Below find information about the team members who make up the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation.
Kathryn Bakos, Managing Director, Finance and Resilience
As Managing Director, Finance and Resilience, Kathryn’s work is driving novel insights at the intersection of climate change and finance. Kathryn’s work includes pioneering research to quantify the impact of flooding on Canada’s residential real estate sector and mortgage markets and developing innovative frameworks to mitigate risk and embed climate preparedness into decision-making for investors. Kathryn’s work has had national and international influence, informing all levels of government, regulators, supervisors, investors, financial institutions, communities, and homeowners on how to adapt more effectively to a changing climate. Kathryn’s international efforts focus on regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America.
Kathryn holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto and Master of Environment and Business degree from the University of Waterloo. Kathryn also holds the Canadian Securities Course certification. In her previous role with an affiliate of Raymond James Financial, Kathryn integrated Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) factors into investment portfolios, led business analysis, and developed advisory and client platforms across Canada and the United States.
Kathryn is a Ted Talk speaker, and a recipient of Clean50’s Emerging Leader 2023 award. She also serves on various committees and councils, such as the Canadian General Standards Board, CAN 9700-700 Technical Committee Managing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Criteria, ISO 331 Biodiversity Mirror Committee, Ontario Biodiversity Council, Canadian Association of Farm Advisors, and others.
Recognized as a subject matter expert on climate adaptation, Kathryn is frequently sought after by the media for her insights: Globe and Mail, Financial Post, iPolitics, TVO: The Agenda with Steve Paikin, CTV News, Global News, and more.
Email: kbakos@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: 519-572-1463
Dr. Anabela Bonada, Managing Director, Climate Science
Dr. Bonada leads research that integrates science, risk assessment, policy and knowledge mobilization to understand and adapt to a changing climate. Dr. Bonada engages with scientists, government officials, and community stakeholders to implement practical solutions that address climate challenges, with a focus on wildfire and flooding protection strategies. Dr. Bonada plays a pivotal role in creating training materials for home and community wildfire protection and contributes to training efforts aimed at reducing extreme heat and flood risks.
Dr. Bonada brings extensive experience and education to the field of climate science. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Guelph, where her research focused on the effect that climate change has on tree growth, which gave her insights on the repercussions of extreme events, such as drought and wildfire, on forest ecosystems. Furthermore, Dr. Bonada earned her B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and holds a Diploma in Ecosystem Management from Fleming College. Dr. Bonada sits on the National Research Council of Canada (NRC)’s Resilient Residential Retrofit Advisory Committee. Additionally, Dr. Bonada is the Vice Chair on the Board of Directors, of the Canadian Association of Professionals in Climate Change (CAPCC).
A recognized authority on climate adaptation measures, Dr. Bonada frequently provides expert commentary for major Canadian and international media outlets.
Email: abonada@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: 519-574-3631
Dr. Blair Feltmate, Head
Dr. Feltmate is the Head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo. Previous positions he has held include Vice President, Sustainable Development, Bank of Montreal; Director, Sustainable Development, Ontario Power Generation; Partner, Sustainable Investment Group/YMG Capital Management. He has written textbooks on Sustainable Banking and Aquatic Ecology.
Dr. Feltmate is on the Advisory Table, National Adaptation Strategy, Canada. He is Sustainable Finance Council member, Global Risk Institute, and he is a member of Climate Proof Canada (Insurance Bureau of Canada). Dr. Feltmate is Expert Member, International ISO Strategic Advisory Group, ESG, and he is on the Science, Innovation and Policy Board of Canada’s Forest Trust. He is on the Climate Advisory Board, Minister of Environment (Ontario). Blair was Chair, Federal Government of Canada Expert Panel on Climate Adaptation.
Dr. Feltmate was a NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Waterloo). He holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Ecology (University of Toronto), Master’s in Sustainable Development (Wilfrid Laurier University), Master’s in Zoology (University of Toronto), and Hon. Bachelor’s Biology (University of Toronto). He is generally interviewed by the media 100 times per year on climate change/ESG related issues.
Email: bfeltmate@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: 226-339-3506
Caroline Metz, Managing Director, Climate Resilience and Health
As a managing director at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, Caroline leads the extreme heat and health domains. She oversees development and mobilization of guidance that helps people, communities, and organizations reduce risks from climate warming and extreme weather events. She promotes solutions that support health and well-being. At a broader scale, Caroline has contributed to Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy. She is a member of the Public Affairs Advisory for Engineers Canada, Climate Proof Canada, and serves on various other provincial and national committees advancing climate resilience in the country. She regularly shares insights in presentations and media interviews.
Caroline has over 25 years of project leadership experience in Canada and the U.S., working with organizations in healthcare and environment arenas (private and public sector). Prior to her current position, Caroline held management and consulting roles, most notably at Sinai Health (Toronto), PwC (New York), Deloitte (Boston), and Environ Corporation (New Jersey).
Caroline holds a Master of Environment and Business degree (University of Waterloo), a Master of Science in Hydrogeology (University of Waterloo), and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Princeton University).
Email: caroline.metz@uwaterloo.ca
Madeleine Dunlop, Communications and Administrative Coordinator
Madeleine is a third-year undergraduate student in the Honours Arts Psychology program at the University of Waterloo in the Research-Intensive Specialization program. Madeline previously worked as a Research Assistant at the Cognisant Lab at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her interests include research, science communication and visual design, as well as topics such as art, environmentalism and exploring what motivates people’s behaviour.
Email: intactcentre.co-op@uwaterloo.ca
Gillian Middleton, Oakville Home Flood Education and Protection Program Coordinator
Gillian is a fourth-year undergraduate in Environment and Business program at the University of Waterloo. Gillian’s previous experiences include Compliance Promotion Assistant at Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Quality Assurance Technician at Farm Business Consultants, has helped her to hone exceptional public-facing skills. Gillian is the President of the University of Waterloo’s first bubble tea club, Bobatime. Gillian’s interests involve sustainability, global business and bubble tea.
Email: oakvillehfpp@uwaterloo.ca
Senior Research Associates
Marina Moudrak, Senior Research Associate
Marina supports Intact Centre staff in technical research capacity on a range of projects, including flood-resilient community design, natural infrastructure valuation analysis, as well as city and provincial flood preparedness assessments. Marina co-authored Climate Change and the Preparedness of Canadian Provinces and Yukon to Limit Potential Flood Damage report published by the Intact Centre in 2016. Marina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Riga Technical University (Latvia).
Email: mmoudrak@uwaterloo.ca
Phone: 646-755-9686