Board of Directors

The Board is responsible for overall governance, legal and financial oversight, strategic direction, public, government and partner relations, and ensuring the organization fulfills its mission and vision.

Get to know the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors of Friends of Second Marsh is made up of the following members:

After more than a decade using her engineering background in the construction and development industry, as a mother of three young boys, Jennifer returned to school where she earned her law degree.  She has a general commercial law practice with experience in complex construction disputes. Over the years, Jennifer has volunteered as a hockey manager, a mentor through various organizations and undertaken a variety of volunteer executive and committee roles while at Osgoode Hall Law School. She has now returned to law school teaching practical negotiation skills. Jennifer’s experience in construction and development has led to her assertion that development must balance protection of the environment, particularly sensitive lands like the Second Marsh. Jennifer’s keen belief in building a strong community through volunteering makes her an ideal Board member.

Helen lives in Whitby and joined the Board mid-2021. Her interest in the land stems from her rural and farm upbringing, which led to an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies.  This was followed by a Masters in Planning, a Masters in Public Administration, an Environmental Management Certificate and certification as a professional facilitator.  She worked in the public sector (provincially and municipally) for over 30 years in policy planning and corporate strategic initiatives. Her love of the outdoors and concern for the environment has been constant throughout her life.  Both find expression in a range of outdoor activities including cycling, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling with her husband. Helen enjoys learning more about Second Marsh and the MBWR every day, and helping to raise public awareness about the importance of this natural area and the excellent work that FSM is doing.  

Suzanne began her work as an environmental educator and activist in 1986 when she became concerned about of variety of local environmental issues including nuclear power, waste management, 3Rs programs, and garbage dumpsite selection. In 1989, in response to a growing need for public information about these issues, she began a weekly environment column entitled Your Earth, which ran for 20 years in various newspapers across Canada. Suzanne served as Executive Director of the Recycling Council of Ontario, was twice elected as a Public Utilities Commissioner for the Municipality of Clarington, Chaired the Durham Environmental Advisory Committee, and served on various boards including Earth Day Canada and the Conservation Council of Ontario. In 2007, Suzanne took on the challenging job of Senior Environmental Coordinator for the City of Oshawa, where she discovered Second Marsh and the McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve. After retirement, Suzanne joined the FSM board in 2020. 

Claudio Faria is the Market Development Manager for the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA – Oshawa). He excels at organizing and managing complex projects, as well as problem solving.  Claudio creates environments that foster teamwork based on respect, empathy and common goals.  Claudio has led various teams in diagnosing, root causing and solving some of the most complex technical and administrative problems at GM Canada, Boeing, Bombardier, and ATS Automation.  This body of work has spanned the globe, numerous supply chains and 20 years of practice. Additionally, Claudio has consulted on specific applications for medical equipment manufacture, various production line retrofits, as well as manufacturing applications for the United States Navy and NASA.  Claudio lives in Whitby (Brooklin) with his wife and three children.  Over the last few years, Claudio has purposely slowed down from the fast pace and travel of manufacturing to spend more time with family and give back to the community.

With over 20 years of leadership experience spanning non-profit,   business operations, Isabelle Foley brings a strategic, people-first mindset to organizational growth. As Executive Director at the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, she leads initiatives that elevate member engagement, improve internal processes and advocate for the local business community. Her work includes launching the Ambassador Committee, formalizing onboarding procedures, and fostering strategic partnerships and tourism development.  Previously, Isabelle held leadership roles at 360Insights, overseeing global teams of more than 120 professionals. She drove process improvements and built enduring client relationships across multiple sectors. Her earlier career in logistics included key operational roles in supply chain management, with a focus on international compliance, project cargo and workflow optimization. Her shift into the non-profit world was motivated by a commitment to community impact, a mission that continues to guide her professional journey.  Outside of her career, Isabelle enjoys gardening and reading. She has been married to Darren Kinsey for over two decades and is a proud mother to Alex (18) and Sophie (20). An animal enthusiast, she shares her home with Juno, a loving bull mastiff mix, and Claire, a wise old tabby cat.

James has been poking around in Second Marsh for more than 50 years so is intimately familiar with the area and the changes that have occurred there over the years. He is an ecologist and environmental consultant who is an expert on Ontario’s flora and fauna. James was a member of the Second Marsh Scientific Advisory Committee that guided major restoration at Second Marsh in the 1990s. He has also conducted bird, vegetation and amphibian surveys at the Marsh. More broadly, he has participated in environmental impact assessments across Canada in a wide variety of development projects. James is a former member of Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO), several Species at Risk Recovery Teams and the Board of Ontario Nature. He is currently president of North Durham Nature, a local naturalist’s club. James has given numerous presentations on various nature and environmental related topics, and has led numerous field trips around Ontario, as well as to South and Central America.

Gwen has a long history of community involvement.  While a resident of Uxbridge, Gwen served on two Uxbridge municipal committees – the Energy Conservation Advisory Committee and the Watershed Advisory Committee. As a member of the latter Committee and as a General Manager of a local golf course, she became involved with the Uxbridge Golf Course Policy, involving a commitment from all Uxbridge-area courses to obtain Audubon Certification within 10 years by minimizing potential harmful effects of operations through environmental planning standards, wildlife and habitat management, water quality and conservation, chemical use reduction, and outreach and education. Today, she remains a committed volunteer, serving the Ladies Auxiliary of the Uxbridge Hospital as President, managing the UHA website and social media, as a Social-Media Director of the Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario and as a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 170. Gwen also served as the Central Region Director of the Ontario Society for Environmental Education and as Uxbridge’s representative on the Durham Environmental Advisory Committee (DEAC).  Gwen joined FSM as a representative of DEAC and stayed on!  As a previous landowner of a Provincially Significant Wetland, and a background in environmental education, Gwen found the work of FSM to be an inspiration. Currently Gwen is a realtor in Durham Region, and resides in Oshawa with her husband and two sons.

Stephen works for General Motors of Canada at the Oshawa plant and is the GM representative on FSM.  He has a B.Sc. (Environment Science and Biology) and is an Environmental Protection Technician. He holds an EP (Site Assessment and Reclamation Policy & Legislation Environmental Manager) and a CAN-CISEC designation, is a SGS – ISO 14001 Lead Auditor and has over 20 years of experience in the environmental field.  Stephen is a competitive archer, a Canadian and USA Certified Archery Coach and a recreational marksman.

Dimitri is a long time Oshawa resident who has both studied and worked in the area. Dimitri has been a professor at Durham College since 2015 teaching courses in chemistry and the environment. In the spring time, Dimitri also works with local secondary schools demonstrating concepts in science and environmental studies. He is also a member of the Durham Region Environment and Climate Advisory Committee. Outside of work, Dimitri enjoys hiking, camping biking and birdwatching with a particular fondness for the Second Marsh.  Dimitri is excited to be a Board member with FSM recognizing the importance of the work that they have done and continue to do. He is looking forward to the opportunity to have a positive impact on this important area.

Peter has been fortunate to have lived in several countries and, through his career as a leadership facilitator and coach, to have travelled extensively around the world. He and his wife, Mary, have also hiked in countries as diverse as Bhutan and Scotland! Wherever he has been, Peter has appreciated the wide variety of flora and fauna he has seen. In Oshawa, Peter used to take his grandchildren to explore the wonders of nature that surrounded the Ghost Road Bush boardwalk at Second Marsh. Walks to the lake were opportunities to explore the flora and fauna along the numerous trails. His initial involvement with Friends was working with other volunteers as part of the annual effort to repair the boardwalk.  In 2014, Peter joined the Board and became President in 2020. He continues to be impressed with the calibre and drive of fellow Board members. The Board is committed to doing everything it can to protect and enhance this marvellous community asset