For the past five years the London Environmental Network has grown under the leadership of Skylar Franke, our Executive Director. She has supported environmental action that helps advance our community to becoming a greener and more resilient city. She’s been a champion for strong action on climate change, developing new programs to address emission reduction, developing practical solutions to getting to net-zero and engaging all members of our community in the environmental sector.
The London Environmental Network’s Board and Staff teams are excited to see Skylar embrace a new role of motherhood and take a parental leave starting in July 2022.
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Marianne Griffith, our Director of Programs, who will be stepping into the Interim Executive Director role to cover Skylar’s absence. Marianne has been with the London Environmental Network for three years, bringing her technical background on sustainable buildings to help launch the Green Economy London and Greener Homes London programs and supervising a team of program coordinators. She is well known and respected in the environmental community, and the Board has full confidence in her ability as the Interim Executive Director. She will be supported by Leah Derikx, moving into a Director of Operations role, and the rest of the Staff team at LEN.
At this pivotal moment in the London Environmental Network’s development, and in our collective history, the Network is well-positioned for the vision that accompanies new leadership. We have shown our capability to navigate uncertain times throughout COVID-19 while holding true to our role of being here for our Network and fostering ways for us to lean on one another while maintaining a fiscally responsible position.
Our team has been actively working on developing new partnerships through collaborative Indigenous environmental programming like the Deshkan Ziibiing Retrofit Pilot with Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, completing our first equity, diversity and inclusion strategy and focusing our Greener Homes London efforts on households facing energy poverty. For us to improve environmental sustainability in the community, we must go further to ensure no one is left behind in the transition to a greener city.
With all that we are facing in the world today, the London Environmental Network maintains its strong commitment to making London one of the greenest and most resilient cities in Canada. We continue to be adaptable and flexible, even in times of crisis and change.
Thank you for all the work you do to support the environmental sector, and please send best wishes to our team for the exciting upcoming changes! If you’d like to send Marianne your best wishes, please send along an email to marianne [at] londonenvironment.net or consider donating to support our work!
Sonja Teichert
Board Chair
------
About Marianne Griffith
Marianne Griffith is a committed environmentalist and an advocate for local, sustainable food systems and renewable energy. She's worked with London based organizations to promote sustainability and community driven carbon and waste reduction, including Growing Chefs, The Root Cellar and Building Better. She's worked on social justice and sustainable development projects in Indigenous communities in many countries and she works closely with First Nations communities in Ontario to develop opportunities for clean energy sources and sustainable, affordable housing.
She is a Certified Energy Auditor, a member of the Association of Energy Engineers, a LEED Green Associate, and has extensive building science training including Energy Star and CHBA Net Zero Builder. She was recently appointed to the Environmental Stewardship and Action Community Advisory Committee committee with the City of London. She is currently the Director of Programs where she is committed to supervising our programs that help London become a greener and more resilient city.
