About us

Brinkman was born in the backcountry of British Columbia, Canada, sprouting from a deep commitment to healing the planet and a practical, down-to-earth approach to getting the job done. We're here to cultivate a future where people and nature thrive together.

Our leadership

From our roots in reforestation, we've grown into a group of organizations that share a common goal to create a brighter, more sustainable future for our planet and for generations to come.
Alison Dempsey
Board Member, Brinkman Reforestation
Alison Dempsey
Board Member, Brinkman Reforestation

Alison Dempsey is a lawyer, advisor, and board director with over 30 years of experience across private practice, international advisory, nonprofit, regulatory, and consulting roles. She works closely with senior leaders and boards to strengthen governance and risk management while championing accountability, stewardship, and sustainable outcomes. Passionate about ethics in business, Alison authored Evolutions in Corporate Governance – Towards an Ethical Framework for Business Conduct (2013).

Betsy Barcus
General Director, BARCA CR
Betsy Barcus
General Director, BARCA CR

Betsy Barcus leads Brinkman’s Costa Rica team as General Director of BARCA, guiding foresters and field staff in advancing sustainable reforestation and agroforestry projects through the company’s Palmar Sur nursery and regional operations. She brings decades of leadership experience in human resources, quality management, and education, building on her early service with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, where she supported agricultural cooperatives and public housing programs. A graduate of Clemson University in Business Management, Betsy has made Costa Rica her home since 1988, where she and her husband have raised their two daughters.

Brahm Candy
Business Development & Marketing
Brahm Candy
Business Development & Marketing

Brahm Candy leads Business Development and Marketing at Brinkman, helping to grow partnerships and expand the company’s impact in sustainable reforestation, restoration, and land management. He brings a background in strategy, entrepreneurship, and marketing, with experience spanning diverse sectors. Brahm is an MBA candidate at the University of Victoria and has built his career at the intersection of sustainability and innovation. Outside of work, he enjoys sailing and spending time in nature with his family.

Constance Fenyo
Board Member, Brinkman Brinkman Reforestation
Constance Fenyo
Board Member, Brinkman Brinkman Reforestation

Constance Fenyo has been a Brinkman board member since 2018, offering guidance on governance, strategy, and long-term sustainable growth. She is President & CEO of Weber-Fenyo Holdings Inc. and previously led Dye & Durham Corporation through its transformation into a national leader in legal technology. Constance is also committed to mentorship and community service, sharing her experience with aspiring leaders and supporting charitable initiatives, while enjoying running, trekking, and time with her family.

Dawn Brinkman
General Manager and Board Member, Brinkman
Dawn Brinkman
General Manager and Board Member, Brinkman

Dawn is the General Manager of Brinkman, where she leads collaborative growth across teams and guides governance and communications. She began her career as a tree planter in 2000 and has since focused her work on reforestation and community-based stewardship. Over the years, she has managed large-scale projects, Indigenous-led stewardship programs, and served internationally as a logistician with Médecins Sans Frontières. Dawn holds a BSc (Honours) in Global Resource Systems from the University of British Columbia. She finds balance through meditation and loves exploring the wilderness with her family and giant Irish Wolfhound mix.

Diego Dipieri
CEO, BARCA PA/Brinkman Colombia
Diego Dipieri
CEO, BARCA PA/Brinkman Colombia

With over 30 years of experience in reforestation, agroforestry, and agribusiness, Diego has led large-scale investment projects across Central America and Canada, managing operations with more than 300 collaborators. As President of Panama’s National Forestry Industry Association (ANARAP) and a Board Member of Fundación Natura, he champions sustainable land use, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Based in Panama City, he enjoys traveling with his family, hiking the country’s natural landscapes, and exploring local food, art, and history.

Dirk Brinkman
Senior Advisor, Founder, and Board Member, Brinkman
Dirk Brinkman
Senior Advisor, Founder, and Board Member, Brinkman

Dirk Brinkman founded the Brinkman Group in 1970 and continues to guide its work as Founder and Advisor. Driven by a vision of restoring lands and waters to their natural resilience and abundance, he led the company in planting more than 1.9 billion trees and advancing large-scale ecological restoration across Canada and beyond. His pioneering approach to sustainability and collaboration, including innovative partnerships with First Nations, has left a lasting legacy. Today, his life’s work continues to shape Brinkman’s mission and inspire future generations of environmental stewardship.

Erik Brinkman
CEO and Board Member, Brinkman
Erik Brinkman
CEO and Board Member, Brinkman

Erik Brinkman is CEO of Brinkman, where he leads sustainability-driven initiatives, continuing the company's legacy of environmental impact. A former treeplanter who has personally planted over 1.5 million trees, Erik has also co-founded and chairs a private refugee sponsorship group in Canada. He holds a BFA with Honours from Simon Fraser University and an Executive MBA from SFU Beedie, where he was Valedictorian. Erik enjoys woodworking, stained glass, and hunting… for beach glass, with his young daughters.

Judi Tetro
COO and Board Member, Brinkman Reforestation / Brinkman Living Infrastructure
Judi Tetro
COO and Board Member, Brinkman Reforestation / Brinkman Living Infrastructure

Since joining Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. in 1988, Judi has taken on both field and management roles across the company’s operations nationwide. Judi has a deep appreciation for the forests and landscapes in which she’s worked, but even more so for the people who make the industry exceptional. Inspired by the resilience and motivation that tree planting fosters, Judi considers herself fortunate to work alongside such dedicated people. For her, the people make the work rewarding, and Judi is grateful for the opportunity this meaningful work has brought to her life.

Matt Robertson
Operations & Business Development Manager, Brinkman Reforestation
Matt Robertson
Operations & Business Development Manager, Brinkman Reforestation

Matt Robertson began planting trees with Brinkman in 1993 and has since grown through roles as Crew Lead and Project Manager to his current position as Operations and Business Development Manager. Along the way, he’s drawn on early experiences in commercial fishing, timber cruising, and block layout on BC’s rugged west coast, as well as studies in geography at the University of Victoria. Now based on southern Vancouver Island, Matt and his partner have transformed their property into a thriving small farm, balancing work, family, and a love of the outdoors.

Peter Klein
Board Member, Brinkman
Peter Klein
Board Member, Brinkman

Dr. Peter Klein is a Professor emeritus of Finance at SFU’s Beedie School of Business and serves as an external director with Brinkman, offering independent advice and ensuring corporate governance. Before joining SFU, he spent a decade in capital markets roles with CIBC/Wood Gundy across Toronto, Tokyo, and London, and he was Managing Partner and CIO of BullWealth from 2014-2022. Peter holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Toronto, along with multiple professional designations including CPA, CBV, and CFA. Outside of work, he enjoys skiing, hiking, canoeing, and surfing with family and friends.

Ricardo Lujan
Director of Forestry, BARCA CR
Ricardo Lujan
Director of Forestry, BARCA CR

Ricardo began working with Brinkman Costa Rica in 1995, helping identify farms for reforestation projects in the country’s Central Pacific region, and has since played a key role in establishing and managing BARCA’s reforestation and agroforestry initiatives across Central America. He previously worked in the private forestry sector and with both the Forestry School of the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR) and the research center CATIE. Holding a degree in Forestry from ITCR and a master’s in Agroforestry from CATIE, he brings deep technical expertise to sustainable land-use projects. Based in Costa Rica, Ricardo enjoys hiking in the country’s forests and mountains and contributes actively to the advancement of national forestry policies.

Rick Colbourne
Board Member, Brinkman Reforestation
Rick Colbourne
Board Member, Brinkman Reforestation

Rick Colbourne serves on the Board of Directors of Brinkman Reforestation Ltd. and its subsidiary, Brinkman Living Infrastructure, where he contributes expertise in governance, ESG and Indigenous partnerships. He is an Associate Professor and former Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusive Communities at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, with more than 20 years’ experience in academia, consulting and executive education. Rick holds a PhD (Management) from the University of Cambridge, an MBA (Management of Technology) from Simon Fraser University and is a Fulbright Fellow. A cross-cultural explorer, he thrives on crossing boundaries - between community and university - boardroom and classroom - land and water.

Robert Seaton
Chief Science Officer and Board Member, Brinkman
Robert Seaton
Chief Science Officer and Board Member, Brinkman

Robert has spent 45 years in forestry — 35 of them with Brinkman, where he now serves as Chief Science Officer specializing in ecosystem, forest, and carbon modeling as well as Indigenous land management. A recognized innovator, he has helped develop pioneering forest carbon accounting methods and led offset projects that fund new approaches to ecosystem-based management across Canada and internationally. Based on Gabriola Island, Robert also draws on earlier careers in art and dance, reflecting a lifelong commitment to both science and creativity.

Robin C. McCullough
OH&S Manager, Brinkman Reforestation
Robin C. McCullough
OH&S Manager, Brinkman Reforestation

After 18 years of field work with Brinkman, Robin C. McCullough transitioned from Project Manager to Occupational Health and Safety Manager. She has served as Chair of the BC Safe Forestry Program’s Strategic Advisory Committee since 2017, administered through the Western Forestry Contractors’ Association. Robin holds a BA in Indigenous Studies and Comparative Development (Trent), a BFA in Media Arts (NSCAD), and an MA in Communication and Cultural Studies (York + Toronto Metropolitan University). Her MA research examined the translation work silvicultural Crew Leads perform between forestry prescriptions and the planters who carry them out. Professionally and personally, Robin focuses on justice and community safety through education, engagement, and transparent accountability. She is also the companion of three cats and parent to a delightful daughter.

Samantha Mussells
HR Manager, Brinkman Reforestation
Samantha Mussells
HR Manager, Brinkman Reforestation

Samantha Mussells is the Human Resource Manager at Brinkman Reforestation Ltd., where she is committed to making sure planters feel heard and taken care of. Sam first picked up a shovel while studying Art History at Queen’s University, eventually finishing her MA before realizing the bush was far more appealing than a museum. After years of managing planting camps in Northern Ontario, Sam moved into Regional Management and then into HR. Now based in Kingston, Ontario with her family, Sam spends less time in a tent and more time enjoying an urban life.

Timo Scheiber
CEO and Board Member, Brinkman Reforestation / Brinkman Living Infrastructure
Timo Scheiber
CEO and Board Member, Brinkman Reforestation / Brinkman Living Infrastructure

Timo Scheiber is CEO of Brinkman Reforestation, Brinkman Living Infrastructure, and current President of the Western Forestry Contractors Association. On a friend’s advice, he rode his motorcycle to plant trees near Revelstoke in 1991, expecting “a season or two.” Instead, Timo’s unconventional upbringing at a remote outdoor school turned out to be perfect preparation for the logistical challenges and people focus of reforestation, where he’s since enjoyed many different roles. Timo has happily engaged much of his family in the industry, and when not working, still rides motorcycles, travels, gardens, takes photos, and runs a mobile sawmill.

A view down upon a forested, hilly landscape.

Our purpose & our mission

Brinkman exists for one reason: to cultivate a future where people and nature thrive together. This is our purpose.

Our mission is to restore balance and add resilience to natural living systems in ways that empower communities and enhance economies. This is how we fulfill our purpose.

Our purpose and our mission permeate everything we do. Guided by our vision and our values, they provide the roadmap for both our long-term objectives and our daily operations.

Our vision

Our purpose is born from a vision for the future: a balanced planet where thriving communities work in harmony with nature. In this vision, all life on Earth not only survives but flourishes.

Our planet provides everything necessary for humans to lead rich, full lives. Our responsibility is to nurture and steward our environment so it continues to provide for ourselves, for nature, and for future generations.
A group of people around a campfire with the aurora in the sky above.

Our values

Our values are the guiding principles that lead us toward our ultimate objectives. If our vision, purpose and mission are the ends, our values are the means.
A group of people swimming in a lake at dusk.

Life First

We focus on actions that support the quality, diversity and abundance of all life on this planet.

Deep Collaboration

We deliver value by engaging collaboratively with ALL stakeholders to achieve our shared goals.

Sustainable Innovation

We align financial, social, and natural capital to create new solutions to complex ecological challenges.

Indigenous Reconciliation

We affirm the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and are committed to advancing our collective journey towards reconciliation.

Community Wellbeing

Together, we support thriving communities that prioritize collective well-being and uplift every individual.

How we got here

The Brinkman story spans decades and continents, beginning as a seed of an idea for a better way to do things. From there, it sprouted into a culture of community based around conservation and stewardship.

A way of life is born

More than 50 years ago, Dirk Brinkman was working as a tree faller in a remote area of British Columbia, Canada. Looking for new challenges, he decided that he'd rather plant trees than cut them down.
So he gathered a group of friends together and started bidding on reforestation contracts. This being the late 1960s/early 70s, they worked communally. They shared resources, traveled, camped and ate together, and lived by a code of personal accountability while also living in community.

A business model and a sub-culture were born that still exist today.
Now, Brinkman has operations across the Americas. We've grown our expertise to become leaders in forest and land management, ecosystem regeneration, agroforestry, living urban infrastructure, carbon finance and research and development.
We work with local and indigenous communities to develop sustainable economic benefits from forest resources.
We help resource companies restore and repair damaged ecosystems, and help ecosystems bounce back from natural disasters such as flooding or wildfires.
We find new and innovative ways to diversify forest-based economies.
We support urban initiatives to build living infrastructure.
We facilitate carbon offset projects.
We provide leadership and guidance in forest research and development, so that our global forests can adapt to human activity and climate change.
With a decades-long, family-based legacy of conservation and stewardship, one thing has never changed — we work in harmony with the natural world.
We're resourceful problem-solvers, embracing our planet's biggest, most complex challenges with a unique blend of grit and creativity. We believe in science in our camps and dirty boots in our boardrooms. We develop ecological resilience and nurture life.

We're cultivating a world where nature and people thrive together. For generations.