In the dozen years Gaylene Buckle has been General Manager of Theatre Newfoundland Labrador she has witnessed tremendous growth of the company founded by Maxim Mazumdar in 1979. When Gaylene joined the company in March, 1995, TNL was a 38-week Corner Brook company who presented four professional theatre productions, a community musical, a fundraising cabaret and a youth theatre production in the city, with an occasional tour. – with an annual budget of $160,000. The company now operates year-round with a budget approaching a million dollars. TNL still has a full and exciting fall-winter-spring season of youth and community theatre programming in Corner Brook, the ever growing Gros Morne Theatre Festival in Cow Head from May to September and regular development of new plays and touring of some of these plays provincially, nationally & internationally. Gaylene has volunteered with numerous organizations over the year and currently serves as Region 8 (Newfoundland & Labrador) Representative on the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres Board of Directors; is board member of the Association of Cultural Industries of Newfoundland & Labrador and the Western Destination Marketing Organization and a member of the Board of Regents of Memorial University of Newfoundland. Gaylene is blessed with an understanding family (husband Brian and sons Tim & Peter) who have put up with all too consuming work and volunteer activities.

Dave Butler, based in Cranbrook, BC Canada is a professional forester and biologist who is the Director of Sustainability for Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH). CMH is the world's first and most experienced helicopter skiing and hiking company. Dave's role with CMH, which operates throughout south-eastern and
south-central British Columbia, focuses on government relations, environmental issues, tenures/permits and community relations. He has also worked in tourism consulting and with the federal and provincial governments in tourism, recreation, protected areas, land use, and fish and wildlife management.

Over the last 12 years, Dave has shown a commitment to tourism in BC through active involvement in many processes and committees including: Council of Tourism Associations of BC (COTA) Foresight Task Force and Steering Committee; past Chair of HeliCat Canada Association Environmental Standards Committee; co-chair of the Tourism-Wildlife Guidelines Project Team; co-chair of Limits of Acceptable Change Pilot Project Steering Committee; and member of Adventure Tourism Policy Joint Steering Committee.

Under Dave's leadership, CMH's sustainability initiatives have been recognized with a number of federal and provincial-level awards. CMH is the first tourism company in BC to publish a regular sustainability report. As a member of COTA's Foresight Taskforce and the steering committee building the BC Sustainable
Tourism Partnership, Dave is committed to putting sustainable tourism into practice in BC. He believes that this offers an incredible opportunity to sustain - for many decades to come - the businesses, communities and incredible places that we share with our visitors.

Gary Clarke is known as "the Father of Sustainable Tourism" in Canada. He chaired the Tourism Industry Association of Canada's Committee on Environmental Issues and led its participation in initiatives such as the Coalition on Acid Rain and the Coalition to Save South Moresby Island in the Queen Charlotte Islands. He created and sponsored the Governor General's Conservation Awards presented for many years by TIAC.

In 1983 Clarke initiated a resolution whereby TIAC became the first organization in Canada to endorse the report of the UN's Brundtland Commission, which first defined sustainable development as "… development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".

Clarke's commitment to sustainable tourism has continued for the last 25 years. He was instrumental in having the Board of the Tourism Federation of Ontario endorse sustainable tourism and incorporating sustainability criteria within its awards program. He has introduced sustainability to groups he has chaired such as the St. Lawrence Parks Commission and the UNESCO Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve.

Two years ago, as Biosphere Chair, he led efforts to create a partnership with TIAC and Parks Canada to create a 3-year project called "The National Model of Sustainable Tourism" in Eastern Ontario. Now in its final year, the project will lead to a "green" repositioning of this region. Clarke will present in November 2008 at the TIAC National Tourism Summit, on behalf of the "National Model" project, a draft Green Tourism Charter process to be considered by the tourism industry across Canada as the basis for the ultimate "green" accreditation of all types of tourism business.

His own business, Sam Jakes Inn, has adopted a Sustainability Charter and is in the process of accreditation by the Audubon Greenleaf program.

As one of the world's leading authorities on VolunTourism, David has provided lectures on VolunTourism for corporations & associations, the travel industry, the nonprofit sector, service clubs, colleges & universities, and high schools since 2000. He has written extensively on the subject and is the Editor/Publisher of The VolunTourist, a travel trade e-publication. And in August 2007, he began hosting a weekly webcast, also entitled "The VolunTourist," to further educate the travel & tourism and nonprofit industries respectively.

He advises destination marketing organizations, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and tour operators. He has designed events and products & services for destination management companies and corporations to support team-building projects in the U.S. & Mexico. Occasionally he will even host a VolunTourism group in the U.S./Mexico Border Region from college, university, or corporation.

In collaboration with The Educational Travel Conference, he facilitates an annual discussion on VolunTourism for travel planners, DMOs, tour operators & suppliers, and nonprofit organizations. He is often quoted by the media and his insights on VolunTourism influence blogs & web sites throughout the world.

Prior to his involvement with VolunTourism, David spent 15 years in the Hospitality Industry in numerous capacities. He has worked in the nonprofit industry and has been an active volunteer for more than three decades

Alexandre joined Parks Canada 20 years ago and has been responsible for the Agency's greenhouse gas reduction program since 2001. He has been responsible for facilitating innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy projects including photovoltaic arrays, solar walls, solar water heaters, ocean and ground source heat pumps, wind turbines, micro-hydro turbines as well as alternative fuel vehicles. With his recent appointment as Chief of Environmental Management, Alexandre now manages environmental regulatory requirements and leads a program that aims to minimize the environmental impacts of Parks Canada's operations. Alexandre holds a diploma in Electrical/Mechanical Systems from Algonquin College and a degree in Environmental Studies from Carleton University.

Joella Foulds is Artistic Director of the Celtic Colours International Festival. Joella has a Masters degree in Social Work from Dalhousie University. After moving to Cape Breton in 1977 she spent several years touring as a musician with the Rita MacNeil band in the 1980's. She worked as a CBC Broadcast Journalist for 15 years hosting CBC Sydney's Information Morning, and from 1989-95 directed the career of pop/rock band Realworld. In 1994 Joella left the CBC to work full time in the music industry. She coordinated the 1995 East Coast Music Awards. In 1996 she and business partner Max MacDonald formed Rave Entertainment. They subsequently developed and managed the Celtic Colours International Festival which is in its 12th successful year.

Joella is Vice-Chair of the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council.

Joella has lived at Southside Boularderie since 1977 with her husband Jim Foulds. They have two grown sons and three beautiful grandchildren.

Based in Banff, Alberta, Connie MacDonald is the Director of People at Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH), the world's largest and most experienced heli-skiing and hiking company and one of Canada's most respected sustainable tourism operators.

As DoP, Connie's priority is to build the very best employee team -- engaging, retaining and developing people who align with the CMH culture and are totally committed to delivering outstanding mountain experiences.

Prior to joining CMH Connie worked as Director of Communications at The Banff Centre and in Community Development for the Town of Banff.

Connie has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Dalhousie University and attended the Banff School of Advance Management. She is a member of the CTC's Product Development and Enhancement Committee (PIE) and was recently awarded a 2007 Bulldog Award (ruff) by her colleagues at TIAC for her commitment to sustainable tourism.

Kristine MacPhee is a principle within Deloitte & Touche LLP's, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability practice where she works with a national network of multidisciplinary colleagues to support organizations, both large and small as well as public and private, understand and address key environment, social, health, safety and governance issues. Focusing on develop practical risk-based solutions that address the day-to-day realities of business, Kristine works to with clients to develop overarching sustainability strategies, assess the value creation and value protection potential of responsible related actions, as well as implement, measure and improve related programs and processes.

Michele McKenzie is President and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC). The CTC is a federal Crown Corporation that works in partnership with the tourism public and private sectors to market Canada with the goal of growing tourism export revenues. Since her appointment in 2004, Michele has guided the evolution of the CTC to become a fully integrated brand marketing organization, now recognized as one of the top marketing organizations in Canada. Michele has 25 years of experience in destination marketing, and immediately prior to her CTC appointment she was Deputy Minister of Tourism Culture and Heritage for the Province of Nova Scotia. Michele has held positions on a number of Boards including the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Museum.

Seascape Kayak Tours' founder and the lead guide for most of the company's adventures, Bruce Smith has 25 years of outdoor leadership experience. With a strong background in physical education and outdoor recreation, he is a certified wilderness emergency medical technician and wilderness first aid instructor and holds degrees in sport science and secondary education. He is also fluent in French, English and Spanish. In addition to creating the pioneering Seascape, Bruce has spearheaded an alternative education program for at-risk Cree youth in northern Quebec involving traditional Cree land-based activities, academic upgrading and life skill development. He worked for the Mexican government to assist in the development and delivery of the Mexican Sea Kayak Guide Certification Program. He has also developed outdoor courses and adventure training for Forsgren and Associates, the Federal Government of Canada, Imperial Oil, New Brunswick Provincial Government, the University of New Brunswick, New Brunswick Special Olympics, Ministry of Community and Social Services, the Province of Ontario, and various other learning institutions and outdoor centers.

Ocean Quest Adventure Resort, a Dive Training & Adventure Charter businessin Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, is the 2005 Winner of the Parks Canada National Sustainable Tourism Award.2006 Conception bay South " Tourism Award" 2007 Chamber of Commerce "Business of the Year" Award. Rick is a member of the Steering Committee for Sustainable Tourism with Hospitality Newfoundland & Labrador and an advisor to Parks Canada on the subject of SCUBA Diving. He is also a founder of Ocean Net, a non-profit organization with the goal 'To Instill an Ocean Conservation Ethic'.

President, Environics Research - Evolving Social Values of Canadians