Linda Coady

Vice President – Sustainability

Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Linda Coady has a favourite quote: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” It's a saying that has inspired her approach to problem solving and one she plans to incorporate at VANOC, where working with diverse stakeholders to develop new strategies for sustainability is her primary focus.

As Vice President of Sustainability, Coady has leadership responsibility for managing the social, economic and environmental footprint of the 2010 Winter Games, with a commitment to minimize any negative impacts and maximize the positive legacies for British Columbia and Canada. Her mandate includes developing new approaches for energy use, recycling and waste, green buildings, Aboriginal participation and inclusion.

Coady has built an impressive career using her ability to uncover novel approaches to challenging issues. Prior to joining VANOC, she was Vice President, Pacific Region for World Wildlife Fund Canada, the Canadian arm of the World Wildlife Fund global network of conservation organizations. Coady was brought on board to develop a new BC division devoted primarily to marine and forest conservation.

Previously, Coady was a 20-year veteran of the BC forest industry, serving as a Vice President for environmental affairs for both MacMillan Bloedel and Weyerhaeuser's BC coastal operations. Working closely with environmental groups, First Nations, government and community representatives, she pioneered a series of initiatives that helped reduce conflict over coastal forests and significantly altered the climate for future negotiations.

Coady's work in the BC forest sector has been recognized with numerous accolades, among them a Forest Products Association of Canada's Achievement Award and a BC Ethics in Action Award for leadership in corporate social responsibility. She and her colleagues were also recipients of an Ecological Society of America award.

Coady is a director of the BC-based Fraser Basin Council on sustainable development and a member of Canada's National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, an initiative convened by the Prime Minister of Canada. She is also a director of Forest Trends and a member of the UBC Faculty of Forestry Advisory Council.

Born and raised in Vancouver, Coady has a Masters degree in political science from the University of British Columbia. Outside work, she likes to try her hand at home improvement, watch films, go fishing and head out for recreational runs. She also admits to being a closet “Star Trek” fan. Coady, her husband and two children reside in Vancouver, where they're currently preoccupied with training the family's new border collie/retriever puppy.