Jennifer Lash currently works as a Senior Advisor to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada , where she advises on climate adaptation and environmental justice, amongst other things. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.
Before her current position, she spent over a decade working at the nexus of philanthropy and civil society, helping develop highly effective strategies to set Canada on a path to net zero by 2050. Her facilitation, strategic planning, and fundraising skills helped shape the climate movement that is active in Canada today.
From 1998-2011, Jennifer served as the Founder and Executive Director of Living Oceans Society, advocating for policies that protected marine biodiversity while supporting coastal communities. She was one of the first people to call for a network of marine protected areas in Canada, which has expanded to 10% of the coast and growing.
Jennifer has served on many Boards, including Climate Action Network, Mount Cain Alpine Park Society, Sointula Co-op, and AJ Elliott Parent Advisory Committee.
She spent most of her professional life working from the fishing community of Sointula on Malcolm Island, located near the top of Vancouver Island. She now shares her time between Sointula and Ottawa and loves each location for different reasons.
She is a mother, cohabitates with a grumpy cat named Trouble, and has explored the coast of BC in a submarine.