Meet our U-Links Staff
Dr. Andrew Gordon, Director
Andy is our Director and has been in that position since 2021. He holds a B.Sc.F. in Forest Science from the University of New Brunswick and a Ph.D. in Ecosystem Ecology from the University of Alaska. For 32 years, he was a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, where he taught and researched in the broad areas of Agroforestry and Forest Ecology. Andy and his family have
been associated with the Highlands, Dorset and Algonquin Park since the late 1940’s, and recently relocated here. After working for many years in Agroforestry research and development, Andy has a strong appreciation for sustainable agriculture, locally sourced foods and the impacts of climate change on food production systems. He also has a strong interest in the interaction of aquatic and terrestrial systems and has conducted research on these linkages in and around Haliburton. He is dedicated to finding logical solutions to resource management and societal problems and welcomes input from all sectors. He resides in Minden Hills with his wife and son, who pitches and plays first base for the Muskoka Hornets out of Bracebridge. As a result, he drives Hwy 118 on a regular basis and marvels at the rocks, trees and water that comprise this neck of the woods, and how research can maintain them and the societies that inhabit them.
Andy is our Director and has been in that position since 2021. He holds a B.Sc.F. in Forest Science from the University of New Brunswick and a Ph.D. in Ecosystem Ecology from the University of Alaska. For 32 years, he was a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, where he taught and researched in the broad areas of Agroforestry and Forest Ecology. Andy and his family have
been associated with the Highlands, Dorset and Algonquin Park since the late 1940’s, and recently relocated here. After working for many years in Agroforestry research and development, Andy has a strong appreciation for sustainable agriculture, locally sourced foods and the impacts of climate change on food production systems. He also has a strong interest in the interaction of aquatic and terrestrial systems and has conducted research on these linkages in and around Haliburton. He is dedicated to finding logical solutions to resource management and societal problems and welcomes input from all sectors. He resides in Minden Hills with his wife and son, who pitches and plays first base for the Muskoka Hornets out of Bracebridge. As a result, he drives Hwy 118 on a regular basis and marvels at the rocks, trees and water that comprise this neck of the woods, and how research can maintain them and the societies that inhabit them.
Daniela Pagliaro, Administration & Logistics Coordinator
Daniela is our Administration and Logistics Coordinator. She helps make U-Links hum along smoothly by providing support for operations, logistics, financial management, and program delivery. Daniela is a long-time resident of Haliburton County and has a lifetime of experience working in a leadership role in the arts and culture sector as well as in social services in rural and First Nations communities. Daniela loves travel and adventure and has recently returned to Canada after living and working in Zhuhai, China. One of her greatest adventures was sailing across the Indian Ocean on a 150 foot sailing vessel with Captain Peter Willcox, legendary Greenpeace captain of the Rainbow Warrior. In her spare time she operates a small-batch, handmade pasta business.
Daniela is our Administration and Logistics Coordinator. She helps make U-Links hum along smoothly by providing support for operations, logistics, financial management, and program delivery. Daniela is a long-time resident of Haliburton County and has a lifetime of experience working in a leadership role in the arts and culture sector as well as in social services in rural and First Nations communities. Daniela loves travel and adventure and has recently returned to Canada after living and working in Zhuhai, China. One of her greatest adventures was sailing across the Indian Ocean on a 150 foot sailing vessel with Captain Peter Willcox, legendary Greenpeace captain of the Rainbow Warrior. In her spare time she operates a small-batch, handmade pasta business.
Frank Figuli, Program Coordinator
Frank Figuli is our Program Coordinator. Holding a Honours Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from the University of Guelph. In his professional career Frank has gained ecological research experience in laboratory and field settings allowing him to gain hands-on knowledge to hone an understanding of natural ecosystems and their intricate workings. Before his post-secondary advancements Frank developed years of hands-on skills within numerous trades including structural welding, machine operating as well as involvement in a family renovation business from his early teenage years. Having a keen interest in the genetic makeup of plants and their role in ecological systems, Frank strives to make a positive impact in environmental preservation, leveraging his diverse background to drive impactful initiatives. Beyond his professional pursuits, Frank finds joy in exploring the great outdoors through hiking trips and fishing on the Great Lakes with his dad.
Frank Figuli is our Program Coordinator. Holding a Honours Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from the University of Guelph. In his professional career Frank has gained ecological research experience in laboratory and field settings allowing him to gain hands-on knowledge to hone an understanding of natural ecosystems and their intricate workings. Before his post-secondary advancements Frank developed years of hands-on skills within numerous trades including structural welding, machine operating as well as involvement in a family renovation business from his early teenage years. Having a keen interest in the genetic makeup of plants and their role in ecological systems, Frank strives to make a positive impact in environmental preservation, leveraging his diverse background to drive impactful initiatives. Beyond his professional pursuits, Frank finds joy in exploring the great outdoors through hiking trips and fishing on the Great Lakes with his dad.
Jordan McDonald, Environmental Research Associate
Jordan McDonald is our Environmental Research Associate. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology with an Emphasis in Conservation Biology from Trent University, and is currently a M.Sc. candidate at Trent in the Bioenvironmental Monitoring and Assessment graduate program. Her M.Sc. thesis focuses on the endangered Ambystoma salamanders found on Pelee Island, ON., and the interactions between both their terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Jordan has spent time working and volunteering with various environmental organizations, such as Kawartha Land Trust and the Ontario Turtle Conservation Center in Peterborough, ON. In her spare time she enjoys exploring the local trails in the Haliburton Highlands with her dog, and rides horses competitively in local barrel racing competitions.
Jordan McDonald is our Environmental Research Associate. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology with an Emphasis in Conservation Biology from Trent University, and is currently a M.Sc. candidate at Trent in the Bioenvironmental Monitoring and Assessment graduate program. Her M.Sc. thesis focuses on the endangered Ambystoma salamanders found on Pelee Island, ON., and the interactions between both their terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Jordan has spent time working and volunteering with various environmental organizations, such as Kawartha Land Trust and the Ontario Turtle Conservation Center in Peterborough, ON. In her spare time she enjoys exploring the local trails in the Haliburton Highlands with her dog, and rides horses competitively in local barrel racing competitions.
Meet Our Management Committee Members
Jim Blake, Co-Chair
Jim is currently the Community Economic Development Consultant for the Haliburton County Development Corporation, Curator of the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, the Program Consultant for the Arts Council ~Haliburton County, and a part-time faculty member at the Fleming College, Haliburton Campus with the Haliburton School of The Arts. Jim is the co-founder and president of the Haliburton County Community Co-operative and co-founder and co-chair of the management committee member of the U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research in Haliburton County. He served as a member of the advisory committee for the Haliburton School of The Arts from 2006 to 2009. In the spring of 2007, Jim was awarded the Fleming College Fellowship in Applied Education. Jim studied fine art at University of Guelph, York University and the New School of Art and exhibited his work as a visual artist from 1976 to 1984. He holds degrees in Psychology and Education from York University.
Jim is currently the Community Economic Development Consultant for the Haliburton County Development Corporation, Curator of the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, the Program Consultant for the Arts Council ~Haliburton County, and a part-time faculty member at the Fleming College, Haliburton Campus with the Haliburton School of The Arts. Jim is the co-founder and president of the Haliburton County Community Co-operative and co-founder and co-chair of the management committee member of the U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research in Haliburton County. He served as a member of the advisory committee for the Haliburton School of The Arts from 2006 to 2009. In the spring of 2007, Jim was awarded the Fleming College Fellowship in Applied Education. Jim studied fine art at University of Guelph, York University and the New School of Art and exhibited his work as a visual artist from 1976 to 1984. He holds degrees in Psychology and Education from York University.
Larry Clarke, Co-Chair
Larry was formerly a Councilor with the Municipality of Dysart et al and the Township of Minden Hills, and is currently self-employed (part time) as a business services advisor, helping companies improve management of their expenses, assets and operations. Larry’s background includes project and general management in support of development and change for financial, legal and government clients. This has included technology strategies and project management in support of business operations and administration systems; professional services coordination and management and systems and business contingency planning and development. Since moving to the Minden area, Larry has been an active member and director with the Chamber of Commerce, and enjoys participating in community and cultural events. Larry has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, and has also received certifications in Project Management and IT Service Management.
Larry was formerly a Councilor with the Municipality of Dysart et al and the Township of Minden Hills, and is currently self-employed (part time) as a business services advisor, helping companies improve management of their expenses, assets and operations. Larry’s background includes project and general management in support of development and change for financial, legal and government clients. This has included technology strategies and project management in support of business operations and administration systems; professional services coordination and management and systems and business contingency planning and development. Since moving to the Minden area, Larry has been an active member and director with the Chamber of Commerce, and enjoys participating in community and cultural events. Larry has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, and has also received certifications in Project Management and IT Service Management.
Tom Whillans
Tom has been a member of the U-Links Management Committee since its inception. Between 1989 and 2003 with John Wadland he created the Haliburton Bioregional Project -- a senior Trent University course that served as the foundation for U-Links. Tom has been a professor at Trent University since 1983, nine of those years as as Chair of the Environmental and Resource Science/Studies Program. He works on community-based engagement with wetlands and fisheries, ecological restoration, Great Lakes environmental management, and was involved for 10 years in the development of an Ecuadorian/Andean network on integrated watershed management.
Tom has been a member of the U-Links Management Committee since its inception. Between 1989 and 2003 with John Wadland he created the Haliburton Bioregional Project -- a senior Trent University course that served as the foundation for U-Links. Tom has been a professor at Trent University since 1983, nine of those years as as Chair of the Environmental and Resource Science/Studies Program. He works on community-based engagement with wetlands and fisheries, ecological restoration, Great Lakes environmental management, and was involved for 10 years in the development of an Ecuadorian/Andean network on integrated watershed management.
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Bob Carter
Bob Carter is the Mayor of Minden Hills and lives on Lake Kashagawigamog. Bob serves on the Board of the Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Housing Corporation and chairs the Housing Task Force and Planning & Development Committee in Minden. Bob volunteers with HHHS as a driver and with Meals on Wheels. He is a Director of the Lake Kashagawigamog Organization. Bob graduated in Computer Science and Business Administration and studied at Concordia University and McGill University in Montreal. Most of his working career was spent as a Chief Information Officer for various multi-national organizations across a number of industries. Since moving to Minden, Bob’s focus has been on the health of our lakes and the creation of affordable housing in our community. |
Eric Sager
Eric Sager is a professor in the Ecological Restoration Program, a jointly administered program between the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences at Fleming College and the Trent School of the Environment. Eric is also an adjunct professor in the Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate program where his research interests are largely related to understanding the response of plant communities to environmental disturbances. Eric is also interested in management tools that can be used to mitigate the impacts of disturbance to ecosystems from a restoration or remediation perspective. He is quite involved with projects focused on the ecology and management of aquatic plants, restoration of tall- grass prairies, and revegetation of historical mine sites in the North. Eric has a strong belief in working on research questions that have applications beyond the academic community and have partnered with government agencies, citizen groups, private landowners, and environmental consultants. Eric is also the Manager of Trent's field station, the James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre, which is located in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes region on the shores of Pigeon Lake and is where he lives with his family.
Eric Sager is a professor in the Ecological Restoration Program, a jointly administered program between the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences at Fleming College and the Trent School of the Environment. Eric is also an adjunct professor in the Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate program where his research interests are largely related to understanding the response of plant communities to environmental disturbances. Eric is also interested in management tools that can be used to mitigate the impacts of disturbance to ecosystems from a restoration or remediation perspective. He is quite involved with projects focused on the ecology and management of aquatic plants, restoration of tall- grass prairies, and revegetation of historical mine sites in the North. Eric has a strong belief in working on research questions that have applications beyond the academic community and have partnered with government agencies, citizen groups, private landowners, and environmental consultants. Eric is also the Manager of Trent's field station, the James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre, which is located in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes region on the shores of Pigeon Lake and is where he lives with his family.
Jim Prince
Jim Prince has been a regular visitor to Haliburton for the past 30 years and has owned a family cottage on Kennisis Lake for the past 20 years. Jim is currently the Vice President, Stewardship Director and Sailing Coordinator for the Kennisis Lake Cottage Owners’ Association and was instrumental in developing and implementing The KLCOA Lake Plan. Jim has taken an active interest in preserving the health of the Kennisis Lakes and water sheds with a focus on community education in the areas of water quality testing, healthy septic systems, maintaining natural shorelines and shoreline restoration. Jim spent most of his working career in the electric utility business and currently operates an engineering consulting company and supports Canadian electric utilities in the area of regulatory compliance for plant inspections.
Jim Prince has been a regular visitor to Haliburton for the past 30 years and has owned a family cottage on Kennisis Lake for the past 20 years. Jim is currently the Vice President, Stewardship Director and Sailing Coordinator for the Kennisis Lake Cottage Owners’ Association and was instrumental in developing and implementing The KLCOA Lake Plan. Jim has taken an active interest in preserving the health of the Kennisis Lakes and water sheds with a focus on community education in the areas of water quality testing, healthy septic systems, maintaining natural shorelines and shoreline restoration. Jim spent most of his working career in the electric utility business and currently operates an engineering consulting company and supports Canadian electric utilities in the area of regulatory compliance for plant inspections.
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Heather Reid
Heather Reid grew up as a cottager in Haliburton and moved here permanently in 2005. She worked at the U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research from 2005 to 2013 and then moved into the role of Operations Director at Abbey Gardens. Most recently, Heather joined the team at the Haliburton County Development Corporation as the Program and Operations Coordinator. Through these positions, Heather has worked with a wide variety of businesses and not for profit organizations in Haliburton County. She has a degree in Recreation Management and a Masters in Education and brings a wide variety of experience in community economic development and project management. |
Peter Dilworth
Mr. Peter Dilworth is a retired telecom executive with more than 30 years of experience working in finance and various corporate roles at Bell and Bell Aliant. In his last position, as VP – Finance and Chief Procurement Officer at Bell Aliant, he was accountable for Procurement and Supply Chain, Regulatory Finance, Real Estate, Payroll, Environment and Corporate Sustainability. He has significant background in Engineering Economics, costing and leading business case analysis. Peter graduated from Trent University in 1984 with an Honours B.Sc. in Economics and then went on to earn a M.A. from the University of Guelph. Peter has considerable board and governance experience. He just completed two terms on the Trent Board of Governors, where he chaired the Audit Committee and was Vice Chair of the Finance & Property Committee. He also served on the boards for Northwestel, the Bell Pensioners Group, and the Peterborough Innovation Cluster, where again he chaired their respective Audit Committees. Peter is a member of the Woodlands and Waterways Ecowatch Steering Committee as well as the President of his cottage association, the Miskwabi Area Community Association (MACA). Now that he is retired from his working career; Mr. Dilworth believes it is time to give back to our community.
Mr. Peter Dilworth is a retired telecom executive with more than 30 years of experience working in finance and various corporate roles at Bell and Bell Aliant. In his last position, as VP – Finance and Chief Procurement Officer at Bell Aliant, he was accountable for Procurement and Supply Chain, Regulatory Finance, Real Estate, Payroll, Environment and Corporate Sustainability. He has significant background in Engineering Economics, costing and leading business case analysis. Peter graduated from Trent University in 1984 with an Honours B.Sc. in Economics and then went on to earn a M.A. from the University of Guelph. Peter has considerable board and governance experience. He just completed two terms on the Trent Board of Governors, where he chaired the Audit Committee and was Vice Chair of the Finance & Property Committee. He also served on the boards for Northwestel, the Bell Pensioners Group, and the Peterborough Innovation Cluster, where again he chaired their respective Audit Committees. Peter is a member of the Woodlands and Waterways Ecowatch Steering Committee as well as the President of his cottage association, the Miskwabi Area Community Association (MACA). Now that he is retired from his working career; Mr. Dilworth believes it is time to give back to our community.
Naomi Nichols
Naomi is the Canada Research Chair in Community-Partnered Social Justice and an Associate Professor in Trent University’s Sociology Department. Prior to starting at Trent in 2020, Naomi was an Associate Professor at McGill University in the Faculty of Education. Before this, she was a Post-doctoral Fellow with the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness.
Naomi’s research interests and activities reflect her collaborations and partnerships with community-based organizations, youth-serving institutions and young people. Her research troubles taken-for-granted institutional and political-economic relations, illuminating how they reproduce and naturalize inequalities. She seeks to make complex institutional processes clear and navigable to people in the hopes of changing how our public systems work and redistributing access to power and opportunity. All of Naomi’s research happens with brilliant collaborators – graduate students, lived experience scholars, researcher-practitioners, community advocates and institutional partners.
Naomi is the Canada Research Chair in Community-Partnered Social Justice and an Associate Professor in Trent University’s Sociology Department. Prior to starting at Trent in 2020, Naomi was an Associate Professor at McGill University in the Faculty of Education. Before this, she was a Post-doctoral Fellow with the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness.
Naomi’s research interests and activities reflect her collaborations and partnerships with community-based organizations, youth-serving institutions and young people. Her research troubles taken-for-granted institutional and political-economic relations, illuminating how they reproduce and naturalize inequalities. She seeks to make complex institutional processes clear and navigable to people in the hopes of changing how our public systems work and redistributing access to power and opportunity. All of Naomi’s research happens with brilliant collaborators – graduate students, lived experience scholars, researcher-practitioners, community advocates and institutional partners.