George Gretes -  Member since August 2023

George Gretes is co-founder and Partner of Harrington Place Advisors. He brings over 10 years of experience in developing engagement strategies and due diligence for some of Canada’s largest projects.

Most recently, he worked to deliver a net-new international port on the Great Lakes creating a new trade route valued at over $100 million annually. He worked directly for the CEO and President of Metrolinx and helped guide the relocations of communities across Toronto.

He worked for a publicly-traded CPG manufacturing company leading investor relations for one of Canada’s largest mergers in 2021. He started his career as an advisor to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Minister of Finance in British Columbia.

George holds a Hons. BA from the University of Toronto and is currently completing the CFA and CBV.  

Dr. Sandy Smith -  Member since December 2016

Dr. Sandy Smith s a Professor in Forestry at the University of Toronto, having served as Dean of the Faculty of Forestry (2010-2012), published 140+ papers, supervised 65+ graduate students. She specializes in forest health and urban forests, specifically natural controls to manage invasive species. She is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society (UK), Minjiang Scholar (China), Past President of the Entomological Societies of Canada and Ontario, and currently serves on the Boards of Trees Canada and the Ontario Invasive Plant Council. She has been an Associate Editor of the Can J of Forest Research and participated on national NSERC grant review panels as well as Federal and Provincial invasive species science panels (ALHB, EAB, Sirex,Hemlock Woolly Adelgid).   

James Harrison  -  Member since February 2016

James holds a Forestry Degree (1975) from Lakehead University. His 39-year career with industry included positions with Kimberly-Clark of Canada and Greenmantle Forest Inc.  James sits as the FFTC representative on the Provincial Forest Inventory Advisory Committee.

Past Members:

• Herb Bax R.P.F., completed his 11 year term March 31, 2023
• Bob Elliott R.P.F., completed his 10 year term March 31, 2016
• Erik Wang R.P.F., completed his 5 year term March 31, 2016
• Dr. Maureen Kershaw, R.P.F., founding member and Chair 2006-2015
• Ric Monzon, R.P.F., completed his term in the fall of 2011.
• Dr. David Balsillie, R.P.F. (Hon), completed his term December 2009.
• Dr. John Naysmith, R.P.F., Thunder Bay, was the founding Chair.  Dr. Naysmith completed his term on June 30, 2006. He passed away in 2017.
• Rod Carrow, R.P.F., one of the founding members completed his term on June 30, 2006. He passed away in 2016.
• Margaret Wanlin, one of the founding members completed her term on June 30, 2005.
• Jack Stokes of Schreiber, Ontario, was a former Speaker of the House and one of the founding members of the FFT Committee. He passed away in 1999.

W.D. (Bill)  Baker  -  Member since February 2016

Bill has had a 30 plus career in natural resource management primarily as a senior manager with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Bill has worked throughout Ontario in a variety of capacities but has spent much of his career in northwestern Ontario and Thunder Bay

Mike Barker: Member since 1999

Mike had a 32-year career with the Ontario government holding positions such as District Manager, Ministry of Natural Resources, and Assistant Deputy Minister, Northern Development and Mines. He now manages his own consulting firm.

Chair:  Ray A Riley, R. P. F. (Hon) – Member since February 2016

Ray holds degrees in geology from Acadia and Queens and is a retired member of the Professional Engineers Ontario. He comes to the FFTC after 30 years with the Ontario government culminating as Assistant Deputy Minister of Operations for Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources. Subsequent to his career in government, he was active as a consultant for some 21 years focusing on natural resource management for the Forest Industry, First Nations, Ontario, and Canada.

Forestry Futures Trust Committee
    

Mission Statement:

    To ensure a positive use of the Forestry Futures Trust Funds on the sustainablity of Ontario's Crown forests.

Guiding Principles:

•     to make objective decisions based on what is good for the forest
•     to operate with an open door policy

 
Vision:

The FFTC is an independent organization that oversees the effective disbursement of FFT monies to restore and maintain the sustainability of Ontario’s Crown forests by:  

•     Promoting effective forest management that leads to forest sustainability;
•     Valuing and respecting the professional expertise of the forest community;
•     Engaging and committing to the accountability of  professional forest managers through applications, project  work reports, annual audits,         
          and field visits;
•     Committing to the consistent achievement of effective forest management;
•     An open and transparent operational environment;
•     Maintaining a cost-effective approach to oversee the disbursement of funds from the Trust.

 
 Values:

•     Excellence and accountability
•     Mutual respect
•     Active participation by our partners
•     Consensus decision making
•     Transparency and openness
•     Fairness and equity (eg., all SFL holders have equal opportunity to access funds from the Trust)
•     Fiscal responsibility
•     Focus on the forest