Marine Renewables Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors. The new directors bring experience from working in marine renewable energy development as well as expertise in marine and offshore industries, environmental management and assessment, and Indigenous engagement. Their unique perspectives will add to the national leadership of the association.

“Canada’s marine renewable energy resources have enormous potential to deliver on economic recovery and net-zero targets, but there is still a lot of work to be done to address challenges and advance the sector,” said Marine Renewables Canada executive director Elisa Obermann. “We are committed to building and supporting this new industry and to do that we need leadership that is diverse, skilled, and dedicated to the mission. That’s why I am pleased to announce the appointment of new directors to our board: Jason Hayman, Mary Lou Lauria, and Sarah Thomas – their capabilities and experience will benefit the association and the sector.”

Jason Hayman is the CEO of Sustainable Marine. He is a Naval Architect that has delivered a wide range of innovative projects in the marine environment over the past 25 years. He founded Sustainable Marine in 2012 with a clear mission; to develop and deliver reliable and cost- effective marine energy systems that are easy to install and maintain. Jason leads a growing team located in Germany, Scotland, and Nova Scotia, which installed an innovative floating tidal energy platform called PLAT-I, in Grand Passage, Nova Scotia, in 2018. His team have now successfully installed their second platform in Canadian waters and are ramping up to deliver the world’s first floating tidal array at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE).

Dr. Mary Lou Lauria is a marine biologist and oceanographer, leading Advisian’s Environmental & Water group across North America. With over 25 years’ experience as an environmental consultant she has served as an experienced facilitator, expert witness, external examiner and has presented technical papers at several international conferences. Mary Lou specializes in the strategic development of environmental teams and the delivery of Indigenous and community communications, impact assessments, regulatory approvals, compliance and monitoring programs. In addition, Mary Lou has been part of a team who has established three new Indigenous businesses in Canada, partnered with Advisian (part of the Worley group).

Sarah Thomas began her career in the US Navy and transitioned to the shipbuilding industry, working for the US government ship procurement office and later, Irving Shipbuilding, on two of their National Procurement Strategy programs. With a strong interest in renewable energy,

Sarah began working for tidal technology developer, OpenHydro, in 2017 and is now currently the project manager for DP Energy’s Uisce Tapa Project in Canada, preparing for the project’s first turbine installation in the coming years.