Canopy's Staff

Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director
Nicole leads the strategic direction of Canopy and ensures the organization advances its mission with maximum efficiency and affect. Fueled by a deep commitment to social justice and a passion for wild places, Nicole strives for the creation of a compassionate society where our natural world is respected and valued beyond its resource values. A firm believer that we could be doing things in a better way, Nicole is committed to ensuring that the power and influence the North American market leverages tangible eco-solutions and on the ground conservation gains for the world's forests, species and climate.

Nicole is the recipient of an Ashoka Fellowship, a Canadian Environment Award Gold Medal and numerous print and publishing industry awards. Named one of Canada's 50 Most Influential People in Graphic Communication for the past four years, Nicole sits on the board of Students for a Free Tibet and the Environmental Paper Network, among others. She has also accepted numerous awards on behalf of Canopy including the Benny Award for Outstanding Corporate Campaigning.

Amanda Carr, Campaigns Director

Amanda has worked as an international environmental consultant and managed the corporate engagement strategy for a $3.4 billion ethical investment fund, she brings a decade of experience in understanding environmental policy, regulation and business risk.

Amanda’s recent success includes the negotiation of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements for Greenpeace, which saw the protection of 5 million acres of endangered rainforest and the largest public/private conservation-financing package in North America.

Amanda believes, with unwavering conviction, that businesses have the power to protect the earth’s last wild places.

Josée Breton, Conservation Campaigner and Québec Spokesperson
Josée hold a Masters in Science and has worked for ten years as an environmental campaigner towards sustainable agriculture practices and the protection of endangered forests.

With regard to the environmental crisis, Josée finds that people, wherever you go, want to be part of the solution. Canopy's role as a catalyst for change makes this possible for so many companies and for so many of the people that work within them. Josée loves being part of it.

Neva Murtha, Second Harvest, Printer and Magazine Campaigner
After completing an Honours Bachelor Degree with a specialization in Arts Administration and non-profit management, Neva spent time traveling in the majestic forests of the Pacific Northwest with her father - a professor of forestry and remote sensing. She then became a magazine consultant in Toronto.

After asking 'what about the trees' Neva was inspired to join Canopy to collaborate with printers and magazine publishers and help build a market for eco-papers. She sits on the board of the Environmental Paper Network and also drives our innovative Second Harvest campaign - building the case for investment in non-wood paper development.

Tara Sawatsky, Corporate Campaigner

Tara holds a Masters in Environmental Management and Planning and a Degree in International Development and the Environment. She brings to Canopy years of academic research and capacity building of environmental groups, combined with experience in public organizing for ancient forests on British Columbia’s South Coast.

Her love of natural ecosystems stretches from the Peruvian Amazon to the temperate rainforests of British Columbia to the coral reefs of the Caribbean. With regards to environmental change, she believes that we all have a responsibility to promote environmental stewardship, and to use that leverage – whether we are part of companies, governments, or as individuals.

Fawzia Ahmad, Development and Operations Director
Fawzia holds degrees in Geography/Geology and Criminology and has worked in the social justice movement for 23 years. Fawzia's work with Canopy is focused on achieving financial sustainability for the organization.

Fawzia is committed to Canopy's work because of her deep love and passion for all creatures big and small. Fawzia believes that Canopy has the solution to protecting our forests, species and climate and a proven track record that makes her proud!

Board of Directors

Louise Dennys, Executive Publisher of the Knopf Random House Canada Publishing Group, Executive Vice-President, Random House of Canada Ltd.
Louise began her own publishing house at age 25 and helped build Lester & Orpen Dennys into an international Canadian publishing house. Today, she heads the leading publishing imprints, Knopf Canada, Random House Canada, and Vintage Canada, which have become synonymous with books of outstanding quality in various genres. Louise was twice voted Editor of the Year by the CBA. She was a founding Board member of the International Festival of Authors at Harbourfront. A former President of PEN Canada, she has been a longtime PEN Board member. She received an Honorary Degree in Law from Bishop's University in 2004, and received the Order of Canada for service to Canadian culture in 2005.

Lisa Matthaus, Coordinator, Organizing for Change
Lisa is the former Campaigns Director at the Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter where she worked primarily on forestry issues. She was a lead negotiator of the Forest Stewardship Council standards for BC and a lead negotiator of the Great Bear Rainforest land use plan. She was a recipient of the Wilburforce award for Outstanding Conservation Leadership in 2006. Lisa earned her Masters degree in Environmental and Resource Economics from University College London (London, UK) in 1995. In a previous career, she spent seven years working as an investment banking credit analyst in Toronto and London, focusing on financial institutions, major corporations and derivative products.

Bruce Walsh, Marketing and Publicity Consultant
Bruce Walsh is a publicity and marketing consultant for book publishers across North America and has worked with many of Canada's leading authors. Bruce was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Unotchit Inc., where he promoted Margaret Atwood's invention, the LongPen^TM. The former Director of Marketing and Publicity at McClelland & Stewart, he has twenty years experience in book publishing. He is twice winner of the Libris Award, the book industry's highest honour. Much of what he knows, he learned as a volunteer.

Photo Credits

Group photo by Amara Studios
Nicole Rycroft by Kris Krug
Josée Breton by NathB
Louise Dennys by Joy von Tiedemann
Bruce Walsh by Mike Quigg