Dayna joined INAC in May 2016 as the Director of LED-IR and has been with the Federal Government for over 15 years. Prior to joining INAC she was with Western Economic Diversification Canada – headquarters based in Edmonton for over eight years as the Manager of Business Systems and Programs and previous to this was with Industry Canada – Alberta Region as a Senior Economist.

Outside of work Dayna keeps busy raising two young energetic girls.

Bev Therrien is Western Economic Diversification’s Manager for Business Development and Partnerships in Alberta. Bev joined WD in 2003 and has worked in various positions within WD Alberta Region and WD Policy and Strategic Direction (PSD). Prior to that, Bev worked for the Government of Alberta and a number of not for profit organizations in Alberta.

Bev holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta where her studies focused on Canadian Public Policy.

Jolene Head has worked for INAC for 15 years in the area of land management and environment. She has been with IOGC for the past year and a half in the area of Lease Administration.

Munir Jivraj recently joined Indian Oil and Gas Canada (IOGC) as their new Royalty Manager. He brings with him over 20 years of conventional and non-conventional (oil Sands) oil and gas experience; majority of those years have been in the planning and compliance side of royalty management.

Aside from professional his professional life, Munir volunteers in several areas dealing with community and youth development – Munir is passionate about excellence in education of our youth, and poverty alleviation within our communities – local and global.

Akbar has over 30 years’ experience as a land surveyor working both in Government and Private practice. Currently, he is a manager of the Regina office of the Natural Resources Canada, Surveyor General Branch.

Director of Economic Development with Alberta Indigenous Relations, her unit supports various Economic Development grant programs and business development supports. Former Governement of Alberta work includes employment and training, educational grant programs, strategic policy and managing programs that support transitions to post-secondary education.

She co-owned a business for 12 years in the wholesale distribution business and retail design/build industry. Karen’s business background also includes the start-up of Kids in the Hall restaurant, which is a social enterprise that supports at-risk youth in reintegration to work and education.

Gayle Bedard is Tsimshian from the First Nations community of Lax Kw’Alaams (Port Simpson). She is an educator, workshop presenter, facilitator, mediator, and workplace conflict consultant. She is Tsimshian from the First Nations community of Lax Kw’Alaams (Port Simpson).

Gayle has twenty-eight years of education experience in elementary and secondary, kindergarten to grade 12. Her last 19 years have been in administrative and or management roles, providing leadership and positive role modeling to Aboriginal students, parents, colleagues, teachers and community members. Gayle also has three years of government experience.

Debra Campbell is a member of the Musqueam Indian Band, a Coast Salish Community located in Vancouver, BC. She attained her post-secondary education at Langara College, Vancouver, BC in the Business Administration Program, earned certification as a Facilitator of Adult Learning from Loyalist College, Belleville, ON, received certification as a Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer (PAED) from Cando and achieved a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration and Governance at Ryerson University, Toronto, ON.

For the past 12 years she has worked with the National Aboriginal Lands Managers Association as the Master Instructor for the Professional Lands Management Certification Program.

Julia began her employment as Project Manager with NALMA in September 2005. As Project Manager, Julia coordinates meeting and training opportunities for the Regional Lands Association (Atlantic, Manitoba, Alberta, Nunavut) and assists the other Regions as needed. Julia takes the lead in the coordination of NALMA’s National Gatherings for Lands Managers.

Prior to NALMA, Julia was employed as the Lands Officer for Curve Lake First Nation, ON. Julia graduated from the Lands Management Training Program in 2001. Julia has gained valuable work experience in a number of positions in the Federal Government and Curve Lake First Nation. She brings that expertise to assist NALMA attain its goals and objectives.

Lars Garrett Duck Chief is the current Senior Manager of Siksika Lands and Resource Management for the Siksika Nation. He has been working in Lands Management for 10 years this year. 4 of theses of which he has been in his current position. He completed his Lands Management training through the National Aboriginal Lands Managers Association (NALMA) in 2013 and became a Certified Lands Manager.

His prior educational background is in Environment. He is also a LEDAC member, and he looks forward to providing his expertise within Lands Management for the advisory committee.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, raised on the Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement and is of First Nations descent from the Ermineskin Cree Nation. Obtained a Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Lethbridge in 1989; and also possesses the Technician and the Professional Level Certification from Cando.

Prior to working with CANDO, was the CEO of Settlement Investment Corporation. Then moved on to facilitate and manage the Métis Settlements Economic Viability Strategy, which received international recognition for sustainable development.

Suzanne Life is a member of the Liidlii Kue First Nation, but was raised in Cowichan Tribes Territory on Vancouver Island (BC). She holds a Master’s degree in Business, Bachelor degree in Law, Indigenous Corporate Relations Diploma – all from Royal Roads University, and an Indigenous Governance Diploma from University of Victoria. She also has a vast array of certification from other institutions in British Columbia.

Suzanne currently is a member of LEDAC and has been a part of LEDAC since it’s inception. She served as the chair for LEDAC this past fiscal year (2014-16) and she is also a member of TALSAA since 2013.

Gord Sawatzky is the Executive Director of Business Link, an organization dedicated to helping people start successful business ventures. Gord has a background in management consulting, where his focus was supporting Aboriginal communities in achieving their economic development goals. Over the course of his career, he has held management roles in a number of private, public and non-profit organizations.

Gord holds both Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Alberta.

Michelle Wilsdon is from Enoch Cree Nation and currently serves her Nation as an elected member of Council. In addition to her regular duties, Michelle is responsible for leading the Intergovernmental Relations and Economic Development division.

In assuming her role as a council member, Michelle left her position at the Government of Alberta where she served as the Director of Economic Development for the Ministry of Indigenous Relations.

Morgan is an Indigenous Relations Consultant with the City of Edmonton, connecting Indigenous communities and urban organizations to city resources and supporting city departments with their work involving Indigenous peoples.

Morgan holds an MBA in Community Economic Development (First Nations option) from Cape Breton University, a Bachelor of Arts in Native Studies from the University of Alberta and is a certified Technician Aboriginal Economic Developer (TAED) through Cando. Morgan sits on the Board of Volunteer Alberta and is Vice-President of an Edmonton provincial electoral district association.

Quintine is from the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. He has been involved in the areas of First Nations governance and administration for many years. He possesses a strong background in the areas of policy development, program administration, and stakeholder engagement. His understanding of the historic and contemporary relationships between First Nation communities and all levels of government are reflected in his professional experiences and academic pursuits.

Currently, Leah serves as the Chief Executive Officer of First Nations Power Authority – a First Nations-led non-profit that supports the development of First Nation power projects.

Leah is a KPMG Alum and brings to FNPA more than 15 years of experience as a management consultant, specializing in technical start-ups and Aboriginal economic development. She holds a BSc in Land Use and Environmental Science and an MBA from the University of Saskatchewan. She is a member of Métis Region of Alberta, Region III and was awarded the Métis Youth Entrepreneur of the Year in 2004.

Leann worked as an Executive Assistant, Community & Economic Development to the Mayor of Calgary for over 10 years and Since 2009, has been the CEO of Economic Developers Alberta (EDA).

In 2015, under her leadership, EDA launched its first annual “Invest in Alberta” publication to highlight investment opportunities throughout the province, and a Ministry Dinner which has now become an annual event. Her desire to make a positive impact, whether small or large, is evident in her personal and professional life.

Frank is a member of the Nisichawayasihk (Nih-chi-sah-way-ah-see) Cree Nation and grew up in Northern Manitoba. He was educated at the University of Manitoba and has spent his professional life in the Financial Sector. In addition to working with large corporations in Canada, he also has previous experience with First Nations business, non-profits and government at the community, tribal council, provincial, national and international levels.

Jolene Head has worked for INAC for 15 years in the area of land management and environment. She has been with IOGC for the past year and a half in the area of Lease Administration.

Munir Jivraj recently joined Indian Oil and Gas Canada (IOGC) as their new Royalty Manager. He brings with him over 20 years of conventional and non-conventional (oil Sands) oil and gas experience; majority of those years have been in the planning and compliance side of royalty management.

Aside from professional his professional life, Munir volunteers in several areas dealing with community and youth development – Munir is passionate about excellence in education of our youth, and poverty alleviation within our communities – local and global.

Carrie Toovey has worked with Indian Oil and Gas Canada for 25 years in various positions in the surface and subsurface land departments, subsurface contract department, and corporate and operational policy departments.

Frank is a member of the Nisichawayasihk (Nih-chi-sah-way-ah-see) Cree Nation and grew up in Northern Manitoba. He was educated at the University of Manitoba and has spent his professional life in the Financial Sector. In addition to working with large corporations in Canada, he also has previous experience with First Nations business, non-profits and government at the community, tribal council, provincial, national and international levels.

Fons Schellekens is a geotechnical and environmental scientist who works as an environmental officer for AANDC Alberta Region in Edmonton, tasked with solid waste management on Alberta FN reserves.

After studying for a long time, Fons has worked the last 20 years for geotechnical and environmental engineering companies and federal government departments. Be aware, he is passionate about garbage!

Kathy McCue is a member of the Curve Lake First Nation in Ontario. Kathy has over 30 years experience in various aspects of First Nation administration and governance. She maintains a strong commitment to community development and enjoys the opportunity to provide technical support that improves capacity and furthers the objectives of First Nation communities.

Kathy has served as the Administration and Communications Coordinator for the Centre of Excellence for Matrimonial Real Property since 2013.

Wayne is the founding Chair of International Inter-Tribal Trade and Investment Group (IITIO). He is Senior Lawyer and Principal Director of Garwill Law Professional Corp. They offer litigation, ADR and corporate commercial services with a particular interest in Aboriginal law, Customs, Excise and International Trade law.

Lyndon is currently the policy manager responsible for both the First Nations Land Management Regime and the Reserve Lands and Environmental Management Program at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.

He has 15 years of experience in policy development, stakeholder engagement, and intergovernmental relations with the federal public service.

Daniel worked as a consultant and an employee in the energy industry prior to joining Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) in 2009. Initially, he worked with the First Nations in the Treaty 7 geographical area but responsibilities soon expanded to include the Reserve Land and Environment Management Program (RLEMP) with all the participating First Nations. Presently, his duties include being the liason with TALSAA, Capacity Development for the Region and the RLEMP coordinator for Alberta First Nations located in the Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 geographical areas.

Bradley is an environment officer with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). He holds two degrees from the University of Alberta, a B.Sc. and a Masters of Public Health. He is responsible for administering INAC’s Environmental Review Process. He has worked in his role for almost 2 years. Prior to that, Bradley worked for Health Canada for 7 years.

Mark Hatcher is the manager of the Alberta Regional Office for the Surveyor General Branch (NRCan). He has been with Surveyor General Branch since 2009 starting in the Atlantic Regional Office and making his move to the Alberta office in 2014. Mark is a Canada Lands Surveyor (CLS), Nova Scotia Lands Surveyor (NSLS) and a Newfoundland Land Surveyor (NLS) as well as professional engineer (P.Eng.).

Dani Pratt works as a surveyor for the Alberta Regional Office of Natural Resources Canada in the Surveyor General Branch. She graduated in 2016 from the University of Calgary’s engineering program with a Bachelor of Science in Geomatics Engineering with a concentration in Cadastral Surveying.

Tyrell Willlier-D’Aoust works as a surveyor for the Alberta Regional Office of Natural Resources Canada in the Surveyor General Branch. Tyrell Graduated with a Bachelors of Technology in Geomatics from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in 2012 and started his career in the private sector before joining SGB in 2015.

He has earned his commission as a Canada Lands Surveyor and is working toward his license.

Sam Minde is from the Ermineskin Cree Nation which is one of the 4 Cree Nations of Maskwacis. He is currently the President and CEO of Neyaskweyak Group of Companies Inc. and a Masters Candidate in the Executive MBA program at Simon Fraser University.

Previously he served as an elected Council member for the Ermineskin Cree Nation. NGCI Inc. is rooted from the research and knowledge made available through the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.

Trent is currently the President and a Director of Sunvault Energy Inc. – a diverse and growing business and an enabling technology portfolio with a market share and a competitive differentiation in renewable energy. He is also the current Chairman of the Ermineskin Cree Nation Group of Companies and Senior Advisor and Executive Management Consultant to the Banff Centre, AMES Construction Canada ULC, LaPrairie Group and Simplex Grinnell.

Since being admitted to the Alberta Bar, Keltie has grown a legal practice focused on advocating for First Nations and Metis clients both in the courts and in the boardroom. She has appeared before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, most recently appearing on the Daniels case.

She is currently on the Executive for the Alberta Branch of the Canadian Bar Association Aboriginal Law subsection.

Annemarie is an associate in the Aboriginal and Environmental practice group at Witten LLP. She has appeared before all levels of court in Alberta as well as before a number of regulatory boards and tribunals. Annemarie has worked with clients on many consultation related matters (from routine applications to full participation in hearings) and has worked with clients to negotiate milestone agreements with industry.

She sits on the Executive for the Environmental, Energy and Resources Law section of the Canadian Bar Association (Alberta Branch) and is a member of the Aboriginal Law section.

Rick Bennett has an LLB from UBC and a LLM from Osgoode Hall. He was called to the bar in BC in 2001.

Rick has worked as a band administrator for two First Nations in BC. He worked for the federal Department of Justice and also for an aboriginal side law firm in North Vancouver. He was a self-government negotiator for a First Nation in the NWT, and the head of an Industrial Relations Corporation for an Alberta First Nation regarding consultations in regard to the oil sands. Rick has been with the First Nations Tax Commission in Kamloops since 2009.

Being from Alberta, it only makes sense that Jay has been involved in the energy sector for most of his professional career. Starting as a land surveyor he later focused his career on the oil and gas sector in 1997, working on the technical side of directional drilling. In 2004 he helped form a company called Drill-Tek MWD services, where he worked as an operations manager before heading the R & D department designing harsh environment downhole electronics and aiding in the development of integrated software.

A born descended of the Plains Cree of Treaty 6 and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, Idaho. She was raised in Maswacis, Alberta and the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Graduating from the University of Alberta in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Native Studies and a minor in Anthropology is a highlight of her academic career.

In 2012, she created a partnership company, The Career Chicks, providing Aboriginal training to organizations that need training and diversification. Currently her position is the Executive Director of Akamihk Community Development Society serving the Akamihk community of Maskwacis, serving since 2014.

Jeremy has worked for the Yukon Department of Economic Development, as well as a number of development and advocacy organizations in Canada, and internationally. He is now with the Government of Alberta as Team Lead of the Economic Partnerships Program, Ministry of Indigenous Relations.

Jeremy has a Bachelor of Arts, Honours, from the University of Victoria and a Master of Public Policy, with a concentration in development economics and policy analysis, from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany.

John Donner is the Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Initiatives & Finance within the Ministry of Alberta Indigenous Relations.

Director of Economic Development with Alberta Indigenous Relations, her unit supports various Economic Development grant programs and business development supports. Former Governement of Alberta work includes employment and training, educational grant programs, strategic poliy and managing programs that support transitions to post-secondary education.

As a survivor or the residential school. Hal understands the importance of keeping his culture alive and balancing that with today’s modern fast pace society. In 1990 he started off as the first managing director for Tourism on his Nation. After the threat of 3rd party management he asked his Nation to give him the Tourism portfolio as his own small business. They agreed and Hal launched Eaglestar Enterprises Ltd. In 1992.

Since then Hal has revolutionized his company into a cultural consulting company that reaches many different industries. Filming, Oil & gas, Police services, Education, Alberta Health Services, Provincial ministry’s, First Nations across North America. And now Business Development.

Born in Morley, Alberta and raised by his parents Albert and Jesse Lightning in a traditional way, Rick Lightning has a strong foundation of Plains Cree cultural knowledge. From a young age, his father, Albert (Buffalo Child) was a traditional Elder and healer taught him about political issues facing Maskwacis Cree and about his people’s traditions and culture.

Rick is a third generation residential school survivor; he attended the residential school at Maskwacis on the Ermineskin Reserve. Rick’s cultural knowledge has played a huge role in his career. He has worked as a counsellor in the fields of alcohol and drug addictions and family remediation and was elected councillor of the Ermineskin Cree Nation, serving from 2004-2007.

William (Billy) Morin IV (Nahtokitopi – Rides a Sacred Horse) was newly elected to the responsibility of Chief in August 2015. Chief Morin is a fifth generation direct decedent of Chief Alexis Morin and fourth-generation decedent of his Son Chief William (Billy) Morin I. He shares two sons (William Morin V & Wilton Morin) with his wife Felecia.