degree in Anthropology at the University of Victoria Nick volunteered for Ross Bay Villa. During this time he got to know TLC at a much greater depth. As he became more familiar with TLC sites and projects his passion for TLC’s directive increased. He has also worked at Craigflower historic site as a heritage interpreter before moving to TLC enterprise.

Nick grew up in Toronto and needed a change so he decided to move out to British Columbia to pursue a college education at The College of the Rockies in Golden BC. The course was a ten month certificate program in Adventure Tourism Business Operations and incorporated aspects of the tourism and business industry as well as the adventure industry. Through TLC-Enterprise Nick has been able to continue his love for tourism, British Columbia and TLC.

Dianna Stenberg – Web Communications Coordinator

Dianna is responsible for TLC’s website, facebook page, twitter account and other social media streams as part of TLC’s communications team. As part of TLC Enterprises she facilitates cabin rentals, Conservation Holidays and the Sooke Potholes Campground.

Dianna graduated from the University of Victoria with a BSc in Physics in 2010. When not tweeting or creating sidebar widgets, she enjoys reading, baking, hiking the beautiful province of B.C. and spending time with family and friends.

Vancouver Island/Coast Region

Jay Rastogi – Site Manager, Wildwood

Jay Rastogi has been practicing ecoforestry at Wildwood and as a consultant since 1998. He studied Natural Resources Management and Environmental Studies at the University of Guelph and also worked at the University Arboretum. His family background includes small scale farming and forestry, and wandering the foothills of the Himalayas. Jay has a special interest in the preservation of natural and rural landscapes as well as in sharing with others the wonders of the natural world. He is interested in interactions between humans and the landscape and believes that human societies can exist sustainably and in harmony within natural ecosystems.

 

Jeff de Jong – Site Manager, Abkhazi Garden

Jeffry de Jong is currently the Site Manager at Abkhazi Garden. He works along side with staff members and numerous devoted volunteers to preserve this gem in the heart of Victoria BC.

Jeff comes from a extensive and diverse background in education and public speaking across Canada and the United States. He has spent over 20 years in the field of horticulture education. Jeff continues to teach, write articles for gardening magazines and do public speaking. He also hosts a weekly radio program which is aired every Sunday on C-FAX 1070AM from 10am to noon called “Gardening 101.”

Jeff also enjoys travelling to exotic destinations and leads garden tours to such places as South Africa, New Zealand and Europe. However, he is always ready to return to the beauty of the West Coast and the unsurpassed glory of Abkhazi Garden.

Nicole Haddad – Warden

Nicole joined TLC’s staff in 2007 and was involved prior to that as a volunteer and a participant on Conservation Holidays. In her role with the organization she is involved in many aspects of caring for TLC-owned properties on Vancouver Island including regular maintenance of grounds and infrastructure, construction work, invasives control and ecological restoration. Throughout her work she has the opportunity to work with volunteers and also organizes Conservation Holidays for many of the projects.

Nicole grew up in the forests and farms of the Cowichan Valley where she currently lives. Being homeschooled until age 16 she was lucky to have the time and space to stay connected to the natural world as a child. She feels lucky to be working with TLC protecting and caring for these places that matter most to her.

Nicole has a B.Sc. in plant biology from UBC and many years experience in the horticulture industry.

Dennis Kangasniemi Area Manager	Sharon Curtis Site Manager, Sooke Potholes
Deborah Hudson Heritage Conservation Advisor	Irene Ambeault Abkhazi Garden

Lower Mainland Region

Tamsin Baker – Regional Manager, Lower Mainland Region

Tamsin Baker has been with TLC since 1998 when she was first hired as part of the Environment Youth Team program. She is a Vancouver native who has a BSc in Animal Biology from UBC and has done fieldwork in the Yukon and Southern Interior of B.C. Since opening TLC’s Lower Mainland office in 1999, she has gained extensive knowledge and experience regarding land trust activities and helped to protect over 1,000 acres of land in the region. When not busy with TLC-related activities, Tamsin can be found attempting to jog, bike or ski.

Lynsey Dobbie - Head Gardener, Lower Mainland Region

Lynsey has recently taken over as Head Gardener for TLC in the Lower Mainland Region. Lynsey holds a Diploma in Landscape Design from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and has worked in landscape design, maintenance and installation before joining The Land Conservancy to take care of four TLC gardens in the Lower Mainland. Since moving to Vancouver from Scotland in 2006, Lynsey enjoys typical west coast pastimes of skiing, camping, kayaking and hiking in BC’s beautiful coastal forests.

Okanagan Region

Alyson Skinner – Area Manager, Okanagan Region

Alyson came to TLC in 2005 and is responsible for overseeing Nature Conservation and Agricultural programs and properties in TLC’s Okanagan Region. She coordinates the South Okanagan-Similkameen Stewardship Program- one of the longest running and most successful landowner contact programs across Canada and represents TLC in regional nature conservation partnerships. Prior to coming to TLC, Alyson worked and volunteered with other NGOs in landowner contact and outreach roles. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology from Simon Fraser University. Outside of TLC, Alyson can be found spending time with her husband and two children, enjoying everything the beautiful south Okanagan has to offer.

Kootenay/North Region

Barry Booth – Regional Manager, Northern Region

Barry Booth is responsible for managing TLC’s affairs in the northern region. This ranges from spearheading restoration efforts in the Horsefly River Riparian Conservation area, to digging ditches at Talking Mountain Ranch, to working with partners on a variety of provincial-scale conservation issues. Barry worked as a consultant for government, industry, and the not-for-profit sector on examining the impacts of commercial activities and development (e.g., forestry, urban development, tourism) on a wide variety of wildlife, but mostly birds, throughout B.C. for over 15 years before coming to TLC. He has a B.Sc. in Zoology and a Masters of Science in Forestry/Wildlife Management, both from UBC. When not at his desk, or in the field on TLC properties, he can usually be found cross-country skiing, mountain biking, canoeing, or hiking in the just about anywhere in western North America with his partner, Loraine. Oh, and at times you may see him singing, and some times dancing on the stage in Prince George.

Emily Nilsen – Terrestrial Stewardship Advisor, Kootenay

As a Stewardship Advisor, Emily Nilsen works in partnership with Columbia Basin Trust assisting with the Environmental Initiatives Program (brainstorming ideas for community ecosystem restoration, assisting with fundraising applications, providing technical assistance and resources). Emily also promotes land stewardship and conservation to the public through community workshops, newspaper articles and school presentations. Since obtaining her degree in Writing & Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria, she has worked with both urban and rural communities reminding humans about their intrinsic connection to nature. As a result, she spends most of her free time actively pursuing her love of the forests and mountains in which she lives.