Our People
Board of Directors
Rena Upitis
Founding President; 2007 - present
Dr. Rena Upitis (Ed.D., Harvard) is Professor Emerita of Education and Environmental Studies at Queen’s University. Rena’s research and curriculum projects have explored teacher, artist, and student transformation through the arts. Her teaching and academic work have taken her across Canada and the US, as well as to Australia, France, Sierra Leone. She was an elementary teacher in Boston and Kingston, and taught music privately for nearly 40 years. Rena is an amateur timber-frame carpenter and has a small design practice specializing in ecologically sensitive designs and materials for residences and retreat centres. Her most recent research explored ways that students can develop ecological habits of mind through explorations at the intersection of the arts and the natural world. A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Rena consults on a variety of educational initiatives, such as Let’s Talk Science and STEM projects in elementary schools.
Helen Turnbull
Secretary-Treasurer; 2007 - present
Helen Turnbull (B.Ed., Queen’s) is a former Principal with Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. Along with Rena Upitis, in the 1990s she designed a high school cooperative placement program at Wintergreen for students in French Immersion. This award-winning program ran for three years at Wintergreen before being re-located at the Ganaraska Forest Centre. Helen lives in a heritage home near Gores Landing, Ontario. She has designed and helped to build two cordwood retreats since taking the cordwood course at Wintergreen in 2010.
Gerald Dimnik
Director; 2016 - present
Gerald (Gerry) Dimnik is Vice President and CIO at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Prior to that, he served as CIO at the Royal Conservatory of Music. He holds MSc degrees in Management Information Systems from the London School of Economics, and Chemistry from University of Toronto. Gerry is an accomplished pianist and he has directed church music programs, most recently at Fallingbrook Presbyterian, where he served as director of music for 15 years. He has just completed his term as chair of the Orpheus Choir of Toronto.
Justin Connidis
Director; 2016 - present
Justin is a first generation Canadian from Kingston, Ontario. His parents are from Vardo, Norway’s most northern town on an island off its north east coast and London, England. They emigrated to Canada in 1952. Justin is a lawyer and business person. He is an executive member of Bedford Mining Alert and has been active in advocating for mining law reform in Ontario. He participated on a Canadian Bar Association advisory committee promoting mining law reform, community rights, and accountability for extractive industries in East Africa. Justin taught several courses at Queen’s University, including mining law, policy, and communities and corporate governance and responsibility. For many years he practiced business law on Bay Street in Toronto, specializing in public company finance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. Justin has served as General Counsel of the Ontario Securities Commission and a founder, director or senior officer of public and private companies, not-for-profit corporations and co-operative corporations.
Kanonhsyonne/Jan Hill
Director; 2022 - present
Kanonhsyonne is a Clan Mother for the Turtle clan for Kenhte:ke (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory). She is Associate Vice-Principal (Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation) at Queen’s University where she has also served as Director of the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre. Additionally she has served as Associate Professor (Term), Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Victoria. Jan has spent her life working for the revitalization of the Mohawk language and the culture, traditions, and spirituality of her ancestors. Grandmother, mother, auntie, sister, political and spiritual activist, and teacher – she believes in the power of knowing who she is and where she comes from. Her work largely focuses on providing a Mohawk perspective and facilitating community engagement with Indigenous peoples.
Staff
Monica Capovilla
Executive Director; 2016 - present
Monica Capovilla first came to Wintergreen as a student intern in the winter of 2016. That spring, she served as the Co-Chair of the 2016 BioBlitz. Monica returned in 2017 as the Director for the Land Art BioBlitz. She became a full-time employee soon thereafter, assuming the position of Program Director for all of our rentals, workshops, and events. In 2020, Monica became Wintergreen’s Executive Director. Monica graduated from Queen’s University with a teaching degree and focus in Environmental Education in 2016. When not at Wintergreen, she can be found playing in the garden with her partner Wes or exploring the trails with their dog Luna.
Luke Howie
Program Director; 2023 - present
Luke Howie has worked at the intersection of experiential education, nature connection, and ecology for the duration of his career. As a place based educator, he loves to learn from the land and those who know it best.
Luke completed his undergraduate degree at UofT and his BEd at Trent University. He has an AQ in Outdoor Experiential Education from Lakehead University and his Forest and Nature School Practitioner Certification from the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada.
Prior to joining Wintergreen Studios in the Fall of 2023, Luke led outdoor education programming at the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto for nearly a decade. He now lives on an old farmstead in the Frontenac Arch with his family.
Bronte Thomson
Marketing and Event Support; 2024 - present
Bronte first experienced the magic of Wintergreen during her adolescence, when she came to stay at Paddy’s Lake and hike the trails. These early visits fostered, for her, a deep appreciation for the unique beauty of Wintergreen and its community. She graduated from Queen’s University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Global Development. Since joining Wintergreen in 2024, Bronte has taken on various roles, including workshop and event support, grounds keeping, and marketing and communications. Outside of her work at Wintergreen, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and rock climbing.
Honorary Patron
Lorna Crozier
An Officer of the Order of Canada, Lorna Crozier has been acknowledged for her contributions to Canadian literature, her teaching and her mentoring with five honourary doctorates, most recently from McGill and Simon Fraser Universities. Her books have received numerous national awards, including the Governor-General’s Award for Poetry. The Globe and Mail declared The Book of Marvels: A Compendium of Everyday Things one of its Top 100 Books of the Year, and Amazon chose her memoir as one of the 100 books you should read in your lifetime. A Professor Emerita at the University of Victoria, she has performed for Queen Elizabeth II and has read her poetry, which has been translated into several languages, on every continent except Antarctica. Her latest book, What the Soul Doesn't Want, was nominated for the 2017 Governor General's Award for Poetry. In 2018, Lorna Crozier received the George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives on Vancouver Island.
Lorna’s previous teaching at Wintergreen, in the summers of 2010, 2011, and 2013, in the cold of winter in 2014, in the spring of 2015, 2016, and 2017, and in the fall of 2018, has been most joyfully received. Called “a poet to be grateful for” by Margaret Laurence, she has been an ambassador for poetry wherever she goes.
Former Directors
Holly Ogden
2018 - 2022
Dr. Holly Ogden (PhD, Queen’s) is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Concurrent Education Program at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. Holly began her career teaching grades one through six with the Limestone District School Board. Her classroom experience informs her research interests, which include the nature and impact of personal learning in pre-service and continuing teacher education. She lives north of Kingston with her husband and two children where she enjoys spending time outdoors, renovating her home, and kitchen dance parties.
Lawrence Scanlan
2010 - 2018
A writer and editor and a veteran journalist, Lawrence Scanlan’s recent book, A Year of Living Generously, is about philanthropy and generosity of spirit. Lawrence has been a journalist for almost four decades, working with daily newspapers, magazines, and in radio with two national CBC programs (producer on Morningside and Writers & Company). He has won numerous prizes for his writing, including three National Magazine Awards. Lawrence is the author or co-author of fifteen books, on subjects ranging from horses to hockey to home. He has a home in Kingston, Ontario, and a cabin in Prince Edward County.
Katharine Smithrim
2007 - 2017
Dr. Katharine Smithrim (Ph.D., Eastman) taught courses in the arts at Queen’s University before retiring in 2012. For over three decades, she taught music programs privately, and in schools, community colleges and universities. In the 1980s Katharine pioneered music programs for parents with babies and toddlers in Toronto. Along with Bob McGrath of Sesame Street, she made two commercial recordings for babies and toddlers. Her recent research has focused on spiritual dimensions in teaching and learning and she is now a Certified Celebrant.
Serena Manson
2007 - 2016
Serena Manson (M.Ed., Queen’s University) spent many years as a teacher at the Mulberry School, a Waldorf school in Kingston, She lived, for many years, within the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, where Wintergreen is also located, in a heritage home that has provided her with opportunities to engage in renovation, building, and design. Serena’s term with the board ended in 2016. She was an inspiration to us all for nine years, and we will miss her.
Ann Patteson
2007 - 2010
Dr. Ann Patteson (Ph.D., Queen’s) served as the Director of Research for Learning Through the Arts (LTTA) at The Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto). Ann brought over twenty-five years of experience as an educator of adults to her work at Wintergreen. In her research, Ann explores the impact of arts-infused education, as well as how the arts may foster understanding of human responsibility to all of earth’s inhabitants and the environment.
Former Staff
Teaghan Wallace
2022 - 2024
Teaghan Wallace arrived at Wintergreen Studios in the spring of 2022. She is a graduate of the BSc program of Dietetics and Nutrition at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS. An elite athlete and avid outdoorswoman, Teaghan worked at Wintergreen in many capacities. She supported workshops and events, was a co-author of the cookbook, From the Wintergreen Kitchen, and contributed to marketing and communications. Along with her dog Teva, she explored every trail at Wintergreen. More than once!
Deborah D’Amico
2022 - 2023
Beginning in November 2022, Deborah worked with Wintergreen Studios, Sustainable Capacity Solutions, and Watersheds Canada as a shared Senior Development Lead. Deborah has art and art history degrees from the University of Toronto and University of St Andrews, Scotland, and has worked in communications and fundraising for the health, arts, communications and charitable sectors over the last two decades. She volunteers at the Toronto Wildlife Centre’s nursery and in her spare time Deborah can be found on a trail somewhere with her nearest and dearest, including her two senior dogs.
Jennie Moe
2022 - 2023
Jennie Moe joined the Wintergreen team in June of 2022. She graduated from Queen's University with a Master's of Environmental Studies in 2021 and has been working in the environmental non-profit sector ever since. With a passion for sustainability and research, Jennie helped manage and market the Virtual Learning Centre. When she's not working Jennie can be found reading, cooking, running, or hanging out with her foster kittens.
Danielle Picard
2021 - 2022
Danielle Picard joined the Wintergreen team as a Sustainability Intern in July of 2021. A graduate of Carleton University’s Communication and Media Studies MA program, she is passionate about climate change communication strategies, and seeks to explore ways we can continue practicing mindful living and strive for conscious consumption. Her position at Wintergreen allowed her to do just that through the creation of various online courses about sustainability. When she isn’t pursuing these interests, Danielle can be found hiking in and around the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, practicing yoga, or fiddling around with her guitar.
Dana Mitchell
2021 - 2022
Dana Mitchell joined the Wintergreen team in the summer of 2021. She brought her passion for storytelling to the position, helping expand Wintergreen's social media presence and launch our new Virtual Learning Centre. Dana graduated with a Master of Arts from Toronto Metropolitan University and is completing her Ph.D. in English at Carleton. When she’s not working, Dana enjoys writing short fiction and playing with her cat.
Ryan MacDonnell
2021 - 2022
Ryan MacDonnell joined Wintergreen in the summer of 2021. With a passion for conservation, visual communication, and videography, he produces video content to help tell the story of Wintergreen, covering past and current events. Ryan graduated from the University of Guelph with a BSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation. When he’s not at work, Ryan likes hiking, camping, settling in to watch a horror movie, and visiting home on the north shore of Lake Superior.
Taylor Mitchell
2020 - 2021
Taylor began working at Wintergreen in the summer of 2020. Along with working full-time at a marketing agency in Toronto, she played a part-time leadership role in guiding the development of the marketing and communications activities for Wintergreen Studios. Taylor graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in Film & Media Studies and completed her graduate studies in Interactive Marketing Communications from St Lawerence College.
Jess Pelow
2019 - 2020
Jess Pelow became the Project Coordinator in June 2019, just one month before getting married at Wintergreen. Her primary responsibilities have been to coordinate the very successful Project Bee as well as the 2020 Land Art BioBlitz. Jess is an Ontario certified teacher and has a masters in Environmental Studies. Outside of Wintergreen, she is the Education Coordinator at Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre.
Leah Mighton
2018 - 2019
Leah Mighton’s introduction to Wintergreen was during the 2018 Land Art BioBlitz. She came to volunteer and we soon realized her terrific talents and energy were deserving of a full-time position. Leah served as Project Coordinator at Wintergreen from 2018-2019, before assuming a teaching position at one of Ontario’s Forest Schools.
Diane Black
2015 - 2017
Diane became the Operations and Facilities Manager in 2015 and served in that position until May of 2017, when she returned full-time to her art studio. Diane began volunteering in the kitchen in the spring of 2015, and gradually took over the role that Karen Smereka played for five years. Diane is an artist, specializing in sculpting with clay and iron.
Louise Cooper
2012 - 2015
Louise joined Wintergreen as a casual kitchen employee in the spring of 2012, and soon after became the Facilities and Kitchen Manager until the demands of a young family took front seat in the autumn of 2015. Louise brought a varied background to her work, ranging from organic gardening, to restaurant cooking, to off-grid engineering! We were delighted to have her on our staff, and we are pleased to have her join us on a casual basis whenever possible.
Claire Grady-Smith
2012 - 2013
Claire served as the Marketing and Communications Director for Wintergreen Studios and Wintergreen Studios Press from 2012-2013, and continues to work on a contract basis for Wintergreen whenever we have a special book in the works or need her fine eye for media and marketing. Claire has a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies from Queen’s University, and over ten years of experience in not-for-profit cultural organizations as a visual artist, independent curator, grant writer, and digital marketer.
Kristina Inrig
2010 - 2018
Kristina is a graduate from Carleton University with a BPAPM – Bach. of Public Affairs and Policy Management in Development Studies. She is the President & CEO of Sustainable Foundations Inc, a green real estate investment firm in Eastern Ontario. Her focus is developing green rental properties and providing sustainable investing opportunities. Kristina also provides extensive consultation services in the environmental non-profit sector, and was the past Executive Director of Tucker House Renewal Centre.
Karen Smereka
2010 - 2015
Karen served as the Operations Manager for five years before pursuing full-time work as a yoga teacher at a studio that she founded in Perth. She brought many years of relevant experience to the position, as in her “non-Wintergreen life”, she is a biologist, teacher, yoga instructor, and outdoor and environmental enthusiast. Karen continues to volunteer at Wintergreen and is a keen supporter of the annual Land Art BioBlitz.
Interested in joining our team?
