Board Chair - Cliff Meness
Cliff was instrumental in the creation of the A/OFRC as one of the founding Directors; he served as the first chairman. He has served over 17 years as a community leader (Chief 13 years and Councilor 4 years) and presently holds a position on council with the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan. He is a former member of the Union of Ontario Indians Board of Directors and the Anishinabek/Ontario Resource Management Council. He presently works on the Trapping Harmonization Agreement with Ontario, Canada and the UOI. He was also a firefighter (air, crash & rescue) with DND and holds international firefighter certification and is an instructor for Search and Rescue. Cliff is an active trapper, hunter and fisherman when time permits.
All appointments to the Chair are jointly approved by the Grand Council Chief of the Anishinabek Nation and the Minister of Natural Resources.
Approved by the Minister of Natural Resources:
Secretary / Treasurer - Jim Grayston
Jim owns and operates a Tourism Marketing Consulting Company in Haileybury, Ontario. Previous to that he has served as Vice President of Product Development, Partnership and Sales for the Northern Ontario Marketing Corporation and before that, as the Executive Director for the Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association. He is a former District Manager and Communications Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Jim is presently the Partnership Coordinator for Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC). Jim is a Graduate of the University of Guelph with a degree in Fish and Wildlife Biology.
Tom Whillans
Tom is an ecologist with particular interests in fisheries, fish habitat, wetlands, co-management, community development, traditional knowledge, watershed restoration, historical ecology, bioregionalism, restoration ecology and related environmental problems. His doctoral work was in the Department of Zoology, while located at the Institute for Environmental Studies, at the University of Toronto. Since 1983, he has been a professor in the Environmental and Resource Studies Program, Trent University. He chaired the Program from 1989-91 and 1994-5. Lately he has been involved particularly in the development of the community-based research and education program at the university.
Most of Tom's research has focused on problems in the Great Lakes basin, although he has worked in both the Northwest Territories and Ecuador on issues relating to aboriginal use and the management of watershed and aquatic resources. He is currently the Director of INSTRUCT, a 6-year community-based watershed management program in Ecuador and Mexico, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency. It combines research, education and development. Tom is and has been a member of and on the Boards of many community and scientific organizations. These have focused mostly on natural resource management and restoration and on community development.
Peter Meisenheimer
A biologist with a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Guelph, Peter has broad experience in fisheries and marine resource management. He has worked as a consultant to the Great Lakes commercial fishing industry in Ontario, Illinois and Wisconsin. His consulting career has included work for organizations, industry and government throughout the Great Lakes and on many inland waters in Ontario.
Peter's international experience includes two and a half years as a fisheries development advisor in the African nation of Botswana, a year managing an aid and disaster relief program in Namibia, design and implementation of marine mammal research in Russia and membership on several fisheries related committees. His work in Canada has taken him from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island and from the Arctic to the US border. Peter has been Executive Director of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries Association since 2004 and is currently a member of the Canadian Committee of Advisors of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. He is also Chair of the Ontario Species at Risk Public Advisory Committee.
Frank Kennedy
Director of the Science and Information Branch, Frank was previously Manager of Business Solutions Services-Forests. Starting his career with the OMNR in 1977, he has provided leadership with the Land Use Planning Branch and has considerable Senior management experience, including Forest Management Planning, Environmental Assessment and Land Use Planning.
Approved by the Grand Chief, Anishinabek Nation
Brian Monague
Born and raised on Kettle Point Brian has lived all his life on Lake Huron and the surrounding area. He is a Band Councilor with the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation; part-time fisherman; with a long time interest in environmental issues on the Great Lakes. Brian holds the "Hunting & Fishing" portfolio on his First Nation's Council. This is his 5th term (9 years) on Council since 1990. He also presently sits as the First Nations Supervisor for the Pinery Provincial Park Resource Management Plan regarding deer herd reduction. One of his main concerns involves public awareness of "exotic species that continue to threaten all lakes and rivers across Anishinabek territory. Zebra mussels, Gobies, Gizzard Shads, etc. are just a few of the over 120 exotics that are already present.”
Rick Stevens
As a board member with the A/OFRC, Rick Stevens brings a vast amount of personal and professional experience in fisheries and resource management. He presently serves as a councilor for Nipissing First Nation, and has done so since 1994. During much of that time he held the Natural Resources portfolio while also being an active hunter, commercial fisherman and trapper. He was very instrumental in the creation of Nipissing First Nation’s Fisheries Law passed by the people of his community. This has been a major accomplishment that Rick is very proud of.
He is part owner/operator of Nipissing Bait, harvesting minnows & leeches while selling them wholesale to local markets. The major part of Rick’s livelihood has and continues to be utilizing the surrounding natural resources. Through traditional knowledge passed on to him Rick has learned his skills in hunting and trapping. He also previously owned and operated a silver fox ranch from 1987 to 1998. Over the last 20 years he has been a past board member of the North Bay Greater Stewardship Council, Anishinabek Health Commission and the Nipissing First Nation fur plant, where he was elected as the vice president.
John O'Nabigon
John was appointed by the Northern Superior Chiefs to represent the Northern Superior Region on the A/OFRC Board of Directors. As a Board Director, John looks forward to his on-going participation with the A/OFRC and hopes that his contribution will assist in the continued success of the Center as "Fish has been an important staple and still is for our people, it is crucial that we as First Nations people be involved in the management and preservation of our fisheries so that it will be there for our future generations."
John belongs to the Long Lake #58 First Nation and has lived in the area for most of his life. He has served as a member to council in his community for 5 terms and held the position of Economic Development Officer for 15 years. John presently holds the position of Consultation and Development Coordinator. He is a father and grandfather to many grandchildren. His hobbies include woodworking and raising and training sled dogs with his eldest son.
Pam Crowe
Pam, from Alderville First Nation, was appointed by the Southeast Region Chiefs to represent the Southeast area on the Board of Directors. Alderville is situated approximately 100 miles east of Toronto, with a portion of the reserve being situated on the south shore of Rice Lake. Pam previously held a long term position as the Housing/Lands Manager for Alderville. A few years ago she transitioned to a member of the Band Council, in which the environmental portfolio has become one of her favourites.
Loving to fish, and living alongside Rice Lake most of her life, she has witnessed many changes that have occurred in the watersheds that surround her community, including the decline of many species of fish and the unwelcome presence of invading species. Ms. Crowe is very pleased to be a member of the Board of Directors as she sees the challenges that First Nations are facing in Ontario and looks forward to doing what she can to address these issues.
