Our Team
Our core team is a diverse group of renewable energy co-operative leaders, engineers, researchers, academics, students, and concerned citizens. We hope that our contributions to renewable energy, co-operative growth, and community participation make a positive impact both locally and globally.
Executive and staff
Martin Boucher
President
Alberta
Dr. Boucher is a Faculty Lecturer at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, where he leads the online Master of Public Administration (MPA). His research focuses on Public Sector Entrepreneurship and Energy Transition Acceleration. Within this research area, he is interested in energy justice, comparative public policy, low-income energy efficacy, renewable energy cooperatives, public sector entrepreneurship, decentralized energy, and small modular reactors. He holds a Ph.D. in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Saskatchewan.
Rod Johnson
Treasurer
Saskatchewan
Rod is President of SES Solar Co-operative in Saskatoon. Rod has an M.Sc. in geography and B.Sc. in biochemistry, both from the University of Saskatchewan where he taught for 37 years in the fields of physical geography and environmental studies. He is also a principal in an environmental consulting partnership. Rod has been a long-time member of Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES), and currently serves on the board of the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC). Rod is a personal participant in generating solar electricity.
Dennis O’Farrell
Vice President
Ontario
Dennis is a member of the Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative (OREC). Dennis has a B.Sc in environmental studies from McGill University and a M.A. in geography from Queen’s. As a student Dennis spent a summer doing research at the Ark Project in Prince Edward Island. Dennis worked briefly in cooperative housing and community development and then worked for Environment and Climate Change Canada from 1989 to 2020 with a focus on state of environment reporting and indicators. Dennis has extensive experience doing research and analysis, managing teams and projects, consulting with stakeholders and preparing reports.
Jodi Conuel
Manager and Project Lead
Alberta
Jodi Conuel is a sustainability leader and project manager with expertise in renewable energy, climate action, and community engagement. As the former Shift Climate Transitions Program Coordinator at the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, she led the development and impact measurement of climate initiatives, including a community energy study that led to the formation of the Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative (BVGEC). Known for her innovative, data-driven approach and inclusive facilitation, Jodi brings a systems-thinking lens shaped by her background in ecology and specialized training in climate leadership and public participation. She continues to serve as a founding board member of BVGEC and enjoys cooking, gardening, and exploring the outdoors in her free time.
Mark Fernandez
Secretary
Ontario
Mark has been active in sustainable community development for over 15 years in Toronto with extensive experience in community renewable energy cooperatives. He has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Windsor and currently, as a consultant with Poloran Solar he focuses on residential sales. Mark is also a member of Next Generation Energy Alternatives, the Peace Energy Cooperative in British Columbia and SolarShare and ZooShare in Ontario. Mark worked in the community promoting energy conservation with Eneract, an environmental charity, collaborating with the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, Community Power Fund and Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative all part of the Green Energy Act Alliance advocating for the Green Energy and Economy Act in Ontario. Mark has trained and worked in solar project management in Germany, California and Ontario. Mark has worked for ZooShare, a non-profit renewable energy (biogas) cooperative, where he raised construction financing through community bond sales while participating in the Federation of Community Power Co-operatives in Ontario.
Members at large
Dany Robidoux
Board Member
Manitoba
Dany brings his years of experience and passion about the green economy to his work at Eco-West Canada. An industry leader in promoting EV adoption and charging infrastructure in the prairies, Dany and his team at Eco-West Canada have led municipalities in Manitoba and beyond into the EV sector with vision and expertise. He specializes in explaining opportunities for environmental economic development to municipalities, and in leading teams to design projects and write funding applications. With a background in economics, Dany has a particular interest in applying a circular economy lens to understanding and addressing sustainability issues. As executive director of Eco-West Canada, he works with businesses, community-based organizations, and all three levels of government to build widespread commitment towards sustainable development in rural municipalities across Canada. Dany holds both a B.A. and B. Comm. (Hons.) from the University of Manitoba, and a Certificate in Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies from University of Cambridge Judge Business School.
Ursula Eicker
Board Member
Quebec
Ursula holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities and founded and directs the Next-Generation Cities Institute at Concordia University in Montréal. She works on decarbonization strategies for cities using living labs and urban digital twins for scenario modeling, user engagement and operational optimization. Her research interests cover energy communities, zero emission cities, renewable energy integration, and sustainable urban infrastructure. With a team of about 50 graduate students and software developers she is working on multiple eco-district projects in Canada while building the urban modeling and data analytics platform Tools4Cities engaging users through 3D city models that can be accessed via web interfaces or immersive gamification tools. Ursula has published many books and papers and is starting a Canadian funded 4 year project on community energy solutions and joined the CECC to be closely involved and aligned with existing and future community energy cooperatives.
Blair Hickson
Board Member
Alberta
Blair has small business experience and is currently heavily involved in sustainable farming. He is a Journeyman Plumber Gas-fitter and has spent many hours contemplating efficiency and sustainable practices. Blair believes that the CECC is needed to support sustainable energy cooperatives, influence government and create investment opportunities.
Karl Janelle
Board Member
Quebec
Karl Janelle is a PhD candidate in management at the Alphonse-et-Dorimène-Desjardins International Institute for Cooperatives at HEC Montréal, specializing in the transformative role of community initiatives in the energy sector. He chairs the Montréal Climate Coalition and serves on the Governance Committee of the Conseil Québécois de la Coopération et de la Mutualité and the Housing Committee of Transition en Commun. Additionally, Karl lectures in Management and Sustainable Transition at HEC Montréal. He has led various strategic innovation projects for non-profit and public organizations, including the City of Montréal. During his master’s studies at HEC Montréal, he explored alternative organizational structures in healthcare and contributed to Hydro-Québec’s strategic plan for energy efficiency.
Rene Michalak
Board Member
Alberta
Rene is an enterprising renewable energy electrician, permaculture designer and facilitator, biomimicry professional, and open-source technology enthusiast who collaborates with leaders, cities, businesses, and agencies to identify and implement natural-systems-based solutions to human, social, and infrastructure problems. As the Project Manager for ReThink Red Deer he is leading a team of dedicated staff and volunteers to improve food, water, and energy security for urban sustainability in Central Alberta. As an entrepreneur he’s developing a four season “deep winter greenhouse” powered by solar energy called “The Canadian Food Garage” and is presently studying smart microgrids and other renewable energy technologies. Rene is proud to be a member of the CECC board and believes that Community Energy Cooperatives play a vital role in strengthening our local economies.
Donald MacDiarmid
Board Member
Alberta
Don spent more than 35 years in the energy industry, both domestically and internationally, before retiring. After 5 years working as a petroleum engineer, Don trained as a lawyer. He spent 18 years in private practice with two large national law firms, followed by more than a decade as in-house counsel. Don holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University and an LLB from Dalhousie University. Don is a founding board member of the Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative, where he played an integral role in shaping their bylaws and governance structures. His learnings in cooperative-specific governance and community energy development have been instrumental in strengthening the co-op’s foundation and long-term sustainability. Don lives with his wife, Ruth, in Calgary. They have two grown daughters. Don has been involved in numerous community volunteer roles, including several political campaigns, fundraising for university, cancer and kidney charities, coaching junior soccer, and working at the Inn from the Cold. He recently retired from the Board of the Calgary Centre for Newcomers after spending 12 years on that Board, including a term as Chair.
Darcie Lanthier
Board Member
Prince Edward Island
Darcie has dedicated her life to critical social and economic issues including environmental protection, poverty reduction, food security, access to justice, and moving Canada toward renewable energy. She is the President of Solar Island Electric Inc, a Community Economic Development Business created to fund community solar development. She’s a trained energy systems technologist with a specialization in solar photovoltaics and performs energy audits, solar site assessments and works to make our homes and workplaces more sustainable. As well as saving her clients money, she engages them to become part of the energy solution. Darcie serves on the Board of Energy Democracy Now!, a renewable energy cooperative on PEI with the goals of reducing energy poverty along with greenhouse gas emissions and ending the Maritime Electric monopoly on electricity distribution.
Pamela Bryan
Board Member
Alberta
Raised in Edmonton, Pamela returned in 2011 after a global career in entrepreneurial business development and coaching, which deepened her understanding of systemic issues and the impact of climate change on nature and society. Over the past decade, she’s held nonprofit leadership roles, including six years with the Parvati Foundation, working to protect the Arctic Ocean. Her enthusiasm for solar and sustainable design grew through five years as a regional coordinator for the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC) – Canada Green Corps. In 2024, Pamela joined a Calgary tech startup supporting agencies addressing sexual assault and domestic violence. A lifelong learner, she began her studies at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and later earned her MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University. She is currently Board Secretary with SPICE, the Solar Power Investment Cooperative of Edmonton. Pamela believes we can accomplish more locally by sharing knowledge and ideas with fellow co-operatives across Canada. She sees now as the right time for community energy co-ops to become the norm, and collaboration as the key to accelerating that shift. She also recognizes future challenges will be unpredictable, and a strong foundation of shared experiences will be critical in overcoming them. Today, we have the chance to lead by example, demonstrating what’s possible and inspiring both governments and emerging co-ops.