John-Paul Malko

I’m a new Canadian citizen, a passionate amateur horticulturalist, and a Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion manager for Deloitte Global – a leading professional services organization. I would very much like
to share my professional experience in DEI and my lived experience as a member of different underrepresented groups to help further the objectives of the Greenhouse. From a horticulture point of
view, I recently moved back to the city after living in the Eastern Townships where I had created an organic ‘wild’ garden focused on biodiversity and also grew some produce. I see this Board membership as a unique opportunity to combine a number of my passions in one role. I believe that my professional experience in the fields of women’s equity, LGBT+ inclusion, mental health, neurodiversity, and disability inclusion would bring a complementary lens to the Greenhouse’s mission to
raise awareness around food issues and strengthening the urban agriculture movement in Montreal. Indeed, I think the Greenhouse’s potential as a catalyst for change in sustainability, socio-economic and
cultural inclusion, and decolonization is extremely exciting. I also believe my experience in internal, external, and change management communications may be an asset to the Board’s work.
In terms of ways of working, I’m skilled at asking the right questions and anticipating challenges, having worked for many years in a highly matrixed organization. In practice this means that I am able to build
consensus across various stakeholders to ensure buy-in and keep projects moving while making sure relevant risk and legal factors are taken into consideration.

On a personal note, having grown up in the inner city, I’m a passionate believer in the right of under-served communities to access healthy, nutritious food and the difference this can make to the educational
outcomes of children and young people. I believe that urban agriculture and promoting a general awareness of how to grow produce, even on a small scale, can make a difference.

Catherine Rokakis

My name is Catherine and I graduated from Concordia University in 2023 with an honor’s undergraduate degree in geography. During my studies at Concordia University, I developed a strong interest in sustainable change and became heavily involved with the
sustainable movement at Concordia. As a non-profit organization, the Concordia Greenhouse’s mission to provide space for projects and groups involved in sustainability is strongly aligned with my values and interests in solving food issues. Due to my interest and
involvement in the sustainability and urban agriculture movement, and the competencies that I have gained during my involvement, I am interested in joining the Concordia Greenhouse’s board of directors and believe that I am a good fit for the position.

From September 2021 until May 2022, I was a member of Concordia’s Sustainability Ambassador Program. This program requires students to volunteer for Concordia groups involved in sustainability and to create new sustainability projects. As part of the program, I
developed, planned, and presented two vermicomposting workshops on campus with another student. During the workshops, we taught them how vermicomposting can help reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. We also taught students how to assemble their own vermicomposting kits, which were funded by Concordia University’s
Sustainability Action Fund and the faculty of Arts and Science. This program allowed me to gain competencies related to financial planning, and event coordination, as well as knowledge related to sustainability and ecological practices.

After completing the program, I became a co-founder and the current lead member of a Zero Waste Concordia initiative, ABCompost. Founded in 2022, our initiative aims to divert campus food waste and compost it locally to reduce methane and carbon emissions. We are currently collecting food waste from Frigo Vert and People’s Potato. We frequently host events and workshops that teach Concordia students how to vermicompost, many of which are hosted in the Concordia Greenhouse. As a member of the initiative, I am in charge of overseeing all activities, including workshop and project management, meeting coordination, and social media management. As a member of ABCompost, I have gained competencies related to leadership, collaborative skills, time management, and project management, which are necessary for joining the board of directors. This initiative has also allowed me to gain competencies in urban agriculture that I believe would be an asset for the Concordia Greenhouse.

Due to my contributions to sustainability initiatives at Concordia, and the competencies I have gained through my involvement, I believe I am a good fit to join the Concordia Greenhouse’s board of directors. If I were to be selected as a board member, I would be ready to make the necessary time commitments and to help the greenhouse make important decisions related to finances, governance, policy and prospective projects. Although the greenhouse has been temporarily relocated, I am interested in working towards student engagement and event planning so that the importance of the Concordia Greenhouse will not be forgotten.

David Norenberg

I attended many extraordinary courses at the Greenhouse before COVID and I long for new offerings! The future of the Greenhouse is thrilling and its contribution to society is not only valuable but desperately needed, and I would love to be a part of its mission.
Next spring, I will complete a Master Gardener certification through Dalhousie University. Maintaining that credential requires continued contribution to the field. While I have already been imaging ways to educate and serve people in my neighborhood, the opportunity to unite my passion with Concordia Greenhouse’s mission opens up countless
possibilities! My home gardens are based on permaculture principles with a goal of creating a ‘suburban homestead.’ Most of the plants in my yard are edible. Beyond the vegetable garden, I grow berry bushes, fruit trees, and plants and flowers I love to drop into salads to surprise people. My wife and I have been building a chicken coop, and this
spring we hope to welcome a new team of “garden helpers.”
My professional experiences are unique assets for this role as well. I worked for years in higher education student services as a coach, advocate, and mentor. Currently, I am an instructional designer and trainer for a software company just down the road from the
Greenhouse. I have experience with educational video and audio production, eLearning creation, as well as professional speaking, training, and facilitation. What I miss though is working closely with people. It would be an honour and privilege to be more engaged with
the Greenhouse’s community.

Finally, I appreciate the presence of the phrase ‘mental health’ as it is subtly woven through the Greenhouse’s marketing and values. Here too I can contribute, certainly as a coach, but also as a practitioner of contemplative practices. As a professional, I found them invaluable
in my practice and integrated them into my work, and was honored for that unique approach to serving people. Additionally, with a colleague, we developed a series of programs to help people explore their beliefs, and we sprinkled contemplative practices throughout. There was always a waiting list to join! Gardens (nature!) are a sanctuary for the spirit. I can imagine wonderful programs combining horticulture and contemplative practices that nurture and support the mental health of the community.

I am so excited about the opportunity to serve the Concordia Greenhouse community through this position!

Samuel Henle (returning)