Our Team

Eva Cohen, Founder & President

Growing up as an active member of a functioning whole-of-society-system for catastrophe readiness, Eva brings to the table international experience and a thorough understanding of the interdependence of the various essential factors for sustainable success.

Before immigrating to Canada, she served with the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Technisches Hilfswerk, THW); an all-hazards government organization based on volunteer experts, and to this day she continues to be the bridge to encourage international expert exchange. She herself is a great example that actively integrating youth into the world of civil protection is key to ensure lasting engagement and passion. She loved her role as certified K9 Team trainer in the Urban Search and Rescue unit of her local detachment in the Alps and also participated in a capacity building mission in Italy.

But what she valued most, were the team spirit, helping the larger community and learning practical technical skills, all while having a fun time with old and new friends from all walks of life.

Years of dedicated work in the field of civil protection have helped her to develop a clear vision for strengthening Canadian emergency preparedness and community resilience. For over a decade, Eva has been an outspoken advocate for the establishment of a volunteer-based Civil Protection Agency in Canada to compliment our Emergency Management system.

During the 2017 flooding in Western Quebec and Eastern Ontario, she was frequently called upon as an expert on disaster relief and interviewed prominently on national and local radio and television. She has written articles for the Esprit de Corps Magazine (Article 1, Article 2), an op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen and her concept and work were featured repeatedly in the Globe and Mail.

Eva’s strategy for a Canadian Volunteer Civil Protection Agency centers on the addition of pro-active elements to our response-based Emergency Management system, for a shift to better preparedness, oversight, coordination and local capacity building based on a true whole of society approach and international best practice.

She is laying the foundation now by actively integrating children and youth into the world of disaster relief with exciting, practical, hands-on knowledge and technical life skills, to empower and equip the leaders of tomorrow.

Eva has a BA in English and Geography from the University in Regensburg, Germany.

She lives in Cantley, Quebec, with her husband and two sons.

Eva and her former USAR dog "Gorgeous" participating in a demonstration in Italy, 2001

Douglas Thomas, Board Member

Doug has been involved in the proactive development of youth going back to his joining the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets in 1977. For the last 30 years Doug has worked at the national coordination level of Canada’s military cadet training programme. This both as a Staff Officer within the Armed Forces and, for the past 27 years, as the National Director of The Navy League of Canada; a national institution founded in 1895 with a focus on nautical youth initiatives. He’s a registered lobbyist who remains closely connected to other Canadian youth organizations through active membership in the National Youth Serving Institutions. Beyond Canada’s borders Doug is also active on the international scene where he serves as the Secretary of the International Sea Cadet Association.

Doug believes strongly in the concept that the education in matters of civil protection and response needs to start with youth. In short, trying to train or direct people on how to react to a situation that has already occurred simply amounts to matters made worse.

Sarah Plamondon, Board Member

Sarah Plamondon has been a municipal councilor for the past 10 years in Cantley, Quebec. Passionate about her community she cares a great deal about the wellbeing of the citizens and likes to be effective in her community. She holds an International Marketing certificate from the American University of Paris, France and works full time at the University of Ottawa Heart institute as a Clinical Research Coordinator.

Over the past 10 years in her municipal duties, she was appointed councillor for the Parks and recreation committee as well the Urbanization consultation committee. This year a new opportunity has brought her to preside over the Youth Commission committee which entails leading a group of young teens from 12-18 to voice their political opinions and make positive changes in their community. Along with her other duties this past year she is excited to join the board of directors for CPYC, based in Cantley.

“What a wonderful opportunity to join Civil Protection Youth Canada simultaneously with the Youth commission! I feel that the combination of all my roles in both committees could evolve to a new level. I cannot wait to help our young teens in our community learn and discover more about safety and how to remain in control when disasters strike. The world is changing and so must we. - Let’s get ready!”

Carol Macpherson, Social Media & Communications

A communications expert and self-proclaimed emergency preparedness geek, Carol Macpherson is an Ottawa native who has worked for the Ottawa Police Service for 29 years. In addition to her role as Media Relations Specialist, Carol manages communications initiatives for Road Safety and Violence Against Women. She is the creator and chairperson of the annual national Crisis Communications Conference for emergency communicators, bringing subject matter experts, case studies and academic research to organizations so they are prepared to lead their community through an emergency.

In addition to a degree in Communications, she acquired the Incident Management System level 200 training in 2013 and worked in the Service Command Centre in this capacity during the Cenotaph shooting incident of 2014. As the acting manager of Media Relations in 2018, Carol was part of the tornado police response.

A mother of three sons, Carol has focused her volunteer work on children and non-profit organizations. She was an executive member of the Russell Public School Advisory Council, a Cub Scout leader and a member of the Russell Optimist Club. Currently Carol coordinates a one on one reading program on behalf of the Ottawa Police Service for schools in high priority areas of the city as part of the Ottawa Network for Education.

Bettina Koschade, Head of Grants, Funding and Sponsorships

Bettina is a PhD Candidate at Concordia University at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Culture and Society, conducting research on the housing crisis in the Inuit communities of Nunavik, Quebec.

She has a wealth of experience in the not-for-profit sector, the charity sector, and worked for almost a decade in the federal public service at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Bettina believes in the value of participating in volunteer activities and contributing to the improvement of society. She has built houses with Habitat for Humanity in Asia, contributed to the Boards and parent organizations of her two children's schools, and has volunteered in various soup kitchens, including for the last three years at the Shepherds of Good Hope in Ottawa. She believes in giving women of all ages a chance to participate in sports which supports their sense of empowerment and accomplishment. Having trained in high performance paddling for the last 10 years, and as captain of her team, she has contributed to the success of masters women participating in national and international competitive sporting events.

The alarming increase of disaster impact around the world, and close to home, has prompted her to actively support CPYC. Disaster relief skills and prevention must be taught and practiced. This form of empowerment will allow our youth to be an integral part of their community, an invaluable member of society, and gives them experience to see the power in numbers and the value of care that can change an entire generation.

"As a parent, I want that for our youth. And as an adult I want that for our society".

Melissa Shaw, Head of Communications and Marketing

"From a young age, I’ve always been taught to be prepared for any situation, much like CPYC teaches. This mindset has stuck with me throughout my entire life and have provided me with opportunities I never expected to receive as a result. The skills CPYC teaches and this mindset of preparedness becomes especially necessary as climate change becomes a more aggressive issue.

I am now nearing the end of my Algonquin College Advertising and Marketing Communications Management program and I am eager to use my newly developed marketing skills to continue to spread amazing opportunities for young people to get involved with, like CPYC."

Melina Thiess, Intern

Melina is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in the field of Environmental and Educational Sciences in Germany. An internship at an Ottawa-based Non-profit organization for environmental education has brought her across the ocean to Canada this summer.

Being a passionate nature lover herself, Melina strongly believes that being outdoors and actively experiencing what is happening in our surroundings largely contributes to the way we learn about and build our relationship with nature. Melina has worked with different youth-focused NGO's in Germany before and is an experienced youth-leader and educator.

As an environmental scientist, Melina is - as most people of her generation - very aware of the current changes that our world is undergoing due to climate change. Having worked for half a year in the South of India, she realized how disasters are a reality many people are facing today. That's when she came to the conclusion that it is important to take action now.

Melina is convinced that passing on hands-on knowledge and joining forces as a community to engage in civil protection is the way forward to deal with the increase in disasters. As a youth-leader, she is eager to pass on her own knowledge and learn from others to prepare for the challenges ahead of us.

Roberto Najjar, Intern

"The mission of Civil Protection Youth Canada (CPYC) matters because it empowers young people to make a positive impact in their communities through emergency preparedness and response. As a member of CPYC, I am inspired to work towards creating a safer and more resilient society by equipping myself with the necessary skills and knowledge to respond to emergencies effectively. CPYC's mission provides a unique opportunity for young people to take on leadership roles and contribute to the well-being of their communities. By working with CPYC, I am able to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and develop important life skills that will serve me well in my future endeavors. Overall, CPYC's mission is essential to creating a culture of preparedness and resilience, and I am proud to be part of this important work."

Kelsey Neil, Intern

Kelsey is currently pursuing her advertising and marketing degree at Algonquin College. Her choice to pursue a career in marketing was driven by her desire to make a positive impact on society. After her studies, she hopes to work in the not-for-profit field doing humanitarian or environmental work.

Kelsey believes that educating young people about the impact of climate change and the importance of disaster preparedness, will allow them to become advocates for environmental protection and disaster risk reduction, leading to more resilient and sustainable communities in the future

Alishia Ivany, Senior Program Officer

Alishia Ivany works for Nova Scotia Health as the Emergency Preparedness Advisor for Halifax Regional Municipality and West Hants. She is accountable for activities related to emergency planning and response for Nova Scotia Health facilities. She holds a Bachelor of Emergency and Security Management from the Justice Institute of British Columbia.

Alishia has over 2 years of experience in healthcare emergency management, gaining valuable experience from natural disaster events, a hospital evacuation, bomb threats, fires and floods. During her career, Alishia has built a reputation for excellence in service, innovative thinking, working with highest level of integrity and a commitment to Emergency Management principles.

Prior to her role with Nova Scotia Health, Alishia was a paramedic for 16 years. She enjoyed serving her community and coordinated many public outreach events. She is the co-chair of the Eastern Shore Joint Emergency Management, which is an organization that works on behalf of the municipality to ensure public safety during crisis by setting up comfort centres, public education & community planning.

Alishia is passionate about the topic of social capital and is captivated by the power of the average person, no matter their age, to contribute within their community.

Chris Pattullo, Senior Technical Advisor

A passionate educator, Chris has worked in one capacity of instruction or another for over 20 years. Twelve of those years in the Canadian Forces (as a reservist) attached to various units within the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program. A strong believer in the capacity for youth to learn through leadership, service, and instruction Chris has focused his efforts at developing programs that produce thriving young Canadians that go on to serve their communities. In addition to his work with Canadian youth, Chris has developed and delivered disaster and emergency resilience training programs. His work including the creation of a whole-of-community 5-year development program that included skills-based training programs to prepare the public for the inevitable events when they will have to be the help, when help isn’t coming.

Outside of his work as an educator Chris carries the City of Richmond, British Columbia, Resilience portfolio as an Emergency Manager and is responsible for City emergency planning, facilities, communications, staff training, partner management, and business continuity. Prior to his career in emergency management Chris worked for 10 years in the high-tech sector.

Chris is excited to bring his skills and experience to support Civil Protection Youth Canada in its unique and incredibly important mission of preparing Canadians for the ever-increasing rate, intensity, and duration of emergencies and disasters.