Dr. David Mateiyenu Nanang is a Canadian executive and forest and natural resources economist whose career has been defined by one through-line: turning rigorous science into decisions that protect ecosystems, safeguard food systems, and strengthen the institutions that serve the public. Today, as Vice President of the Science Branch at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), he leads one of the country’s most diverse laboratory and research networks, ensuring that diagnostics, research, and scientific advice translate quickly and credibly into front-line regulatory action. His leadership through Canada’s unprecedented avian influenza outbreak in 2021–2023 exemplified his capacity to mobilize people and resources at national scale while maintaining trust with industry, government partners, and citizens.
David’s journey began in the forests. Earning a B.Sc. in Natural Resources Management with First Class Honours from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, he developed an early fascination with how biological systems, markets, and policy interact. A CIDA scholarship brought him to Canada for an M.Sc.F. at Lakehead University, where he studied the silviculture, growth, and yield of neem plantations—a foundation in quantitative analysis and field-based science that would shape his career. He then completed a Ph.D. in Forest/Natural Resources and Environmental Economics at the University of Alberta, researching optimization-based forest planning tools under the supervision of world-class scholars in resource economics. Those formative years knit together the analytical precision of econometrics with the practical constraints of land use, conservation, and industry realities.
His early professional work at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) as an economist came at a pivotal time in climate policy. David provided technical advice to senior federal officials, prepared positions for international negotiations, and developed economic frameworks that could withstand both public scrutiny and scientific peer review. He then joined Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (now CIRNAC), where he advised on environmental policy and regulatory affairs across legislation such as SARA, CEPA, and CEAA. That period deepened his fluency in the mechanisms of government, the craft of regulation, and the art of balancing ecological integrity with social and economic priorities.
David’s return to the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) marked the beginning of a decade of progressively broader leadership. As Director of Forest Ecology and later as Regional Director General for Ontario and head of the Great Lakes Forestry Centre, he led teams of nationally and internationally recognized scientists working on wildfire, climate change, soil and water, invasive species, and ecosystem impacts. He championed significant research into biosecurity, including parasitoid-based strategies for emerald ash borer, and advanced the national Cumulative Effects Program, which provided the science to understand and manage the intersecting impacts of resource development and species-at-risk initiatives. He also led NRCan’s push for a dedicated satellite for wildland fire detection and monitoring—an example of how he sees infrastructure, data, and science as strategic assets for national resilience.
In 2019, David became Regional Director General for Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Central and Arctic Region. Spanning Ontario, the Prairies, and the North, the role demanded sophisticated, whole-of-government leadership. He briefed ministers and central agencies, managed cross-jurisdictional issues, and represented the department on federal councils and binational bodies concerned with the Great Lakes. He helped shape the creation of DFO’s Arctic Region and rebrand Central and Arctic into the Ontario and Prairie Region, aligning structures with emerging geopolitical, environmental, and economic realities. That experience honed his reputation as a systems thinker who can translate regional complexity into enterprise strategy.
David joined the CFIA’s executive team in 2021 as Associate Vice President of Operations before stepping into the role of Acting Vice President of the Science Branch and later being appointed Vice President. He also served as Acting Vice President of the Operations Branch and, since 2023, has been the Agency’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. In this capacity, he designed a diversity sponsorship program, co-led agency-wide Values and Ethics conversations, and contributed to the ADM Taskforce responding to the Clerk’s Call to Action—evidence that he applies the same rigor to organizational culture as he does to science and policy. Whether safeguarding plant health and food safety or nurturing an inclusive workforce, he takes a long view: durable institutions are built by aligning mission, evidence, and people.
A prolific scholar and reviewer, David has authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications, multiple book chapters, reports, and discussion papers. He also authored two books on forestry, an edited volume on natural resources. His research spans export demand for timber products, the economics of forest management regimes, non-market valuation, deforestation dynamics, and forest operations modeling. He has presented internationally—from Athens to South Africa—and served on editorial boards for the Open Journal of Forestry, the Journal of Energy and Natural Resources, and READER Journal. This scholarly backbone keeps his executive judgment grounded in evidence while enabling him to interrogate assumptions with intellectual humility.
David’s commitment to education and mentorship is longstanding. As an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, he has taught, guest lectured, and served on graduate committees, helping train the next generation of researchers and policy leaders. He has supervised and examined doctoral work at the intersection of international forest trade, carbon markets, conservation incentives, and rural livelihoods—work that connects local decisions to global systems. His academic recognition goes across continents. For example, in 2014, he was co-opted as a member of the Taskforce set up by the President of Ghana to establish the University of Environment and Sustainable Development, where he conceptualized and developed programs for the Faculty of Sustainable Development and drafted the report to the President that led to the creation of the new University. His mentorship also extends beyond academia; through the African Leaders of Tomorrow program, he has supported emerging public policy professionals to develop principled, pragmatic leadership.
Board and governance experience is another pillar of David’s profile. He has served on and chaired university and college boards, stewarding strategy through periods of growth, crisis, and transformation. As Chair of the Algoma University Board of Governors, he led the institution through the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing student well-being while charting a growth strategy that positioned the university to emerge stronger. As a member of the Invasive Species Centre board for 12 years, David provided strategic direction to the Centre to prevent the introduction and spread of high-risk invasive species in Canada through connecting stakeholders with knowledge and technology.He also serves on the IVADO Management Board, where he contributes to governance in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence—a testament to his cross-disciplinary range and interest in translating innovation into public value.
Recognition has followed. From House of Commons acknowledgment for service as a DFO Regional Director General to NSERC committee leadership and multiple academic distinctions, David’s accolades reflect sustained excellence across research, policy, and executive domains. Yet he views recognition as the byproduct, not the purpose, of leadership. The purpose is service: to the public, to evidence, and to colleagues whose diverse talents, when mobilized, solve problems no single discipline can.
At heart, David is a builder—of programs, partnerships, and trust. He integrates economic analysis with ecological science, and policy realism with a deep respect for communities and stakeholders. Whether navigating an emergency response that safeguards national food security or architecting long-term strategies for climate resilience and biosecurity, he is driven by the belief that science must be both excellent and useful. That belief, shaped by more than two decades across federal science and operations, continues to guide his work at CFIA and beyond.
Character:
David’s leadership is anchored in integrity and a service mindset that prioritizes public interest over convenience. He approaches complex challenges with steadiness, empathy, and accountability, especially when stakes are high and information is incomplete. He treats colleagues and partners with respect, creating psychological safety that enables candid debate and better decisions.
Knowledge:
He brings deep domain expertise in forestry, resource economics, and biosecurity, complemented by hands-on experience in regulation, operations, and crisis management. His scholarship and editorial work keep him close to the frontier of research, while his executive roles ensure knowledge is translated into outcomes. He continually learns from scientists, inspectors, policy-makers, and industry leaders to refine judgments with real-world feedback.
Strategic:
David sees systems—ecological, regulatory, organizational—and designs strategies that align people, data, and infrastructure toward measurable results. He blends long-horizon planning with agile execution, adjusting course as evidence evolves without losing sight of mission. His governance experience equips him to balance opportunity and risk in a way that sustains institutional resilience.
Communication:
He communicates with clarity and care, distilling complex science into accessible insights for ministers, boards, and frontline teams. In crises, he provides steady, transparent updates that build confidence and coordination. In everyday work, he listens first, asks incisive questions, and invites diverse perspectives to sharpen collective understanding.
