Members' meeting - AGM of Équiterre 2023

A former senior official of the Government of Quebec, Charles served for seven years as Assistant Deputy Minister with the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement, de la Faune et des Parcs (now MELCC). There, he was primarily responsible for the fight against climate change. His career also took him to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Comité ministériel des affaires régionales et territoriales and the Comité ministériel de la région de Montréal. He was also President and CEO of the Société d'habitation du Québec.

During his career, he has served on various Canadian and international bodies, as well as on the boards of directors of a number of NPOs, including the Institut de recherche et de développement en agro-environnement (IRDA) and the Fonds d'action québécois en développement durable (FAQDD). For three years, he also chaired the board of directors of the Ouranos Consortium on Regional Climatology and Adaptation to Climate Change. Charles is currently a member of the Advisory Committee on Climate Change, which was established by the Quebec government in 2021. He is also a volunteer member of the Board of Directors of Sentiers Québec-Charlevoix and of his municipality's Urban Planning Advisory Committee.

A graduate in journalism and holder of a master's degree in environmental management, Colleen Thorpe has 25 years of experience in environmental advocacy and social change. She has excellent knowledge of sustainable food systems, circular economy and corporate social responsibility. During her career, she has led numerous programs aimed at influencing decision-makers and mobilizing citizens towards an ecological transition.

Colleen joined Équiterre in 2018, first as Senior Project Manager, then Program Director, before becoming General Manager in 2019. Previously, Colleen worked as a journalist for several television channels covering events in Quebec. She is also fluent in German, having worked and studied in Berlin for several years.

Colleen is a trustee of the UPA-Fondaction Agricultural Land Trust and sits on the board of directors of the Maison du développement durable. She was also a board member of the Centre des services partagés du Québec, the Système alimentaire montréalais and the Espace de concertation sur les pratiques d’approvisionnement responsable.