About

Gabriella Kalapos

Executive Director

Gaby is the Executive Director at Clean Air Partnership and has been working to motivate and support local government action on clean air and climate change for over 20 years. Her passion has been on encouraging the uptake, transfer and implementation of clean air and climate change actions and the building of partnerships that enable collaboration and support between the community and all levels of government.
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Kevin Behan

Operations Director

Kevin Behan is Operations Director with Clean Air Partnership. Kevin has an Honours Bachelor of Science from University College Dublin and post-graduate qualifications in Business Studies and Information Technology (Dublin Business School) and Spatial Analysis and GIS (McMaster University). Kevin’s research interests include climate change mitigation and adaptation, active transportation, and the importance of effective communication in these areas.
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Lauren Patterson

Outreach Coordinator

Lauren Patterson is the Outreach Coordinator at Clean Air Partnership, responsible for coordinating the Clear Air Council (CAC) Program. Before joining CAP, she supported the development and implementation of climate change and sustainability initiatives in the municipal sector. Lauren holds a Master of Sustainability from Brock University, where she conducted research on public participation in the development of climate change adaptation plans. In her free time, she volunteers with the SPCA and enjoys knitting, reading, and hiking.
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Rebecca Danard

Manager of Energy Programs

Rebecca is the Manager of Energy Programs at Clean Air Partnership. Before joining CAP, she was the Climate Change Initiatives Manager at Grey County. For 8 years she was the Executive Director of reThink Green, a Sudbury based non-profit that brings together ideas, partners and resources to build sustainable communities in Northeastern Ontario and beyond. Rebecca has expertise in green development standards, home energy assessment programs and green economy hubs. She is passionate about using creative collaboration to implement practical solutions to drive transformative change. Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys cooking, music, gardening and exploring the landscape of Northern Ontario with her husband and two young sons.  
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Sophie Callahan

Project Manager

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Keira Engelen

Project Coordinator

As a Project Coordinator, Keira Engelen brings experience in developing and executing projects and advocacy initiatives related to active and public transportation, green-blue infrastructure, and urban agriculture. Her research and facilitation skills, along with her technical background in urban planning, make her a strong asset to the team. Keira holds a B.Sc. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and is a recent M.Sc. in Planning at the University of Toronto graduate, where she was also heavily involved in ecology research, campus agriculture initiatives, and student leadership. She is passionate about working alongside community partners to create safe, sustainable, and equitable active transportation options for all.

Dhiyandra Faizal

Buildings Decarbonization Coordinator

Dhiyandra Faizal is a Building Decarbonization Coordinator with experience leading community energy planning initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and policy research to support low-carbon development. She has contributed to energy and emissions reduction strategies for large-scale residential developments, helping align new communities with municipal climate targets and Green Development Standards. With a background in architectural studies and a strong understanding of sustainable building practices and the Ontario Building Code, Dhiyandra brings both technical knowledge and facilitation skills to projects that bridge industry, policy, and community needs. Dhiyandra holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies from the University of Toronto and is an Executive Member of CAGBC’s Emerging Green Professionals. In her free time, she enjoys trying new hobbies – some more successfully than others.
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Aidan Belanger

Communications Lead

Aidan is the Communications Lead at Clean Air Partnership, developing and carrying out strategies to communicate CAP’s work with the right audiences. Aidan has over a decade of experience in digital marketing, public and media relations, strategic storytelling, and campaign management. She has executed impactful initiatives in environmental advocacy and equitable sustainability. Passionate about supporting municipal climate action across Ontario, she has joined CAP in order to be part of the implementation of tangible solutions and see healthier, more resilient communities in the province she calls home.  Outside of work, you can find Aidan chasing after her two young children or with her face buried in a book.
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Desislava Stefanova

Program Manager

Desislava Stefanova is the Program Manager at Clean Air Partnership, managing the Clean Air Council (CAC) Program. CAC is Canada’s largest peer-to-peer municipal climate action network, representing over 78% of Ontario’s population. Previously, she worked with Toronto Public Health on the King Street Pilot Project to assess public perception of the environment (air pollution, safety, and user experience) and behaviour changes. She also contributed to the development of Noise Mitigation Strategies, which Toronto Public Health released as part of a report on the health impacts of noise. Desislava holds a Master of Environmental Applied Science and Management Diploma from Toronto Metropolitan University. Desislava is a passionate public speaker and ambassador of ideas, acting as a bridge between science/policy/business and broader audiences. In her free time, she likes walking, biking and hiking.
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Devanshi Kukadia

Senior Manager, Climate Programs

Devanshi is the Senior Manager, Climate Programs at Clean Air Partnership (CAP). At CAP, she leads internal and external communications, project development and delivery. Before joining CAP, she worked as a Development Manager at the Canadian Environmental Network and contributed to strategic planning, communications and operations. She is passionate about building climate resilience in Canadian communities and bringing positive changes in climate policies at all levels of government. Devanshi holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto and is a certified Climate Reality Leader. In her free time, she volunteers with the United Nations Association in Canada to advance youth-led environmental initiatives.
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Aaleyah Merchant

Student Researcher

Aaleyah is a fourth-year student at the University of Toronto, majoring in Human Geography with a focus in planning, and minoring in Environmental Geography as well as Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations. She has a keen interest in transportation equity and accessibility across the Greater Toronto Area, and she is passionate about how the built environment shapes everyday life for members of the community. She is currently contributing to a capstone project with the Downtown Brampton Business Improvement Area that examines how major transit construction impacts small local businesses, and explores how to best ensure economic vitality and community wellness in affected areas. Outside of work, Aaleyah can be found exploring nearby parks and trails, and enjoys discovering new cafés to read in.

Isa Thompson

Student Researcher

Sébastien Gagner

Technical Translator

Sébastien Gagner is CAP’s technical translator. Sebastien has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from U of Sherbrooke (1995). His technical background, together with over 25 years’ experience as an engineer, and excellent daily bilingual communication skills, positions him well to manage the technical details of building science in both languages. In addition to fluency in English and French, Sébastien possesses a strong proficiency in both Spanish and Japanese.

Nancy Smith Lea

Senior Advisor to The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT)

Nancy Smith Lea is a Senior Advisor to The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT). Formerly the TCAT Director between 2008-2021, she has a wealth of professional experience as a project lead and specialized knowledge in applied research and policy analysis specific to Complete Streets and active transportation. Skilled in strategic thinking and partnership development, she is a frequently invited speaker at conferences, workshops and a university guest lecturer. She is a six-time award-winner recognized for active transportation, transportation equity, and city-building leadership.
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Ethan Sansom

Data Analyst

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Althea Reyes

Board Member

Althea Reyes is a Research Analyst at Corporate Knights, focusing primarily on fuel, electricity, and renewables, with a secondary focus on mining and metals. With a degree in International Development Studies from York University, she is steadfast in her commitment to mobilizing communities, corporations, universities, and organizations toward the urgent cause of climate justice and enduring social transformation. Her previous role as Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Coordinator for the SDG Hub at York through the Sustainable Development Solutions Network solidified her passion for campaign organizing and community engagement, highlighting her firm belief in the transformative power of local action and youth in affecting global change.

Kristin Olson

Board Member

Kristin has been leading transformative projects in both the public and private sectors for over 15 years. As an experienced leader who is well-versed in cross-functional collaboration, Kristin’s portfolio of work includes transit infrastructure planning, strategy and business development, sustainability and climate resilience, and policy development. At the City of Toronto, Kristin led the planning for a light rail transit project that sought to catalyze the social and economic development opportunities associated with investment in transit – an innovative approach to the planning of transit infrastructure. In 2019, Kristin joined Metrolinx where she has led teams responsible for corporate sustainability, climate resilience, business case development, transit infrastructure planning, regional planning, and business processes and performance.

Kristin holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Manitoba and a Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia. She is a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) in Ontario.

Karen Chisholme

Karen is a dynamic municipal leader with 20+ years of leadership advancing corporate strategy, economic development, sustainability, equity, and inclusive innovation.  She has a proven record of securing multi-million-dollar investments, delivering cross-divisional initiatives, advancing culture change, and aligning Council priorities with community impact. She is skilled at building high-performing teams, forging strategic partnerships across government, industry, and NGOs, and embedding Diversity, Inclusion and Equity principles into policy and program design. Karen is known to her colleagues and partners for her ability to turn vision into measurable results that strengthen economic resilience, sustainability, and equity.

Sheila Ritson-Bennett

Board Member

Sheila Ritson-Bennett is a collaborative leader and industry-recognized expert in the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) space, including climate-related financial risk management and disclosures.  In 2021, Sheila became the first Head of Environment and Sustainability Governance at one of Canada’s largest media and entertainment companies. Previously, she worked within the Canadian banking sector as sustainability and climate counsel and helped build out environmental and climate-related risk frameworks, policies and measurement programs and worked closely with the international member-based Equator Principles.  She has also worked as legal counsel in regulatory, environmental, trade and Indigenous legal matters with the Government of Ontario and holds an M.A from Mount Allison University, an LL.B from the University of Ottawa and an LL.M in Global Environment and Climate Change Law from the University of Edinburgh.

Eric McGoey, Chair

Board Member

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Eric and his wife have lived car-free in downtown Toronto since 2002. He loves public policy, basketball, election campaigns, cooking, mentoring, reading, cycling, and his kids (not in that order). Eric worked in the Ontario government for over a decade, as both a civil servant and a senior political advisor, and in the resource sector since 2012, focusing on sustainable resource and community economic development, energy, and Indigenous partnerships. As a volunteer, Eric serves on the board of Cycle Toronto as well as the Clean Air Partnership, and is the founder and president of the 24V basketball club.  

Aidan Grove-White, Vice Chair

Board Member

Aidan Grove-White is a Principal in StrategyCorp’s Land and Infrastructure Development and Municipal Services practices. Aidan brings significant experience in stakeholder relations, Indigenous community engagement, public education, planning, and policy development. Aidan works with clients across all sectors to find creative solutions to their projects and help them set the strategic direction for their organization. Clients and colleagues quickly come to rely on Aidan’s candour, empathy, foresight, and ability to identify opportunities when charting new strategies, developing trust among their audiences, and overcoming stubborn challenges. Before joining StrategyCorp, Aidan was a manager at the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs. During this time, he worked on public education and stakeholder outreach, building trusting and meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities, numerous stakeholders, inter-ministerial partners, public agencies, ministries, and members of the public. Prior to that, Aidan was the water programs manager and a planning advisor for Environmental Defence. He has also held a variety of policy positions in the Ontario and British Columbia governments, including drinking water protection, services for victims of crime and employment for persons with disabilities.

Lee Hodgkinson, Secretary

Board Member

Lee Hodgkinson is Head of Sustainability and Technical Services for Dream Unlimited. As part of the Senior Management team for the $26 billion group of companies, he is responsible for developing and executing the renewable energy pipeline (14 MW to-date), overseeing Dream’s Net Zero by 2035 ambition and corporate sustainability reporting, supporting sustainable developments, leading sustainable finance initiatives and generating other value-add opportunities. Lee brings over 16 years of engineering, construction, building automation, sustainability and ESG, and energy management experience to lead a wide range of initiatives to create a positive impact on people and the planet.

Valerie Bennett, Treasurer

Board Member

Valerie Bennett is the Director of Regulatory & Commercial Affairs at Oshawa Power, and a professional engineer with 17 years’ experience in the energy sector in Canada, Asia, and Europe. Before joining Oshawa Power, she worked in consulting, at the Ontario Energy Board, and within the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada. In 2021, Valerie was included as a rising star on Public Utility Fortnightly’s Under 40 list, and as one of the Top 100 Women in Energy Transformation in 2022.