Staff

Brian McCain
Executive Director
Brian McCain has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics and a Bachelor of Arts in Musics both from Queen's University in 2006. He then went on to work as an engineering consultant in the power generation field working on carbon capture and storage system designs in Saskatchewan, United Kingdom, Australia and Abu Dhabi. He also served as a technical advisor to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change on carbon abatement technologies. In 2008 he returned to New Brunswick to found The Gaia Project to fulfill his idea that students needed to be involved in implementing sustainability solutions in order to fully understand the options we have available to us. On the side, he is an avid adventure racer.
 
Vanessa Paesani
Program Delivery Officer
Vanessa Paesani is the Program Delivery Officer for Anglophone schools at The Gaia Project. She coordinates the delivery of programs and monitors their effectiveness. Vanessa is a certified teacher in New Brunswick, holding an Education degree from Saint Thomas University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mount Allison University. When she’s not travelling the roads, Vanessa spends her time volunteering with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, and really loves to cook large feasts.
 
Jimmy Therrien
Program Delivery Officer
Jimmy Therrien earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Physics from Université de Moncton in 2005. He then pursued a Masters degree in Environmental Studies focusing on research in environmental education which he completed in 2009. A creative and dynamic teacher, he worked for several years as a research leader within the Groupe Littoral et Vie, where he developed a particular interest in the issue of climate change. On several occasions he has acted as an interpreter for Parks Canada. In September 2011, he joined The Gaia Project as Program Delivery Officer to help expand the program in francophone schools in New Brunswick.