OTTAWA, July 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Nature Foundation is pleased to announce Warren Bell as its new Board Chair. Bell, who lives in Southampton, Ontario, is currently an Executive in Residence at the Ivey Institute of Leadership at Western University and a Board Director. He recently retired as the Chief Operating Officer of one of Canada’s major pension plans and was previously a senior executive at a major Canadian Bank.
The mission of the Nature Foundation is to inspire investments in nature to fund bold projects that lead change, strengthen our collective understanding and contribute to a sustainable future. With a particular focus on the Arctic, the Foundation has established an ambitious goal to attract substantial donations to fund research in species discovery and change, global knowledge sharing, scientific training, and public education in an effort to save the planet for future generations.
“Warren brings a proven record of professional and personal commitment to brighter and sustainable futures—at the human level and more broadly for the natural world,” says Laura Evans, Executive Director of the Nature Foundation. “In leading the Nature Foundation, Warren now extends this record of success from a regional focus into the national and international arena. The Nature Foundation is part of the global effort to save the world for future generations.”
“I’m honored to be part of the Nature Foundation and excited to take on my new role as Board Chair,” says Bell. “The Foundation is calling attention to the global challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change. We need to work towards a sustainable future, promote science literacy and support the work being done in the natural sciences.”
Bell succeeds his predecessor, Rob Crosbie, C.M., who moves to the position of Past Chair. Crosbie has chaired the Foundation’s board since its inception. His experience leading growth-oriented companies in Newfoundland and Labrador, and throughout Atlantic Canada, was instrumental in helping to establish the Foundation, which was publicly launched in October 2020. Already the Foundation has received more than $4.5 million in major gifts, including:
- $1 million endowment from Hatch for the Hatch Mineral Sciences Discovery Fund, providing funding for scientific training for the next generation of earth scientists and fieldwork
- $500,000 endowment from Brookfield to support the mentorship of undergraduate students in collections-based research and to advance Arctic field research
- Over $1 million in media sponsorship from the Globe & Mail to advance understanding of the natural sciences’ role in supporting a sustainable future
- Over $1 million in support from Gilles Haineault to assist in acquiring the renowned Haineault Mont Saint-Hilaire Collection of minerals, a national treasure.
Members of the Board
Shilpa Tiwari, Ph.D., will assume the Chair, Governance Committee. Glenn Ives will continue as Chair, Finance Committee.
The Foundation includes the following Board Directors:
Warren Bell, Southampton, ON
Rob Crosbie, C.M., St. John’s, NL
Shilpa Tiwari, Toronto, ON
Glenn Ives, Vancouver, BC
Don Bubar, Toronto, ON
Matt Creager, Halifax, NS
Mark Dockstator, Oakville, ON
Sean Finn, Montreal, QC
Alexandria Marcotte, Toronto, ON
Joy Romero, Calgary, AB
Robyn Seetal, Calgary, AB
Hon. Monte Solberg, P.C., Calgary, AB
Michelle Valberg, Ottawa, ON
About the Nature Foundation
The Nature Foundation is an independent charitable entity supporting the Canadian Museum of Nature by inspiring philanthropic investments in nature for discovery, research and education to foster solutions for our future. The Foundation and its supporters advance fact-based science through vital funding that empowers the museum’s research, collections, and educational initiatives.
Investments through the Foundation enable the museum to undertake globally relevant fieldwork for new discoveries, conduct research that informs the climate and biodiversity crises, grow and share the knowledge associated with its collections, train the next generation of collections-based researchers, and advance dynamic educational programming that supports science literacy and a love of nature. The Foundation’s Board is comprised of business leaders and changemakers from across Canada who share a commitment to inspiring investments in nature and a desire to support a sustainable future.
To discover more about the Nature Foundation, contact Laura Evans, Executive Director and Chief Advancement Officer (levans@nature.ca), or visit foundation.nature.ca.