The Coastal Centre has grown since its incorporation as a non-profit in 1998. The Coastal Centre has gone from managing a few grant projects a year with one full-time contractual Coastal Resource Manager to managing twenty-three projects in 2014-15 and a growing number of full-time and part-time staff members.
The hiring of an Executive Director has been a goal of the Board of Directors since 2005, and the current Board embarked upon a recruitment plan in the fall of 2015. We received an overwhelming response to the job opening and feel fortunate to have had such a strong pool of applicants.
The Board of Directors are pleased to announce that Matt Meade has been selected to fill the position of Executive Director and will officially join our team on June 8, 2016. Matt has a Honours BA Geography, Post Graduate GIS, and a Masters in Forestry from University of Toronto. Matt lives in Port Elgin with his wife and two young children.Matt began his career with the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) a non-profit organization, as their Species at Risk Education & Outreach Coordinator, then moved into the position of Forestry Extension Manager, and recently took on the responsibility of the CIF Executive Director. The Board is confident that Matt's knowledge and experience are a great match for the work, staff, and partners of the Coastal Centre.
Please join the Board of Directors and staff in welcoming Matt to our organization. We look forward to introducing Matt over the next few months. You can also reach Matt directly via email: matt.meade@lakehuron.on.ca or by calling the office at 226-421-3029 or drop into our new office at 76 Courthouse Square, Goderich to meet Matt in person.
Pamela Scharfe, Chair
Coastal Centre Board of Directors
Successful 9th Biennial Conference
We were honoured this year to have Ontario's new Environmental Commissioner Dr. Dianne Saxe deliver the conference keynote address. The day provided an excellent opportunity to learn from environmental specialists from across the Province who presented on their latest work that will benefit Lake Huron. Topics included: Rip Current Science: Managing Risks, Controlling Invasive Phragmites in Ontario, Beach and Dune Conservation, The Great Lakes Protection Act, Adapting to Extreme Lake Levels, Plastic Pollution and Using GIS to Identify Agricultural Trends in Cropping Practices.
The conference was made possible through generous sponsorship from Bruce Power, OPG, Enbridge, Huron County Clean Water Project, Province of Ontario, Saugeen Conservation, and B. M. Ross and Associates Limited.
Bruce Power's Kevin Kelly Keynote speaker Coastal Centre Board Chair Matt Meade, Executive
introducing keynote speaker Dr. Dianne Saxe Pamela Scharfe Director, Coastal Centre
Conference Delegates Dianne Sutter, Matt Meade, Pamela Scharfe
Coastal Centre
Delegates learn about lake water level study Delegates networking in the exhibitor area