Staff
Greg Knox - Executive Director
Greg Knox was hired as the Executive Director of Skeena Conservation Trust in October of 2007, and is responsible for the overall management of the Trusts activities. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography from the University of Northern BC in 2000, after which he became a certified Fisheries Technician and Field Supervisor with the Nisga’a Fisheries program. In 2003, Greg also partnered in an ecotourism business based out of Terrace where he specialized in guided grizzly bear and jet boat tours while continuing with his fisheries work. Greg is currently enrolled in the MSc. Program in Environmental Science at Royal Roads University where he is continuing his education while maintaining his position as Executive Director.
Greg Taylor - Fisheries and Economic Development Advisor Greg Taylor was hired as Fisheries and Economic Development Advisor in April of 2008. Greg graduated from Simon Fraser University with Masters in Resource and Environmental Management. He began his career with the last remaining isolated cannery on the North Coast. He worked on the Queen Charlotte Island for two years in the 1980s buying troll fish and clams. Greg began working for Ocean Fisheries Ltd. in 1985. He participated on the Skeena Watershed Committee Steering Committee and worked with First Nations to develop the first in-river commercial fishery on the North Coast. He is the Co-Chair of the North Coast Advisory Board and past President, and current spokesman, for the Northern Processor’s Association.
Julia Hill - Project Coordinator
Julia Hill was hired as Project Coordinator for SkeenaWild in November 2007. Julia has worked in the environmental consulting industry performing a variety of fisheries and wildlife work. Julia also has experience in the eco-tourism industry. She is an active participant in local and regional environmental issues and initiatives. She is co-founder and co-chair of North West Watch, a northern based grassroots conservation group dedicated to education and participation regarding various environmental issues and proposed developments. She is dedicated to ensuring that salmon, the lifeline for communities and ecosystems, remains healthy and vibrant.
Richard Overstall, Legal Advisor
Richard Overstall joined the SkeenaWild team in October 2009. He practices law with the firm Buri, Overstall in Smithers, with a particular interest in aboriginal and natural resource law. Richard is a graduate geologist and worked in mining exploration in northwestern Canada and Ireland for more than ten years. After a stint as a sawmill worker in the Bulkley Valley, he joined local efforts to improve forest practices and ensure a sustainable timber supply. For the past 25 years, Richard has acted as a researcher, negotiator and lawyer for a number of aboriginal groups. In the course of this work, he helped design a number of effective programs, including those in restorative justice, wildlife habitat mapping and ecosystem-based territory management.