Mike Dehn
Executive Director
Mike Dehn assumed the role of CPAWS-Yukon Executive Director in May, 2007
Mike is a long-term resident of the Yukon who comes to CPAWS from the private sector, having been the owner and principal consultant of his own business in the Yukon for the past 13 years. Mike’s work has included conservation biology, economics, policy development, and communications, and he holds advanced degrees in both economics (MA) and biology (PhD). His previous background includes extensive experience as a professional economist as well as a stint of teaching in the Renewable Resources Program at Yukon College.
Mike has been involved with CPAWS-Yukon for several years, and has served as an active member of the Board for a year and a half. He has lived in both Whitehorse and smaller communities and has conducted extensive field work in the Yukon, NWT, and Alaska. His personal interests in the wilderness are varied and long-standing. He enjoys hunting and fishing, back-country hiking and skiing-camping, wilderness canoe tripping and wildlife work in remote mountainous areas.
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Gill Cracknell
Conservation Campaigner
Gill joined the staff of CPAWS-Yukon in September 2008 after many years as an active member and, more recently, also serving on the Board of Directors.
Gill has a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and worked for several seasons as a field biologist for the British Trust for Ornithology, the Danish National Environmental Research Institute and the Australian Antarctic Division. She has worked with ornithologists throughout Europe to coordinate and report counts of waterfowl for Wetlands International and has considerable experience working as a technical editor and writer.
Originally from the UK, Gill has spent over eight years living in remote parts of the Yukon including four summers in the Peel watershed. The experience of living close to the land for long periods of uninterrupted time has only increased her passionate support for large-scale, wilderness conservation. Gill’s long-standing love of being out on the land, camping, hiking, snowshoeing and canoeing has resulted in three audio-visuals about Yukon’s wildlife and wildlands, and a solo exhibition of her watercolour paintings.
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Midori Kirby
Office Assistant
Midori joined CPAWS-Yukon in March 2008 as a dedicated volunteer that helped keep our office functioning. More recently in October 2008 she became part of our staff on a part-time basis.
In the summer of 2001 Midori had a life changing wilderness experience during her first extended hike on a traditional trail in Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) traditional territory. She was with her husband, a TRTFN member and their three children. Since this time she completed a course in Wilderness Tourism through Northern Lights College to gain more knowledge of and experience in our northern wilderness. She worked on the Aboriginal Head Start Program and has helped revitalize aboriginal language and culture for Taku River Tlingit First Nations in British Columbia. Midori has great respect for the Taku River Tlingit's vision of their land. It has inspired her to become more involved with Mother Earth for future generations. She loves hiking, paddling and just feeling the breeze of wild nature against her cheek.
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Mark Peschke
Outreach and Membership Coordinator
Mark joined CPAWS-Yukon in April, 2010.
Born and raised in the Yukon, Mark has lived in British Columbia and Australia and returned to the Yukon in 2007. Mark has a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and has worked in a wide variety of fields including wilderness tourism, mining, civic government and more recently with non-profit organizations in the Yukon. His work experience includes Finance, Administration, Human Resources, Computers and Public Relations. While living in Vancouver Mark's interest in environmental NGOs blossomed and led to volunteer work with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.
Mark's personal interests include recreational sports, fitness and photography. He is especially fond of outdoor pursuits such as hiking and canoeing and trying to capture the beauty of nature with his camera along the way. Mark hopes his children will enjoy growing up in the Yukon as much as he has and learn to appreciate the special wilderness areas of this rare and unique place.
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Lisa Taylor
Financial Administrator
Lisa Taylor has worked as a contractor for CPAWS-Yukon since November, 2007. She works with organizations to provide administrative, financial and project management services. She works mainly in the non-profit sector but also does project-based work for a management consultant, which includes evaluations, feasibility studies and organizational development. Her degree is in sociology and physical education.
Lisa’s passion is health and healing whether it is personal, with others or the environment. She is at her best with her husband at their Tagish Lake trapline where their dream is to create a self-sufficient and sustainable way of life.
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CPAWS-Yukon Board of Directors
President
Jill Pangman
Vice President
Rob McClure
Secretary-Treasurer
Scott Kerby
Directors
Gord Bradshaw
Joel Luet
Peter Sandiford
Pippa Lawson
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