Leadership Profiles

Provision’s purpose is making food sustainably and our mandate is to provide the tools, resources, and mentorship to assist all types and sizes of food and beverage operations in becoming more sustainable. At Provision, the latest sustainability advances, resources and solutions are shared with food and beverage businesses across the country.

 

Cher Mereweather - Executive Director

Cher is one of Canada’s leaders in food manufacturing sustainability. As Executive Director of Provision Coalition, an organization she founded with the country’s top food and beverage professional associations, Cher works directly with manufacturers to transform their business culture and operations. An advocate for change and a passionate spokesperson, Cher has dedicated her career to advancing sustainability concepts within the Canadian food industry and sustainability solutions at the firm level. Most recently, Cher has sharpened Provision’s focus on the reduction of food loss and waste developing innovative technologies and on-line tools that will modernize facility processing. 

Cher’s career has included time with the Guelph Food Technology Centre where she established and directed the Sustainability Consulting Business Unit, and executive positions in environmental economics and policy with the Canadian agri-food think tank, the George Morris Centre. Cher holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Environmental Economics and Policy. In 2012, Cher was awarded the Canadian Grocer Generation Next award for her leadership, innovation and excellence in sustainability within the food and beverage industry. 

Brett Wills - Director, SMS Support Program

As Provision’s Director, SMS Support Program, Brett is responsible for the delivery of coaching and mentoring programs to industry. Brett brings over 16 years of experience in Sustainable Business Management and as a former Plant Manager, has first-hand experience driving organizational performance. Brett’s focus on integrating Sustainability into the holistic business strategy delivers quantifiable results that can be sustained into the future. Brett has worked extensively with Executive Teams at numerous organizations across a broad sector of industries with a specialized focus on the agricultural industry. As Professor of Green Business Management at Seneca College in Toronto, ON., Brett is helping to prepare the next wave of Sustainability Change Agents to enter the workforce. 

Brett lives in Toronto and is the author of “Green Intentions: Creating a Green Value Stream to Compete and Win” and “Purposely Profitable: Embedding Sustainability into the DNA of Food Processing and Other Businesses”. Brett holds a BA in Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Holly Hendershot - Communications & SMS Resource Manager

As Provision Coalition’s Marketing & SMS Resource Manager, Holly is responsible for the successful management and administration of Provision’s Online Sustainability Management System and all industry communications and marketing. 
 
Holly is an experienced marketing and communications professional with over eight years’ experience in corporate marketing communications and advertising in the science, technology and financial services industries.  She has been responsible for overseeing the annual corporate and sustainability reporting for TSX and NYSE listed companies and has experience in reporting on sustainability and community relations programming internationally.  

Holly has her Diploma in Public Relations from Humber Institute of Technology, and has her Canadian Securities License through the Canadian Securities Institute. Holly sits on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity Wellington-Guelph-Dufferin. 
 

Isabel Dopta - Stakeholder Relations

As Provision's Stakeholder Relations lead, Isabel supports the organization in developing partnerships and collaborations that advance sustainability for food and beverage manufacturers across Canada. Given the national mandate of Provision, and the importance of sharing the Sustainability Management System, engagement with stakeholders in industry, government and the non-profit community across Canada is a high priority. 

In addition to her time with Provision Coalition, Isabel leads communications for Food and Beverage Ontario and is an Associate with Hill + Knowlton Strategies. Isabel joined Provision in 2015 after a number of years as Director of Communications & Stakeholder Relations at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Isabel also served as Sr. Policy Advisor for a prior Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.  

Cynthia Waters - Project Coordinator


As Provision Coalition’s Project Coordinator, Cynthia is responsible for providing support for the industry programs, as well as assisting with the SMS support initiatives. Cynthia has a background working in various sectors, including education, quick-service restaurant industry and not-for-profit sector. She brings to the team her experience in project management, sustainability strategy development and environmental reporting. Previously, she worked for Tim Hortons Inc. in various roles including environmental affairs, sustainability and government relations. She was part of the award winning sustainability reporting team that championed the organization’s sustainability goal setting and benchmarking. 

Cynthia holds a bachelors degree from Carleton University in Canadian Studies and Political Science with a focus on policy analysis and a Master of Environmental Studies from Dalhousie University, and holds a certificate in Program Management from the International Organization for Project Management (IO4PM). She focused her research on small businesses and environmental sustainability. With her combination of education, knowledge and experience she is ideally suited to support Provision's purpose of making food sustainably.
 

Simone Weinstein - Project Coordinator

As Provision Coalition’s Project Coordinator, Simone is responsible for assisting with the SMS coaching and mentoring program delivery. She brings creative solutions to the team, drawing on her experiences in environmental management, project and operations coordination from various types of companies including manufacturing, consulting, and technology.
 
Simone has her Certified Associate Project Management (CAPM) designation from the Project Management Institute, holds a certificate in Program Management from the International Organization for Project Management (IO4PM), and holds a Bachelor’s of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo in Environment and Business.

Marcy Lillard - Food Loss + Waste Program Coordinator

As a Project Coordinator, Marcy assists with industry programs and SMS support initiatives. Most recently, Marcy graduated from Seneca College’s Sustainable Business Management program, completed an internship at Provision Coalition assisting with the Food Loss + Waste programs, and holds a certificate in Program Management from the International Organization for Project Management (IO4PM).

Marcy began her career in education earning a Master’s degree in Education and has worked in elementary schools and with children with special needs. She has also worked diligently to reduce food waste, creating the Mindful Grocer website, helping consumers save money and reduce their impact on the environment. 

Angela Van Arragon - Executive Assistant/ Office Administrator

As Provision’s Executive Assistant, Angela manages the coordination, planning, and support of daily operational and administrative functions for Provision. Angela is passionate about community development, inclusivity, and social justice and is committed to organizational excellence in the non-profit sector. 

Angela has completed a post-graduate certificate in Community and Social Services Management and holds a Honours Bachelor degree in Philosophy, a Masters in Philosophy, holds a certificate in Program Management from the International Organization for Project Management (IO4PM), and is currently studying Human Resource Management at York University School of Continuing Education.

Kaleb Stemberger - Project Intern

As Provision’s Project Intern, Kaleb is responsible for compiling and analyzing data from FLW assessments, providing support for the Sustainability Management System, and helping to develop FLW case studies to highlight FLW reductions. Kaleb adds a technical mindset to the team, drawing on his background in computing science. Passionate about sustainability and animal welfare, he has volunteered with various animal rescue organizations over the past 7 years to help fundraise and train stray and abandoned animals. 

Kaleb has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computing Science from the University of Alberta, and holds a certificate in Program Management from the International Organization for Project Management (IO4PM).