Meet Our Coordinator Team
Advocacy & Engagement
Division
Policy & Research
Division
Public Affairs & Communications
Division
Youth Engagement
Division
Meet the Division Coordinators at the Climate Change Branch!
Governance
Brennan Strandberg-Salmon
Co-Executive Coordinator
Brennan is a Bachelor of Environment student at Simon Fraser University, majoring in Resource and Environmental Management. As a youth climate leader, he is incredibly passionate about and inspired by the power of youth to advance climate action, both locally and globally. In recent years, Brennan has pursued impact jobs including helping the City of Vancouver achieve its water conservation goals, producing a climate change guide for industry associations with BCCIC, and working for Environment and Climate Change Canada to organize the World Circular Economy Forum 2021 and pilot a cross-government climate lens and climate literacy training program. Brennan thrives in outdoor environments and enjoys hiking, dragon boating, water skiing, and exploring nature locally and during travels abroad.
Savannah Tuck
Co-Executive Coordinator
Savannah is a recent graduate of the University of British Columbia (UBC)’s Master’s in Public Policy and Global Affairs, where she specialized in the intersection of human security and climate change. She also holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the UBC Sauder School of Business and a Diploma in Peace and Conflict Studies from Langara College. Savannah is driven to co-create transformational solutions to complex policy problems through an interdisciplinary lens. She is a policy analyst with the Small Business Branch in the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. Savannah has been a volunteer policy analyst with the Climate Change Branch since 2019, where she worked on plastic waste and circular economy projects.
Advocacy & Engagement
Vibhuti Wadhwa
Advocacy & Engagement Coordinator
Vib is a Youth Programs Coordinator at Minerva BC. She is a systems-thinker with a BA from UBC in Economics and Political Science, and is keen about combining policy and economic analysis with program management to create a positive impact on communities. She specializes in the economics of globalization and multinational corporations, space and environmental politics, and political theory. Vib is eager to further build upon the CCB’s external relationships and internal function and equity through the new Advocacy and Engagement Division.
Policy & Research
Ashley Kelsey
Policy & Research Coordinator
Ashley graduated from SFU in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. She also earned a Series of Record Achievement in Renewable Energy Essentials at the University of Alberta in 2021 along with a diploma in NATO Crisis Management and Negotiation Mediation Decision Making while studying with NATO across Europe. Ashley has her LEED Green Associate and CIET Energy Management credentials. She now plans on continuing her education by pursuing a Masters of Environmental Management. Currently, Ashley has been working with BC Hydro since 2018 and volunteering with BCCIC since 2020. As a retail representative at BC Hydro, Ashley’s work focuses on creating and promoting energy conservation programs within BC’s retail sector. She conducts performance audits, collects data and strengthens relations with over 350 retailers.
Public Affairs & Communications
Aaina Sood
Public Affairs & Communications Coordinator
Aaina is currently a masters candidate at Carleton University where she is studying Political Management. She recently graduated from the University of British Columbia where she specialized in Political Science with a minor in Law and Society. Aaina has been a member of the BCCIC Climate Change Branch since 2021 where she started in the role of the Communications Strategist. As the Public Affairs and Communications Coordinator, Aaina strives to combine her passions for public affairs and climate change in hopes of spreading awareness to others about climate justice and education both locally and globally.
Youth Engagement
Molly Rahal
Youth Delegation Coordinator
Molly was born on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territory. Her fear for the state of our Earth developed at around the age of 8 when she would go around her local neighborhood putting up “save the earth” posters with coloured markers, crayons, and tape. Her journey truly began as an activist in her undergrad, frequently participating in peaceful demonstrations. She briefly organized internally with the Extinction Rebellion Vancouver chapter while receiving her BA in Political Science from UBC. She co-directed a small online platform “For Life”, which focused on youth recruitment to the Green Party of Canada as well as campaigning for the last Canadian federal elections. She worked on campaigns alongside the policy teams of two former Green Party of Canada leadership candidates during the last internal Green Party elections. Now she is working on the completion of her Master of International Affairs degree with a concentration in international security. She was a youth delegate with BCCIC to the High Level Political Forum in 2018, the UNFCCC SB 50 and the SB 56. At COP 25 she was an assistant policy analyst where she focused mostly on Loss & Damage negotiations. This year, she will be co-leading the COP 27 delegation to Egypt. Climate policy and intersectional justice are Molly’s greatest passion and she dreams of dedicating her life’s work to this cause.
Jennifer Hong
Youth Delegation Coordinator
Jennifer Hong is a recent graduate from the University of British Columbia holding a BSc Honors in Forest Sciences specializing in Forest Ecosystem Services. She has a research interest in the relationship between human health and forestry, and is passionate about increasing accessibility to natural spaces for everyone. She approaches her work with a ‘people-first’, intersectional lens to ensure the often lesser-heard voices of youth, Indigenous or racialized peoples are heard when addressing environmental issues.
She has worked for Parks Canada to develop community outreach programs, worked for Singapore’s National Parks Board and has experience analyzing energy policy solutions to implement the Pan-Canadian Framework (i.e., Canada’s commitments that followed the Paris Climate Agreement discussions) programming for Environment and Climate Change Canada in Ottawa.
Jennifer was a youth delegate at COP26, where she followed the tracks of land-use, land use change, and forestry (LULUCF) and ecosystem services. She will also be the co-delegation lead for the upcoming COP27 youth delegation. Most recently, Jennifer was a youth delegate for the UN FAO’s World Forestry Congress where she supported a team of 20 other youth delegates in youth-focused events and initiatives, in addition to conceptualizing the Faces of Forestry campaign.