ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Matt Hulse joined Ecojustice in April 2020 as a project lawyer to work on climate accountability. Matt is keen to build provincial and national GHG reduction schemes that are effective and equitable for all. Prior to joining Ecojustice, Matt was an associate at Woodward & Co., working for Indigenous communities on environmental assessments and conservation of endangered species. Outside of work, Matt tries to spend as much time outside as possible – mainly cycling, hiking, or camping. He has also been known to write parody songs and make the odd music video.

Kate Kempton is a lawyer (Juris Doctor of Laws, University of Toronto) specializing in Indigenous rights and one of Canada‘s leading experts in Aboriginal law. In addition, she is well-versed in environmental and impact assessment law, mining law, energy law, and areas of international law related to Indigenous rights. Kate has a part-time advisor role with SCBC to support the organization with strategic planning, donor engagement and community partnerships – this includes helping to define and structure campaigns; determine campaign action plans, timelines and deliverables; and building contacts with Indigenous communities across B.C.

Dr. Shelley Luce has worked in leadership roles for nonprofits in Los Angeles for 15 years, most recently as the president of Heal the Bay. She is currently Sierra Club BC’s Director of Campaigns and Programs. Her focus so far has been water and forest protection, with an emphasis on community resilience and environmental justice. She is deeply committed to the vision laid out in SCBC’s strategic plan Growing Into Balance and honoured to join the SCBC team as we embark on a transformation to better center Indigenous voices and communities of color. Shelley is excited to lead the SCBC team to develop collaborative, innovative strategic actions with measurable goals and publicly reported outcomes. Shelley holds a Doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering from UCLA and a BS in Biology from McGill.

Jens Wieting is SCBC’s senior forest and climate campaigner. He works on protecting B.C.’s spectacular rainforest and fighting global warming. His primary focus is solutions to maintain the ecological integrity and the climate-stabilizing role of BC’s globally rare temperate rainforests, from Vancouver Island to the Great Bear Rainforest. Jens is following climate science and advocates for strong climate action to phase out fossil fuels and speed up the transition to zero emissions. Growing up on the coast of the North Sea in West Germany, Jens became passionate about nature at a young age. After spending some time in the Amazon rainforest between high school and university, he got hooked on rainforests and became concerned about their fate. He studied land use planning at the Technische Universitaet Berlin.