Marine Renewables Canada Appoints New Leadership to Board of Directors

Marine Renewables Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors. The new directors bring valuable experience from working in the global offshore wind sector, as well as expertise in environmental management, engagement, and the broader marine renewable energy sector in Canada. Their unique perspectives will add to the national leadership of the association.
“This is a pivotal year for Canada’s marine renewable energy sector, with offshore wind legislation now in place, new measures to facilitate permitting for tidal energy, and untapped potential across the country that can help us achieve our clean energy goals,” said Elisa Obermann, Executive Director of Marine Renewables Canada. “The opportunity to advance the sector in 2025 is immense, and strong leadership will be crucial to driving the strategy and representing the best interests of our members. That’s why I’m excited to announce the appointment of Anne-Marie Belliveau, Barb Bryden, and Dawn MacDonald to our Board of Directors. Their expertise and strengths will be invaluable to both the association and the broader sector.”
Anne-Marie Belliveau is the owner of Projectable Consulting, and is a Professional Engineer and certified Project Manager with over 17 years of professional experience. She has spent the last decade working in the marine renewable energy sector in Nova Scotia, with roles at Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, DP Energy, Emera, and the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE). She holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Dalhousie University and a Master of Science from New York University. Anne-Marie is the former Chair of the Women in Engineering Committee at Engineers Nova Scotia, and is a Connector in the Greater Halifax Partnership’s Connector Program.
Barb Bryden is the Stakeholder, Rightsholder and Community Liaison Manager at DP Energy. With over 35 years’ experience working in the public and private sectors, including resource and renewable energy, she brings extensive stakeholder engagement, environmental knowledge and strategies supporting the growth of the marine renewable sector. She also is a Catalyste+ volunteer with Global Affairs Canada. Before joining DP Energy, Barb was an Environmental Engineering Technologist, Inspector Specialist, and Supervisor of the Ambient Air Monitoring Program with the Province of Nova Scotia for 27 years and also worked as an Environmental Manager in the resource sector. Barb holds a Master of Environmental Management and Restoration, Bachelor of Technology Environmental Science, Bachelor of Environmental Studies, and Environmental Engineering Technology Diploma and is a member of TechNova.
Dawn MacDonald is the Global Offshore Wind Market Sector lead for AECOM, a global infrastructure consulting firm that provides environmental, engineering and advisory services to clients around the world. She works closely with AECOM’s offshore wind teams and clients in Europe, Asia, Australia, the US and Latin America, providing her with a very broad view of the global offshore wind market, the key players, emerging technologies, and issues facing the industry. An energy industry veteran with more than 20 years in the sector and a professional engineer by trade, Dawn brings an impressive portfolio of offshore wind experience, having overseen development, construction, and operations projects as part of the Maple Power joint venture in Europe. Prior to that role, she was based out of Calgary, Canada and oversaw the front-end technical development of North American energy sector megaprojects and investment opportunities.
Their directorship terms began on January 1, 2025.
A new executive committee has also been established, with Mohammad Ali Raza, Partner at Cox and Palmer, appointed as Chair of the board, Dawn MacDonald appointed as Vice Chair and Anne-Marie Belliveau appointed as Treasurer.
Marine Renewables Canada would like to thank the outgoing directors of the board for their contributions and leadership: Dr. Mary Lou Lauria (Worley) and Sarah Thomas (DP Energy).
For full Board of Directors’ biographies, please visit: https://marinerenewables.ca/board-of-directors/
About Marine Renewables Canada
Marine Renewables Canada is the national association for tidal, offshore wind, wave and river current energy, representing a membership of technology and project developers, suppliers, utilities, Indigenous organizations, researchers, and communities. The association works to build the sector by advocating for supportive policies, identifying domestic and international business development opportunities for its members, facilitating collaboration amongst its membership and broader ecosystem, providing education and outreach, and disseminating market intelligence. As part of its focus on developing the sector, Marine Renewables Canada is active in catalyzing opportunities for how marine renewable energy can contribute to achieving decarbonization goals through the production of green fuels such as hydrogen, as well as displacement of diesel in remote communities and marine industries.
More at www.marinerenewables.ca
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Media contact:
Chelsi Bennett
Marine Renewables Canada
chelsi@marinerenewables.ca