WHO WE ARE

Your ClearWater Farm Team!

Christopher Campbell, Executive Director

Christopher Campbell is an entrepreneur and communications professional with a background in creative media, sustainable agriculture, and mission-driven organizations. He began his career as a commercial food photographer, building expertise in brand storytelling and public engagement. In 2012, he founded Hiveshare, expanding it from one hive to 92 while advancing pollinator conservation and local food systems through international collaborations and public outreach. Over the past six years at ClearWater Farm, Christopher has helped shape organizational development, events, and public-facing initiatives. He brings entrepreneurial insight, strategic vision, and a collaborative leadership style to his role as Executive Director.

Board of Directors

Annabel Slaight, C.M., O.Ont, Founding Chair, is a Canadian media pioneer who has spent a lifetime creating magazines, books and tv for kids under the OWLkids banner, reaching over 60 million families. She was co-founder of Ladies of the Lake, and an appointee to the formative Lake Simcoe Coordinating Committee. She holds the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario for nurturing a passion for science and nature among generations of Canadian children. She was recently honoured as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Tracy Smith, Vice Chair, is a retired District Manager from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, where he led environmental initiatives, including the development of the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan. With a career focused on sustainable resource management and environmental policy, he also served as Vice President and Trustee on the Board of Directors for Forests Canada, contributing to national forest conservation strategies and supporting efforts in biodiversity and climate resilience.

Lynn Haight, Treasurer, has retired from a distinguished 30-year career in executive financial management, having held senior leadership roles in major international financial and insurance institutions headquartered in Canada. Her roles included Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Foresters Financial, Controller of Manulife Financial, and Vice President at Scotiabank.

Alongside her corporate leadership, Lynn has been deeply engaged in global development through voluntary governance roles. She has chaired or served on the Boards of Directors for several international organizations, including the World Agroforestry Center, the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers, and the Standards Council of Canada. She has also contributed to the oversight of United Nations programs, serving on Management Oversight Committees for UNHCR and UNESCO.

Lynn holds an MA from Oxford University, is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) in both Canada and the UK, a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants, and a certified Canadian Director (ICD.D)

Damian Chen, Director, is the Founder and CEO of ColorShadow Communications and GetDMS Inc. He is an accomplished tech entrepreneur with nearly three decades of industry experience. A leader in digital transformation and cloud-based solutions, Damian has guided the creation of over 100 world-class digital platforms, including several industry firsts in healthcare, transportation, and entertainment.

His expertise spans strategy, business intelligence, and system architecture, driving innovation across a diverse range of clients—from multinational corporations and government agencies to not-for-profit organizations.

Hon. Gloria T. Epstein QC, Director, brings over 45 years of experience in the Canadian legal system—as a lawyer, trial judge, appellate judge, and leader of complex government reviews. Her distinguished career has been marked by legal excellence, public service, and a deep commitment to social justice.

Following her retirement from the bench, Justice Epstein earned her Mediator Accreditation from the London School of Mediation in 2021, a credential recognized by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is now a member of Arbitration Place, where she serves as both a mediator and arbitrator.

Justice Epstein has made significant contributions beyond the courtroom. She founded the McMurtry Garden of Justice, serves as Co-Chair of the Ontario Justice Education Network, and sits on the Boards of Directors of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and the Sinai Health Foundation. She is also a member of the Smith School of Business Advisory Board and previously served on the national board of Pathways to Education.

Her leadership and volunteerism have been widely recognized. She is a recipient of the University of Toronto Arbor Award and the YWCA Women of Distinction Award. In recognition of her contributions to law and society, she has been awarded three honorary Doctor of Laws degrees: from the Law Society of Ontario (2019), the University of Toronto (2022), and Queen’s University (2023).

Surbhi Jain, Board Secretary, is a Senior Policy Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, based in Toronto, Canada. She plays a key role in shaping provincial climate change policy, focusing on the design and implementation of programs and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Surbhi brings a diverse background in environmental and clean energy sectors, with prior experience at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Opus One Solutions, Heliolytics, and TREC Renewable Energy Co-operative. Her career has also included work in strategic communications, public relations, partnership development, marketing, and event management—complementing her policy expertise with a broad understanding of stakeholder engagement and outreach.

She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science with a specialization in Natural Resources Management and Policy from the University of Toronto.

Lisa M. Lyons Johnston, Director, is an accomplished senior executive with three decades of global experience in the creative industries, spanning traditional and digital media, music, publishing, and television content distribution. As President and Publisher of Kids Can Press for 15 years, Lisa guided the award-winning Canadian publisher into new markets and formats, including ebooks and audiobooks. Her digital media expertise includes launching Canada’s first kids’ video-on-demand subscription service, overseeing Max Trax Digital Music, and leading groundbreaking content initiatives across emerging platforms.

Lisa is widely recognized for her leadership and industry contributions. She received the 2015 Leadership Award from Women in Communications and Technology and was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network in 2018. She has represented Canadian publishing on official cultural trade missions to China and Latin America and is a sought-after speaker at major international book fairs and media conferences. Lisa has served on the boards of the Ontario Science Centre and Ontario Creates and currently sits on the Emmy Noether Circle at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Forum Toronto Chapter as Chair of Programming.

Jeremy Laurin, Director, has spent over twenty-five years working at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship, and higher education. He began his career founding and leading three global technology firms, the first beginning in Kingston, Ontario, before moving into leadership roles that bridged academia and industry. As Vice President of Business Development and Partnerships at the Ontario Centre of Innovation (formerly OCE), Jeremy led a team focused on transferring early-stage technologies from academic institutions to market to grow Ontario’s innovation economy. Prior to that, he served as the founding President and CEO of ventureLAB, Central Ontario’s leading innovation hub supporting more than 1.8 million residents across the northern GTA.

A recognized leader in entrepreneurship and talent development, Jeremy has received multiple awards, including the St. Lawrence College Alumni of Distinction Award, JCI’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Bank of Nova Scotia’s Business of the Year Award. He is an Adjunct Professor at York University’s Faculty of Health, a Program Advisory Committee member for Seneca College’s Healthcare Management Program, and an active member of the global Future Talent Council.

John W. Brace, Special Advisor,is former CEO of Northland Power Inc., developing, building, owning and operating clean and green power projects internationally. He has served as chair and president of the Association of Power Producers of Ontario and was a member of the Electricity Conservation and Supply Task Force.

Want to join our team? Click here for a current list of job opportunities