Board of Directors
Mike Brigham (Chair)
Brian Iler (Secretary)
Laurence Lafond (Vice Chair)
Brent Jackson
Bill Jones
Graham Mudge
David Robertson (Treasurer)
Fidel Reijerse
Scott Snowden
Rebecca Black
Joanna Reynolds
Board Bios
Mike Brigham, BTBM - Chair
Mike Brigham owns a small import/distribution business in Toronto but his real interest lies in renewable energy. In 1985, Mike designed and installed his first off-grid solar electric system at his island cottage north of Toronto. Since then he has designed, installed and helped maintain other off-grid systems for friends and neighbours. In 2003, Mike built his dream home in Toronto that was featured on an episode of World's Greenest Homes. It was built to R2000 standards, and with its solar PV and hot water systems, instead of paying utility bills, Mike actually gets monthly cheques for the excess energy he produces.
Mike chairs the board of the TREC and is President of the TREC SolarShare Co-operative, which now has $4 million worth of solar PV projects completed and generating power, thanks to Ontario's Feed-In Tariff program. He is also a consultant to the Green Energy Act Alliance on the topic of Feed-In Tariffs and is a member of a number of working groups of the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA). Mike's personal goal is to have all of Ontario's electricity supplied by renewable energy by 2025.
Brian Iler, LLB - Secretary
Brian’s a founding partner in the seven-lawyer law firm Iler Campbell LLP in Toronto.
With its primary focus on providing legal services and advice to Ontario’s charities, co-operatives, and non-profits, the firm has a unique niche in the legal community.
Brian has been on the Board of Directors since the begining and he is a founding director of Toronto’s innovative wind energy co-op, Windshare, which erected the wind turbine on Toronto’s waterfront, past chair of Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, a founding director of the Community Power Fund, and a member of the management committee for the Green Energy Act Alliance, which successfully lobbied for that Act and North America’s first feed-in tariffs for electricity generators.
He recently joined the board of directors of the Centre for Social Innovation. He’s been chair of CommunityAIR, which campaigns to close the Island Airport, and disband the Toronto Port Authority, in the interest of a clean, green waterfront for all Torontonians to enjoy.
He’s also a sailor, and is a past Commodore of Alexandra Yacht Club, a self-help boating club at the foot of Bathurst Street in Toronto.
Bill Jones, P. Eng.
Bill Jones joined TREC's Board in 2004. He was a founding member of the Energy Action Council of Toronto. Bill Jones has recently retired from being Senior Engineer at Kinectrics Inc. (previously the Research Division of Ontario Hydro) where he worked on appliance efficiency, residential building science, ventilation and other “wise use” topics. He is presently on release to the Society of Energy Professionals (union of engineers and other professionals with a base in Ontario's electricity sector) as the elected Executive Vice-President - Finance. He has an M.A. Sc. in aerospace studies from the University of Toronto and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario.
Laurence LaFond has been associated with community energy initiatives in Minnesota and Manitoba. He is Chair of the Board for the North America Water Office, the non-profit organization that launched Minnesota's Community-Based Energy Development initiative in 2005. He is also active with the Manitoba Sustainable Energy Association, advocating for a community focusing the Manitoba government's RE policies in 2005. Since early 2006, he has been assisting a group of farmers and rural landowners in Manitoba to organize a 10 MW community owned wind farm project. Laurence has been a member of the TREC Board of Directors since 2007.
Graham Mudge MA, CA
Graham Mudge graduated in 1968 with a B.A. (Honours Business Administration) from the University of Western Ontario. Graham spent 15 years with the Ministry of Community and Social Services of the Ontario Government. He was successively Manager of the budget; Manager of Income Maintenance Programs; and Manager, Funding Policy. During this time he carried out a number of community activities including that of Founding President of the Hugh Garner Housing Co-operative. Since retiring from MCSS in 1988, Graham has worked full-time on a pro-bono basis for a variety of non-profit or charitable organizations mostly in the environmental, social services and social justice areas. These positions generally involve financial management, planning or property development. Graham has been on the TREC Board of Directors since 2001.
David Robertson BAA, CA - Treasurer
David is a chartered accountant and the managing partner of the accounting firm Prentice, Yates & Clark. David specializes in accounting, auditing and financial reporting for non-profit organizations. David graduated with an undergraduate degree from Ryerson in Hospitality and Tourism Management in 1979 and received his designation as a chartered accountant in 1982. David has been on several non-profit boards over the years including FoodShare Toronto and is also a member of Windshare. David's natural focus is accounting and numbers and he is also interested in the accountability of boards to their members and/or shareholders and stakeholders and what form that accountability takes. David has been on TREC's Board of Directors since 2002.
Fidel Reijerse, B.A. Sc., Eng.
Fidel Reijerse is a founder and the President of RESCo Energy Inc., which generates and sells green energy to industrial, commercial and institutional buildings. RESCo's mission is the transformation of buildings from energy consumers to energy generators by providing on-site green energy at the price of traditional energy. Fidel is a graduate of the Geological Engineering programme at the University of Waterloo and has a background in environmental remediation, environmental management systems, eco-efficiency and greening commercial projects. He sits on the Management Committee for the Green Energy Act Alliance; is Chair of the Resource Development Committee for Habitat for Humanity Toronto; a member of the TowerPower Toronto and has advisory roles with a number of private companies. Fidel sits on TREC’s SolarShare Committe and has been on the Board of Directors since 2007.
Scott Snowden, BSc, Eng.
Scott Snowden is an entrepreneur specializing in Project Management and Software Design. Scott is a founding partner of Trioro Inc. a Toronto based Internet Technology Agency. Scott is also one of the original founders of Our Power where environmental stewardship and online communities can make a real, tangible and positive impact on our world. Scott graduated from Queen's University with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and has been on the Board of Directors since 2008.
Rebecca Black, MES
Rebecca is a highly creative marketing professional whose proven project management expertise helps renewable energy clients achieve their sustainability and sales goals on time, on budget and in style. Her company, Black Current Marketing, delivers passion and authenticity in tandem with finely tuned organizational talents, resulting in satisfied clients, successful campaigns and oversold events. Prior to working for the past 6 years in the sustainable development sector, Rebecca held senior music industry management positions in Canada, New York and Australia in Artist Development, Label Management and International Business Development roles. She holds a Masters degree in Business and the Environment from York University in Toronto. Rebecca sits on TREC’s SolarShare and LakeWind boards and has been on the TREC Board of Directors since 2008.
Joanna Reynolds, MEd
Joanna has had the pleasure of working in the field of social finance and impact investing since 2008, as a Program Coordinator with Social Innovation Generation and now with the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing. A favourite project of hers has been developing SocialFinance.ca and "Your Guide to Social Finance" that launched in 2011. Previous to this, Joanna worked in the community sector for 10 years. Her education history includes graduating from Queen’s University and completing her MEd at UofT. Website: socialfinance.ca Twitter: joreynolds