Maple Leaves Forever has a Board of Directors as well as the support staff team listed below.
Deb Pella Keen
Executive Director
Deb Pella Keen has been the Executive Director for Maple Leaves Forever since early 2019. Previously she was Director of the Niagara Escarpment Commission, a provincial agency that works to preserve the Niagara Escarpment as a continuous natural landscape through south-central Ontario and convenes the designation as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
Deb is an experienced senior executive, having worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change throughout central Ontario, where she led environmental planning, community engagement and natural resource policy and program development and implementation.
Deb continues to pursue her passion for environmental stewardship as Board member of the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust, a registered charity that partners with land owners to conserve ecologically sensitive land on and near the moraine. Deb has also been a member of the Canadian Council for UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Committee (biosphere reserve program), and continues to work with the Landscape of Nations 360° Indigenous Education Initiative and Plenty Canada, a non-profit that promotes social justice and environmental protection in the lives of Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world.
Deb holds a Bachelor of Science (Forestry) from the University of Toronto and enjoys exploring the out of doors by foot, paddle, bike or skis with family and friends.
Deb can be reached at deb.pellakeen@mapleleavesforever.ca.
Caitlin Ayling
Nursery Liaison
Caitlin began her career in horticulture after graduating from Niagara College’s Horticultural Technician program in 2014. After a summer internship creating and managing a research trial garden followed by a season growing miniature roses under the greenhouse sun, she found her way to NVK Nurseries. She started in the propagation department, moving into the head grower position and putting her knowledge and practical experience to the test. After a few years, Caitlin followed her passion in plant health and narrowed her focus to integrated pest management in the greenhouse and outdoor container settings.
When Caitlin isn’t scouting, spreading beneficial insects, brainstorming and planning with her fellow growers, she can be found enjoying her backyard space with her partner Andrew, daughter Kinsley and their dog Ollie. Living in Dundas, and backing onto the Niagara escarpment, allows Caitlin and her family to explore the green spaces and hiking trails right outside their door. Caitlin also enjoys working in her vegetable garden, battling backyard invasive species and promoting and incorporating more native plants in the landscape.
Caitlin can be reached at nurseryliaison@mapleleavesforever.ca.
Mary Bella
Manager, Marketing and PR
(Webmaster, E-News, Print advertising and Social Media)
Mary Bella has worked with Maple Leaves Forever since 2014. Mary runs her own company – Maestra Web Design – which has specialized in creating and maintaining websites for non-profits, small businesses and arts organizations for over 20 years. She has created more than 150 websites for clients ranging from community organizations and registered charities to musicians, ensembles and artist agencies.
In addition, Mary is a professional classical singer and choir conductor, and volunteers with a variety of community organizations. She loves nature and hiking, and strives to reduce her carbon footprint by using transit, recycling and reducing single-use plastics.
Mary can be reached at marketing@mapleleavesforever.ca.
Allison Hands and Teri Hoang
Thank You Rebate Application Administration
MLF has contracted with Forests Ontario to manage the intake process for tree planting applications. Applicants will be dealing with Allison Hands or Teri Hoang at Forests Ontario at the same contact address: info@mapleleavesforever.ca.
Allison Hands is an experienced not-for-profit and environmental professional who has worked at Forest Ontario since 2011. In her current role as Education Manager, she oversees the delivery of youth education and awareness programs including Ontario Envirothon, Tree Bee, Focus on Forests and Forestry in the Classroom. Combined these forest education programs have reached more than 17,000 youth and educators in 500 communities. Allison is also a volunteer director, and former co-chair, of the Biodiversity Education Awareness Network (BEAN), which works to increase general awareness and understanding of biodiversity and its role in protecting ecosystems, people and society.
Teri Hoang’s passion for forestry grew from admiring the natural areas within Toronto, where she grew up, along with travelling to and camping in provincial parks. After graduating she began her career in the consumer goods industry. However, through volunteering and increased contact with the natural world, Teri decided that she wanted to pursue forestry as a career. She returned to school to complete a Master of Forest Conservation (MFC) at the University of Toronto. She now enjoys her role at Forests Ontario, bringing awareness to sustainable forestry and forest values, along with her interest in working to increase forest cover and health. In her spare time Teri can be found walking the trails and exploring nature in the city.