Biographies:

Dörte Köster, President

Dr. Dörte Köster is a senior aquatic scientist who has over 15 years of experience investigating aquatic ecosystems in Canada (mainly Alberta and Ontario), north-eastern U.S. and Germany, with a focus on monitoring, modeling and managing surface water quality. She has successfully managed and completed a variety of scientific synthesis and review studies for a range of government agencies, watershed groups and industry. Since her doctorate and post-doctorate studies, her “pet” specialty has been paleolimnology, the study of lake history. She currently serves as an Associate Editor of the peer-reviewed journal “Lake and Reservoir Management”.

Mike Christensen, Vice President

Mike has been sampling aquatic habitats for 14 years in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.  Mike completed his B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Regina. During his honour thesis Mike developed his passion for lakes as he explored biological recovery in acidified lakes in northern Ontario. Mike also worked for a summer sampling lakes across southern Saskatchewan, cementing his interest in aquatic habitats. Mike then completed his M.Sc. from the University of Alberta where he looked at how multiple stressors impact aquatic communities at the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario.  Mike worked as an aquatic biologist at an environmental consulting firm for over 9 years where he continued to focus on aquatic ecosystems by collecting samples, conducting data analysis and writing reports. Mike has been at EPCOR since 2016 and works as an Environmental Technologist, where he focuses on water quality and quantity in the watersheds that EPCOR operates in.

Amanda Doyle, Treasurer

Amanda is the Director of Lands and Environment at First Nations Technical Services Advisory Group Inc. (TSAG). TSAG is mandated by the Chiefs of Alberta to provide technical support and training to First Nations in the Treaty 6, 7 and 8 regions. Amanda oversees the Environment Department, which supports Alberta First Nation communities in environmental management and planning. Water resources are of particular concern and the Environment Department supports watershed management through community-driven programming that brings together band staff, community Elders and youth to monitor, protect, and conserve water resources.

Breda Muldoon, Secretary

Erin Cameron, Director

Jay White, Past President, Director

Jay White is a Professional Biologist and owner of Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd. in Edmonton. Jay has considerable experience in water and wetland policy, environmental regulations, law, consultation, project management and consensus decision making. He is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and leader. He manages an amazing team of professional biologists who guide and support a variety of development activities. He is currently the Vice-President of the Alberta Water Council, past-president of the Alberta Lake Management Society and is currently active on the Provincial Whirling Disease Committee.

Judy Stewart, Director

Judy is a teacher and lawyer, who currently owns her own law firm in Cochrane, Alberta, where she practices primarily in water law, municipal law, contracts and wills and estates. Judy defended her Master of Laws at the University of Calgary, where her thesis focused on municipal tools to protect wetlands and riparian lands from the impacts of development in Alberta’s White Zone. As the former mayor and councillor in the Town of Cochrane for nine years, (3 as mayor and six as councillor) Judy was instrumental in creating Cochrane’s first escarpment protection policy, waste management bylaw and water conservation policy, and recently assisted Cochrane in developing a wetlands and riparian lands protection policy, and land use bylaw provisions to protect environmentally significant lands. She is regularly called upon to present information about environmental reserves, municipal wetland and riparian land policy development, and municipal building development setbacks. Judy enjoys working with many community groups in land use planning and water management planning to protect sensitive environmental landscapes, especially wetlands and riparian lands.Judy is married to Bruce and they celebrate 35 years married this year.  They have two adult children and a dog named Phread.  They have lived in the same house in Cochrane Alberta since 1980.

Phil Sutton, Director

Phil is a veteran and a retired engineer who has a passion for communications and sailing. To give back to his country, and as a natural progression of his interest in limnology and SCUBA diving, he decided to get involved in water quality. He spent five years as a founding member of the Wabamun Watershed Management Council (WWMC), was a LakeWatch volunteer, and initiated the IR Secchi Disc program within the Central Alberta Recreational Lakes Initiative.

Rebecca Tasko, Director

Rebecca is an Environmental Management Specialist with Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP). She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Alberta and is a Professional Biologist with the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (ASPB). Her studies and a Limnologist summer student position for AEP started her love for environmental science and surface water protection. Rebecca worked as a surface water specialist for four years doing environmental consulting allowing her to develop her current knowledge of environmental compliance, and surface water and groundwater resources in Alberta. Her experience spans from getting her boots wet during river flow monitoring and water quality sampling to helping to develop environmental management frameworks for Alberta’s natural resources in her current position. During her spare time, Rebecca enjoys getting outdoors for running, hiking, scuba diving and other travel adventures.

Rosemarie Ferjuc, Director

Brendan Ganton, Director

Kellie Nichiporik, Director

David Trew, Director

Adam Norris, Director

Staff:

Bradley Peter, Executive Director

Bradley graduated from the University of Alberta in 2010 with a B.Sc. in Ecology, focusing on freshwater biology. In the summer of 2010, Bradley worked for ALMS as a LakeWatch technician and was subsequently hired as the ALMS Program Manager and later as the Executive Director. Bradley strives to ensure ALMS delivers programming to inspire and educate the public about our lakes, reservoirs, and their watersheds.

Caleb Sinn, Program Manager

Caleb’s passion for freshwater ecology developed after spending many summers throughout his childhood at Gull Lake, exploring Alberta’s mountain national parks, and fishing in southern British Columbia. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 2019 with a B.Sc. double-major in Biology and Chemistry, and focused his studies specifically on community and freshwater ecology, environmental chemistry, and analytical chemistry. He also spent two years working on freshwater ecology projects ranging from mountain lake sampling to cyanobacteria monitoring and algal pigment analysis at the University of Alberta. Caleb was a LakeWatch technician in the summer of 2019, and looks forward to coordinating lake monitoring projects and public outreach across Alberta as the ALMS Program Manager.

Tina McLean, Recreational Water Technician

With a passion for water, horsebackriding, and photography, Tina spends her free time exploring the shores of Buffalo Lake, Camrose area, Calgary rivers, and everything in between. In 2018, she graduated from Mount Royal University with a B.Sc in Environmental Science to pursue her interest in freshwater ecology and watershed management. She has worked two summers managing restored wetlands and researching the health of streams in Central Alberta. Having also worked previously as a registered nurse, Tina is excited to combine her interest in the health of both people and the environment in her role with ALMS as the Recreational Water Technician for 2021.

Keri Malanchuk, LakeWatch Technician

Growing up in Calgary, Keri spent her weekends camping and hiking in the nearby Rocky Mountains giving her a love for spending time outdoors. She recently graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. with specialization in Biochemistry, with her options directed towards environmental science. Keri’s previous experience conducting water quality sampling and academic research has fostered an interest in ecotoxicology, specifically cyanobacterial toxins. In her role as a LakeWatch Technician for 2021, she hopes to learn more about her interests in the field and work closely with various members of the lake communities.

Brittany Onysyk, LakeWatch Technician

Growing up in a rural setting in Alberta, Brittany has a great adoration of the environment. She has many childhood memories camping around the province, and spent many summer days at lakes in the greater Edmonton region. Having a deep appreciation for the environment and a desire to conserve it, Brittany graduated from the University of Alberta in 2018 with a B.Sc. in Environmental & Conservation Sciences, majoring in Land Reclamation. Brittany has held various field-based positions throughout the province, and is looking forward to expanding her knowledge on lake health as a LakeWatch Technician in 2021. When she’s not out on the lake, you’ll likely find her out with her dogs!