INVESTING IN BC CONSERVATION SINCE 1981
CONTACT US|CAREERS|BLOG     

The HCTF Board is made up of
leaders in science and conservation. Appointees come from government, the BC Wildlife Federation, the Guide Outfitters Association of BC, and the BC Trappers Association, who recruit additional individuals to bring diverse perspectives and experience from across BC. All members are both Directors of the Foundation and Trustees of the Habitat Conservation Trust.

Greg Anderson

Chair

Ken Ashley

Vice Chair

Dan Buffett

Chief Executive Officer

Karen Dunstan

Scott Ellis

Manjit Kerr-Upal

Les Husband

David Lewis

Kathy Parker

Don Wilkins

Richard Elliott

Kate Hewitt

Eric Taylor

CLOSE

Greg Anderson

Chair

Greg joined the HCTF Board of Directors & Trustees in 2018 shortly after retiring as the first Executive Director of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC that was created by government in 2016. Prior to joining FESBC, Greg retired from the BC government in 2011 following a 35-year career with both the BC and Alberta Forest Services. Coming to BC in 1992, Greg spent 12 years as an Operations Manager responsible for day-to-day program delivery in the former Invermere Forest District, during which time he also coordinated and led the “Enhanced Forest Management Pilot Project” that was established to develop innovative forest management practices for province-wide application. From 1996 – 2004, Greg initiated and led BC’s first “Rocky Mountain Trench Ecosystem Restoration Program” and was a founding member and inaugural Chair of the BC Prescribed Fire Council during that time. In 2004/05, Greg successfully completed an assignment as the government appointed decision maker responsible for implementing the Province’s then controversial “Bill 28 – Forestry Revitalization Act” in the central and southern interior. Serving as the Province’s first Ecosystem Restoration Manager from 2005 until his retirement, Greg was nominated for the British Columbia Excellence Award in Forest Management in both 2009 and 2010 for his innovative leadership in this role. After retiring, Greg served a decade as the Chair of the Columbia Basin Trust’s Environmental Advisory Committee. He continues to serve on the technical review committee for the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund. Greg is currently serving a third term as a Councillor for the District of Invermere and previously served four terms as a Trustee and Chair for Rocky Mountain School District #6. Greg has a BSc in Forestry from the U of A and a MSc in Wilderness Management from Colorado State University.

Ken Ashley

Vice Chair

Ken received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. at UBC in the Zoology Department, specializing in aquatic ecology, and an M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. at UBC in the Faculty of Applied Sciences in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He worked for the Ministry of Environment in the Fisheries Research and Development Section on the UBC campus from 1979 to 2005, initially as a project biologist, and eventually as Section Head for Fisheries Restoration and Bioengineering. While in this position he conducted a set of large-scale adaptive management experiments, and is internationally recognized for his research in the design, operation and effects of hypolimnetic aeration systems, lake/reservoir fertilization, and stream/river enrichment. Ken received the Murray A. Newman Award for Significant Achievement in Aquatic Research in 1997, Fisheries Professional of the Year from the BC Ministry of Environment in 1999 and the Seth Diamond Award for Interdisciplinary Conservation Research from the University of Idaho-Moscow and University of Montana-Missoula in 2001. Ken transferred to the Greater Vancouver Regional District from 2005 to 2007 as Senior Engineer and was the project lead for the Environmental Management team, with responsibility for raw drinking water quality, and monitoring the environmental effects of wastewater discharges from the regions five wastewater treatment plants and municipal water withdrawals from the Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam rivers. Dr. Ashley is currently Director of the Rivers Institute at BCIT, an instructor in BCIT’s Ecological Restoration Program and is an Adjunct Professor in Civil Engineering at UBC.

Dan Buffett

Chief Executive Officer

Dan Buffett joined the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation as Chief Executive Officer in February 2020. Dan brings over 25 years of conservation experience from years spent protecting and restoring BC's wetlands with Ducks Unlimited Canada. During that time he completed a master’s degree in Resource and Environmental Management from Simon Fraser University. Dan’s background in hands-on habitat restoration and conservation planning serves him well as he leads HCTF in our mission to improve conservation outcomes for BC’s fish, wildlife and habitat areas.

Karen Dunstan

Born and raised in Lytton, BC, Karen is Nlaka’pamux, a member of the Lytton First Nation (LFN), residing on her family farm on the westside of the Fraser River in Lytton, BC, with her spouse Bob. Karen is currently working for Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal Council (NNTC) under the corporation of A.E.W. LP, as Community Coordinator. AEW LP was formed in 2017 by the NNTC Communities to carry out on-the-groundwork related to archeology, environment, and wildlife protection. AEW LP is guided by the fundamental Nlaka’pamux Law: “Take care of the land and the land will take care of you” With years of experience working with First Nations in various organizations within her community, she was Economic Development Manager for LFN for 9 years, prior to that she worked as the Executive Assistant to Chief and Council of LFN; supported students in grades 8 to 12 at Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux School as the Career Personal and Planning Teacher; worked as the Lytton First Nation Child Welfare Planning Secretary during the planning-phase for Nlha’7Kapmx Child and Family Services (NCFS) and then as the Executive Secretary to the Board of Directors, as well as the Financial Administrator for NCFS for eight years. This work experience has given Karen a wide range of experience working with corporations, municipal, federal, and provincial governments and developing relationships with BC Indigenous governments such as Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC). Karen has a certificate in banking and financial services, Simply Accounting through Thompson Rivers University. She is also certified in Professional Aboriginal Economic Development through the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO), completed the Ch ‘nook Aboriginal Management Program at the UBC Sauder School of Business and completed the Archeological Field Assistant Program through Camosun College. Karen has experience of being a board member for New Pathways to Gold Society, the Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations (CFDC-CIFN), Lytton District Chamber of Commerce and BC Trappers Association. She remains to be a Board Member for Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux School Board, which is owned by the Lytton First Nation. In her spare-time, she enjoys beading, sewing, hunting, trapping, camping, fishing, gold panning, gardening, gathering traditional foods, food preservation & cooking. But most of all, spending time with family, especially her grandchildren.

Scott Ellis

Scott grew up in Campbell River where his family owned a fishing resort. He started his outdoor profession as a saltwater salmon guide while attending high school and college. In 2011 Scott completed his Masters of Business Administration from Athabasca University with a focus on governance and strategic planning. Scott began as Executive Director of the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC) in January 2008. The vision of the GOABC is “A province with a strong and stable guide outfitting industry and abundant wildlife populations for all to enjoy, both today and in the future.” Scott is dedicated to improving the outfitting industry for his members and their families. As the CEO for GOABC he is on several committees including, the Provincial Hunting and Trapping Advisory Team and the Provincial Angling Advisory Team. He is also the co-chair of the Adventure Tourism Coalition, our appointee on Unlikley Allies, one of the spokesmen for the Fish Wildlife Habitat Coalition. Scott is also vice president of the Canadian Federation of Outfitter Associations who lobby on all federal outfitting matters. Scott is an advocate for conservation and sustainable use who is very passionate about maintaining our outdoor heritage.

Manjit Kerr-Upal

Manjit is the Director, Aquatic Conservation Science in the Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship. She has been leading a team of researchers and applied researchers on provincial fish and wildlife conservation priorities for the past six years. Before moving to British Columbia, Manjit worked for the Government of Canada for 20 years on many national conservation and climate change initiatives, including being the first national coordinator of the Ecological Gifts Program. Manjit lives within the traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples (Victoria) and is an active advocate of inclusivity and accessibility.

Les Husband

Les Husband was born and raised in Revelstoke and after pursuing a degree in Education at UBC decided that a career in what was then known as the Forest Service was a better option. This also led Les to move with his family to Prince George in 1993. Les has held a number of positions with the Forest Service, including in Revenue, Small Scale Salvage and as a Woodlands Manger with BC Timber Sales. The past 12 years Les has been a manager with the BC Wildfire Service, 10 managing the Prince George Fire Center and the last two as the Deputy Director until his recent retirement after 32 years working for the Provincial Government. Les’s interests have always included sports, having played college basketball and volleyball and the outdoors where Les continues to be an avid angler, hunter and trapper. Outdoor interests are what have led Les to 40 years of involvement in conservation organizations, from local Fish and Game associations to being involved on the Board of Directors of the Wild Sheep Society, BC Trappers Association and the BC Wildlife Federation where he also served as president. Les has two children and summers are spent camping and fishing with family and friends on the many lakes of central BC while the fall usually includes a fly in trip somewhere in northern BC.

David Lewis

David is currently the Vice President for the BCWF Board of Directors, and still maintains and represents Region 6 as President. This gives David the insight, knowledge, and experience to make informed decisions about current issues facing BC wildlife and freshwater fisheries and how to move forward for the betterment of BCWF members and the province. David has worked tirelessly to represent the membership in hunting, fishing, and conservation. He has done this by working with all levels of government and providing advice on behalf of the membership. Some of the committees and boards that David sits on include the Skeena Angling Advisory Team, Provincial Angling Advisory Team, Prince Rupert Sport Fishing Advisory Committee and Sport Fishing Advisory Board. In addition, David is the chair of the Northwest Fish and Wildlife Conservation Association. David has a deep respect for the land and water which started at a young age when his father first put a fishing rod in his hand. In David’s spare time he can be found hunting and fishing.

Kathy Parker

Kathy Parker is a wildlife ecologist and physiologist. She retired from university teaching and research in 2019 after 25 years at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in Prince George. She was a founding member of the University in the Forestry Program, which became part of a larger interdisciplinary Ecosystem Science and Management Program. Kathy obtained her PhD in Zoology from Washington State University, working on the energetic constraints of snow and variable temperatures for mule deer and elk. Before joining UNBC, she conducted research on coastal black-tailed deer and associated values of old-growth forests in BC and Alaska; muskoxen and tundra caribou in the Arctic; and pronghorn antelope and pygmy rabbits in sagebrush ecosystems. At UNBC, Dr. Parker and students researched wildlife-habitat interactions and vulnerabilities to changing landscapes for species as diverse as flying squirrels and woodland caribou. During 20 years she served as the Ian McTaggart-Cowan Muskwa-Kechika Research Professor, working to quantify the ecological web of interactions among focal large mammals (Stone’s sheep, caribou, moose, elk, wolves, grizzly bears) in the remote Muskwa-Kechika Management Area of northern BC. Kathy has been honored for her commitment to wildlife conservation and management by receiving Teaching in Excellence Awards from UNBC and Publication Awards from The Wildlife Society. She was a recipient of the BC Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Award for the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area Program involving UNBC, the Muskwa-Kechika Advisory Board, and the BC government. Kathy was named a Fellow of The Wildlife Society (an award given to individuals who have distinguished themselves through exceptional service to the profession), and she remains a Professor Emerita at UNBC.

Don Wilkins

Don Wilkins grew up in the Grand Forks – Christina Lake area of BC. Moving from Victoria to Prince George, with a degree in Education, he taught high school sciences for 33 years, retiring in 2006. In addition, he worked for 13 years as part time Provincial Emergency Program Area Coordinator. Don is an avid trapper, shooter and hunter. He is a past President of the BC Trappers Association and a past President of the Spruce City Wildlife Association. He has been a CORE instructor and is currently a Master Instructor for federal PAL courses. He has travelled the province extensively.

Richard Elliott

Richard is the Executive Director of the Water Management and the Fish & Wildlife Branches in the Ministry of Forests. Richard has been fortunate enough to have worked around the province in a variety of roles, including indigenous relations, major projects, authorizations, strategic initiatives, and tenures and engineering. Richard currently lives in Victoria with his wife Kristen and their rescue cat from Kuwait, Paco OchoCino. When not enjoying everything island life has to offer, including the quiet solitude of being empty nesters, Richard and Kristen can be found on the golf course several times a week perfecting their golf game.

Kate Hewitt

Kate Hewitt is an Environmental Project Manager currently with the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources as project lead for the Pacific, Prairies, and North regions. Kate is responsible for delivering and facilitating projects related to Climate Change and Energy, Traditional Knowledge, and Biodiversity as they relate to collaborative initiatives and partnerships with Indigenous communities and various stakeholders. Kate has focused much of her professional career on Wildlife Management and Conservation Planning, leading to the attainment of the Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) designation specializing in Natural Resource Management. Kate has worked with Indigenous communities in B.C. since 2016 and previously served the role as Co-Chair and now ongoing Mentor of the First Nations – B.C. Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum which led to a nomination for the B.C. Premier’s Award for Partnership in 2020. Kate attained an HBA in Human Geography and Social Anthropology from the University of Toronto and two advanced diplomas in Ecosystem Management from Sir Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay, Ontario.

Eric Taylor

Eric (Rick) Taylor is a full professor of Zoology and Director of the Fish Collection at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum where he also served as museum Director from 2013-2020. He studies the patterns and processes promoting the origins and persistence of biodiversity and the application of such knowledge to conservation, especially in fishes. He graduated with a PhD in Zoology from UBC in 1989, spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Dalhousie University, then 1.5 years as a visiting research fellow at the Pacific Biological Station before retuning to UBC in 1993. Between 2000 and 2018, he was involved with, or a member of, COSEWIC (the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) and its Chair between 2014 and 2018. In 2016, he was elected as a Fellow of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Autumn 2021 saw the release of his book Rivers Run Through Us: A Natural and Human History of Great Rivers of North America (Rocky Mountain Books). He has a new book forthcoming in the autumn of 2024, Pacific Salmon: Their History, Our History.