Tom Via | Chair
Tom serves as President – Chief Operating Officer for Woodbine Entertainment. He has led and grown businesses across diverse retail, wholesale, e-commerce and sports/ entertainment formats within Australia, Canada and the United States.
He holds B.Sc in Business Administration from the University of Buffalo. Tom did full-time night school while working full-time during the day.
Tom and his wife Laurene have been homeowners in Norfolk County for over 20 years and are avid Lake Erie boaters. Tom is committed to preserving the amazing biodiversity of our Biosphere and Lake Erie ecosystem for future generations.
Contact: chair@longpointbiosphere.com
Janet Dassinger | Interim Executive Director
Janet has served as the Biosphere’s Interim Executive Director since April 2025. In this role, Janet leads the Biosphere operations and plays a key role in strategic planning.
She is on leave from her position as a Senior Research Officer with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) where she has provided support to employees in the not-for-profit sector including collective bargaining and legislative and policy analysis. She also been a project manager, executive director and fund developer in the not-for-profit sector.
Janet has advanced degrees in Labour Studies and Social Work from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Janet has been coming to Long Point for over twenty-five years, has been a property owner since 2015, and a full-time resident since 2018. She first learned about the Biosphere through the Wandering Wednesday hikes, Janet became passionate about conservation and the role of biospheres in sustainable development. The only place she loves as much as Long Point is Costa Rica.
Contact: Janet@longpointbiosphere.com
Brian Craig | Director at Large
Brian’s varied interests have led to careers as a musician with a southern rock band that toured Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, a teacher with the Oxford County Board of Education, a Senior Science Advisor with Environment Canada’s Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network and most recently until retirement as a Restoration Ecologist and Project Manager with Parks Canada.
Brian has degrees in Geography and Environment and Resource Studies from the University of Waterloo, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario, and a Masters Certificate in Project Management from York University.
Brian’s passion is working with community members in Norfolk County and the Long Point Biosphere to ensure social, cultural, economic and ecological sustainability for future generations. Norfolk County is the best place to live in the world!
Sydney Clarysse | Director at Large and Secretary
Sydney currently serves as the Project Lead for Energy and Facilities at Norfolk County where she carries out responsibilities such as energy monitoring, management and conservation, climate change adaptation initiatives, and Facilities capital construction projects.
Sydney went to Western University where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Public Health and a master’s degree in Environment and Sustainability.
Sydney was born and raised in Norfolk County. From a young age, she enjoyed spending time outdoors on the farm, which contributed to her appreciation for the environment.
Wesley Wilson, B.Eng | Director at Large
Wesley is a Structural Designer with John G. Cooke and Associated in Hamilton. He sits on advisory committees for a multitude of regional, provincial, national, and international engineering, sustainability, and heritage conservation initiatives.
Wes holds a degree in Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Engineering from Carleton University focused on the conservation of existing buildings, heritage structures, and the construction of new and existing sustainable structures and landscapes.
As a dedicated member of the Norfolk County community, being born and raised here, he is heavily engaged with the heritage and culture of our community bringing to light the environmental and built heritage of the Biosphere Region.
Stephanie Giles | Director at Large
Steph is the Program Coordinator at ALUS Norfolk, where she works with farmers in Norfolk County to target marginal areas on the landscape and restore them into natural habitat. Steph is responsible for securing and managing the program’s funding, coordinating ecological restoration projects, and overseeing the program’s general operations.
Steph holds a degree in Environmental Sciences from McMaster University, in addition to obtaining an Ontario College Graduate Certificate in Ecosystem Restoration from Niagara College.
Steph has lived in Norfolk County her entire life, and is passionate about exploring the county by means of jogging, boating, snowmobiling, and cycling.
Dick Bourgeois-Doyle | Director at Large
Dick is the former Secretary General of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). He is also a writer and science administrator with an interest in innovation history, research ethics, and gender issues in technology. Before joining NRC, Mr. Bourgeois-Doyle was Chief of Staff to the Canadian Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Mathematics) and a Master of Arts – Interdisciplinary Studies.
Dick lives in Norfolk County year-round and has outdoor hobbies to match every season.
Michael VanSickle | Treasurer and Director at Large
Michael is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). He currently serves as a Supervisor in financial services for the Corporation of Norfolk County.
Michael has an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in International Accounting and Finance.
Michael’s volunteer contributions include coaching minor hockey, working in the Port Dover food bank, and other community organizations in the Long Point region.
Angelle van Kleef | Director at Large
Angelle consulted for the Dutch government, advising Dutch greenhouse growers on all aspects of their business. In 1988 Angelle and her husband Clen started their own greenhouse business. In 1999 they immigrated to Canada. They bought a farm near Nixon, On, where they started a new greenhouse business growing potted plants.
Angelle has a BSc in Horticulture from the Hogere Agrarische School Den Bosch in the Netherlands.
Angelle is a supporter of Birds Canada and participates in Feeder Watch. Angelle served as chair of the Norfolk Owners Woodlot Association and she is a member of the Norfolk Field Naturalists. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Simcoe, where she is the secretary.
Jeff Hopkins | Director at Large
Jeff is a law firm partner specializing in labour and employment law, representing both employers and senior executives.
Jeff holds his LL.B from Western University and his Hons. B.A. from the University of Toronto, Trinity College.
Jeff is a longtime Norfolk County resident and has been active in local organizations interested in community issues and quality of life in the region. He currently serves as President of the Long Point Ratepayers’ Association.
Stuart Mackenzie | Director at Large
Stuart is the Director of Strategic Assets at Birds Canada. He is also a co-founder of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, an international research network that gathers critical data on the movements and behaviors of migratory animals to support their conservation.
He holds a BS from the University of Guelph and a MS from Western University.
Stuart has spent over 20 years fostering his love for Long Point through his work managing operations at the Long Point Bird Observatory. He has been an avid birder since the age of two.