Meet The Team
The CASARA NU team is dedicated to leading our volunteers located in Nunavut. These are the members who dedicate their time and effort into managing and leading the NU Member Organization to make successful search and rescue taskings possible.
Director: John Vander Velde
John Vander Velde joined CASARA in 2000 and is currently the Director of CASARA NU. Besides being the Director, John also holds titles of Safety Officer, Training Officer, and Zone Commander to help provide operations in Nunavut. Working for the Nunavut government and living in the territory for many years, John has a vast knowledge and skillset of the Nunavut area. This experience is what he applies to his position in CASARA to lead the team to successful search and rescue missions.
Email: john_velde@hotmail.com
Deputy Director: George (Naikak) Hakongak
George Hakongak joined CASARA in 2003 and is currently the Deputy Director of CASARA NU. Besides being the Deputy Director, George also holds titles of Search Coordinator & Zone Commander.
Email: naikak@hakongak.com