Patrick Schilf
Director
Born and raised in Germany, I have been living in Fredericton since cycling there from my hometown, Solingen, in 2018. Pedaling 5,700kms through seven countries taught me anything is possible when passion, knowledge, and skill meet opportunity. Feeding off that experience I am committed to leading Frederictonians through their own challenge of defending what makes our city livable and enjoyable against the threat of climate change. A professional web-developer, I bring to the Hub's mission my analytical, detail-oriented, and data-driven approach to problem solving.
As an avid outdoor enthusiast, I am a fan of Fredericton's many trails to bike, hike, and ski. A German bakery is the piece of home I am missing the most.
Before co-founding the Hub, I volunteered with the Fredericton Trails Coalition (2021-2022) and was the President of Fredericton Toastmasters (2022-2023).
Margo Sheppard
Director
I trained in Environmental Studies (BES, University of Waterloo) spent 40+ years as an environmental practitioner and activist in government and civil society. In Ontario, I provided advice to Cabinet on aboriginal affairs, environmental land use, policy development and legal instruments for conserving ecosystems and heritage. For fourteen years she was Executive Director of the Nature Trust of New Brunswick, a province-wide charitable land trust. Margo was co-founder and President of the Canadian Land Trust Alliance, a national network of land conservation practitioners, and a founding director of two watershed associations. She currently serves as Governor of the National Trust for Canada, the country’s preeminent heritage organization.
In 2021 I was elected to serve as Ward 1 (Sunset/Clements) Councillor for the City of Fredericton. I bring a keen desire to delve into and demonstrate the climate (carbon) benefits of built heritage preservation and those of natural site restoration. Having moved to higher ground due to my downtown home flooding three times in eleven years, I am well aware of the impact climate breakdown is having on Fredericton. By co-founding and serving as a director of the Climate Hub, I hope to engage and empower residents to become more climate-aware and self-sufficient, and to have fun and build community in the process.
Renee Davis
Director
Born in the US in 1941, I earned a BA in Philosophy from Brown University (1963) and an MA in Education from Lesley University (1966). My partner and I co-founded the Cambridge Free School, a no-charge private school for young children which ran for two years, until the rental property that housed the school was no longer available. Unable to locate a suitable space for the school, we had to tell the families to find other schools for their children.
A Landed Immigrant in Canada (1973), I was a weekly newspaper co-owner (The Coast Guard) and a deli operator. I began my Canadian teaching career in Nova Scotia, teaching primary and early elementary grades for several years. After that I introduced Apple 2E computers using the LOGO system to the Shelburne area school district. It was successful in identifying learning styles and skill gaps, addressing individual student needs.
I was hired by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission for a three-year contract in 1999. At this point, I moved to Fredericton.
Then I became a partner in the COM-SYS Consulting Group, providing services to various governments, including Grenada WI. When the other COM-SYS principals retired, I started Emergent Solutions, which conducted program evaluations and prepared Requests for Proposals. I also worked with Orion Marketing Research.
Since retirement, I have been an active volunteer with the Council of Canadians, the Canadian Federation of University Woman, as well as a co-founder of the Fredericton Climate Hub.
I enjoy hiking and camping, practice tai chi twice weekly, and play bridge with various groups of friends. I recently returned from a four day trip to Fundy Park, snowshoeing in to a winterized cabin with no electricity or running water. My daughter and I had a great time there, cooking over the wood stove and spending a lot of time outdoors.