Vice-President
Shari Clare is a professional biologist and one of the co-founders of Fiera Biological Consulting Ltd., a small environmental consulting firm based in Edmonton. She has nearly 20 years of vegetation and wildlife research and management experience in western Canada and specializes in ecological assessment, watershed and wetland management, natural resource policy development, and systematic conservation planning.
In addition, Shari is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta, where her research interests include water policy, design standards for constructing and restoring wetlands, urban ecology, and the use of market-based instruments to improve environmental policy outcomes.
Over the last decade, Shari has focused a great deal of her professional and academic work on creating better tools and policies for managing natural habitats, including more accurate inventories and standardized methods for assessing natural area conditions and enhancing and preserving functional ecological networks.
Secretary
Bio coming soon.
Annemarie Clarke is a partner with Witten LLP and chair of the firm’s Environmental Law practice. She is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses on Environmental Law, Employment Law, Indigenous Law and Commercial Litigation.
Annemarie advises commercial parties, lenders, government departments and Indigenous clients on complex environmental issues. Her experience encompasses regulatory and civil matters, contaminated sites and brownfield redevelopment, as well as environmental considerations arising from the purchase, sale, financing and leasing of lands and businesses. She has represented clients at all levels of court in Alberta, the Federal Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as before numerous administrative boards and tribunals.
Annemarie is a former Chair and Executive member of the CBA Environmental, Energy & Resources (North) Section. She has also served on the boards of the Confederation Hockey Club and the Student’s Union & Community Early Learning Centre at the University of Alberta.
Caylee Hong is an anthropologist and assistant professor in the Faculty of Law. She currently holds the Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Chair in Energy Law and Policy. Her teaching interests and research focus on infrastructure, energy, cities, and the environment. Her research has been published in Antipode, Anthropological Theory, Environmental History, the Journal of Law and Equality, and elsewhere.
Professor Hong completed her PhD in anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, where she researched the long-term impacts of urban oil operations in the Los Angeles Basin, including on decommissioning, redevelopment and ecological restoration. Her research has been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the National Science Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and UC Berkeley’s Canadian Studies Program, Institute for the Study of Societal Issues and the Center for the Study of Law and Society. She attended the United World College of Hong Kong and holds a BA from University College Utrecht, LLM from the University of London SOAS and LLB and BCL from McGill University.
Prior to joining the U of A, Professor Hong clerked at the Federal Court of Canada and worked as a project finance attorney at Milbank LLP in New York City.
Mark Graham grew up in Edmonton and received a B.Sc. in Agriculture and Resource Economics from the University of Alberta in 2008. Mark moved to Calgary for law school and obtained a J.D. from the University of Calgary in 2013. Upon commencing articles at a Calgary law firm, Mark developed a legal practice in environmental, regulatory and natural resource matters. After several years of private practice, Mark joined an integrated energy company as an in-house counsel and currently advises on environmental, regulatory and health and safety matters.
Outside of work, Mark enjoys spending time with his family and being active outdoors, including hitting the golf course when time permits.
Chris has over 30 years of experience as a biologist and environmental planner in the public and private sectors.
From 1998 to 2021, Chris worked in Natural Area Management and Planning for Calgary Parks, most recently as the lead for the Urban Conservation group, which is responsible for urban ecosystem management, including planning and policy, natural area management, integrated pest management and habitat restoration. In that role, Chris led the development of key environmental policies and plans for the City of Calgary, including the development of a municipal wetland conservation policy, riparian setback guidelines and a municipal biodiversity strategy.
Prior to joining the City of Calgary, Chris worked in environmental consulting in Alberta and Ontario, working on issues related to forestry, wetland ecology and municipal development.
Executive Director
I am a lawyer, a father, a lover of science and an excessive consumer (I am working on it). In all my roles in society, I see three futures, the future we need, the future I want, and the future that is likely. On any given day I will have differing perspectives of what the future holds.
My path to environmental law was rooted in my interactions with nature both in leisure and work. Growing up in Canada, I took advantage of the wealth of opportunities to get out in nature. This was, in turn, followed by an evolving love of science and a yearning to travel and work in different ecosystems. Weighing the opportunities between returning to school for a master’s in resource management or law, I was accepted into the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, where there was the ability to specialize in environmental and marine law. I jumped at the chance.
Fast-forward over a decade, and I see a future of environmental sustainability being hindered by various challenges: knowledge, technical, legal, and behavioural. Addressing some of these challenges is why the work of the ELC is important to me.
Communications Manager
Uche Ibeh is a communications professional with nearly a decade of experience supporting global non-profits such as Jhpiego and Management Sciences for Health. His work spans social behaviour change initiatives, brand visibility, and digital campaigns. With expertise in strategic communications, he has contributed to projects in health, social impact for vulnerable communities, and governance accountability. Uche believes effective communication must be simple, clear, and data-driven—ultimately shaping program design and impact.
Office Manager
I have enjoyed my journey with the ELC for 20 years, with 17 years as Office Manager. More than a “tree hugger,” I am a diehard tree lover, and I have found that working in the nonprofit environmental sector keeps me grounded in all things nature-related. I love the diversity of working with a dynamic administrative team and have found the environmental arena to be both personally and professionally gratifying. I have loved the challenges and satisfaction of growing with an organization that has stepped to the forefront in Alberta for environmental justice.
I take great pleasure in spending quality time at my lake cottage, where I can reconnect with nature and connect with my family. My passions include reading, my part-time business, and travel.
Staff Counsel
Some of Brenda’s earliest memories are of family trips exploring Alberta’s natural beauty… the mountains, the badlands, the forests, the prairies. As a science student at the University of Alberta, Brenda’s budding interest in environmental issues grew and she became intrigued by how decisions and laws affecting our environment are made (which led to law school). Brenda is thrilled to work with the Environmental Law Centre – combining her legal skills with her passion for a sustainable society – and hopes to contribute in some small way to ensuring her wonderful children are left with the same natural legacy she enjoyed as a child.
Brenda Heelan Powell graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. in 1993 and a LL.B. in 1996. After practicing law with a Calgary law firm, Brenda left private practice to pursue an LL.M. at the University of British Columbia. During her studies at the University of British Columbia, Brenda concentrated on environmental and natural resources law courses. Since completion of her LL.M. in 1999, Brenda has worked at the Environmental Law Centre and the Alberta Energy & Utilities Board. Brenda re-joined the Environmental Law Centre as a Staff Counsel based in Calgary in 2011.
Brenda has published articles and briefs on a variety of environmental law topics. She is the author of Demystifying Forestry Law, An Alberta Analysis, 2nd. Ed. and A Model Environmental and Sustainability Assessment Law. In addition, Brenda has had numerous speaking engagements dealing with environmental legal issues, including as a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta.
Staff Counsel
Rebecca Kauffman joined the Environmental Law Centre as Staff Counsel in 2017 after completing her articles at a family law firm in Edmonton. Prior to articling, Rebecca graduated from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law with First Class Standing. Throughout law school, Rebecca sought out numerous environmental and aboriginal law courses, while actively volunteering with Student Legal Services, Pro Bono Students Canada and the Edmonton Community Legal Centre. In her final year at law school Rebecca was a Student Legal Services dayleader with the Legal Education and Reform project, which involved researching, drafting and presenting the law to various Edmonton area organizations. It was through these law school courses and experiences that Rebecca discovered the impact environmental law has on Alberta’s everyday activities, as well as the value of creating accessible and understandable legal documents.
From childhood summers on the shores of Lake Edith in Jasper National Park to weekend biking through Edmonton’s extensive river valley and new bike lane network, Rebecca has always had a passion for sustainable human interaction with the environment. Rebecca is extremely excited to be a member of the ELC, and she hopes she can contribute to increasing the public’s understanding of the technical and increasingly important area of environmental law.
Staff Counsel
Kyra Leuschen holds a B.A. with Honours from the University of Guelph and a J.D. from the University of Ottawa. She was previously admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 2009 and practiced civil litigation in Toronto for six years. Her practice consisted mainly of insurance coverage and defence with an emphasis on personal injury, product liability, and sexual abuse claims. In late 2015, Kyra relocated to Edmonton and was admitted to the Law Society of Alberta. She joined the Environmental Law Centre (ELC) as a Staff Counsel in 2017.
Kyra was born and raised in Northern Ontario. She grew up with easy access to the outdoors and plenty of opportunities to hike, camp, canoe and swim. This early exposure helped to inspire a lifelong love and respect for the great outdoors. Still, it was not until she moved out West and had the opportunity to reinvent her career that she decided to pursue environmental law. She hopes that her work with ELC will encourage the adoption of legal environmental protections that help safeguard our planet for future generations.
Currently, she is working on ELC’s upcoming Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Guide. This project aims to, among other things, promote resilience to climate change in Alberta through the law. Since starting with ELC, Kyra has most enjoyed participating in consultations with the Alberta government on various policies and/or pieces of legislation. It is exciting to have the opportunity to bend the ear of decision-makers, even for a moment, and she is often inspired by the work of the other ENGOs.
Kyra resides in Edmonton with her husband and their children. She is currently trying to figure out how to (legally) build a wood-burning sauna in her backyard.
Staff Counsel
Anya Manukyan joined the Environmental Law Centre in Edmonton, Alberta as a staff counsel in 2024. She has contributed to ELC’s work on topics including energy, species at risk, grasslands, waste, and access to environmental information, as well as providing information in response to inquiries from the public. In addition to her work at ELC, Anya is an associate lecturer with the University of Alberta Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology and is Co-Chair of the CBA Alberta Environmental Law South section. Prior to her role at ELC, Anya briefly practiced environmental regulatory law after completing her articles with Ecojustice in 2023.
We provide objective information and respected advice on changing environmental legislation and regulations; we are one of the only charities in Alberta that provide this to Albertans.
