Joan Sawicki served as Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks from July 1999 to November 2000. Joan was elected speaker of the Legislative Assembly in March 1992 and served in that capacity for two years. She then served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Municipal Affairs from April 1994 to May 1996 and to the Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks from June 1996 to January 1998.

First elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1991 to represent the constituency of Burnaby-Willingdon, she was re-elected in 1996.

Joan holds a bachelor's degree of education in Canadian history and geography from the University of Victoria. For 12 years before being elected to the Legislature, she was a partner in a land-use consulting firm, dealing with natural resource management issues. She also worked with the British Columbia Agricultural Land Commission for six years.

She served on Burnaby City Council from 1987 to 1990 and chaired the environment and waste management committee. She was also a member of the Greater Vancouver Regional District waste and environment committee and has served for several years as director of the International Centre for Sustainable Cities.