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Pest Management Advisory Council: Membership list and biographies

Members

Charest, Pierre PhD (Chair)

An executive in the federal public service for 20 years, Pierre Charest was responsible for science and regulatory programs in the areas of agriculture, forestry and health. Notably, he was Associate Vice President at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Director General of Science Policy, Director General of Biologics and Genetic Therapies and Director General of Biotechnology at Health Canada. Dr. Charest started his career with the Canadian Forest Service as a researcher in the area of plant genetic engineering where he published 76 scientific papers and presented 85 scientific communications.

Dr. Charest has a Bachelor of Science Agriculture in Agronomy and a Master of Science in Plant Pathology from Laval University. He completed his PhD in Plant Biotechnology at Carleton University.

Bartley, Greg

Director, Crop Protection & Crop Quality, Pulse Canada

Greg Bartley plays a leadership role in developing and implementing strategic plans to ensure the Canada’s pulse industry benefits from predictable access to crop protection products through utilizing the minor use registration process, building a regulatory environment that fosters innovation, and advocating for the adoption of import tolerances and Maximum Residue Limits in the global market place. He also has a leadership role in liaising with the research community, governments, crop protection companies and key industry stakeholders to advance the interests and vision of the Canadian pulse industry. Mr. Bartley has a strong understanding of small plot and on-farm agriculture research methods, specializing in pulse and soybean agronomy research.

Mr. Bartley is a Certified Crop Advisor and Professional Agrologist in Manitoba, and has a Master of Science in Plant Science from the University of Manitoba.

Black Moher, Paleah PhD

Paleah Black Moher is a toxicologist with in-depth, applied experience in the field of environmental and human health. She is currently the Principal at Ecotox Consulting, providing expertise in human health risk assessments, primarily on projects that fall under provincial and/or federal Environmental Assessment Acts. Her projects are often multidisciplinary and involve multiple stakeholders, engaging her skills in science communication and knowledge translation. Project stakeholders typically include federal, provincial, and municipal governments, non-government organizations, health authorities, and Indigenous groups. She lectures at universities and colleges on toxicology and risk assessment.

Dr. Moher helped develop the first national estimate of Canadians’ exposures to pesticides as the Environmental Exposures Lead at CAREX Canada. Her past work as a Public Health Specialist for the Artisanal Gold Council included work on assessing and reducing mercury exposures.

Dr. Moher holds a PhD in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology from the University of Ottawa, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Gender, Work, and Health (University of Victoria).

Coombs, Shannon

President of the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association

The Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association (CCSPA) is a national trade association representing the consumer, industrial and institutional specialty products industry (40 companies across Canada). This association has had representation on the Council since 1998, with Shannon Coombs first appointed to Council in 2007. As president of CCSPA she works to enhance the ability of member companies to conduct business effectively by fostering industry and government cooperation, advocating for fair and science-based policies and laws, promoting industry-wide environmental sustainability initiatives, and providing a national voice for stakeholders.

Ms. Coombs holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Honours - Political Science) from Carleton University.

Culbert, Ian

Executive Director, Canadian Public Health Association

Ian Culbert began his career in public health in 1990 when he joined the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA). In 2013, he was appointed as CPHA’s Executive Director after having served in a number of different roles within the Association, including director-level positions in communications, business and corporate development, as well as programmatic work in HIV, hepatitis C, sexually-transmitted infections, addictions and social marketing. Ian’s commitment to the principles of public health, dedication to CPHA and its constituent communities, and collaborative leadership style are reflected in the progress CPHA continues to make in partnership with key stakeholders, both within Canada and internationally.

Grewal, Toni

British Columbia Teachers’ Federation Health and Safety Advisory Committee

Toni Grewal has been employed as Health and Safety Officer for the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) since 2018. She is responsible for the health and safety prevention program that supports teachers in K to 12 public education. In this role, she provides training, resources and support to members and staff.

Ms. Grewal has served as a member of the Burnaby Teachers’ Association Health and Safety Committee from 2013 to 2018. The committee reviews health and safety monthly reports of all Burnaby school sites and follows up with the Joint District Committee to ensure work orders are resolved within a reasonable time. Presently, Ms. Grewal is on leave from her position as a secondary school English teacher.

Ms. Grewal was also a BCTF Health and Safety Workshop Facilitator from 2014 to 2018. Her role involved delivering occupational health and safety workshops to teachers and staff across British Columbia. From 2015 to 2018, she was a member of the BCTF Health and Safety Advisory Committee, whose function is to provide information and resources on health and safety through training and conferences.

Since 2016, Ms. Grewal has served on the British Columbia Federation of Labour Health and Safety Standing Committee. In 2021, she was appointed to the national Health and Safety Advisory Committee of the Canadian Labour Congress.

Gue, Lisa

Environmental Healthy Policy Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation

Since 1990, the David Suzuki Foundation has worked to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us. The Foundation uses science and education to promote solutions that conserve nature and help achieve sustainability within a generation. Lisa Gue has worked with non-government organizations and government on energy and environmental issues in Canada and internationally.

Originally from Alberta Ms. Gue has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary and a Master in Public Policy and Administration from Carleton University.

Innes, Brian

Executive Director, Soy Canada

Mr. Innes joined Soy Canada in 2021. In his role as executive director, he leads the organization’s efforts to create value through collaboration in the areas of industry leadership, market access, market development as well as coordinating research and innovation.

Prior to joining Soy Canada, he led the Canola Council’s public affairs activities including communications, government relations, market access and trade policy. During his time at the Council, he spearheaded the expansion of the Keep it Clean program to include multiple commodities, led the development of the industry’s market access strategy and efforts to resolve market access issues, and was active in helping the agri-food sector achieve benefits from free trade negotiations through the Canadian Agri-food Trade Alliance.

Brian Innes holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph and a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Saskatchewan.

Kerr, Jeremy PhD

Chair of Department of Biology, University of Ottawa

Dr. Jeremy Kerr holds the University Research Chair in Macroecology and Conservation and is Full Professor and Chair of Biology at University of Ottawa. His primary research seeks to discover how the environmental change affects biodiversity. This work has led to discoveries with broad impact, most recently around how and why climate change has affected species survival, with several publications in Science and elsewhere.

Dr. Kerr is strongly engaged in public science and policy work in areas related to his research. He is Past-President of the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution, and an alumnus of the Global Young Academy. He has been elected to Fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honour Society. He is an executive member of Council for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, appointed by Federal Cabinet, and is Chair of its Committee on Discovery Research.

He has appeared as an expert witness before Standing Committees in the House of Commons on biodiversity and conservation issues (2019) and on the strengths and weaknesses of scientific research activities in Canada (2022). Dr. Kerr also presented his research to Parliamentarians, staff, and research agencies in Parliament as part of the Royal Society of Canada-sponsored speaker series (2017).

Langille, Melanie

President and CEO, New Brunswick Lung Association

Melanie Langille is an environmental scientist with a background in human health risk assessment and contaminated site assessment with a specialization in vapour intrusion assessment. She began her tenure with the New Brunswick Lung Association as the Director of Program Development (environmental health) and brought to life a long-term vision for the organization of the Foundation for Resilient Health. Her previous experience in environmental and human health risk assessment, environmental impact assessment, and contaminated sites management gives her a unique perspective on the importance of the environmental and social determinants of health.

Ms. Langille has a Bachelor of Science (Biology) from University of New Brunswick, and a Master of Environmental Science (University of Toronto).

Lee, Rebecca PhD

Executive Director, Fruit & Vegetable Growers of Canada

The Fruit & Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) represents a number of specialized grower groups from across Canada and has had representation on PMAC since 2001. Dr. Lee also represents the sector on Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agile Regulations Round Table and Sustainability Sector Engagement Table.

Rebecca Lee joined the FVGC as Executive Director in 2016. She chairs the International Federation of Produce Standards, co-chairs the Canadian Plant Health Council, and sits on the Board of the Canadian Council on Invasive Species. Previous positions include Technical Director and Acting Executive Director of the North American Plant Protection Organization, Technical Director with the Association of Colombian Flower Exporters, and Executive Director of the Colombian Centre for Innovation in Floriculture. While in Colombia, she also helped manage a 40-hectar vegetable farm, transitioning to organic production, and led farmer-based research at a university horticulture research centre.

Dr. Lee holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from McGill, a Master in Rural Extension from the University of Guelph, and her PhD in Social Science and Ecological Agriculture from Wageningen University in The Netherlands.

Liber, Karsten PhD

Executive Director of the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) at the University of Saskatchewan

Karsten Liber has been active in pesticide research and toxicology since 1984 and has been a member of PMAC since 2004. Dr. Liber built the USask Toxicology Centre to become Canada’s largest and most renowned university-based environmental toxicology research and training centre, and later led the creation of the USask Water Research Group, which in 2011 evolved into the Global Institute for Water Security.

From a research perspective, Dr. Liber is a widely recognized aquatic ecotoxicologist who is actively in research related to pesticide use in agriculture (largely ecotoxicology), metal accumulation in aquatic life (e.g., selenium) and food crops (e.g., cadmium), and the environmental impact of the mining and metals industry, specifically with respect to metal bioavailability, speciation and toxicity in aquatic ecosystems.

Dr. Liber has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Ecology, and obtained his PhD (Distinction) Aquatic Ecotoxicology at the University of Guelph.

Odele, Victor

Senior Research and Policy Advisor, Environmental Health, Assembly of First Nations

Victor Odele is an environmental public health professional with extensive experience in environmental public health programs, policies, and research, particularly within Indigenous communities. As a senior policy analyst at AFN, he has worked in various areas of environmental health, such as food systems, sovereignty, chemicals management, legislative review, pollution prevention and environmental and health protection. He has had engagements with various international environmental health related meetings such as the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), United Nations Food Systems Summit, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

He led AFN’s participation in the review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). He is also engaged in a major research project: the Food, Environment, Health and Nutrition of First Nations Children and Youth (FEHNCY) Study.

Mr. Odele holds a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation (Physiotherapy) from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Public Health) from Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia, and a Master of Public Health (with specialization in Epidemiology) from Lakehead University, Ontario, and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Environmental Studies at Queen’s University, Ontario. He holds professional certification as a member of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, CPHI(c), and is a Trustee for the Environmental Health Foundation of Canada.

Mr. Odele is an avid soccer fan, enjoys road trips and loves to spend time with his family.

Petelle, Pierre

President and CEO of CropLife Canada

CropLife Canada is the trade association representing manufacturers, developers and distributors of pest control products for use in agriculture, urban and public health settings in Canada. This association has had representation on the Council since 1998, with Pierre Petelle serving on PMAC since 2013.

Mr. Petelle has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Carleton University. He also holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) Agriculture – Environmental Biology from the University of Guelph where he was the recipient of the University of Guelph's Gary Putnam Memorial Scholarship for high standing in courses related to pesticides and alternative controls.

Valcke, Mathieu

Specialized Scientific Advisor and Institutional Researcher, Public Health Institute of Quebec

Mathieu Valcke has been with Quebec’s public health institute since 2004 and is currently a scientific advisor specializing in toxicology. His current research focuses on improving approaches to human health risk assessment using modeling tools and biomonitoring data about human exposure to environmental contaminants.

Dr. Valcke has a Bachelor of Biochemistry and a Master of Environment from the University of Sherbrooke, and a PhD in Public Health with a specialization in Toxicological Risk Analysis from the University of Montreal, where he is also a Clinical Assistant Professor.

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