Tom Weber
Tom's work with Canopy focuses on the design and integration of recreational areas and activities within the development program that are directly related to each site's unique natural environment. Tom has been involved in the golf course industry for over fifteen years, most recently managing his own design and consulting firm. He has been a leader in incorporating ecological standards and a low-impact, minimalist approach to course development that stems from his strong environmental ethic. Tom is also an avid surfer and recognizes the value in preserving our most valued natural assets. The approach that he brings to our conservation-oriented development process is to let each site dictate the best recreational uses from an environmental perspective and he will be the first to tell us what is appropriate, and more importantly what is not.
Over the course of his career, Tom has been involved in over 30 golf courses projects with budgets totaling more than $65million and has been a key contributor in the design and planning for a number of large scale TND development projects. His experience in all aspects of course development, from design to construction has allowed him to gain a deep understanding of its impacts and the positive role a course can play in local ecosystems if done well. Notably, Tom designed the Golf Course at Loreto Bay in Baja, Mexico. At the time, Loreto Bay was the largest sustainable development in the world encompassing a resort, traditional neighborhood, agriculture and recreational areas situated on 8,000 acres along the Sea of Cortez. Tom designed the golf course to be sustainably built and maintained, utilizing native species and other elements that significantly reduce the use of water and chemicals. The course is integrated into the development such that not only the golfers benefit; it also serves as a natural space that residents and guests can use to observe and experience the beauty and wildlife of the estuaries, desert mountains, and sea.
Tom has a passion for design and an unyielding curiosity to understand how the elements of a project can be integrated to impact its character and how people relate to it. Through mindfulness of the lifestyle needs and wants of the inhabitants and visitors, Tom is able to intersect and intertwine the recreational, functional, and personal areas to form a relationship that offers much more than the mere sum of the parts. By this careful integration of design, the recreational areas become broadly relevant expanding beyond the participants of that given activity to the population at large.
Tom lives in Florida with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, and chickens. In addition to surfing and golf, he enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Richard Albrecht
Prior to his involvement with Canopy, Richard Albrecht was most recently Senior Vice President of Revolution Resorts. Richard has 23 years experience in real estate investment and development, the last 20 of which have been in the development and operation of luxury resort communities. He has held senior management positions with four successful luxury projects, combining development and resort operations experience. Richard has focused on communities with amenities that provide extensive recreation and service programs. Richard demonstrated an ability to lead a project from a vision on paper, adapt to changing conditions and rapid growth, and lead the project through successful construction, marketing, operations and sales.
Richard joined Talisker Deer Valley in August 2004 as Chief Operating Officer. Talisker, a Toronto based real estate company new to the resort business, assembled a portfolio of properties in and around Deer Valley ski area. Richard led the successful launch of sales and marketing of an enclave of 30 lots at the top of Deer Valley Ski Area, achieving the highest per acre prices in Deer Valley history, and managed the re-launch of sales at a golf and ski oriented community. Combined sales for the two projects reached $80 million in 12 months.
Richard joined Hualalai Resort in 1998, and from 2000 to 2004 served as Chief Operating Officer. Located on the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, the resort includes a 243 room Four Seasons Hotel, Jack Nicklaus Golf Course, private Tom Weiskopf Golf Course, full service Sports Club and Spa, three Food and Beverage Outlets and comprehensive Residential Property Management program. The resort was named #1 Resort in North America by Zagats, #1 Spa Resort by Conde Nast Traveler, #1 Golf Resort, and received the Award of Excellence from the Urban Land Institute. Richard's role was to provide the leadership and strategic direction for both development and resort operations, excluding the hotel. Richard focused on developing premium residential product and operated recreation and service amenities in a manner that maximized the residential property values. During his tenure at Hualalai, he developed and sold over $350 million of residential property, including condominiums, semi-custom homes, and single family lots.
MJ Viederman
Mary Jo Viederman is an Independent Communications executive with more than 15 years of experience working on issues of social and environmental change for consumer brands, academic institutions and non-profits. Viederman works with these groups to develop create and execute marketing, branding and communications platforms around key issues that drive individuals to take positive action on social and environmental issues.
Viederman's most recent experience was as Vice President of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility at Lindblad Expeditions, the leading expedition travel company known for its pioneering model of travel philanthropy that raises millions of dollars for local conservation and stewardship projects around the world. At Lindblad, Viederman oversaw MJ all strategic, mission-related projects including establishing a deep alliance with the National Geographic Society.
In July 2008, in conjunction with National Geographic and the Aspen Institute, Viederman helped to spearhead, develop and run an Arctic Expedition for Climate Action in which leaders from diverse backgrounds – business, science, religion, government, and environmental NGOs came together for eight days in the Arctic to explore the issue of climate change. Participants included President Carter, Secretary Madeleine Albright, Senator Tom Daschle, Ted Turner, CEOs from Monsanto, DuPont, Google, as well as evangelical, policy and scientific experts. The expedition was considered a great success with many business and non-profit leaders collaborating and committing to move the issue forward.
Before joining Lindblad, Viederman ran her own communications firm dedicated to the strategic communications, branding and advocacy initiatives of many leading socially responsible consumer brands from Odwalla and Fresh Samantha to Honest Tea, and Stonyfield Farm where she served as Communications Vice President for five years.
Throughout Viederman's career she has worked on issues ranging from climate change to organic standards to fair trade and food sustainability issues. Her goal is to help partner industry with non-profit groups to further their collective goals for positive change. She describes herself in this work as an educator, helping consumers sift through confusing issues and to view their purchases as a ‘vote' for improving the things they care about whether it be their own health or the health of the planet.
Viederman has extensive experience working in Latin American and Asia where she has lived, taught, conducted interviews and produced media for American audiences on stories about responsible travel, environmental issues, development, and education. She believes that business is the most dominant institution in society today and ultimately, what will need to embrace principals of sustainability in order to move for a ‘green movement' to truly become integrated.
She is the mother of two children, an avid outdoor enthusiast, runner, skier and gardener. She and her husband Dan enjoy hiking in the hills of western Mass. Where they now live is a nice change from hiking China's Great Wall where Dan directed WWF's China program.
Peter Oatman
Peter was most recently Vice President of Econergy International. At Canopy, Peter focuses on renewable energy and innovative infrastructure solutions for our projects. He has over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry.
At Econergy, Peter was responsible for international project development activities, which include a 20 MW wind farm in Mexico, and has managed the companies affiliate, Empresas ESM, S.A. de C.V., an Energy Services Company (ESCO) in Monterrey, Mexico. Peter was co-founder of Highland Energy Group (HEG) a national ESCO, and was responsible for the engineering and business development activities of the company until purchased by EUA Cogenex in 1995. As the General Manager of the Western Division of EUA Cogenex he directly managed the engineering, construction, and operational activities of this division, which had over $8 million in annual revenues. Peter has overseen over $20 million in energy efficiency projects, negotiated 21 MW of Demand Side Management (DSM) contracts with three US utilities and has worked with most energy efficiency technologies.
