By Staff
June 23rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Conservation Halton Board has announced the appointment of Chandra Sharma as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. Chandra will begin her term with Conservation Halton on September 9, 2024.
Chandra Sharma new Chief Executive Officer Chandra will begin her term on September 9, 2024.
Sharma has spent over two decades supporting the mandate of Ontario’s conservation authorities. In her current role as Chief Administrative Officer of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Chandra has successfully led transformative initiatives to advance strategic planning with sound performance measures, strengthen government and stakeholder relations, and enhance long-term financial sustainability while reducing reliance on municipal levy. She is also a member of both the Canadian Institute of Planners and Ontario Professional Planners Institute and serves on the Board of Conservation Ontario, the umbrella agency representing Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities.
In previous senior leadership roles held with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Chandra saw to the effective development and implementation of cross-sectoral watershed management programs in Canada’s largest urban centre, with a continuous focus on strategic partnerships and community engagement.
The naming of Chandra Sharma as Conservation Halton’s new CEO follows a three-month long selection process and Canada-wide search. Recruitment began after predecessor Hassaan Basit announced in February that he would be joining the City of Burlington as City Manager—a role which he assumed in April 2024 following an outstanding career at Conservation Halton spanning almost 20 years.
Incoming CEO Chandra Sharma will work closely with Conservation Halton’s interim leader, Barbara Veale, to ensure a smooth transition of duties. Barbara Veale is Conservation Halton’s Senior Director of Watershed Management and Climate Change and has been serving as Acting Chief Administrative Officer since April 2024.
ABOUT CONSERVATION HALTON
Conservation Halton is the community-based environmental agency that protects, restores and manages the natural resources in its watershed. The organization has staff that includes ecologists, land use planners, engineers, foresters and educators, along with a network of volunteers, who are guided by a Board of Directors comprised of municipally elected and appointed citizens. Conservation Halton is recognized for its stewardship of creeks, forests and Niagara Escarpment lands through science-based programs and services. You can visit the website at www.conservationhalton.ca
