David T. Suzuki PhD, co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation, is an award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster.
David has received consistently high acclaim for his 30 years of award-winning work in broadcasting, explaining the complexities of science in a compelling, easily understood way. He is well known to millions as the host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's popular science television series, The Nature of Things.
His eight part series, A Planet for the Taking won an award from the United Nations. His eight-part PBS series The Secret of Life was praised internationally, as was his five-part series The Brain for the Discovery Channel. For CBC Radio he founded the long running radio series, Quirks and Quarks and has presented two influential documentary series on the environment, From Naked Ape to Superspecies and It's a Matter of Survival.
An internationally respected geneticist, David was a full Professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver from 1969 until his retirement in 2001. He is professor emeritus with UBC's Sustainable Development Research Institute. From 1969 to 1972 he was the recipient of the prestigious E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship Award for the "Outstanding Canadian Research Scientist Under the Age of 35".
As principal of the Tewanee Consulting Group, Tewanee specializes in public relations, communications and strategic planning. He has worked extensively with First Nations in the area of community consensus building, as well as providing advisory services to the private sector, and local, provincial and federal governments.
A member of the Squamish Nation, he continues to work with several First Nations - as well as his own, to develop strategies that will improve community wide decision-making. Tewanee served eight years on the Squamish Nation Council and has a talent for facilitation and coordinating diverse groups to identify and achieve their goals. He has utilized his skills and now owns and operates a Consulting Group that has contributed to a broad range of initiatives including First Nations federal legislation, First Nations Land Management, Strategic Communications and Governance.
Currently, as the Executive Director for the Four Host First Nations Secretariat, Tewanee is working with VANOC and its partners to develop meaningful Aboriginal participation in the planning, hosting and staging of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. He has worked extensively with First Nations in the area of community consensus building as well as providing advisory services to the private sector, and local provincial, and federal governments.
Through his leadership, for the first time in Olympic history, a third brand, (other than the IOC and the host city of Vancouver) will be allowed on official Olympic communications - the brand of the Four Host Nations Society.
Brian is globally recognized for his views and insights on the convergence of PR, Traditional Media and Social Media. He actively contributes his thoughts and experiences through speaking appearances, books, articles and essays as a way of helping the marketing and PR industries understand and embrace the new dynamics fueling new communications, marketing, and content creation.
He has dedicated his free time to helping PR professionals adapt to the fusing of social sciences in Social Media Marketing and New PR and believes that communications always comes down to people talking to people instead of companies to influencers and then to customers.
In concert with Geoff Livingston, Solis recently released “Now is Gone” a new, award-winning book that helps businesses learn how to engage in Social Media.
His next book, co-author Deirdre Breakenridge, “Putting the Public back in Public Relations,” will be released by Pearson/Financial Times Press in Q1 2009.
He has also written several ebooks on the subjects of Social Media, New PR, Customer Service, and Blogger Relations.
Courtney Pratt was appointed Chairman, Toronto Region Research Alliance in September 2007, and assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer in October 2007.
Previously, he served as Chairman of Stelco Inc. from April 2006 to October 2007, and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Stelco Inc. from January 2004 to March 2006. He also held leadership positions with Toronto Hydro Corporation, Hydro One Networks Inc., The Caldwell Partners, and Noranda Inc. Mr. Pratt is Chairman of Knightsbridge Human Capital, and a Director of Moosehead Breweries Limited and 407ETR. He also is a member of the Ontario Advisory Council of Telus.
Mr. Pratt was awarded the Order of Canada in January 1999. Mr. Pratt's on-going community involvement includes Director and Chair of Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN), Canadian Council on Learning and Toronto City Summit Alliance. Mr. Pratt was Chair of the Board and Chair of the Campaign of the United Way of Greater Toronto, Director and Past Chair of The Learning Partnership, Director of Career Edge, and Director of the Toronto Board of Trade. He also was Chair of the Board of the United Way in Calgary. He was Chair of Imagine, is the Founding Chair of The Charter for Business of the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards in Canada, and is a past Director of the University Health Network.
He also is the co-author (with Larry Gaudet) of Into the Blast Furnace - The Forging of a CEO's Conscience.
David T. Suzuki PhD, co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation, is an award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster.
Courtney Pratt was appointed Chairman, Toronto Region Research Alliance in September 2007, and assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer in October 2007.