Our Board

Saba Ahmad. Saba was appointed Chair of EBC in 2020, and has served as a Director since 2013. In accordance with EBC's bylaws, Saba is CEO. Saba has practiced law as a civil litigator for 20 years, licenced in New York and Ontario. She has extensive experience with shareholder disputes and other complex commercial litigation, as well as board governance, regulatory, and compliance matters. Between 2013-16, she successfully prepared for and defended an audit of EBC by CRA. She has regularly applied her background to safeguard EBC for years and is committed to continuing to do so as EBC fulfills its mission, to acquire and steward properties, in a good way, for generations to come.

Jo-Ann Davis. Jo-Ann joined EBC's Board in 2020 and currently sits on the Executive Committee in her role as Vice-Chair. She brings with her 15 years of experience as a management consultant, leading successful strategic change initiatives for some of Canada's largest corporations, provincial ministries and agencies. She previously served as Chair of the Board and elected trustee for the Toronto Catholic District School Board from 2010 to 2018. She also currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Young People's Theatre, the Canadian International Council, and Space Place Canada. Jo-Ann uses her extensive experience to help EBC acquire and manage properties responsibly and sustainably.

Ted Cowan. Ted is a founding director of EBC and has served as its Treasurer since 2020. Consistent with EBC's bylaws, Ted is CFO. Ted is retired from his former career as an Economist. He earned his Ph.D. from the London School of Economics in 1980 and in 2022, the Province awarded him the June Callwood volunteer award in recognition of his contributions to land conservation and relations with First Nations in Ontario. Ted was the driving force behing EBC's successful campaign to acquire Heaven's Gate last year and he continues to work tirelessly to support the organization.

Roy Jeffery. Roy has been a board member of EBC for over 20 years and and is now an officer, serving as Director of Land Stewardship. He and his wife Cathy have contributed personally to every major land acquisition on the island and north shore! He has also created and maintained nearly all of EBC's public hiking trails on Manitoulin Island, and has been the volunteer manager of Freer Point nature preserve since it was acquired. Roy has been a family physician in northern Ontario for 40 years and won the northern Ontario family physician of the year award in 2008. He has served on the board of Manitoulin Health Centre and as Chief of Staff. In addition to his medical career and community involvement, Roy is committed to strong, ethical management of EBC with a focus on stewardship to protect and maintain its assets. He believes in engaging traditional Indigenous landowners in the management and stewardship process to ensure that their voices are heard and their rights respected. Roy's dedication to EBC has been instrumental in the organization's success, and his contributions have helped to make Manitoulin Island and the north shore a better place for everyone.

Jason Harlow. Jason Harlow joined the Board in 2022 and currently serves as EBC's Secretary. Jason is faculty in the Physics Department at the University of Toronto St. George campus. His focus is physics education research and he is responsible for delivering one of the largest physics courses in Canada. He is the Chair of Public Outreach in Physics, serves on U of T's Academic Board and previously served as Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies. He has a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the Pennsylvania State University, and he keeps a small telescope which he likes to set up on EBC’s properties to take advantage of the beautiful dark skies.

Samantha Angel. Samantha is the incoming CCO at EBC, overseeing the communications team. Previously she served as Chair of the Western GTA Summit's Live Task Force and was Vice Chair of the Mississauga Arts Council. In 2014, Samantha ran for City Council in MIssissauga. Samantha is the CEO of Folio Interiors, a Design-Build firm in MIssissauga. She has 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, with strengths in deisgn and marketing. Samantha grew up on the Escarpment lands and believes that preserving natural infrastructure will protect us from the effects of climate change.

Beth Savan. Beth Savan, Ph.D. joined the EBC board in 2022 and participates on the two committees. Beth was the inaugural Sustainability Director at the University's St. George campus and has held leadership positions in various NGO and government agencies, including serving as Chair of the Environmental Assessment Panel for the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Co-Chairing the City of Toronto's Sustainability Round Table. She is an award-winning teacher and broadcaster and has a rich history of public service and is a faculty member at the University of Toronto's School of Environment. She has received many large research grants and published widely for both academic and popular audiences. Beth is committed to supporting EBC's mission to acquire and steward properties, protect the natural environment they support, and enrich the appreciation of these ecosystems for generations to come.

Beth Anne Currie. Beth Anne Currie, M.A.Sc, B.Sc.N, has been a board member with EBC for 3 years and is committed to supporting fundraising and strategic land acquisitions, particularly in Grey and Bruce Counties. She provides leadership to the EBC Stewardship Committee, collaborating with EBC staff to ensure that nature preserves have appropriate signage, Indigenous recognition, up-to-date stewardship plans, species inventories, mapping directories, and volunteer land 'stewards' who visit and document naturalist observations at nature preserves at least once per year. She is an applied science researcher with over 30 years of professional experience in healthcare, education, environmental management, and agricultural research. Beth Anne is also a board member with two other Ontario-based, non-profit, charitable organizations, including as Chair of the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory and the Sustainability Project. She lives with her family in rural Georgian Bluffs, near Owen Sound, Ontario.

Chris Peabody. Chris Peabody joined the board in 2021, shortly after making a significant land donation to EBC. He is also the current Mayor of Brockton, and has a history of public service. He has served on several boards, including the Police Service Board, Bruce County Long Term Care, Brockton Environmental Advisory Committee, Board of Health, Bruce County Women's House, and Bruce Area Recycling. Chris has also been an advocate for environmental causes and graduated from the University of Waterloo's Environmental Studies Program. In addition, he collaborated with Bob Barnett in 2006 to create one of the Conservancy's key properties at Sucker Creek through a hybrid donation/purchase, and in 2014, donated 80 acres along the escarpment overlooking Georgian Bay.

Karen MacDuffee. Karen joined EBC's board in 2015 and since that time has has served as chief steward at the Alvar Bay site, near Tobermory. Together with her partner, Catherine Lake, Karen donated considerable resources to establish a consistent revenue stream for the charity. Karen recently retired after a career, working on behalf of vulnerable people at the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee. She has an undergraduate degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Guelph. Karen is an avid outdoors woman and canoeist. She has a love of nature and is committed to furthering EBC's goals for responsible land conservation.

Robert Patrick. Robert Patrick joined the EBC Board in 2016 and brought with him extensive experience as a retired Capital Projects professional who worked with the Ontario government on the Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy. He has a sociology degree from U of T and an Industrial Management Certificate from Ryerson University. Robert has been a community volunteer for over 40 years, serving on several committees in the Town of Oakville. He also served on the Support and Housing Halton Board of Directors for 18 years, where he chaired the board for 7 years and was recognized with the John Kidston Legacy Award. Currently, Robert serves on the Board of the Ontario Environment Network as well as EBC. He is a strong advocate for EBC's mission to acquire and steward properties in a responsible manner, believing in the importance of securing, enhancing, and protecting natural landscapes from inappropriate development.

Linda Wilson. Linda has been an EBC Board Member since 1998 when she worked on the preservation of the Cup and Saucer/Michigiwadinong on Manitoulin Island. She is a retired educator, with qualifications from Toronto Teachers College, a BA in Sociology from McMaster University, and a certificate from OISE. In her retirement, Linda put together a Kids Can Grow program, now teaching gardening and environmental awareness in Ontario schools. She has been instrumental in creating food sovereignty programs such as the Good Food Box, Community Food Bank, Healthy Kids Healthy Community, as well as farmers markets and a large community garden. Linda serves on the EBC's Indigenous Committee and worked on a project to designate Manitoulin as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. She also serves on the EBC's Stewardship Committee and recently made a significant donation of land to the charity. Linda's commitment to the environment and public service has been a significant contribution to EBC and the Manitoulin community.

Marg Gaviller. Marg is a long-time director of EBC, as well as being an early land donor. She is a retired school board trustee and is an avid photographer, specializing in wildflower photography, particularly on the Bruce Trail and other conservation areas. Marg is a member of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists and the Sydenham Bruce Trail Club.