Myles Sergeant - Executive Director
Dr. Myles Sergeant is a family physician who has worked with vulnerable populations, including new immigrants and refugees, people experiencing homelessness and/or addictions, and the elderly, over the past 25 years.
Recognizing the intersection between environmental issues and health, he is dedicated to addressing climate change issues and has co- founded Partnerships for Environmental Action by Clinicians and Communities for Health care facilities (www.peachhealthontario.com), the charity Trees for Hamilton in 2012 (www.treesforhamilton.ca), and the not-for-profit Shelter Health Network in 2005 (www.shelterhealthnetwork.ca).
Linda Varangu - Senior Advisor, Climate Change
Linda joined the Coalition in 2008 first as Partnership Director, and then as the founding Executive Director for another six years. As Executive Director, Linda led the Coalition from a voluntary network to a National incorporated not-for-profit membership-based organization which is now recognized as Canada’s primary thought leader on green health care and climate change resiliency. Under Linda’s leadership, important resources, toolkits, programs and pilots were created for health care facilities, earning the Coalition a strong and respected national voice. The Coalition has worked with numerous federal and provincial departments as well as various foundations, utilities, and private sector sponsors. In addition, under Linda’s leadership the Coalition explored the opportunities to develop social enterprises by piloting a Green Revolving Fund and an energy services consultancy through Health Care Energy Leaders Ontario (HELO). The HELO program continues to be offered, and is now available Canada-wide as HEL-C. The projects Linda has led for the Coalition have been recognized by national and international awards promoting energy efficiency in health care and action on climate change.
Linda has been empowering health care facilities to improve environmental stewardship since the 1980’s. Thankfully there has been much progress since then! Linda has led projects to reduce waste and use of toxic chemicals, provide healthy local foods, save energy and water and help facilities prepare and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Over the years Linda has contributed to a healthier planet by helping build coalitions, networks, social enterprises and not-for-profits with an environmental purpose.
Linda holds a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry and Biology) and Masters in Environmental Engineering.
In September Linda transitioned to a new position - Senior Advisor, Climate Change.
Linda can be reached at linda@greenhealthcare.ca
Kent Waddington - Communications Director
Kent Waddington, a freelance environmental coach and communicator, is a co-founder of the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care and is currently the Coalition’s Communications Director. An environmentalist since high school, Kent has spent much of the past fifteen years engaged in coaching members of the Canadian health services sector as they develop and adopt more environmentally responsible practices within their organisations.
For seven years he developed programme content and educational collateral for the Canadian government's Energy Innovators Initiative (NRCan) from within a health care framework as the Energy Efficiency Coordinator for the Canadian College of Health Services. Throughout that time, Kent created sector-specific initiatives related to environmental sustainability including National Health Care Energy Efficiency Awareness Week, Energy Perspectives, the sector's first energy management newspaper, A Resource Guide for Energy Efficiency Awareness Champions, the CCHSE/OEE National Energy Management Award, and coordinated and assisted in the design, deployment and analysis of the first national research study to assess energy efficiency practices and awareness levels in the Canadian health services sector.
He has also developed materials and written for the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society, the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation, the Royal Ottawa Hospital, and Natural Resources Canada's CBIP Programme. Kent continues to author newsletters, web content and develop environmental stewardship Initiative materials for one of Canada's largest Fortune 500 companies supporting health care sites across Canada. He has spoken on energy efficiency and the greening of health care at conferences across Canada and his writing and photography have appeared in local, national and foreign publications/websites including Healthcare Forum, Hospital News, Canadian Society of Nutrition Management News, Senor Care Canada, Canadian Property Management, Stride, Air Canada's Enroute magazine, and Substance (UK).
Kent is also a past research team associate with Royal Roads University's School of Environment and Sustainability and a founding Board member of the National Environmental Treasure, a people's trust fund devoted to the exclusive funding of Canadian environmental organizations.
Kent can be reached at kent@greenhealthcare.ca
June Kaminski - Project Coordinator, Preparing Canada's Health Care Buildings for Net-Zero
June Kaminski has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Education, Curriculum Studies at UBC. She is joining the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care to support Canadian health care agencies and organizations to undertake net-zero transitions and mitigation.
June has volunteered with the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment for the past fourteen years in a variety of roles and worked in nursing education, writing, and research for 35 years. She actively encourages all health professionals to become ecologically literate and proactive in protecting the health of Canadians and the planet. She is also very dedicated to supporting self-governance in First Nations, Inuit, and Metis health, education and environmental stewardship.
June can be reached at june@greenhealthcare.ca
Autumn Sypus - Project Manager & Marketing Specialist
Autumn Sypus is a dedicated professional with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria, in British Columbia Canada. She has been instrumental in advancing the mission of the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, where she acts as the Project Coordinator. In this role, Autumn spearheads initiatives aimed at fostering sustainability, enhancing climate resilience, and achieving net-zero objectives within Canada's health services sector.
With a keen focus on innovation and collaboration, Autumn has excelled in developing and implementing numerous educational programs and resources tailored to champions in the green health care community. Her adept leadership and strategic vision have facilitated successful partnerships with like-minded non-profit organizations, hospitals, long-term care homes, businesses and governments.
Autumn can be reached at autumn@greenhealthcare.ca
Alex Hutton - Executive Lead/Project Advisor
Alex's career has been in pursuit of answers to a question that arose in childhood, to the effect of: “how can humans develop a more harmonious relationship with the natural systems we live within?”. This question led her to study Environmental Engineering and then chart a course within the “green buildings" field. The roles Alex held evolved from junior design engineer, building performance simulation specialist, energy team lead, energy and emissions manager, and now independent consultant with a focus on applying a regenerative, or living systems, approach to change.
Over ten years of Alex’s career have been within facilities management departments in the health care sector, where she experienced primary barriers to progress were not technical, but about building the individual and collective will to question and deviate from the status quo.
Ari Campbell - Program Manager
Ari brings over 10 years of combined experience in advocacy, research, external relations, and campaigning, supporting and leading initiatives at a U15 students' union, social enterprises, and data-driven organizations focused on engagement and policy solutions.
With a background in sustainable community development, literature, and psychology from Simon Fraser and McGill, Ari is committed to empowering others to drive change in ways that work best for them. Passionate about stewardship and long-term impact, she enjoys supporting friends with land and water conservation, waste reduction, gardening, and art.
Ari can be reached at ari@greenhealthcare.ca.
Sandra Alexandra - Project Manager, Single-Use Plastics Reduction
Sandra graduated from McMaster University with a MSc. in Global Health. Combining her passion for promoting human health and years of experience leading interdisciplinary teams to implement sustainable changes, she joins the Coalition as the manager for the Single-Use Plastics Reduction Project. Led by her enthusiasm for innovation, Sandra is eager to collaborate with healthcare and environmental leaders to build a healthier future for people and the environment.
Sandra can be reach at sandra@greenhealthcare.ca.
Mikayla Robinson - Marketing and Outreach Coordinator
Mikayla is currently pursuing her Master of Global Health at McMaster University, after graduating from McMaster with a bachelor’s degree in Sensory Motor Systems and minors in Sustainability and Community Engagement. Throughout her studies, she assumed leadership roles in various experiential learning projects, promoting sustainability in the McMaster and Hamilton communities, focusing on food accessibility, environmental issues, and women's health.
When she isn't hiking on her weekends, she is deeply engaged in sustainability efforts with the Coalition. The Coalition perfectly aligns with her passion for the environment, sustainability, and health care. Mikayla's long-term goal is to work in rural health care as part of a sustainable solution to improve access to climate-resilient primary care.
Mikayla can be reached at mikayla@greenhealthcare.ca.
Luz Paczka - Administrative Assistant
Luz is a Mexican-Colombian health designer with a background in neuroscience and psychology. By embracing her own creativity, she decided to pursue a career that bridges the gap between creative thinking and healthcare to address community health issues and health inequities.
Luz has also decided to bring her personal values and experiences to her professional life, reason why she decided to focus her health design abilities on themes environmental sustainability, mental health, and health equity.
Luz can be reached at luz@greenhealthcare.ca
Melody Li - Project Coordination Assistant
Melody has an Honours Bachelor of Science (HBSc) degree in Environment and Toxicology from the University of Toronto with minors in Environmental Science and Physiology. She possesses diverse experience, including student leadership and outreach; virtual facilitation; lead research, generation, outreach, and engagement; front-line customer service; administration; as well as transcription and captioning.
Melody is deeply passionate about the environment, health care, as well as social justice, and has always wanted to work for a nonprofit and help make the world a better place by taking on interdisciplinary work that is meaningful, rewarding, and impactful. She looks forward to working with the Coalition team to learn more about green health care and environmentally sustainable, net-zero, and climate-resilient health systems and contributing to work that paves the way for a greener and healthier landscape in the Canadian health care sector.
Melody can be reached at melody@greenhealthcare.ca.
Sama Hameed - Communications Lead, Canadian Health Care Forests
Sama is a recent graduate from McMaster University with a degree in Life Sciences and a minor in Business. During her studies, she played a key role in organizing a community tree planting event to raise awareness about sustainability, contributing to the planting of 350 native trees for the McMaster Carbon Sink Forest. The project received awards, including the 2023 Hamilton Environmentalists of the Year.
Currently, Sama works in health care and pharmaceuticals, aiming to make the industry greener. Her contribution to the CCGHC involves coordinating a nationwide healthcare forest initiative, where she collaborates with organizations and healthcare facilities to implement tree plantings and establish pollinator gardens for a healthier, happier planet.
Sama can be reached at sama@greenhealthcare.ca