2024 Value of Biogas East Conference Speakers

Nick Betts

Biography: Nick is the inaugural Managing Director for the Canadian Alliance for Net Zero Agri-food. He is an action-driven, strategy-guided leader in building and deploying solutions and collaborations that drive positive climate impact across the agri-food industry. With a background spanning roles in farm associations, agricultural ministries, international industry associations, and global climate consulting, Nick's unique perspective and experiences catalyze innovative and implementable solutions from boots to boardroom.

Jessica Cassidy

Biography: Jessica Cassidy, B.A.Sc. (Chemical Engineering) is GHD’s Program Manager for the Canadian Clean Fuel Regulations, and was responsible for the development of GHD’s services under the CFR to include advisory consulting, reporting, and accredited verifications. Over the last two years, Ms. Cassidy has become a trusted advisor in the Life Cycle Assessment and Greenhouse Gas spaces, drawing clients from a variety of sectors including oil and gas, biogas/RNG producers, low carbon fuel distribution, electric vehicle charging network operators, hydrogen, and project aggregators.

Cecily Flemming

Biography: Cecily Flemming has a Masters degree from the University of Guelph and has worked in environmental microbiology and science for over 35 years, in academia, industry, and government. For the past 19 years she has been at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in the Technical Assessment and Standards Development Branch.

David Ellis

Biography: David Ellis is an engineering consultant with more than 30 years of anaerobic digestion experience. A chemical engineer by training, he has worked on AD projects across North and South America, as well as in Europe. Dave’s career has come full circle; his early career mentor worked on the first 6 on-farm digesters in Ontario back in the 1980s. Now, he leads a growing team of engineering specialists to support project developers with technical project reviews, risk management, and optimizing biogas and RNG production. Dave also serves as an independent expert for digester related disputes.

Julie Flynn

Biography: Julie Flynn is passionate about the fight against climate change and bringing to life innovative solutions to communities by supporting the creation of circular economies. She fulfills this as the CEO of Waga Energy Canada, a Renewable Natural Gas producer specialised in landfill gas upgrading. Before joining Waga Energy, Julie worked at Air Liquide for over 10 years in the New Gas division.

Monica Gattinger

Biography: Monica Gattinger is Founding Chair of Positive Energy, Director of the Institute for Science, Society and Policy, and Full Professor at the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa. Gattinger is Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, board member of the Clean Resource Innovation Network, and serves on advisory committees for the National Research Council Canada, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, the Ontario Energy Board, the Ottawa Science Policy Network, the University of Calgary and Women in Nuclear Canada.

Al Kleinschmidt

Biography: Al Kleinschmidt has nearly 30 years’ experience in the energy industry, beginning in operations at Westcoast Energy, now a part of Enbridge, and moving onto the regulatory group before venturing off on his own to found Boreas Consulting Ltd. Al joined PNG in 2016 after seeing an opportunity to develop the utility’s energy efficiency programs and, subsequently, lead efforts to decarbonize the energy delivered to its customers. Al has a Masters of Engineering Physics from UBC, and an MBA from SFU. Al lives in North Vancouver with his wife of nearly 25 years, his soccer obsessed teenage son, and two hyperactive dogs.

Richard Laszlo

Biography: Richard Laszlo has been working on energy and climate policies and technology for over 20 years with a variety of public, private and non-profit organizations, and has facilitated and spoken at dozens of events across Canada. Richard and his team at Laszlo Energy Services provide project management, customer engagement, and energy and carbon policy, strategy and communications expertise to utility, industry, and government clients. As a Senior Associate at QUEST, Richard Chairs the Low Carbon Thermal Network. Richard is an adjunct professor at York University and is the proud author of Pollution Probe’s first Primer on Energy Systems in Canada.

Luc Lendrum

Biography: Luc works at the nexus of climate, regulations, and markets. He helps clean solution developers develop a strategic understanding of the value of the environmental commodities that they may generate under a range of production and end-use scenarios, and supports every step from feasibility analysis through to final sale. Luc also works with companies to develop and implement decarbonization strategies and meet their regulatory obligations effectively.

Brad Pleima

Biography: Brad Pleima is the President of EcoEngineers. Brad sets the strategic goals for Eco, with expertise from more than 20 years of leadership in the renewable emerging and engineering industry. His technical expertise is the planning, engineering design, and construction of water, wastewater, and renewable energy projects. He has provided advisory services to more than 300 renewable energy production facilities and supported construction of more than $4 billion in anaerobic digester and RNG projects nationwide. Brad has a civil engineering degree from Iowa State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in five states.

Pascal Robichaud

Biography: Pascal Robichaud is a professional mechanical engineer with over 27 years of experience who is fluent in both spoken and written English and French. Pascal has extensive experience in the engineering consulting field, specializing in Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), gas turbine power generation and mechanical energy system (steam and natural gas). Pascal has experience in research, analysis, drafting, design, installation, and maintenance of plant operations with extensive hands-on experience in the field. Pascal also has experience with a theoretical focus on the installation and maintenance of equipment and processes in both manufacturing and power generation industry.

Alex Sadvari

Biography: Alex is a lawyer and partner in Gowling WLG’s Toronto-based Environmental Law Group, with expertise in the areas of environmental law, renewable energy, land use planning, and development law. For the past decade she has advised corporate, municipal, and Indigenous clients, providing both strategic regulatory advice and representation. Alex is also co-head of the firm’s BioEnergy Group, and involved in the development of biogas, renewable natural gas (RNG), and biofuel projects in Ontario and across Canada.

Meaghan Seagrave

Biography: Meaghan currently provides leadership to Canada’s only green chemistry accelerator, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC). She is also CEO to Canada’s Sustainable Chemistry Alliance, a green-chemistry focused Venture Capital fund focused on early-stage green investments.

Céline Vaneeckhaute

Biography: Céline Vaneeckhaute is associate professor at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada, director of the BioEngine Research Team on Green Process Engineering and Biorefineries (BioEngine), and Canada Research Chair in resource recovery and bioproducts engineering. Her main research field concerns the recovery of nutrients, energy and water from waste and wastewater sources. Céline’s innovative work has led to the achievement of numerous prestigious research awards such as the Global Young Leadership award (International Water Association), the Prix du Québec Relève Scientifique (Quebec Government) and the Prix Honoris Genius Relève (Quebec Order of Engineers).