Our Team

The ESfS organizing committee members are all geoscience volunteers.

Are you a passionate and energetic geoscience volunteer and would like to increase your involvement in a fun and rewarding initiative? The ESfS team is taking the time to reshape and build a successful ESfS event and we are looking for volunteers to deliver the program. We are working on the dates for the next Earth Science for Society Exhibition in Calgary.

If you are interested or would like more details, contact us at esfscanada@gmail.com or click on the button below to sign up with the ESfS 2023 Organizing Committee:

Organizing Committee Sign-up Form

 

ESfS 2021-22 Organizing Committee

Organizing Committee Chair – Marissa Whittaker

Marissa is a Professional Geophysicist with 10 years’ experience in oil, gas, potash, and gas storage plays across Canada and internationally. She has volunteered with ESfS for many years as a guide and on the Exhibits, Volunteers, and Budget & Finance committees.

The Chair is responsible for the overall coordination of ESfS, including project management, meetings and minutes and status reports. She keeps things organized and on-track to ensure the success of ESfS.

Subcommittees

Venue & Logistics Chair – Jeff Allison and Vice-Chair – Melissa Sawyer

Jeff is a Professional Geophysicist with over 30 years of experience in the Oil and Gas industry. He graduated from Queen’s University in 1988 with a degree in Geological Engineering. During his career, he has worked with large and small E&P companies, as well as companies that provide software and services to the oil and gas industry. Jeff is currently the Manager of Geological Data Management at CNRL. He joined the ESfS Committee in 2020 and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for geoscience with the community.

Melissa is a Professional Geologist with five years working experience in the Oil and Gas industry. She graduated with a Master’s in Geology from the University of Calgary. Melissa is currently a Geologist at Peyto, where she has worked since graduating in 2016. She started volunteering with ESfS first as a guide in 2014/2015. She found the experience so rewarding she then joined the sponsorship Committee in 2015 before switching to the Exhibits committee and eventually becoming Chair (2016-2019). After a short break, Melissa is excited to be back on the committee and help the rest of the team with this great event!

The Venue & Logistics committee coordinates our venue and logistics needs. They are responsible for booking the facility and on-site goods and services, coordinating the ESfS on-site space, security, and emergency response requirements, and establishing designated staging areas for schools and buses.

Venue & Logistics committee: Jeff Allison, Melissa Sawyer, Rebecca Haspel (advisory)

Sponsorship Chair – Julia Davison and Vice-Chair – Pam Pribilovic

Julia Davison is a professional geologist working in business as an energy analyst with Direct Energy/NRG and consulting in geoscience. She has a master’s of business administration and master’s in geology from the University of Calgary; her bachelor’s geology degree is from UBC, Vancouver. Julia has studied and worked on a range of interesting onshore and offshore Canadian and global petroleum basins, carbon capture, geothermal potential and renewable natural gas. After volunteering as an ESfS guide in 2016, Julia acted as the Sponsorship Chair (2017-2019) and chaired the inaugural ESfS Science Odyssey traveling exhibit in 2018. She is excited to be volunteering with this fantastic, educational exhibition leading up to 2022.

After a decade of Geophysics work, Pam Pribilovic is broadening her skills into the data analytics world. With a BSc in Geophysics from U of C and a certificate in Data Analytics from SAIT, she continues to empower decision makers with effective analytical tools. Knowing exactly what is going into the analysis is key to understanding how to build the solution, paired with her lifelong passion for learning, will help expand her career path. Volunteering with the organizing committee since 2019, Pam missed participating in person at the ESfS 2020 event and is eager to experience her first live ESfS event in 2022, believing it is an important educational experience for youth, teachers, and families.

Julia and Pam are responsible for leading the team which solicits funds from donor companies – donations which allow ESfS to remain financially accessible to the targeted school and youth group audiences. This duo also ensures sponsor recognition during the event, prepares the Sponsorship brochure content, tracks sponsorship and exhibitor progress, applies for grants and helps coordinate the post-event Thank-you mail out.

Sponsorship committee: Julia Davison, Pam Pribilovic, Melissa Sawyer, Natasha Morris, Bruce Moore (advisory)

Exhibits Chair – Taylor Foret and Vice-Chair – Melissa Sawyer

Taylor recently graduated from University of Calgary, receiving a MSc in Geology. She volunteered as a guide at ESfS in 2017 and 2018, was Vice-Chair for Venue in 2019 and is Exhibits Chair in 2020 and 2021-2022.

Melissa is a Professional Geologist with five years working experience in the Oil and Gas industry. She graduated with a Master’s in Geology from the University of Calgary. Melissa is currently a Geologist at Peyto, where she has worked since graduating in 2016. She started volunteering with ESfS first as a guide in 2014/2015. She found the experience so rewarding she then joined the sponsorship Committee in 2015 before switching to the Exhibits committee and eventually becoming Chair (2016-2019). After a short break, Melissa is excited to be back on the committee and help the rest of the team with this great event!

The Exhibits committee is responsible for inviting exhibitors to ESfS to ensure a fun and dynamic exhibition. Taylor prepares the Exhibitor brochure content, leads the team that solicits for ESfS exhibitors, develops the pavilion and exhibitor floor plan, compiles exhibitor requirements for venue and logistics, prepares the exhibitor kit, coordinates the exhibitor summary, coordinates on-site assistance, compiles the exhibitor feedback surveys, and contributes to the post-event Thank-you booklet.

Exhibits committee: Taylor Foret, Melissa Sawyer, Laurie McGhie

Marketing Chair – Vacant

The Marketing team develops the marketing and communication plan, works with the marketing team and other committees to prepare all collateral material and advertising, coordinates with other technical societies, connects with external youth groups, coordinates all branded event material, ensures consistent ESfS branding and communication, prepares newsletters, develops signage requirements, develops and compiles feedback surveys, organizes the welcoming committee and coordinates the post event Thank-you mailout.

Marketing committee: Renu Sahota, Ariana Pumo, Annette Milbradt

Volunteers Chair – Hilary Schumacher and Vice-Chair – Phil Harms

Hilary graduated from the University of Calgary, receiving a BSc with a major in Geophysics. She is currently working at Suncor Energy Inc. in the Chief Sustainability Office. Hilary started with ESfS in 2018 as a volunteer and is now the Chair of the Volunteer Committee in 2020. She has a passion for geoscience and the environment which she hopes to share with the youth that get involved with ESfS.

Phil graduated from University of Calgary with a double major in geology and geophysics. Phil has been a geoscience consultant advising on international oil and gas exploration for more than a decade and more recently is taking a keen interest in applying his experience and data analytics technology to gas storage and geothermal energy. A life long learner, he is passionate about experiencing our planet and sharing it with the next generation. Phil was Vice Chair of the Volunteer Committee in 2017, Chair in 2018 and advisor in 2019. In 2022, Phil is looking forward to supporting the ESfS in new and exciting ways!

The Volunteer Committee is responsible for coordinating event volunteers, which includes preparing and managing the volunteer schedule, preparing volunteer reference documents, coordinating volunteer on-site requirements, providing on-site briefing, recognizing volunteer efforts, and reporting volunteer statistics.

Volunteers committee: Hilary Schumacher, Phil Harms, Judith Chan

Program Delivery Chair – Helen Isaac

Helen works part-time for CREWES at the University of Calgary, where she specializes in seismic data processing, interpretation and modelling. Helen has been a very active volunteer with the CSEG for many years and has been deeply committed to ESfS since its inception in 2010.

Helen is responsible for coordinating all aspects of student visits. She coordinates school sign-ups and communications, prepares the school rotation schedule, compiles volunteer guide requirements, coordinates buses, prepares school packages and provides them with an itinerary letter, prepares geoscience reference materials for educators, creates the Scavenger Hunt Booklets, works with exhibitors to prepare Q&A for the booklets, coordinates bag stuffing, and compiles materials for the students’ bags and the teachers’ bags.

Program Delivery committee: Helen Isaac, Jon Crealock

Budget & Finance Chair – Annette Milbradt and Vice-Chair – Maverick Cue

Annette is a retired Geophysicist, interested in geoscience outreach. She has served as a Director for the CSEG Foundation and also volunteers with other CSEG Foundation Outreach initiatives. She has been involved with ESfS since it started in 2010.

Maverick graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Science in Geophysics. He has had the opportunity to work in the oil fields of West Texas and New Mexico, drilling wells. Currently, he is studying at the University of Alberta School of Business. Maverick has been a volunteer with ESfS since the summer of 2017, and is grateful to be working with people passionate about education and Earth science.

The Budget & Finance team is responsible for preparing the budget, assisting with coding payables, and tracking revenues and expenses to ensure that ESfS stays on budget.

Budget & Finance committee: Annette Milbradt, Maverick Cue

Speakers Chair – Daniela Waldbott von Bassenheim

Daniela is currently in her Master’s degree at the University of Calgary. During her undergraduate degree she has worked several summer internships, as well as pursuing research interests in a variety of fields, including igneous petrology, and classical sedimentology and stratigraphy. Her passion lies with fostering environments that nurture experiential learning and conversation, enabling community interaction. She first got involved in ESfS in 2016 and has increased her involvement year over year. Daniela is responsible for arranging and coordinating the geoscience speakers for the Sunday Geo-Theatre.

Speakers committee: Daniela Waldbott von Bassenheim

ESfS in Motion Chair – Tezla Hayduk and Vice-Chair – Victoria Desjardins

After working in the oilfield as an engineer Tezla saw the light and went back to school to become a geologist. She graduated from the University of Calgary in 2018 with honors and began working across the country in mineral exploration. She’s worked on nickel deposits in Sudbury and Thompson for Vale and now works as a resource and geological modeler on a gold project in BC for Osisko Developments. She is the VP of the Mineral Exploration Group Society in Calgary and joined the ESfS Committee in 2021. Tezla is interesting in communicating and sharing her passion for geoscience.

Victoria is an early-career professional working as a Geospatial Analyst with Airborne Imaging Inc. She graduated from Dalhousie University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Sciences and Environment, Sustainability, and Society with a certificate in Environmental Geoscience. In 2019 she graduated from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology with a Diploma in Geomatics Engineering Technology. She began volunteering with ESfS in 2017 with the Association for Women Geoscientists and has since taken on various other roles at the exhibits and has been with the ESfS in Motion team since 2018. Victoria is interested in the intersection of society, technology, and the natural world. She has explored this interest through aiding development of ESfS In Motion’s “Explore Space” booth which has been featured at Science Odyssey and Science Literacy Week events.

The ESfS in Motion committee organizes the Yukon Dan gold panning exhibit, the ESfS Fossil station, and the Geoscience Activity tables at the ESfS Exhibition.

ESfS has developed travelling exhibits that we can take to science education and outreach events or add as a booth at ESfS. We’ve participated in Science Odyssey in May 2017, 2018, and 2019 and in Science Literacy Week in September 2018 and 2019.

The ESfS in Motion travelling exhibits showcase four fun and interactive stations: the Explore Space Station, the Trilobite Fossil Station, the Rock Cycle Station and the Our Changing World Station. Visitors investigate space travel and our solar system at the Explore Space Station. The Trilobite Fossil Station allows participants to touch, identify and classify trilobite fossils. The Rock Cycle Station has sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks and mineral samples to examine. The Our Changing World Station has activities related to plate tectonics and seismic methods.

ESfS in Motion committee: Victoria Desjardins, Tezla Hayduk, Julia Davison

ESfS Administrator – Annette Milbradt

Annette is currently the volunteer ESfS Administrator.

With the help of CSEG staff, the ESfS Administrator manages bookings, accounts & contracts (venue, suppliers, buses, marketing) on behalf of the CSEG Foundation, generates invoices and receives payments, tracks and manages receivables, ensures payment of expenses by credit card, and provides support and physical address for orders – venue, venue suppliers, buses, schools, exhibitors, sponsors, student and educator materials, volunteers and volunteer materials, printing, and media/marketing.