Clean Water Cataraqui |Source Protection Committee Biographies

Source Protection Committee Member Biographies

Committee Chair - John Williamson

Chair John Williamson After graduating from University of Guelph with a degree in Agriculture specializing in Fish and Wildlife Management, John worked with the Natural Resources Ministry across Ontario as a biologist and manager. He then transferred for three years to the Canadian Wildlife Service as Chief of Enforcement.

He and his wife Shirley purchased his grandparent's farm in Inverary raising purebred Gelbvieh cattle.

Since retirement John has worked as a consultant on resource management issues for various agencies.

John served on the Canadian Gelbvieh Association Board, the South Frontenac Police Services Board and as President of the Frontenac Federation of Agriculture.

Telephone: (613) 353-7335
E-mail: willj@kos.net

Municipal Representatives

Ric Bresee
Deputy Mayor Ric Bresee represents the western portion of the Cataraqui Source Protection Area.

Ric Bresee is a father of three living in Amherstview. A graduate of the Systems Analyst program at St. Lawrence College, Ric has continued on with the college ever since. Starting as a part-time professor of business and economics, Ric has had numerous roles including sitting on the Board of Governors. He is currently an Adaptive Technologist, assessing and training college students with disabilties.

For seven years Ric sat as a member of the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, including two as Chair. Ric served as a councillor in Loyalist Township for eight years and in 2010 was elected as its Deputy Mayor. Ric has a keen interest in promoting viable sourcewater protection, waste reduction and alternative energy development.

Telephone: (613) 634-5544
E-mail: rbresee@gmail.com

Gary Davison
Mayor Gary Davison is one of two representatives for the central portion of the Cataraqui Source Protection Area.

Gary was born in Hartington Ontario. He was married to Sandra for 41 years and widowed in 2006. Gary is the father of two and grandfather of five.

Gary has a certificate in Masonry from George Brown College. He has worked as a self-employed contractor, for Canadian Refractory in Montreal, and for Correctional Services Canada in many different positions until his retirement 2004.

In 2003, he was elected to South Frontenac Township Council. Then in 2006 he became Mayor of South Frontenac, a position her proudly serves to date.

Gary's interests include politics, golf, skiing, hunting and his grandchildren.

Telephone: (613) 376-3347 (home) or (613) 376-3027 ext. 1 (work)
E-mail: gdavison@township.southfrontenac.on.ca

Kevin Riley
Kevin Riley is one of two representatives for the central portion of the Cataraqui Source Protection Area.

Kevin Riley Kevin is the Manager of Water and Wastewater Operations for Utilities Kingston which manages the water and sewer systems for the City of Kingston. He has spent over 30 years in the utility sector and is fully licensed by the Ministry of Environment in water and wastewater systems operation.

Prior to taking the his current position, Kevin worked as public works supervisor with the Township of Pittsburgh and with the Kingston Public Utilities Commission as a water treatment plant operator.

Kevin graduated from St. Lawrence College in 1979 with a diploma in Environmental Engineering Technology. He has served as president of the Eastern Ontario Water Works Association and as an executive member of the Kingston Chapter of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists.

Telephone: (613) 546-1181 ext. 2224
E-mail: kriley@utilitieskingston.com

John Conley
Former Mayor John Conley from the Township of Athens is one of two representatives for the eastern portion of the Cataraqui Source Protection Area.

John has been a resident of the Athens Township since 1959 and taught at Athens District High School for 33 years. He served on the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority board for 31 continuous years as a municipal representative and held various positions at the CRCA including two terms as the Chair for a total of eight years. John also served as a member on the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority for four years.

In 2001, John was elected to the Athens Council and served in that position for six years. In 2006 he was elected to the position of Mayor for a four-year term.

John is the current President of the Community Primary Health Care Board (formerly VON) for the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Counties, past Chair and founding member of the local Medical Centre board, where he served for 17 years. He has also been active in various groups in Athens and the surrounding area. In 1960, John was involved in the formation of the Athens Scout Group and was Scoutmaster for 20 years.

John and his wife Ingrid have two children and five grandchildren.

Telephone: (613) 924-2422 (home)
E-mail: conley@ripnet.com

Peter Raabe
A graduate of McGill University, Peter Raabe obtained his Professional Engineer’s designation (P.Eng.) in 1995. Since then he has worked for several engineering consulting firms such as Greer Galloway Group and D.M. Wills and Associates as a Design Engineer before taking on the role of Municipal Engineer with the City of Brockville in 2000 and more recently being promoted to the position of Director of Environmental Services.

Peter has managed a number of projects for the City, some highlights which include the King Street revitalization project, the extension of the Brockville – 1000 Islands Tackaberry Regional Airport runway, the Brockville Rotary Skatepark and a 1.2 million dollar upgrade to the City’s water treatment plant (UV disinfection). He is also currently involved on the City’s $46 million dollar upgrade to secondary treatment at its Water Pollution Control Centre.

Peter is also a member of the Municipal Engineers Association, the American Public Work Association and the American Water Works Association.

In his spare time he enjoys playing hockey, badminton and racing stock cars.

Telephone: (613) 342-8772 ext. 8257
E-mail: praabe@brockville.com

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Economic Sector Representatives - Agriculture

Kim Sytsma
Kim Sytsma and her husband Charlie have been running a cow/calf operation, known as Eighth Line Farm, in the Athens area since 1980.

As the Sytsma family grew to include four children, so did their cow herd. They now have 220 cows and they farm 1500 acres. The Sytsma farm empties into the Cataraqui Region as well as the Rideau Valley watersheds.

In 2010 they received the Environmental Stewardship Award from the Ontario Cattlemen's Association (OCA) for their ongoing work in making environmental improvements on their farm. They have restored over 1.5 km of shoreline habitat, installed cattle fencing and five solar watering systems, and use rotational grazing systems on their pasture lands. The Sytsma family was also chosen as the Leeds Federation Farm Family of the year for 2010.

For the past 15 years, Kim has been a member of the Ontario Cattlemen’s Board of Directors. She has also sat on the Canadian Cattlemen’s Board of Directors and on the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition representing the OCA.

Kim is the chair of the Leeds Community Pasture. She was also appointed to the Provincial Nutrient Management Committee.

In 2010, Kim was elected as councillor for the Township of Athens.

Telephone: (613) 924-9241
E-mail: ksytsma@xplornet.com

Jeff Peters
Jeff Peters has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph. Jeff's background and experience includes teaching high school in the fields of agriculture, geography and environmental science and serving as a councillor for Storrington Township. He currently runs a beef farm with his wife and two sons.

Jeff spends his volunteer time helping with local 4-H clubs and serving as the vice-president of local 316 of the National Farmers Union. He has also been a director of the Frontenac Cattlemens' Association.

Telephone: (613) 353-2403
E-mail: orbitval@kingston.net

Economic Sector Representatives - Industry

Robert Cumming
Rob Cumming has been a professional engineer for over 20 years, with a Master's degree from the University of Waterloo specializing in environmental engineering. Rob has practiced as an engineer and manager in a number of sectors including engineering and design, petroleum, chemical manufacturing, environment services, and currently in mineral extraction and cement manufacturing with Lafarge.

He has served on or chaired a number of industrial committees and associations and is keenly interested in sustainable solutions to environmental problems.

Rob lives in Kingston with his wife and son. They enjoy kayaking and boating at their cottage on Eagle Lake.

Telephone: (613) 352-7711 ext. 214
E-mail: robert.cumming@lafarge-na.com

Economic Sector Representatives - Tourism and Recreation

Chris Mangan-Greene
Chris has a background in accounting and received a Certified General Accountant designation. She worked in public accounting and taxation, industry and teaching in her early career.

For the past 22 years, she has been involved with two family owned and operated businesses with her husband. They developed a nine hole golf course operating as Greene Acre Golf just east of Kingston and north of Gananoque - along the Gananoque River.

Chris has a farming background and loves the beauty of the land and rural areas.

She has acted as the treasurer for a number of volunteer groups - from nursery school, school parent advisory council, church and food bank and has coached baseball and ringette.

Chris and her husband have three daughters and one son.

Telephone: (613) 382-4653
E-mail: greeneacresgolf@can.rogers.com

Scott Ewart
Scott Ewart has a professional background in Tourism Economics with a specialization in Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Education. Scott is the owner of the 1000 Islands Kayaking Company which specializes in nature-based kayaking programs and environmental education.

As an international instructor for Outward Bound, Scott's leadership in community development extends to board and volunteer positions with the Environmental Education Network through the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, Gananoque Youth Services, Eco-schools and a panel advisory committee for sustainable tourism development within the Frontenac Arch Biosphere.

He hopes his experience consulting for the Ecology Action Center on Energy Issues and Private Stewardship Research for the Nature Conservancy of Canada will benefit the Source Protection Committee.

Telephone: (613) 329-6265
E-mail: info@1000ikc.com

Other Public Interest Representatives - Lake Associations

Nona Mariotti
Born in Kingston, Nona ventured to Toronto to become a teacher. This became her new home for 40 years; where she married, raised three children and developed her career.

Her professional experiences include being an elementary school principal and an instructor of special education courses with the Faculties of Education at both University of Toronto and York University.

Nona developed and introduced, with businesses such as McDonald’s, Procter and Gamble, and Coke, a student /school/home recycling program called Earth Angels. After retirement she extended herself to students and developing teachers through the University of Western Ontario's Let’s Talk Science hands-on program.

Nona devotes many volunteer hours to the Kingston Grandmother Connection to assist grandmothers raising their orphaned grandchildren in South Africa, especially the Lesotho Project.

She also volunteers instructing students and developing some of the educational components for the student programs for the Museum of Health Care.

Nona spent all her childhood summers and a good part of her adult life at the family cottage on Loughborough Lake. Nona and her husband returned permanently to her roots, buying a home on the lake in 2003. They have always been members of the Battersea Loughborough Lake Association which Nona presently serves as its president. Nona and her husband both continue to take great joy in seeing their children and five grandchildren develop a love of the lake and all its diversity.

Telephone: (613) 353-6589
E-mail: nona@mariotti.ca

Other Public Interest Representatives - Environmental Association

Richard Lindgren
Rick Lindgren, B.A., LL.B., is a lawyer with the Canadian Environmental Law Association (www.cela.ca). He represents citizens' groups in the courts and before tribunals in cases involving groundwater and surface water protection. He served as co-counsel for Walkerton residents at the Walkerton Inquiry, and advocated passage of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.

Rick has taught environmental law at Trent University and Queen's University Faculty of Law.

A long-time resident of the Kingston area, Mr. Lindgren currently resides on Wolfe Island.

Telephone: (613) 385-1686
E-mail: r.lindgren@sympatico.ca

Other Public Interest Representatives - Public

Kathleen Laird
Kathleen received her Ph.D. in Ecology, with a focus on aquatic habitats, from the University of Minnesota in 1996. Since then she has been working at the Paleoecological Environmental Assessment Research Lab in the Biology Department at Queen's University.

Her research has focused on a diversity of questions from the impacts of forestry on lakes in British Columbia and long-term changes in the nutrient status of lakes. She has also studied the long-term patterns of climatic change and water availability on the North American prairies, East Africa and, most recently, in northwestern Ontario.

Finally and most importantly, she is a mother of two young children, a son and a daughter.

Telephone: (613) 533-6159
E-mail: lairdk@queensu.ca

Alex Palilionis
Alex was born and raised in Kingston Ontario. After graduating from Queen's University in 1976, he spent 19 years as a Biologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources implementing fish and wildlife management programs throughout eastern Ontario and Bruce and Grey Counties.

The following 14 years were spent as an Environmental Planner with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation's Kingston Regional Office. In 1999 the Premier of Ontario presented Alex and his co-workers with the Amethyst Award for Excellence in the Ontario Public Service for their efforts in planning, designing and constructing Highway 416, the Veterans' Memorial Highway.

Alex concluded his public service career in 2005 after 28 years of service.

Alex's previous experience includes participation on various resource planning and protection committees as well as a term as President of the Southern Ontario Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.

He presently participates on the Ontario Aquatic Sport Council promoting amateur aquatic sports and works part-time as an Environmental Planner for a local engineering firm.

He currently resides with his family in the Inverary area.

Telephone: (613) 353-7020
E-mail: publicspc@kingston.net

Jacques Labelle
Jacques retired in 1998 after 16 years as President and CEO of the Ottawa General Hospital.

Jacques Labelle Born in Ottawa, Jacques is a graduate of the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Masters in Health Administration. He is a Fellow of the Canadian College of Health Services Executives.

A 30 year career in health care included leadership positions in the Ontario Ministry of Health, Laurentian Hospital in Sudbury and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal.

Drawn to the landscape and waterscape of the Thousand Islands, Jacques now lives in Rockport on the St. Lawrence River.

Telephone: (613) 659-4502
E-mail: cclemenh@1000island.net

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Liaison Members

Allan McPhail
Allan McPhail is the liaison for the Cataraqui Source Protection Authority.

Allan is the Vice Chair of the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) Board and is a municipal councillor in the Township of South Frontenac.

Telephone: (613) 376-3583
E-mail: mcphail@queensu.ca

Joan Green
Joan Green is the liaison officer for the two health units (Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health and Leeds, Grenville Lanark District Health Unit)) within the Cataraqui Source Protection Area.

Joan is a public health inspector for KFL&A Public Health. She works with the Small Drinking Water System program and is certified as an inspector for on-site sewage systems under the Building Code.

Telephone: (613) 549-1232 ext. 1245
E-mail: jgreen@kflapublichealth.ca

Wendy Lavender
Wendy Lavender is the liaison officer for the Ministry of the Environment.

Wendy graduated with a joint Honours degree in Biology and Environmental Science from the Trent University. After graduation, she worked in the environmental consulting field.

Wendy began her career with the Ministry of the Environment in 2001 in Kingston. Since 2003, Wendy has worked for the Drinking Water Management Division as a drinking water inspector and a drinking water program coordinator developing protocols, policies and training staff on the Safe Drinking Water Act and associated legislation. In January 2009, Wendy joined the Source Protection Programs Branch as a liaison officer.

Telephone: (613) 962-7733
E-mail: Wendy.Lavender@ontario.ca

Clean Water Cataraqui