Management

  • Jason Courneyea

    Jason Courneyea

    Executive Director

    Jason joined MineralsEd in August of 2019, and in January of 2020 he became Executive Director. Raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Jason brings fourteen years of experience in mineral exploration, working on projects ranging from grassroots exploration to active mine sites in many parts of Canada. He provides geology instruction at MineralsEd's teacher workshops and is involved in all other aspects of MineralsEd program development and delivery. His long-time affiliation with industry and passion for education provides a strong background for understanding both the world of education and the BC broad-based mining community.

  • Nayanika Sukumar

    Nayanika Sukumar

    Program Coordinator

    Nayanika joined the MineralsEd team in June 2023. Originally from Shanghai, China, Nayanika moved to Vancouver in 2015 to pursue a degree in Geography from the University of British Columbia. It was during her time at UBC that she discovered her passion for environmental education. Currently, she is studying GIS and Remote Sensing at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Throughout her career, Nayanika has explored various roles in the education and environmental monitoring sector and is excited to bring her background to MineralsEd. Outside of work, you can find her rolling out fresh pasta and bread dough. 

     

  • Derrick Midwinter

    Derrick Midwinter

    Manager, Curriculum and Instruction

    Derrick joined MineralsEd in October of 2023. While originally from Calgary, he went to the Maritimes for his B.Sc. in earth sciences at Dalhousie University and the University of Ottawa for his M.Sc. in earth sciences. He has worked in many different industries during his eight-year geology career: oil and gas, academia, government policy, environmental science, and mineral exploration. During his time in different fields, he always had an interest in education and eventually pursued his B.Ed. at UBC. Derrick is now a certified teacher in BC and is an active teacher-on-call for the West and North Vancouver school districts. His broad background in geology and curriculum will support MineralsEd’s mandate in supporting and creating new content for K-12 students.

  • Sarah Jackson-Brown

    Sarah Jackson-Brown

    Program Coordinator

    Sarah joined the MineralsEd team as Program Coordinator in July 2020. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Sarah has always been passionate about the natural world, leading her to pursue a B.Sc. in Earth Sciences from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. After moving out west in 2011, she then pursued an M.Sc. in Geology from the University of British Columbia which sparked her love of education. Sarah has explored many roles within the mining and education sectors and is excited to bring her experiences to the MineralsEd team. Sarah is responsible for communication with MineralsEd partners and schools, facilitation of MineralsEd programming and materials, and social media management. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, baking, organizing a the neighbourhood Zucchini Races, and spending time with her kids and pets. Sarah will be on maternity leave from August 2023 to August 2024.