Stephen Ngonain
Bowmanville
Summary
Strategic environmental professional with over a decade of progressive experience in municipal climate action, program design, and project management. Seeking the Senior Manager, Environment position with the City of Toronto to provide strategic direction, build cross-departmental alignment, and lead the advancement of the Net Zero Existing Buildings Strategy. Committed to driving innovative program design, fostering equity-centered climate solutions, and delivering measurable outcomes that strengthen Toronto’s climate resilience and sustainability.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Project Lead, Environment - ECF Division
- City of Toronto
05.2025 - Current
- Provides strategic leadership in the design, development, and delivery of Enhanced Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) streams, ensuring programs advance Toronto’s climate, equity, and housing priorities.
- Secondary Suites Stream – Directs program design enabling homeowners to create/upgrade energy-efficient secondary suites, embedding equity and tenant protection measures.
- Urban Flooding Program – Spearheads financing and resilience supports for flood-prone households, integrating a risk-classification tool and targeted community engagement.
- Aging in Place Stream – Establishes retrofit and financing pathways, including concierge services, low interest and forgivable loan models, to support low- and moderate-income seniors to safely remain at home.
- Low-Rise Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs) – Advances program model to address unique retrofit and financing challenges for multi-unit housing.
- Oversees program implementation and governance, setting performance metrics, monitoring progress, and driving continuous improvement to align with corporate climate goals, equity objectives, and consumer protection standards.
- Leads cross-divisional and external collaboration, engaging with senior municipal leaders, community organizations, and industry stakeholders to co-design program enhancements, strengthen delivery mechanisms, and drive program uptake.
- Shapes policy and practice by developing tools, resources, and recommendations that embed equity, accessibility, and tenant protections into municipal climate financing frameworks.
- Provides supervisory and talent development support, mentoring an intern and guiding their contributions to research, analysis, and stakeholder engagement.
- Advises senior leadership and Council, preparing high-level reports, presentations, and briefings to inform decision-making and communicate program outcomes and impacts.
Program Advisor, Energy & Community Efficiency Financing
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
02.2020 - 04.2025
- Provided strategic advisory support to senior management, overseeing operational performance reviews and recommending improvements to funding governance and delivery.
- Directed evaluation of funding processes, leading enhancements that streamlined application review, assessment, and peer review functions across GMF.
- Shaped municipal climate financing practices, producing policy briefs and guidance documents that advanced low-carbon building retrofits, building decarbonization, and equitable access to funding.
- Engaged senior municipal leaders to align funding with emerging best practices in energy efficiency, climate risk reduction, and equity integration.
- Strengthened internal capacity, developing tools and methodologies to assess environmental impact and performance outcomes for capital projects and studies.
- Supervised and mentored junior staff and interns, providing coaching on program analysis, stakeholder engagement, and funding processes, while fostering professional development and building team capacity.
- Embedded equity, inclusion, diversity, and reconciliation (EIDR) into program design and delivery by integrating accessibility, reconciliation commitments, and community-informed practices into funding models and client engagement approaches.
- Prepared executive-level recommendations, briefing GMF Council and senior leadership on funding allocations, program risks, and climate impact.
- Led cross-unit collaboration, ensuring funding and client service functions were fully aligned with organizational objectives and stakeholder needs.
Project Manager, Conservation & Livelihoods (Fr/Eng)
WWF-Cameroon
07.2013 - 11.2019
- Directed multi-year climate and conservation initiatives, leading program design, delivery, and reporting across diverse environmental and livelihood projects with a focus on equitable, inclusive, and community-driven outcomes.
- Supervised and mentored project staff, consultants, and trainees, fostering professional development, knowledge transfer, and high-performing teams, while building local capacity in climate adaptation, conservation, and sustainable development practices.
- Integrated equity, diversity, and inclusion principles into project design and delivery, ensuring that conservation and livelihood strategies addressed the needs of marginalized and vulnerable groups, particularly women, youth, and Indigenous communities.
- Led cross-sectoral engagement, coordinating with government agencies, local communities, Indigenous rights holders, and NGOs to co-design strategies that advanced both conservation and sustainable development.
- Oversaw financial and program governance, managing budgets, contracts, and donor-funded initiatives to ensure compliance, transparency, and measurable climate and social impact.
- Provided policy and technical leadership, advising on low-carbon technologies, sustainable urban planning, and natural resource management to influence national and municipal policy frameworks.
- Strengthened organizational presence through outreach campaigns, public consultations, and participatory workshops that increased community ownership and long-term sustainability of projects.
Education
Master of Environmental Studies (MES) -
York University
Canada06-2013
Master of Arts - Climate Change & Conflict
UN University For Peace
Costa Rica07-2009
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Studies
University of Dschang
Cameroon01.2002
Skills
- Strategic Leadership & Program Management: Demonstrated ability to provide vision, governance, and oversight for complex municipal climate programs and financing initiatives
- Program Design & Delivery: Proven expertise in developing and scaling innovative program models (eg, HELP enhanced streams) that integrate equity, affordability, and tenant protections
- Policy & Research Analysis: Skilled in conducting advanced policy analysis, evaluating program impacts, and translating research into actionable strategies and recommendations
- Stakeholder & Intergovernmental Engagement: Adept at cultivating partnerships with senior municipal leaders, Indigenous rights holders, community organizations, and industry stakeholders to align efforts and achieve shared outcomes
- Marketing, Outreach & Change Management: Experience in designing communications strategies and change management approaches to increase program uptake and organizational readiness
- Technical & Analytical Proficiency: Proficient in MS Office Suite, MS Project, database systems, and digital platforms to support program monitoring, reporting, and performance management
- Executive Communication & Reporting: Strong record of preparing Council reports, executive briefings, and public presentations that inform decision-making and demonstrate program impact
- Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Deep commitment to embedding equity and reconciliation principles into program and policy design, ensuring climate benefits are inclusive and accessible
- People Leadership & Mentorship: Experienced in supervising and mentoring staff and interns, fostering professional development, and building high-performing, collaborative teams
Accomplishments
- Mobilized over $100M in climate financing through FCM’s Green Municipal Fund, enabling municipalities and Indigenous governments to advance decarbonization and energy efficiency.
- Embedded equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation (EIDR) into municipal climate financing, expanding program access for smaller municipalities, Indigenous governments, and equity-deserving groups.
- Provided supervisory leadership, mentoring staff and interns to build internal capacity and high-performing teams capable of delivering complex climate initiatives.
- Directed $10M+ in conservation programs at WWF-Cameroon, rehabilitating 78,000 hectares of biodiversity-rich land while advancing sustainable livelihoods for local and Indigenous communities.
- Led community-driven climate action, engaging thousands of residents through participatory workshops and public consultations to ensure programs reflected community priorities.
Certification
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Nov. 2024
- Professional Scrum Master I (PSMI), May 2023
- Health, Safety & Environmental Compliance, Fleming College, Canada, July 2018
Languages
English
Native/ Bilingual
French
Native/ Bilingual
References
Available upon request
Timeline
Project Lead, Environment - ECF Division
- City of Toronto
05.2025 - Current
Program Advisor, Energy & Community Efficiency Financing
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
02.2020 - 04.2025
Project Manager, Conservation & Livelihoods (Fr/Eng)
WWF-Cameroon
07.2013 - 11.2019
Master of Environmental Studies (MES) -
York University
Master of Arts - Climate Change & Conflict
UN University For Peace
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Studies
University of Dschang
Similar Profiles
Gretchen MackeyGretchen Mackey
Lifeguard and Swim Instructor at City of TorontoLifeguard and Swim Instructor at City of Toronto
Ezekiel BatistilEzekiel Batistil
Location Coordinator at City of TorontoLocation Coordinator at City of Toronto
Maria StivalMaria Stival
Camp Playground Leader at City of TorontoCamp Playground Leader at City of Toronto
Brooke LivingstoneBrooke Livingstone
Primary Care Paramedic at City of TorontoPrimary Care Paramedic at City of Toronto
Lysa ProcunierLysa Procunier
Co-Founder and Transport Coordinator at Freedom Drivers - Animal Rescue TransportCo-Founder and Transport Coordinator at Freedom Drivers - Animal Rescue Transport