The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) in Peterborough has appointed a new executive director to take over the role from Dr. Sue Carstairs after 16 years.
Glenn M. Cunnington, a conservation scientist and senior program leader, will join Canada’s premier facility for turtle conservation, rehabilitation, and research as of Monday, June 15.
“Glenn brings with him all the qualities that OTCC needs to continue moving forward,” said Dr. Carstairs, who has held the role of executive and medical director since 2009, in a media release. “He is an expert in Ontario’s turtles, having been on the Committee On the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario for five years.”
Under the leadership as Dr. Carstairs, who was named to the Order of Ontario in 2020, the OTCC has evolved from a grassroots and volunteer-driven initiative into a world-renowned conservation centre.
By splitting her two roles into separate positions, the non-profit organization’s board of directors is marking a significant milestone in its strategic succession plan by allowing each position to become more specialized, increasing the organization’s scope and impact as it continues to grow.
While Dr. Carstairs will continue in a co-leadership position as medical director, long-standing OTCC veterinarian Dr. Kristen Janke will gradually assume the full medical director role. When that happens, Dr. Carstairs will still remain involved with OTCC, but at a slower pace.
As for Cunnington, he holds a Ph.D. focused on Road Ecology from Carleton University, an M.Sc. in Watershed Ecosystems, and a B.Sc. in Conservation Biology from Trent University, as well as a diploma from Fleming College in Fish and Wildlife. He is a published author in road ecology and brings deep experience in stakeholder engagement, grant writing, and financial stewardship.
He most recently worked as watershed programs manager with the District Municipality of Muskoka, a position he has held for the past four years. Prior to that, he worked at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in Peterborough as a species at risk permitting coordinator and in Bancroft as a field biologist, and has also worked for Parks Canada.
“It is a tremendous honour to join the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre as its next executive director,” Cunnington said. “I want to thank Dr. Sue Carstairs for her extraordinary leadership over the past 16 years. I am stepping into a healthy, growing organization with a remarkable culture, world-class clinical care, and an ambitious path towards 2030 already in motion.”
A registered charity, OTCC rehabilitates injured turtles at its specialized turtle hospital, conducts field research, and leads comprehensive educational programs to foster environmental stewardship.
“The OTCC remains dedicated to protecting and conserving Ontario’s native turtles and their habitats,” reads the media release. “Core operations — including healing injured turtles, incubating eggs, and releasing healthy turtles and hatchlings back into the wild — will continue uninterrupted through this transition.
For more information about the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, visit ontarioturtle.ca.
