June 15, 2019
Maple Leaves Forever appoints new Executive Director
Deb Pella Keen
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. She was also Director of the Niagara Escarpment Commission, a provincial agency that works to preserve the Niagara Escarpment.
Maple Leaves Forever is a charitable organization that has been committed to supporting and advocating for the planting of native Canadian maples across southern Ontario for over 20 years.
“I’m very pleased that we have found someone as highly-qualified and committed to trees and the environment as Deb Pella Keen, to lead Maple Leaves Forever into the future,” said Ken Jewett, founder of Maple Leaves Forever. “I will continue to be involved with the organization, with more of the responsibility for our operations moving to Deb going forward.”
Deb continues to pursue her passion for environmental stewardship as board member of the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust. She was also a member of the Canadian Council for UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Committee and continues to work with the Landscape of Nations 360 Indigenous Education Initiative and Plenty Canada, a non-profit organization 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.
For more information on the organization, visit MapleLeavesForever.com.