Next Up

As a born and raised Calgarian, Lindsay has a profound appreciation for the natural surroundings that both our Province and country have to offer. In search of widening her perspective and experience, Lindsay attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario where she earned a degree in Political Studies. Her passion for politics and environmental issues led her to explore interests in writing and debating through her involvement in the University’s newspaper and other publications.  

Shortly after completing her undergraduate degree, Lindsay moved to Ottawa to pursue an internship with Elizabeth May’s M.P. Office. Her experience working on Parliament Hill was valuable, as it introduced her to the inner-workings of Parliament and the decision-making process. Through this work experience, she decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Policy, which brought her back to Calgary. As a Master’s student, she focused on energy and environment issues affecting Canada and Alberta. Specifically, water management issues caught Lindsay’s attention, which is an area she continues to work in as a Research & Policy Analyst at Alberta WaterSMART Solutions.  

Born and raised in Calgary, Elizabeth is a life-long learner whose studies in Philosophy took her to ponder life’s big questions in faraway places like Ireland, Belgium and Germany. She returned to Calgary in 2009, where it has been a privilege to participate in the discourse of a city exploring its identity and what it wants to be. She works in the fields of continuous improvement and organizational effectiveness. She is currently in a professional role with an energy company that combines her philosophical interests in learning and problem solving processes, experiential education and employee engagement.  

You can usually find Elizabeth on some sort of outdoor adventure – hiking, climbing, camping, cycling, x-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing are all treasured ways to spend her time. She also volunteers as a Ranger leader with Girl Guides of Canada, mentoring brilliant young women in outdoor pursuits and responsible citizenship. She is thrilled to be part of Next Up’s Climate Leadership Program, and looks forward to the challenge and community involved.

Kalen Pilkington is the Director of the Office of Sustainability at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.  The Office of Sustainability strives to connect, engage and inspire MacEwan University’s campus and the community through sustainability leadership.  Utilizing a systems-thinking methodology, she strives to create a balanced approach to the environmental, economic, social, cultural and well-being dimensions of sustainability.  Through her work at MacEwan, Kalen oversees the creation and implementation of a sustainability strategy, complete with targets to achieve the long term vision of a resilient and equitable future.  Working alongside key stakeholders, the office provides guidance, fosters awareness, monitors progress, and promotes partnerships towards campus-wide sustainability. 

Originally from Ontario, Kalen holds a Masters of Environment and Sustainability and a post-graduate certificate in Green Architecture.  She has also obtained several professional designations related to public engagement, project management, sustainable events, and green buildings.  

Kalen enjoys spending time with her dog Fyfe, hiking, backcountry camping, canoeing, biking, yoga, listening to music and reading.  When Kalen can’t be found around Alberta, she can be found travelling, learning about different cultures, and how sustainability is done around the world.  She tries to continually build her skills and push boundaries.  Currently, Kalen is learning ukulele and slide guitar.  She dreams of starting her own consulting firm that focuses on well-being in sustainable, healthy spaces. Kalen likes to tackle global challenges through local action which connects participants with a larger community working towards positive change.  She believes in status-quo disruption, so let’s be troublemakers and make innovative, long-lasting impacts. 

Corey Dekker has a passion for public policy.  Corey grew up in Metro-Vancouver and attended Simon Fraser University, where he completed an undergraduate degree in political science. Corey then headed off to London to complete a master’s degree in government and political theory at the London School of Economics. Following graduation, Corey found his way to Ottawa and secured a job with the federal public service, where he has worked since 2009.  As a federal public servant Corey has worked across four departments in three different cities (Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary) and is currently a Socio-Economic Specialist with the National Energy Board. 

A central theme of Corey’s work and personal interests is Indigenous peoples and Indigenous rights, and particularly how Indigenous peoples rights and interests affect public policy. Through his work, Corey leads engagement with Indigenous peoples across Canada and has had the privilege of meeting with members from over 100 Indigenous groups. One key takeaway from his work with Indigenous peoples is their concern about environmental sustainability and climate change. In that spirit, Corey is excited to participate in the Climate Leadership Program as a vehicle to better understand the challenge of climate change and to learn about (and contribute to) climate action. 

Corey is a status member of the Pine Creek First Nation in Manitoba and currently lives in Calgary with his wife Jasmine. 

Chris was born and raised in Calgary and currently resides in the Rocky Mountain foothills about an hour west of the city. He and his partner Jodi live and work in an intentional community at a spiritual retreat centre on a 166-acre wilderness property on the Ghost River. Their work is centred on hospitality, inclusion, and creating safe space for all. 

Chris has an undergrad degree in theology, and recently graduated from Royal Roads University with a Master of Arts in Disaster and Emergency Management. His major research project focused on the gendered dimensions of the 2013 Alberta floods. As he begins his career in emergency management, he is passionate about creating disaster resilient communities based on social equity, protection of vulnerable populations, community health, environmental sustainability, and climate change adaptation.  

You can usually find Chis out wandering in the woods, where he spends as much time as possible. He also enjoys cooking, writing, reading, and terrible puns.

Sachi is a trained bean counter (Chartered Professional Accountant) and holds a Master of Professional Accounting degree from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Lethbridge. She loves working as a Community Services Accountant for the City of Red Deer as it allows her to help improve the lives of Red Deerians, share her experience and knowledge, work collaboratively with and learn from passionate colleagues, and continuously improve business processes.  

Sachi was born and raised in Ritto, a small town in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. She grew up being surrounded by nature; she swam in Lake Biwa, a UNESCO Ramsar Wetland, as well as hiked and skied on mountains in her prefecture. These fun experiences combined with frequent visits to a local nature centre with her father cultivated her commitment to environmental conservation. She believes in taking small but steady steps in climate change actions. She has demonstrated her commitment by leading the implementation of the composting at work program for 2 divisions at the City of Red Deer. As a member of the City's Green Team member, she collaborates with other team members to inspire City staff to participate in organization-wide environmental initiatives. She hopes to continue supporting, increase her participation in, and/or inspire others to take climate change actions at the City, including neighbourhood planning, composting at home and work, recycling, and reducing energy usage. 

When she is not tweaking spreadsheets, making recommendations, or preparing budgets, Sachi loves spending time with her family and friends, playing piano, hiking, cross country skiing, playing with animals, learning foreign languages, and volunteering. 

My intent and desired outcome has always led to making a difference in the lives of others. Teaching is my passion, this is where I shine. I am currently a grade 4 teacher and Eco-Club leader at Andrew Sibbald school. Last year my colleague & I introduced a comprehensive waste management system at out school that includes all recyclables, as well as compost. I am an advocate for environmental & outdoor education.  

 I live an engaged life with passions for the arts, the outdoors and healthy living. Good food, museums, theatre, reading & galleries are always on my to do list. Likewise, I try and get out the the mountains for hikes or snowshoeing as much as I can. I feel whole when I am outside.  

Dan Fipke is a young professional from Calgary, Alberta and has 5 years’ experience in Alberta’s electricity industry. He currently works at the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) as a Commercial Analyst, tasked with the procurement of operating reserves and other ancillary services to maintain Alberta’s reliable grid. Previously he worked in Forecasting and contributed to the development of an annual 20-year load and generation forecast for the province of Alberta. Dan has also worked for the Alberta Department of Energy in Resource Development and AMIS Inter- Ag, an international management firm focused on sustainable agriculture development.  

Dan completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Calgary in Political Science and Economics. Currently he is pursuing a Masters of Environment and Management from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC. He also volunteers his time with Student Energy, a global non-profit focused on educating ad connecting students to address the challenges of the global energy system.