Patrons & Directors
Patrons of The Riverwood Conservancy
Hazel McCallion, C.M., LL.D.
Mississauga’s longest-serving mayor, Hazel McCallion, often referred to Riverwood as “the gem of the city.” Mayor McCallion supported The Riverwood Conservancy from its original inception as the Mississauga Garden Council. Through her long and distinguished political career, she never forgot the importance of connecting the residents of Mississauga to the beauty of nature.
Hazel was first elected mayor of Mississauga in November 1978, and since that first term she has been a successful candidate in 12 municipal elections; having been acclaimed twice and re-elected 10 other times. She stepped down as mayor in 2014 after holding her position for 36 years, and passed away on January 29, 2023 at the age of 101. Read our tribute to Hazel here.
Robert Bateman
Robert Bateman has been fascinated by nature since childhood, and his artwork is an outgrowth of that passion. Although always interested in art, he did not initially expect to make a living from it. He painted in his spare time while earning a living as a high school art and geography teacher. It wasn’t until the 1970s when he began receiving major recognition as an artist that he was able to paint full-time.
He is a committed environmentalist and has used his artwork to promote ecology and preservation. In 1999 he was named by the Audobon Society of Canada one of the 20th Century’s Heroes of Conservation. The Riverwood Conservancy’s mission to teach children about nature and restore the native habitat of Riverwood was a natural draw for him.
Dr. Ulrich Krull
Ulrich (Ulli) Krull shares in a vision that Riverwood will evolve to become the central hub in our region that will teach and promote the importance of natural environments for a sustainable world. A long-time Mississauga resident, Dr. Krull is Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Toronto. He formerly served as Vice-President of the University of Toronto and Principal of the University of Toronto Mississauga. He is also the lead editor of Analytica Chimica Acta, a prominent international journal for analytical chemistry published by Elsevier.
Dr. Krull has been active professionally and personally in support of environmental initiatives, ranging from teaching of environmental analytical chemistry and bringing focus to sustainability in the development of the UTM campus, to participating in tree planting with Scouts Canada.
2024-2025 Executive Committee of the Board of Directors
Heather Shaw
Chair of the Board
Heather Shaw has served as a volunteer with TRC since 2012 and has been on the Board of Directors since 2016. Prior to retiring, she worked as Senior Policy and Research Analyst for the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and Manager of Donor Financial Services for the United Way of Greater Toronto. Through her career experience, Heather brings the skills of strategic planning, policy development, fundraising, and volunteerism to TRC.
Peeter Poldre
Vice-Chair
Peeter Poldre is Professor emeritus at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. He held senior executive roles at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and Sunnybrook Hospital, and also taught at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Peeter has extensive experience in governance matters and is an avid photographer of nature, with a special interest in birds. Since moving to Mississauga in 2016, Riverwood has broadened his interest in the value of preserving nature as a valuable component of both physical and mental health.
Elinor Laffey
Corporate Secretary
Elinor Laffey is a retired restaurateur and Founder of KatEco Life, a sustainable philanthropic online business. She has been passionate about the environment for many years, and enjoys chairing Riverwood's Education Committee meetings. She’s agreed to expand her involvement with TRC by assisting on the Finance Committee as well. As a Mississauga resident, she has fond memories when her grandfather owned Jack Darling Park.
Tim Pickering
Treasurer
Tim Pickering served on the Board of Mississauga Garden Council, prior to its change to The Riverwood Conservancy. Working for Deloitte in 2005, he was instrumental in holding Impact Day, bringing 200 Deloitte workers to Riverwood to provide volunteer conservation work. Tim is currently Vice President, Taxation of Granite REIT. He rejoined the TRC Board in the fall of 2020 and has been focused on digitizing TRC’s financial processes.
Swaroop Dogra
Member-at-Large
Swaroop Dogra has extensive multinational experience in executive leadership and project delivery management at large companies like TELUS, Bell, Cogeco, Verizon, Bharti Airtel, Unit Trust of India, and some leading banks in India. In addition to his role with the TRC Board, he also volunteers as a Director with the Board of Visual Arts Mississauga Board. He is an alumni of Rotman’s Executive Leadership Course in Managing Strategic Change.
2024-2025 Directors
Clement Mbulu
Clement Mbulu graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School and is a licensed lawyer in Ontario. He is the principal lawyer at Crossline Law Professional Corporation, where he primarily practices in the areas of real estate, estates and corporate law. In his spare time Clement enjoys reading biographies, travelling, exercising, going on nature hikes, and collecting vinyl records. In addition to his role as a Director, he also currently sits on TRC’s Human Resources Committee.
Christina Woodward
Christina Woodward’s abiding interest is in gardening, with rhododendron being her focus for the past 25 years. She joined Riverwood’s Enabling Garden program in 2014 and has grown her involvement at Riverwood to include active participation in volunteering gardening groups and the Special Events Committee. She earned an MA in History from Rhodes University, and has managed libraries at the London Regional Cancer Centre and the Trillium Health Centre.
Alan Lytle
Alan Lytle has been a volunteer at TRC since 2005 and has served on the Board, including time as Vice-Chair, actively participating in the growth of TRC during that time. He has love of the outdoors and an interest in making nature accessible to people of all ages and abilities. In his career, he worked in the telecommunications sector, in marketing and general management. After retiring, he took on the role of Secretary/Treasurer of a small charitable foundation.
Amy Tjen
Amy Tjen is actively involved in community volunteering, focusing on various fundraising efforts for numerous organizations. She has supported multiple causes and participated in successful initiatives. Amy has been honored with awards including the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Chinese Canadian Legend Award, recognizing her dedication and commitment to helping others.
Peter Newsome
Peter Newsome is an avid gardener and naturalist who has lived in Mississauga for the past 50 years. Now semi-retired, Peter’s career in public accounting saw him provide audit, accounting, and tax compliance services to a range of businesses. He also engaged as an auditor for several charities and not-for-profit organizations. He was consultant to, and the first Board Chair of, Skills for Change, a Toronto settlement and immigrant training agency.
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis is one of two wealth advisors that lead The Davis Group, a multi-generational advisory practice at ScotiaMcleod in Toronto. Prior to his current role, Jonathan spent 15 years in southern California where he pursued research in ethnobotany and taught both biology and botany at California State University. After leaving academia, Jonathan spent seven years as a biologist at Fullerton Arboretum and six years as the owner of a 20-acre diversified vegetable farm in the Santa Rosa Mountains. Jonathan lives in the west end of Toronto and remains an avid gardener.
Imdad Hussain Junejo
Imdad Hussain Junejo is an Associate Lawyer at Keyser Mason Ball LLP and a member of the firm’s Real Estate and Land Development, and Banking and Financial Services practice groups. Imdad started his legal career as a Legal Assistant, working his way up to Corporate Law Clerk and then completing his Law Society of Ontario requirements to become a licensed lawyer in the province. He is also a member of the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto and an instructor with 4L Academy.
Monica Jako
Monica Jako is an accomplished executive with domestic and international experience. She has a passion for developing forward-thinking initiatives and building partnerships, which have been the driving forces behind her career in strategy development, community impact, and social innovation. She is currently the Director of Community Engagement and Social Innovation at Toronto Metropolitan University.