measure. assess. inform.
Board of Directors
Appointed by the Government of Alberta in April 2014, the Board of Directors includes individuals with a strong spectrum of views – aboriginal, academic, environmental and industry – selected through an open recruitment process held in late 2013.
Current board members include:
The Board of Directors currently meets on a monthly basis as AEMERA works to become fully operational in 2015.
Board meeting agendas and minutes can be found under Reports & Publications
Chair
Board Chair Dr. Lorne Taylor is a consultant and businessman based in Medicine Hat in southeastern Alberta, and was the founding Chair of the Alberta Water Research Institute. He is currently the Special Advisor to Alberta WaterSMART. He has held tenured positions at several universities.
Dr. Taylor entered politics in 1993 by being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the riding of Cypress Medicine Hat. From 1993 to 2004, he served as Alberta's Minister of Science, Research and Information Technology, Minister of Innovation and Science, and Minister of the Environment. While in government, Dr. Taylor was instrumental in the creation of the Alberta Ingenuity Fund, Alberta SuperNet, and the Water for Life Strategy which remains the government's water strategy to this day. [email protected]
Vice-Chair
Board Vice Chair Dr. Gregory Taylor is the former Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta and a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. As an environmental toxicologist, his research focuses on understanding the mechanisms plants use to tolerate stresses in the soil environment, such as metal toxicity and nutrient deficiency.
Dr. Taylor has served on the editorial boards of BMC Plant Biology, Plant and Soil and the Canadian Journal of Botany, and on a number of Boards, including the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI), the Telus World of Science, and Tecterra Inc. He also served on the Alberta Environmental Monitoring Panel (AEMP) and the Alberta Environmental Monitoring Working Group (AEMWG). Most recently, Dr. Taylor served on the Alberta Environmental Monitoring Management Board whose September 2013 report provides advice on the creation of the Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency. [email protected]
Board Members
Board Member Mr. Mike Beaver is a well-respected member and Elder of the Bigstone Cree Nation. In the past, he was elected as Regional Chief for the Assembly of Nations representing Alberta First Nations. He is also a Traditional Mentor for the Bigstone Cree Nation Health and Wellness. Mr. Beaver spends his time involved and leading his Nation; as an Indigenous Spiritual Leader, he conducts ceremonies as well as lead workshops on native culture to ensure traditions and the culture are preserved. Before leading his Nation as Chief and Elder, Mr. Beaver honed his skills as a hunter and bushmen through years of practice.
During his free time, Mr. Beaver enjoys playing hockey and other sports. He also keeps tradition through net fishing and gathers herbs and medicines. He and Linda, his wife of 45 years, have three boys and three girls. [email protected]
Board Member Mr. Arlin Hackman’s forty-year career was spent in environmental work as a consultant, a staff environmentalist, an executive director and a board member of a number of conservation organizations. He served for over a decade as Vice President and Chief Conservation Officer at World Wildlife Fund Canada, guiding programs in the circumpolar Arctic and Cuba as well as Canada. In his final position, as Senior Conservation Advisor, he was responsible for scoping WWF’s international engagement on mining and serving on the advisory group for the Responsible Mineral Development Initiative of the World Economic Forum.
A geographer who grew up on the back roads of Alberta, Mr. Hackman cut his teeth by mobilizing the country’s biggest-ever conservation campaign, Endangered Spaces, more than doubling Canada’s parkland in just a decade and fueling the growth of WWF-Canada. In tandem, he helped advance Canada's global leadership in forest management by helping forest products companies secure certification by the Forest Stewardship Council for one third of Canada's commercial forest. He is a strategic thinker and his passion for a global perspective on Canada’s parks and lands has propelled him to be a leader in his field.
A long-time member of the IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas, Mr. Hackman was recently appointed to the executive board member of the Canadian International Institute for Extractive Industries and Development. [email protected]
Board Member Ms. Sheila Leggett combines her understanding of provincial and federal regulatory systems with her strong background in environmental research and practical knowledge to achieve sustainable development solutions. Her interpersonal skills, breadth of experience in the regulatory, corporate and management sectors of the agricultural and oil and gas industries have enabled her to understand and take into account the viewpoints of diverse perspectives in reaching regulatory decisions. Sheila’s open communication style and knowledge of best governance practices allows her to work effectively with a variety of stakeholders to ensure that the full range of viewpoints is heard from prior to making a decision.
Currently, Ms. Leggett is the President and Consultant at Tower Peak Consultants Ltd., providing clients with strategic regulatory, environmental and governance advice. From 2010 to 2013, Ms. Leggett was the Presiding Member (Chair) of the National Energy Board and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Northern Gateway Project, Joint Review that conducted an oral hearing process and a comprehensive technical review of the Project and provided public recommendation to the Minister of Natural Resources for Cabinet decision. Ms. Leggett was the Deputy Administrator of the Northern Pipeline Agency and from 2008 until 2013, and was the vice-chair of the National Energy Board. Before joining the National Energy Board, Ms. Leggett was a board member with the Natural Resources Conservation Board. Prior to this, Ms. Leggett was a vice-president and senior consultant with an environmental consulting firm and a founding board member for Alberta Ecotrust.
Ms. Leggett has a Bachelor's degree in Biology from McGill University and a Master's degree in Biology from the University of Calgary. Ms. Leggett has published numerous papers and made presentations at conferences across North America. She resides in Calgary. [email protected]
Board Member Ms. Patricia McCunn-Miller is a lawyer with experience in regulatory, environmental, social and governance matters. With thirty years of energy, environmental and regulatory experience, Ms. McCunn-Miller is currently the President of Blue Bridge Energy, an energy advisory company. Prior to that, she was Vice-President Regulatory, Government and Public Affairs - Gas Monetization at Talisman Energy Inc. During her position there, she did extensive engagement work with all levels of government, local stakeholders, and First Nations in the development of a strategic framework for liquefied natural gas (LNG). Ms. McCunn-Miller also served as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Responsibility of Synenco Energy Inc., and served as its Corporate Secretary and General Counsel.
Ms. McCunn-Miller’s experience includes serving as a Board Member of the National Energy Board. She was also a Member and Vice-Chair of the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy from 1999 to February 2004, and a Board Member of Climate Change Central from 2000 to 2010, including a period as interim President and CEO. She served as Managing Director of Environment and Regulatory Affairs for PanCanadian Petroleum from July 1996 to April 2001, and as Vice-President, Environment and Regulatory Affairs with its successor company, EnCana Corporation, from April 2001 to November 2003. Prior to that Ms. McCunn-Miller was General Counsel to the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission. [email protected]
Board Member Dr. Robert Page has 25 years of experience in environmental impact assessment and sustainability challenges for public and private sector parties. Before joining the Enbridge Centre for Corporate Sustainability at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary in November 2012, he was the TransAlta Professor for Environmental Management and Sustainability in the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment, and Economy at the U. of C. His career demonstrates both academic and corporate leadership. Dr. Page has done research and writing on oil, gas, and arctic pipelines and has appeared as an expert witness before the US Senate and the Canadian Parliamentary Committees. He joined the University of Calgary as Dean of Environmental Design (1990-1997). During those years he also did analytical and strategic work for Canadian companies and associations as well as chairing the federal inquiry into Banff National Park (1995-97)
As Vice President, Sustainable Department for the TransAlta Corporation (1997-2007), he achieved a number of distinctions for the company including a number one ranking in the world for electrical utilities in the NY based Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In corporate affairs he is a Board member of the Enmax Corporation (Calgary) and the Canadian Standards Association Group (Toronto & Cleveland). He chairs the International Standards Association ISO 14000 series of international environmental standards out of Geneva. Over the years he has been active in Pollution Probe (Toronto), Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (southern Alberta Chapter) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (Ottawa). On science he serves of the Board of the Canadian Water Network, (Center of Excellence) and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (Ottawa). He is the former Chair of the National Round Table on Environment and Economy (Ottawa) and the International Emissions Trading Association Board (Geneva); he was a former member of the Business Environmental Leadership Council to the Pew Centre on Global Climate Change (Washington, DC). He has served on several advisory committees to the Alberta Government including 10 years on CASA representing the electricity sector. He and his wife Jocelyne are active mountain hikers and supporters of heritage and artistic organizations. [email protected]