Keynote Speakers
Discover more about the keynote speakers and download their presentation slides by clicking below, or watch brief interviews to hear their insights firsthand!
Jad Daley
President and CEO, American Forests
Jad Daley is serving as the 40th president and chief executive officer of American Forests, the nation’s oldest forest conservation organization, founded in 1875. Under Daley’s leadership, American Forests has grown three-fold and launched partnerships to tackle climate change and social inequity across the United States.
In his current role, Daley serves as the co-chair of the Forest-Climate Working Group and sits on the boards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, North American Forest Partnership and Nature4Climate. Daley is also the co-founder and co-chair of the U.S. chapter of 1t.org — a global platform dedicated to conserving, restoring and growing 1 trillion trees by 2030.
Daley has a long record of leadership in the forest community, including serving as the first director for the 22-state Eastern Forest Partnership and establishing a forest-focused Climate Conservation Program during his nine-year stint at The Trust for Public Land. He has also played a lead role in authoring multiple pieces of federal legislation for forests.
Daley’s writing has been featured in media outlets such as the Washington Post, TIME, New York Times, HuffPost, Medium and the U.S. EPA Environmental Justice blog.
Follow Daley on X (@JadDaley) and read his latest writings on Medium.
Kevin Wasylenko
Green Initiatives Coordinator, Manitoba Métis Federation
Kevin is a Red River Métis citizen and is employed by the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) – The National Government of the Red River Métis, as the Green Initiatives Coordinator for the Energy, Infrastructure, and Resource Management department. Where he oversees the MMF’s Tree Planting Initiative and conducts education workshop for Métis youth and elders across Manitoba.
Raised in the Southeast region of Manitoba, near the Sandilands Provincial Forest, Kevin is a Red Seal Certified Landscape Horticulturist who graduated from Red River College in 2020 and has worked within the green industry for 10 years.
He is the newest appointee to the Manitoba Nursery & Landscape Association board of directs and occupies the role of Climate Change and Adaptation Committee Chair. Within the Manitoba Métis Federation he sits on the Workplace Health & Safety Committee, and the owner representative team coordinating the construction and implementation of the upcoming Manitoba Métis Federation’s Tree Nursery.
Dr. Lorien Nesbitt
Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia
Dr. Lorien Nesbitt is an Assistant Professor of Urban Forestry and Environmental Justice in the Department of Forest Resources Management at the University of British Columbia. An internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Nesbitt has collaborated with communities and organizations across the globe to co-create more livable, sustainable, and equitable cities. At UBC, Dr. Nesbitt leads the Urban Natures Lab, which focuses on advancing environmental justice through urban greening and planning. The lab’s research addresses key topics such as green gentrification, recognition justice in urban forest stewardship, and supporting planetary health in the face of the climate crisis. Their work is highly collaborative, regularly partnering with cities, regional governments, and community-based organizations to co-create impactful, transdisciplinary research.
Dr. Nesbitt has a strong record of scholarly leadership. She currently co-leads the HEAL Research Excellence Cluster at UBC and is a core member of the UBC Centre for Climate Justice. She also serves on the Steering Committee of the ECCC initiative to build a Pan-Canadian, Interdisciplinary Urban Research Network and on the editorial boards of Urban Forestry & Urban Greening and Frontiers in Sustainable Cities.
Dr. Melissa McHale
Associate Professor, University of British Columbia
Dr. Melissa McHale is an Associate Professor of Urban Ecology and Sustainability in the Department of Forest Resources Management, at the University of British Columbia. Melissa’s research is internationally recognized and mobilizes cutting-edge urban theory and practical science for decision-making in cities. Her research lab fosters collaborations among academics and practitioners to develop innovative research projects with measurable impacts. At UBC, Dr McHale’s lab focuses on nature-based solutions (NBS) for mitigating increased urban heating, while her expertise involves a broad range of themes from carbon cycling in cities, to the benefits of green infrastructure, and the equitable distribution of ecosystem services. Melissa also serves as a science advisor to cities, other government agencies, and non-profit organizations, including the Science and Research Committee for the Sustainability Advisory Council (SAC) in the City of Denver and the United States Forest Service’s Denver Urban Field Station (USFS DUFS).
Dr. M.A. (Peggy) Smith
Professor Emerita, Lakehead University
Dr. M.A. (Peggy) Smith (Miskwaanakwadook—Red Cloud Woman) is of Cree ancestry from the James Bay Treaty #9 area in northern Ontario, Canada. She is a Professor Emerita in Lakehead University’s Faculty of Natural Resources Management and a retired Registered Professional Forester. She continues to work on turning the course she taught—Indigenous Peoples and Natural Resources—into an online textbook. She has been researching the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). She has been active in the Forest Stewardship Council since its founding in 1993 when she worked with the National Aboriginal Forestry Association. She chairs the Rights and Resources Group Board, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that serves a coalition dedicated to advancing the forest land rights of Indigenous peoples and local and Afro-Descendant communities. She is also Vice-Chairperson of the FSC Indigenous Foundation, an Indigenous-led global NGO, working to connect sustainable economic development, sustainable forest management, and climate action.
Dr. Tenley Conway
Professor, University of Toronto
Dr. Tenley Conway is a Professor in the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment at the University of Toronto, Mississauga. Her research examines socio-ecological dynamics in urban forests, with foci on residents’ role in urban forest governance; residents’ perceptions and experiences with urban trees; and green infrastructure policy and discourse. She is an associate editor of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening; a board member of LEAF, a Toronto-based non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the urban forest; and was a member of the International Society of Arboriculture Science and Research Committee. Tenley holds a BS from Cornell University, and an MS and PhD from Rutgers University.