Leading the ZEIC is Melina Scholefield. No stranger to advancing green initiatives, Melina joined the Centre as its first executive director after working in municipal government with the City of Vancouver for more than a decade. As Manager, Green Infrastructure Implementation, Melina and her team spearheaded an ambitious, cross-departmental green rainwater infrastructure and urban rainwater management initiative known as the Rain City Strategy. She also advanced key City sustainability goals under its bold Greenest City 2020 initiative, including championing urban climate protection, renewable energy, climate change adaptation and green-building programs. Beyond city government, Melina worked in the private sector as a green infrastructure instructor, a green building project consultant and a Built Green-certified residential builder focused on passive house design and construction methods. In 2020, she was named Water Steward of the Year by the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association for her leadership and impact in the Canadian Water industry. In 2021, she received the YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Environmental Sustainability.