Meet the Team

• View Michael’s profile page

Benjamin Dachis is Clean Prosperity’s Vice President of Research and Outreach. His career in public policy research, practice, and leadership spans nearly two decades. Trained as an economist, Benjamin has worked across a broad range of Canadian policy sectors.

Prior to joining Clean Prosperity, Benjamin spent 15 years with the C.D. Howe Institute in a number of policy research and leadership roles, ultimately serving as the Institute’s Associate Vice President, Public Affairs. His research and publications have covered a wide range of topics, including transportation, infrastructure, energy, regulatory, labour, and housing policy. He is the author of a book on Canadian municipal policy.

From 2018 to 2019, he stepped away from the C.D. Howe Institute to work as the Director of Policy, Budget and Fiscal Planning for the Premier of Ontario. He was part of the Ontario government’s leadership team in developing a number of policies, including the Housing Supply Action Plan, the 2018 Fall Economic Statement, and the 2019 Budget. He is also currently a part-time lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Benjamin has BA and MA degrees in Economics from the University of Toronto, and an MSc in Regional Science (the application of economics to regions) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Benjamin was born and raised in Calgary. When he is not talking about how accounting policies are secretly the most important part of Canadian public policy, he tries to go scuba diving if he’s somewhere warm or curling if he’s somewhere cold. He spends the rest of his time hoping the Blue Jays win the World Series or dreaming of being on the beach with his wife and young daughter.

Kaisha is a policy and public affairs professional with experience in government, politics, and strategic communications.

Kaisha previously worked as the Chief of Staff to the Ontario Minister of Indigenous Affairs and held several senior positions in the Ontario government’s resource sector portfolios. She played a crucial role in significant policy transformations, including energy sector reform. She participated in negotiating historic agreements in the Ring of Fire, and demonstrated an unwavering dedication to partnerships and key investments with Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, Kaisha worked with Navigator as an Associate Principal.

Kaisha holds an Honours B.SocSc. in International Studies and Modern Languages in French Immersion.

Emma is a public policy professional serving as Program Manager for Clean Prosperity’s Western Canada team. Prior to joining Clean Prosperity, Emma worked in both the public and non-profit sectors to better the experiences of people living in her home province, Alberta.

Her experience spans a range of policy domains, including energy and climate policy, economic and fiscal policy, and immigration and housing policy. She is passionate about creating communities, cities, and environments where people can thrive.

Emma holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Biology, also from the University of Calgary.

She lives in Calgary with her partner and her best pal, Goose, a rescue pup. When not in the office, you can find her trying to convince others to trek up the Rocky Mountains at 3 AM.

Brendan leads Clean Prosperity’s policy development and analysis. Prior to joining Clean Prosperity, he worked for several organizations that specialize in decarbonization policy, including Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy program, and Innovative Research Group. His experience spans the private and public sectors, academia, and civil society.

With roots in Alberta and Ontario, Brendan strongly believes that addressing environmental challenges can be a unifying issue across regional and political lines. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Calgary and a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from Queen’s University. Outside of work he is a musician, runner, and occasionally successful cook. Brendan lives in Ottawa with his wife and sons.

Anastasia is a sustainable development professional with over 10 years of experience in environmental, socio-economic, and climate research and analytics. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and a professional certificate in Data Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Anastasia has served as a collaborator on studies spanning a broad range of topics including socio-ecological systems, food and water security, rural development, climate risk modelling, and environmental governance. Her work informed multi-national multi-stakeholder collaborations and international assessments of biofuel policies and their impacts on deforestation, biodiversity, and sustainable development goals.

Erika is an environmental analyst pursuing a career in the field of environmental policy. Previously, she worked for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Nokia, and Chicago environmental advocacy groups. Her experience spans the breadth of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and has given her an appreciation of the
numerous different avenues through which to effect change.

She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Ottawa, with a specialization in Environmental Sustainability. She has always been interested in the intersection of the environment and politics, with a special focus on sustainable governance. In her free time, Erika loves to read fantasy novels and explore international cuisines.

Christopher Noyahr is a geologist who has worked on high-resolution characterization of geothermal resources in Alberta. Chris holds a Master’s in Geology from the University of Alberta, where he worked with large geologic datasets, subsurface mapping, and reservoir simulation. Chris also has a background in GIS for oil and gas land usage.

Chris has contributed geologic expertise to geothermal energy projects in Alberta. He has contributed to reports that aim to promote geothermal innovation in sedimentary basins. Chris advocates for the decarbonization of the oil and gas industry through implementation of geothermal, carbon capture, and hydrogen infrastructure.

Etienne leads Clean Prosperity’s federal advocacy. Prior to joining the organization, he headed research advocacy for Universities Canada, an industry association representing universities to the federal government. Before that he advised clients in their government relations approaches as a Senior Consultant at Earnscliffe Strategies. Etienne began his career in Ottawa as a political staffer to Canada’s minister of public safety.

Etienne hails from Fort McMurray, Alberta, and holds a Master’s in Political Management from Carleton University and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from the University of Alberta.

Adam joined Clean Prosperity from the Government of Alberta, where he helped establish Canada’s first ESG Secretariat as its Executive Director, ESG Coordination and Integration. Prior to this, Adam led the Government Relations team at the University of Alberta and held various roles with local economic development, consulting, and business organizations, and also led a local strategic advisory firm focused on helping private and non-profit organizations develop and implement new growth strategies rooted in the concepts of shared value creation.

Adam returned home to Alberta in 2013 following many years in Ottawa working on Parliament Hill, including in Canada’s Environment Minister’s Office in 2011-13. Prior to that, Adam spent time in Canada’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., and served nearly two years on the ground in Afghanistan deployed with the Canadian Government.

A fervent believer in the power of people to create positive change in their communities, Adam is a very active national, provincial, and local volunteer, currently serving on the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation’s Board of Trustees, as a Reservist in the Canadian Army, and as a local minor soccer coach.

Born and raised in rural Alberta, Adam and his unstoppable wife Katherine spend all their free time outdoors exploring Edmonton and hiking the Rocky Mountains with their young son and their two Nova Scotia Duck Tollers.