Board of Trustees

Chair

Richard Hiron

Citytv & OMNI

Richard Hiron joined the Board of Trustees in 2006. Mr. Hiron is the Regional Sales Manager for Rogers Television in Alberta, which includes Citytv Edmonton, Citytv Calgary, and OMNI Television stations in Edmonton and Calgary. Mr. Hiron also has a B.A. from the University of Alberta, and has successfully completed a number of sales and marketing courses including the Communications & Advertising Accredited Professional (CAAP) course offered by the Institute of Communications and Advertising.

Vice Chair

Zahra Somani

Pirani Group

Zahra Somani joined the Board of Trustees in 2007. She is the Director of Business Development of the Pirani Group which owns and operates a variety of retail operations across Canada. She also owns and operates Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio in Edmonton. In her community, Ms. Somani serves as the Chairperson of the Economic Planning Board for the Ismaili Council for Edmonton, which aims to enhance the economic well being of its members through entrepreneurship, education and skills enhancement.

 

Chair, Audit & Investment Committee

Craig W. Warnock

FIRMA Foreign Exchange Corp.

Craig Warnock has served as board member since 1996 and as Vice Chair since 2007 and is currently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of FIRMA Foreign Exchange Corp. Mr. Warnock worked as Director of ATB Investments Services Inc, ATB Securities Inc and ATB Investment Management. Mr. Warnock earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta (1979), and holds both the Certified Management Accountant (1983) and Canadian Investment Management (1996) designations. In 2001, Mr. Warnock received the designation of Fellow of the Society of Management Accountants of Canada and, in 1997 received a fellowship in the Canadian Securities Institute.

 

Naseem Bashir

Williams Engineering Canada Inc.

As President of Williams Engineering Canada Inc., Mr. Bashir leads both the Corporate Team, and five Regional offices located in Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary Winnipeg and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

In the past months Mr. Bashir has recruited a new corporate executive team and created a new corporate position, Director of Sustainability to establish Williams Engineering Canada as a leader in sustainability practices both within Western Canada, and, as a resource to clients. He is a firm believer in leadership through example.

During this time, Mr. Bashir has also served as President of Consulting Engineers of Alberta. He is committed to full representation of Consulting Engineers from inception to completion of both public and private sector projects in the “Trusted Advisor” capacity.

As President, Mr. Bashir exemplifies Williams Engineering’s Core Values: Serve our Clients, Reward our People, Collaboration, Innovation, Open Doors, Kindness, Integrity, Safety, Wellness and Work (Life Balance), Employee Ownership and Fun in all our endeavours.

 

Valerie Berger

ATCO Ltd.

Valerie Berger joined the Board of Trustees in 2007. She is a Chartered Accountant and Certified Management Accountant with 17 years of public practice, industry, and consulting experience.

 

Sandy Chipchar

ATB Financial

Sandy Chipchar leads a business unit at ATB Financial that includes Human Resources, Marketing, Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility.  She has been an executive at ATB Financial for 12 years.  Prior to joining ATB she spent 14 years at Edmonton Telephones and TELUS in various Human Resources and Corporate Planning roles. Ms. Chipchar is committed to serving the community in many ways. She spent several years on the University Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees and is the Executive Sponsor of ATB’s Teddy for a Toonie Campaign in support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital and the Alberta Children’s Hospital. ATB’s Teddy for a Toonie Campaign recently celebrated it’s tenth anniversary and has raised in excess of $3 million to date.

Kevin M. Erker

 

Kevin Erker owns Lakeside Roofing, a company that has provided sloped roof shingle installation and replacement in the Edmonton and northern Alberta region for over 15 years.  Kevin has spent most of his life in or near Edmonton with interludes in Australia, Ontario and Calgary. Mr. Erker completed his B. Sc. at the University of Alberta and his MBA at the University of Western Ontario.

He is a past volunteer for many community and sporting groups, has assisted with a number of fundraising efforts for various organizations, and was also active in Toastmasters and Synergy Network Calgary. In his free time, Mr. Erker enjoys various activities with his wife and their four children.

 

Douglas Goss, Q.C.

Bryan & Company LLP

 

Doug Goss practices general corporate/commercial law at Bryan & Company LLP.  He is a Director and/or Officer of numerous private and public corporations in Canada in addition to serving on Boards of various Alberta charities and not-for-profit organizations.  He is currently the Chair of the Board of the Edmonton Eskimo Football Club, the Chair of the Board of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, the Chair of the Board of the Fort Edmonton Management Company, and the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).

Mr. Goss formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Capital Health Authority, and also served as Chair of the Molson Canadian Heritage Hockey Classic held in November 2003.  In 2004, Doug was named one of the "50 Most Influential People" by Alberta Venture Magazine.  Mr. Goss has been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada in the area of Securities law.

 

Ray Hansen, Q.C.

Syncrude Canada Ltd.

Ray Hansen joined the Board of Trustees in 2003.  He has been General Counsel of Syncrude Canada Ltd. since 1993 with attendant legal responsibilities to the corporation, its Board of Directors and the Management Committee of the Syncrude Project.  On July 24th, 2001 he was appointed an officer by the Board of Directors. In September 2002 he was named President of Northward Developments Ltd., the housing and development arm of Syncrude Canada Ltd.

 

Ashif Mawji

Upside Software Inc.

Ashif Mawji is the CEO of Upside Software Inc., a profitable Edmonton based, software company successfully marketing its #1 ranked enterprise contract & commitment management software worldwide.

Upside Software is consistently rated #1 in the Contract Management Software market and has about 150 employees and well over 250 customers globally in all industries, including clients like Microsoft, HP, Boeing and JCPenney.

Mr. Mawji was awarded the 2002 Ernst & Young Prairies Entrepreneur of the Year (Young Entrepreneur) award and in 2005 was named as one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40 and in 2007 named BDC’s Entrepreneur of the Year (Alberta).  In 2008, he was named as one of the top 100 pro’s globally to know by Supply and Demand Chain Executive Magazine.

He has also received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal and serves/served on several boards, including Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, Kids Kottage, Alberta’s Promise, Edmonton Expo 2017, Economic Development Edmonton, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and others.

Catrin Owen

Calder Bateman Communications

 

Catrin is a senior public relations consultant with Calder Bateman Communications in Edmonton.  Her work includes media relations and training, facilitation, strategic issues management, communications planning, speech writing, and special event management.  Her clients at Calder Bateman have included: Biomira, Shell Canada, the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, EdmontonPublic Schools and the City of Edmonton. She also facilitates workshops and training sessions on a range of communications topics.  Prior to joining Calder Bateman, she was the Director of Communications for Edmonton Public Schools.  Ms. Owen has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Winspear Centre, was a member of the Stollery Children's Health Foundation Marketing Committee, the Salvation Army Communications Committee, and was an Industry Advisor to the Grant MacEwan College Public Relations Program.  She currently sits as Past-Chair of the Edmonton Arts Council, and as a Director of the Women Build initiative of Habitat for Humanity.  Ms. Owen is currently taking courses towards becoming an accredited mediator.

 

Gordon Panas

PCL Constructors Inc.

Gordon Panas is the Executive Vice-President, Finance and Administration, at PCL Constructors Inc.  He began his PCL career in Edmonton as Accounting Manager (1991), followed by serving a Administration Manager in Winnipeg (1993) and in Toronto (1995).  He left PCL in 1997 to work as Chief Financial Officer for another contractor, ultimately becoming that contractor’s Chief Executive Officer in 2006.  That company was sold in 2009 and Gordon returned to PCL.  Mr. Panas is a Board member of PCL Construction Holdings Ltd. He also sits on the Corporate Services Executive Committee (CSEC), the Corporate Services Steering Committee (CSSC), and the Ethical Conduct Compliance Committee (ECCC).  Mr. Panas is a chartered accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.

 

Dr. William J. Sharun

Dr. Bill Sharun makes a point of living each day to its fullest.  He brings the same level of energy and commitment with him whether his is leading a team on a dental mission in Africa or chairing a meeting of the University of Alberta Dental Alumni Association.

Dr. Sharun’s achievements are varied and impressive.  He has worked in organized dentistry at the local level, the provincial level and the national level, including being President of the Alberta Dental Association (ADA) in 1994 and 1995, and a governor of the Canadian Dental Association. As ADA President, he worked to prevent closure of the School of Dentistry.  Currently, he is President of the University of Alberta Dental Alumni Association.  Dr. Sharun was chair of an $11 million fundraising project for Edmonton’s Ronald MacDonald House and is a member of Rotary International.  In the past, he has been involved in amateur hockey and lacrosse.  In recognition of his significant contributions to society at large and the dental profession, in May, 2009 the Alberta Dental Association honored Dr. Sharun with the Award of Excellence.  Additionally, the University of Alberta Alumni bestowed him with the Honour Award in October 2009.

 

Michael Webb 

MacLachlan and Mitchell Homes Inc.

Michael Webb joined the Board of Trustees in September of 2010.  Mr. Webb is President of MacLachlan & Mitchell Homes, a third-generation Edmonton family business.  As part of his community involvement he has served as the Venue Operation Chairperson of the 2001 World Championships in Athletics, a Director with Edmonton Northlands and Edmonton Home Builders, Chairperson for the International Home Builders Council and President and Director of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization. He has also supported the community as a Director of Kids with Cancer, as Chairperson of the Kids with Cancer Relay Committee, and as Chairperson of the Liver League Foundation.

Ex-Officio:

 

Dr. Owen Heisler

Alberta Health Services

 

Dr. Susan Gilmour

Stollery Children's Hospital & University of Alberta Hospital

Dr. Susan Gilmour, Associate Professor, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition was appointed to the position of Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta and Regional Program Clinical Director for the Stollery Children’s Hospital in July 2009.  She is also the Director for the Pediatric Liver Transplant Program at Alberta Health Services Stollery Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Gilmour joined the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta in 1997 after completing her pediatrics residency and a two year research fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.  After arriving at the University of Alberta she redeveloped the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition and created the residency program in her sub‑specialty.

Dr. Gilmour completed an MSc degree in Public Health Science with research in epidemiology, at the University of Alberta in 2005.  Her primary research interest is in the area of functional outcomes in liver transplants in children.  She studies growth and development, and health-related quality of life in children following transplant.

 

Dr. William Cole

Stollery Children's Hospital & University of Alberta Hospital

 

Dr. William Cole graduated in Medicine from the University of Melbourne, Australia in 1965.  In 1971 he completed his general surgical training and in 1974 completed his orthopaedic training.  At the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne where he served on staff for 15 years, he established a clinical practice in upper and lower limb reconstructive and tumor surgery as well as trauma in 1977 and was subsequently promoted to Deputy-Chief and to Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon. During that time he was also appointed as an Associate Professor in Pediatric Surgery and the Foundation Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Melbourne between 1979 and 1989.  In 1992, Dr. Cole moved to Toronto to become Director of the Division of Orthopaedics at the Hospital for Sick Children, a Senior Scientist in their Research Institute and Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto.  During his tenure there, he made numerous administrative, educational and information technology contributions to the Hospital and University alike.   In January 2009, Dr. Cole moved to Edmonton and currently serves as Director, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta and Chief of Pediatric Surgery for the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

 

Dr. Verna Yiu

University of Alberta

 

Dr. Verna Yiu is a graduate of the U of A medical school.  She completed her pediatric residency also at the U of A, and then went onto Harvard for her pediatric nephrology fellowship.  She returned as faculty in 1994 as one of two pediatric nephrologists.  Her other past activities included being the Stollery site leader from 1997 to 2000. She then went into the deanery as the Assistant Dean for Student affairs for the Faculty of Medicine/Dentistry from 2000-2008. In August/08, due to an unexpected LOA in the vice dean position, Dr. Yiu has taken on the acting vice dean position for the Faculty of Medicine/Dentistry.

 

Dr. Po-Yin Cheung

Women & Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta

 

Dr. Po-Yin Cheung is the Interim Director for the Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute. He obtained his medical degree in 1975 at the University of Hong Kong, and completed a pediatric residency, a neonatal-perinatal fellowship and a PhD in pharmacology at the University of Alberta.  Dr. Cheung became a staff neonatologist with Alberta Health Services in 2001.  He is a CIHR Investigator and a full professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Surgery at the University of Alberta.  Dr. Cheung conducts both clinical and basic science research. He studies the effects of novel interventions in critically ill neonates and the long-term outcomes in early childhood.  He is also an active member and investigator of the Cardiovascular Research Centre and the Canadian Neonatal Network.

 

Jennifer A. Wood

Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation

Jennifer Wood, President & CEO of the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation, wishes to build upon the groundwork of leading-edge pediatric care the Stollery Children's Hospital and Foundation have built.

Ms. Wood brings to the position an entrepreneurial sensibility and broad experience as a business leader in the greater Edmonton area.  Ms Wood's extensive career in the cattle industry began in 1990 after graduating from the University of Alberta with a degree in Agriculture Business Management.  To her credit, Ms. Wood has been featured as an ITV Woman of Vision and was the recipient of the 2001 Report on Business magazine's Top 40 Under 40 Award for Canadian business leaders. In 2001, Ms. Wood received the Prairies Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the business-to-business sector by Ernst & Young LLP. She is a recipient of the prestigious University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award

In addition to her business pursuits, Jennifer has played a governance role as a member of the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees for nearly five years. She is also a past director of Alberta Cattle Feeders' Association and the University of Alberta Bar None Endowment Fund, and a member of Edmonton Northlands Park Committee. Additionally, Ms. Wood is an active participant in the University of Alberta Student Internship Program, allowing students to complete internships with agriculture business mentors. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing and spending time with her three children.

Ms. Wood was appointed President & CEO effective January 1, 2008, and says her key motivation is taking the work of the Stollery Children's Hospital and the Foundation to the next level. "I have witnessed the increase in community awareness and support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital and Foundation over the years," Ms. Wood says.