Taking Root welcomes new President, Brooke van Mossel-Forrester!

As one of the co-founders of Taking Root, Brooke has been integral to the success of the organization since 2007. She has seen the organization grow from its inception, first leading the organization’s communications, marketing and business development, and since then as longstanding board member. Notably, Brooke designed Taking Root’s original logo that carried the organization for 15 years until our rebrand in April 2022.

In recent years, Taking Root has grown exponentially as CommuniTree has strengthened and as new projects have been developed. We welcome Brooke as the new President of the Board of Directors to keep us tied to our roots and impact-driven mission.  As we continue to grow, she will help ensure Taking Root stays grounded as an organization by keeping our core values linked to everything we do in the future.

“Since helping build Taking Root over 15 years ago, I have been awed by the incredible growth of our projects and the passion and dedication of the teams – both in Canada and in Nicaragua. We went from 1000 trees in that first year to millions each year. Along the way, we continued to empower smallholders to play an integral part in rebuilding forest ecosystems. I look forward to helping Taking Root honour this human-centred approach as we expand our reach around the globe”

Brooke van Mossel-Forrester, Co-founder, President of Board of Directors, Taking Root

Farewell and thank you Jean-Benoît Gregoire Rousseau!

With Brooke assuming the role of President, we also announce the departure of our current president, Jean-Benoît Gregoire Rousseau.  Jean-Benoît was President on Taking Root’s board for 10 years, and has been essential in helping guide and grow the organization into what it is today during that time. We thank Jean-Benoît for his years of service to Taking Root.

Additionally, we would like to give special thanks to Jérome Dupras and Jane Boles for their contributions on our Board, as they are also departing.

“Taking Root wouldn’t be where it is today without the increasable support, commitment, and enthusiasm of Jean-Benoît, Jérome, and Jane over the years. Their presence on the board will be greatly missed and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”

Kahlil Baker, Executive Director, Co-founder, Taking Root

Other board member updates

In other news, Sabine Audette-Hall will be taking on a new role as Taking Root’s secretary. Prior to her work on the Board of Directors, she worked for one of Canada’s leading law firms where she focused on banking and international finance.  Sabine is passionate about sustainable development and is looking to promote these practices where she can.

We also want to welcome Simon Leblond into his new role as Taking Root’s treasurer.  Simon has a diverse array of experience bringing technologies to market and leading global teams in marketing, strategy, and business development.  We are very thankful for Sabine and Simon’s board contributions to date and look forward to seeing them in their new roles.

Taking Root is thrilled with these changes, as they reaffirm our growth and will help us to continue restoring forests with smallholder farmers. For those welcomed into new positions, we look forward to what we will accomplish together, and for those departing, we are forever grateful for your contributions to creating impact with us.