Annika Bjelkevik, Lic. Tech. & Civ. Ing.
ICOLD Committee Member

New ICOLD Guidelines for Tailings Dam Decommissioning
   
Biography: Annika Bjelkevik specializes in the long term stability of tailings dams in compliance with criteria for mine decommissioning.  Her experience includes design, constructability assessments and operations of fluid tailings containments. Her experience includes tailings dam design for SWECO (a large consulting firm in Sweden), research at Luleå Technical University in Sweden and tailings dam design in South Africa for Knight Piesold.  She currently serves as Sweden’s representative on ICOLD’s Committee on Tailings Dams and has served in that capacity since 2000. 

Gord Ball
Vice President, Strategic Planning
Syncrude Canada Ltd.

An Industry Challenge – Where To From Here?
Gord was appointed Vice President, Strategic Planning for Syncrude Canada Ltd. in November 2010. In this role, Gord oversees key strategies for the organization’s future growth and environmental sustainability, including lease development, land reclamation, closure planning and tailings management.

Gord previously served as Syncrude’s Vice President, Project Development & Execution, overseeing all projects on Syncrude’s currently developed leases and existing operation, as well as working with Syncrude’s owners on future growth and development opportunities.

Gord joined Syncrude in 1980 as a mine engineer and worked in leadership positions in Syncrude’s Mining and Extraction organizations before joining the executive team as Vice President, Bitumen Production. Gord is a graduate of Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Mining Engineering.

Alan E. Fair
Executive Director of the Oil Sands Tailings Consortium (OSTC)

Key Research Findings – Oil Sands Mine Closure and Reclamation
Alan Fair graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1978 with a Bachelor’s degree in Geological Engineering.  He spent one year working for a geotechnical consulting firm before joining Syncrude Canada Ltd. in June of 1979 at its Fort McMurray operation.  In 1995 he completed his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Alberta.  During his 32 years at Syncrude, Alan has held several different engineering and operations management positions within the mine, extraction and technology areas.  He assumed his current position as the Manager of Research & Development in May of 2004.

As the Manager of Research & Development, Alan is responsible for both the technical direction and overall management of all research and development activities at Syncrude. 

Throughout his career, Alan has been involved in many aspects of reclamation and mine closure, including a key role in the development of various oil sand tailings technologies.  He is the current Chair of the Oil Sands Tailings Consortium. 

Alan is also the current Chair of CONRAD (Canadian Oil Sands Network
for Research and Development) in 2009.

Alan is located at the Syncrude Research Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.

Julie Gelfand
Vice President, Sustainable Development
Mining Association of Canada

Overview of Upcoming MAC Guidelines for Mine Closure
Julie Gelfand is the Vice President of Sustainable Development at the Mining Association of Canada.  Prior to joining MAC, Julie was the President of Nature Canada for from 1992 to 2008.  At Nature Canada, Julie led campaigns to get new National Parks established, new laws to protect nature (including the federal Species at Risk Act) and founded and chaired the Green Budget Coalition, an alliance of twenty-two national environmental NGOs working to achieve ecological fiscal reform.

Before joining Nature Canada, she was Executive Director of the Rawson Academy of Aquatic Sciences and spent time working for Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

Julie has significant experience sitting on boards of directors of charitable organizations both nationally and internationally.  She was Global Council Member of BirdLife International from 2000 - 2008, a member of the Board of Directors of Wildlife Habitat Canada, the Sustainability Network and a founding board member of MiningWatch Canada.  She also has significant multi-stakeholder experience as a founding member of the Mining Sector Sustainability Table, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, the Species at Risk Advisory Group, the Ministers Round Table on National Parks, the Advisory Committee on Environmental Protection, the New Directions Group and the Biodiversity Convention Advisory Committee.  She is a member of Women in the Lead and was recently awarded the title of Member of Honour for Birdlife International.

Julie is fluently bilingual, holds an Honours degree in Biology and Social Sciences (Carleton University) and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Ottawa. Julie is married with two teenagers and is a soccer/hockey mom!

Jean-Michel Gires
President and CEO
Total E&P Canada Ltd.

Corporate Social Responsibility Related to Mine Closure

Jean-Michel Gires was appointed President of Total E&P Canada in September 2009. He brings a varied and distinguished career in mining, heavy oil and sustainable development to his role. Prior to joining TEP Canada, Mr. Gires was Executive Vice President, Sustainable Development and Environment of Total S.A. from 2002 to 2009. This culminated in Total S.A. ranking first on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in Oil & Gas worldwide in 2009.

Since Mr. Gires joined Total in 1988 he has led a range of projects around the world. As President of TotalFinaElf in Venezuela, Mr. Gires coordinated the Sincor project. Prior to that, he was head of the North Sea Division of TotalFina Exploration and Production. Mr. Gires has also held senior management positions in France, Spain and Portugal in the oil distribution segment.

Over the past 20 years, Mr. Gires has been instrumental in establishing best practices for Total’s projects in advanced research & development, project management, environmental responsibility, stakeholder relations and community capacity building.

Mr. Gires is an engineer with the Corps des Mines and a graduate of France’s École Polytechnique. He is also a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur, one of France’s highest civilian honours.

Please click here to download the overheads from Mr. Gires' presentation.

Dr. Bruce Kelley, Ph.D.
Global Practice Leader - Environment 
Rio Tinto
    
A Global View of Sustainability of Mine Closure at Rio Tinto 
  
Biography: Dr. Kelley graduated from Adelaide University with a PhD in Agricultural Biochemistry in 1976. He subsequently spent several years working for the French Atomic Energy Commission in Grenoble, France.

He joined Rio Tinto (CRA) in 1981 based in Sydney and Newcastle, and was involved in projects and operations in NSW, Bougainville, Comalco and Hamersley Iron. Much of his early work centred on the development and implementation of biological mineral leaching technology. He was also responsible for the early development of bioremediation technology and site remediation in CRA.

In 1993 he assumed the role of General Manager of the newly built Bundoora Technology facility in Melbourne. In 2006 he joined the Rio Tinto HSE function as Chief Advisor Environment.In addition to his HSE role, he was Executive Director of the Rio Tinto Sustainable Minerals Foundation for 3 years, and in 2008 he was appointed as Chairman of the Board of the International Acid Rock Drainage Network (INAP).   He is also Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation at the University of South Australia.   He is currently the Global Practice Leader Environment for Rio Tinto and is based in Melbourne.

Please click here to download the overheads from Dr. Kelley's presentation.

Hugh Jones B.Sc.(Hons), M.Sc., C.Eng., FAusIMM(CP), MIMMM
Former Regulator, Australia
     
Three “R’s” for Mine Closure - Regulations, Responsibilities and Results

Biography: Hugh Jones has been actively involved in mine environmental matters for 35 years, as an operator, regulator and consultant.  As an operator he had environmental responsibilities for a major open pit mine, railway system and major port. As a senior regulator he developed and implemented the current Western Australian system of surety, instigated the environmental inspections system and oversaw the development of Government guidelines on environmental management for mines and tailings storage facilities.  As a consultant he has developed numerous mine closure plans and closure risk assessments for iron ore, gold, coal and base metal operations in Australia and overseas. 

Since 1994 he has presented at workshops on closure and has published papers on a wide range of environmental aspects of mining, most recently concentrating on mine landform requirements at closure and the financial surety aspects of the closure process.

For six years Hugh represented UNEP on the International Commission on Large Dams’ technical committee on tailings and was a Panel Member for Large Volume Waste, Mine Closure and Abandoned Mines section of the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development Project (MMSD). 

Please click here to download the overheads from Mr. Jones' presentation.

Gord Lambert
Vice President, Sustainable Development
Suncor Energy

Biography:Gord Lambert is Vice President, Sustainable Development for Suncor Energy. In this role, Gord works with senior management and external stakeholders to align and improve the company’s long-term financial, social and environmental performance.

Prior to assuming this role in July 1997, Gord spent two years as Director, Sustainable Development for TransAlta Corporation and 15 years with Imperial Oil Limited, Health and Safety, Planning and business development roles.

He is involved with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in support of its work on climate change, energy and sustainable development within the business community. He is currently on the Boards of Suncor Energy Foundation and Learning for Sustainable Future. He is a former Canadian representative on the Joint Public Advisory Committee to the US, Canadian and Mexican Environment Ministers under NAFTA (The Commission for Environmental Cooperation), having just completed a three year term.

He is currently co-chair of the Coordinating Committee of the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative (OSLI) that has been established to accelerate the pace and scope of environmental performance improvement through collaboration among five key oil sands companies.

Gord was recently listed as one of the 50 Most Influential People of 2011 by Alberta Venture magazine.

Gord completed the Ivey Executive Program in 1996. He is a current member and past director/treasurer of the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists. Gord graduated in 1980 from the University of Guelph with an Honors Bachelor of Sciences degree.

Gord Miller
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario

Doing it Right - Create Wealth While Treading Lightly on the Environment

Biography: Gord Miller was first sworn in as the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario on January 31, 2000, to oversee the continued implementation of the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR).  He has now been re-appointed for his third term. As an independent officer appointed by the Legislative Assembly, Commissioner Miller oversees 14 ministries and monitors and reports annually on:

• Government compliance with the provisions of the EBR
• Government progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Activities in Ontario to reduce the use or make more efficient use of electricity, natural gas, propane, oil and transportation fuels.

 Prior to his appointment as Environmental Commissioner on January 31, 2000, Gord Miller worked as a scientist in pollution abatement and in environmental education and training. As Environmental Commissioner, Gord Miller has released eleven annual reports, eight special reports, two Greenhouse Gas Progress Reports and two Energy Conservation Progress Reports to the Ontario Legislature.

Dr. M. Anne Naeth, PAg, PBiol, FCSSS, FSTLHE
Professor, Ecology and Land Reclamation
Vargo Distinguished Teaching Chair
Department of Renewable Resources
University of Alberta 
   
A German-Canadian Liaison to Tackle Mine Reclamation Challenges 
  
Biography: Dr. M. Anne Naeth is a Professor in the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta. She is a professional biologist (PBiol) and a professional agrologist (PAg.).
  
Dr. Naeth’s research program is both theoretical and applied, centered in land reclamation and ecological restoration. It focuses on plant-soil-water interrelationships, understanding and defining processes inherent in these relationships, their effects on ecosystem structure and function, and their response to disturbance. Her research takes place on lands mainly disturbed by human use; pipelines, mines, well sites, quarries and roadways; lands used for agriculture, grazing, forestry and recreation; national parks and protected areas; contaminated and abandoned lands. Her research includes remediation, revegetation and soil reconstruction; accelerating soil-plant community development; plant species selection and establishment; impacts of non native species on native plant communities; slope stabilization; mycorrhizae in native plant establishment; soil remediation and phytoremediation; and soil amendments, particularly waste products such as compost, manure, sewage sludge and biosolids. Her research results have been applied to development of provincial policy and standards for land reclamation and restoration. She has authored over 200 scientific and technical publications and supervised nearly 60 PhD and 46 MSc students.
 
Dr. Naeth has served on the executives of numerous committees, professional organizations, editorial boards and expert advisory boards. She is was a member of the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board for nearly 15 years. She was President of the Canadian Land Reclamation Association, the Canadian Society of Soil Science and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. She was Associate Dean (Academic) in her Faculty from 2001 to 2005 and Chair of the BSc Environmental and Conservation Sciences Program at the University of Alberta for over 12 years. Anne teaches courses in land reclamation and revegetation. 
  
Dr. Naeth is a recipient of numerous awards in recognition of her outstanding record of scholarship, teaching and service to the community. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Soil Science and has received the Mentors of the Millenium award from the Alberta Women’s Science Network in 2006, an Award of Excellence by the University of Alberta Alumni Association in 2005, a Killam Annual Professorship in 2001 and a Distinguished Agrologist award in 2000.  She is the 1996 winner of the Noranda Land Reclamation award for outstanding work in land reclamation in Canada, and other environmental stewardship and environmental awards. Anne has received numerous teaching awards during her career. She was awarded the Distinguished Vargo Teaching Chair in 2005 which was renewed in 2010; a 3M Teaching Fellowship; Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences Teacher of the Year Awards; and the Rutherford Award of Excellence for Undergraduate Teaching. She is a Fellow of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

David Parker
Vice President, Sustainability
Teck Resources Limited

David Parker is Vice President, Sustainability at Teck Resources Limited and has over 20 years of corporate and environmental law experience in private practice and within the mining industry.  During that time he has been responsible for the environmental assessment and permitting of mine projects, negotiated socio-economic participation agreements with First Nations, and wildlife protection agreements with governments in Canada. He has contributed to the development Teck’s approach to sustainability and been an active participant in several industry initiatives aimed at improving the contributions that mining can make to sustainability.

David was a founding director of the Industry Council of Aboriginal Business and a director of the Andrew R. Thompson Natural Resources Law program at the University of British Columbia.  He served as a member of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Board Advisory Committee on Sustainability Performance and chaired the 2010 Sponsors Sustainability Initiative.  He is a past Chair of the Mining Association of British Columbia and is currently the Chair of the Communities and Socio-Economic Contributions Task Force of the International Council on Mining and Metals.

His education includes a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Acadia University, a Law degree from Dalhousie University and a Masters of Law degree from the University of British Columbia where he has served as an adjunct professor in environmental law.

Georgina Pearman
Eden Project
Cornwall, UK

Georgina Pearman is part of the Post-Mining Alliance team based at the Eden Project, Cornwall, UK.  The Post-Mining Alliance works with a wide range of individuals and organisations to encourage the regeneration of mine sites for the benefit of the local community and the natural environment. Georgina was responsible for researching and writing the Post-Mining Alliance book on novel uses for old mines, 101 Things to do with a Hole in the Ground, which is in its third reprint and has been translated into Spanish and Slovak to date!

Georgina also manages the long-standing Eden Project-Rio Tinto partnership that seeks to jointly develop initiatives which drive better performance by the mining industry, and leads a project that looks at the feasibility of responsibly sourcing metals and minerals.

Dr. Andrew M. Robertson, P. Eng. 
President
Robertson Geoconsultants Inc.    

Top Ten Things That Go Wrong with Plans for Mine Closure

Biography: Dr. Andy Robertson has a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, a Ph.D. in Rock Mechanics and 40 years of experience in mining geotechnics and environmental engineering. His experience includes periods of work with a mining company and specialist foundation construction contractor, providing him with practical field experience. In the 37 years he spent as one of the three senior principals of Steffen, Robertson & Kirsten and as the president of Robertson GeoConsultants Inc., he has been responsible for the development of the mining geotechnical and environmental engineering practices in the areas of:

• Rock Slope Engineering which was also the subject of his Ph.D. thesis,
• Tailings Dam Design,
• Mine Waste Management including acid mine drainage prediction and control,
• Environmental Liability Assessment and
• Mine Closure Plan development, including financial assurance requirements assessment.

He has been the lead investigator and/or designer for numerous project teams for mining companies and provides review and senior evaluation and counseling to a number of mining companies, research establishments, professional associations and provincial, state and federal agencies. Dr. Robertson participates on numerous technical review boards for mining companies and regulatory authorities. He has published extensively, participated in the drafting of numerous technical guides currently used by industry and regulatory bodies alike, and has been the recipient of a number of technical and industry awards.

Please click here to download the overheads from Dr. Robertson's presentation.

T.G. (Glenn) Scott
Senior Vice-President, Resource Division, Imperial Oil Limited
President, Imperial Oil Resources

Commitments to Responsible Mine Closure

Biography: Mr. Scott was appointed senior vice-president, resources division, Imperial Oil Limited and president, Imperial Oil Resources in July 2010.

A native of Austin, Texas, Mr. Scott graduated from Texas A&M University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering.

Mr. Scott joined Mobil Oil Corporation in 1986 as an operations/completions engineer and progressively held more responsible positions in the company. In 1994, he became Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) marketing manager in Doha, Qatar, responsible for developing long-term LNG markets and negotiating sale and purchase agreements.

Following the Exxon and Mobil merger, Mr. Scott became ExxonMobil's UK joint venture manager in London, England in 2001. The following year he was appointed U.S. equity crude sales manager in Fairfax, Va., responsible for selling and optimizing transportation for ExxonMobil’s U.S. crude oil production.

Mr. Scott became operations manager with ExxonMobil Production Company in 2004, based in Houston, responsible for approximately one-third of ExxonMobil’s operated production in the United States.

In 2006 Mr. Scott was appointed president, ExxonMobil Canada Limited and production manager for ExxonMobil Canada East, responsible for ExxonMobil's East Coast Canadian offshore business including the Hibernia offshore operation located off of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Sable natural gas operation, offshore of Nova Scotia.

Glenn serves on the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) Board of Governors and on the following CAPP committees:  Northern Canada EPG (chair); CEO Task Group on Oil Sands: CEO Sub-Group on Technology Collaboration; Compensation.

Glenn and his wife, Ellen, have three children and live in Calgary, Alberta.

Please click here to download Mr. Scott's presentation.

Dr. Ward Wilson, P.Eng, P.Geo
Professor
University of Alberta    

Mine Waste Cover Systems for Mine Closure - Meeting Expectations
 
Biography: Dr. Wilson has just arrived at the University of Alberta from the University of British Columbia where he was Professor and Chair of Mining and the Environment.  Professor Wilson brings over 25 years of industrial experience to his practice in advanced mine waste management. He has extensive work experience as a consulting engineer and has maintained a strong industrial focus through his research programs at the University.  Dr. Wilson is involved in mine waste management systems for numerous sites world wide and serves as both a researcher and specialist consultant to several large international mining companies.     

Dr. Wilson has developed extensive programs in soil cover systems for mine waste closure.  He led the development of the comprehensive numerical model ‘Soil Cover’ (under the Canadian MEND program) for the prediction of soil cover performance.  Dr. Wilson is involved in several new and innovative research programs. These include funded programs for the de-watering mine tailings to reduce long-term liabilities associated with fluid containment and to move mine waste management practices from wet tailings to dry landscapes.

Mark Wittrup, M.Sc., P.Eng., P.Geo.
Assistant Deputy Minister
Environmental Protection and Audit 
Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment

A Government Regulators Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility Related to Mine Closure
 
Biography: Mark Wittrup’s experience in environmental affairs encompasses executive roles in both the private and public spheres. Currently the Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection and Audit, he leads the environmental protection activities of the Ministry through the: Municipal; Industrial; Compliance Audit; Wildfire Management; Technical Resources; and Environmental Assessment branches. He has been deeply involved in the results-based regulatory initiative and the development of the Saskatchewan Environmental Code.

He came to this position with more than 30 years of experience in the mining industry where he was involved in virtually every aspect of the industry. His prime focus over the last 25 years has been providing leadership on the environmental aspects of mining, most particularly environmental assessment and regulatory affairs. This work has also included significant experience in corporate governance, enterprise risk management, management systems, and audit. His work has spanned the globe with projects across Canada, in the United States, where he lived for two years, as well as Australia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia.

Mark is a professional engineer and geoscientist with degrees in geology from Lakehead University and the University of Saskatchewan. His board experience includes Chair of the Saskatoon Environmental Advisory Council, and a founding board member for both SIEMA and RoadMap 2020. He is the author of a number of Environmental Impact Studies, including the McArthur River Project, which continues to be highly regarded.

Please click here to download the overheads from Mr. Wittrup's presentation.

Terry Bachynski, LL.B., ICD.D
President and CEO
JDEL Associates Ltd.

Biography: Terry has almost 30 years experience in the business of resource development, principally focused in the areas of regulatory and environmental approvals and stakeholder engagement.  Project experience includes oil sands, upgrading, heavy oil, coal, power generation, civil infrastructure and dam projects.
 
In addition to his role with JDEL, Terry is the Vice President, Regulatory Affairs for Suncor Energy Inc. and Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Stakeholder Relations for Athabasca Oil Sands Corp.  Terry has also held senior executive positions with CS Resources Limited, Gulf Canada Resources Limited and EPCOR Utilities Inc. 
 
Board experience includes: Syncrude Canada Limited, the Alberta Chamber of Resources, The Arthritis Society and Young Life Canada. 
 
Terry holds an LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario (1981) and an ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors (2009).  He has also completed the Business Executive Program at Queen’s University (1994) and Negotiation and Managerial Decision Making at Harvard School of Business (1993).

Shannon Flint
Director, Oil Sands and Clean Energy Policy Branch
Environmental Assurance Division
Alberta Environment

Biography: Shannon Flint is Director of Oil Sands and Clean Energy Policy Branch with the Environmental Assurance Division in Alberta Environment.  Prior to joining the Division, Shannon played a key role in bringing forward the Province’s Climate Change and Emissions Management Act and associated regulations.  She has held previous positions in Government looking at trade policy, royalty policy and revenue forecasting.  She has also worked extensively in research, heading up the Carbon and Energy Management unit at the Alberta Research Council.  She holds a Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Lethbridge.  

Jennifer Grant
Director, Oilsands
Pembina Institute

Biography:  Jennifer Grant is the Oilsands Program Director at the Pembina Institute. She has worked with the Institute since 2006 on the environmental impacts of Canadian oilsands development and cumulative effects and land use planning in the North.

Jennifer has examined the ecological impacts of oilsands development in Alberta, worked on downstream issues in the Arctic and investigated the social and environmental risks of oilsands pipelines in British Columbia. Jennifer represented the Pembina Institute on the Reclamation Working Group and the Watershed Integrity Task Group of the Cumulative Environmental Management Association (CEMA).

Prior to her work with the Pembina Institute, Jennifer worked as a biologist, facilitator and educator for both government and non-government organizations. Jennifer holds a Master of Science in ecosystem management from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences with distinction from the University of Victoria. In her free time, Jennifer can be found exploring the backcountry of the Canadian Rockies on skis, bike or by foot.

Richard Houlihan, Ph.D.
Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) 

Biography:   Richard Houlihan has a Ph.D. in Engineering.  Over the years, he has worked in oil refining, oil sands research and development and regulation of energy resource development in Alberta. He has been with the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) for over 32 years where he works primarily on mineable oil sands regulation with a focus in recent years on Tailings and Directive 074.     

Melody Lepine
Director, Government & Industry Relations
Mikisew Cree First Nation

Biography:  Ms. Lepine is a member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation and was raised in Alberta’s oldest settlement, Fort Chipewyan, Alberta.  Her family and community teachings in environmental values and stewardship at a young age motivated Ms. Lepine to advance her education and study environmental conservation sciences at the University of Alberta. This balance in teachings of both traditional knowledge and western science has become Ms. Lepine’s key strength in her professional career. Ms. Lepine has been working directly for her First Nation for the past seven years, first as the environmental coordinator and now currently as the Director of the Government and Industry Relations department.  The GIR is mandated to manage the resource development consultation with government and industry in what is now becoming to be one of the most industrial impacted regions in the world. As she leads her GIR team, Ms Lepine is to oversee and manage complex and challenging environmental, social and cultural issues that the Mikisew Cree is inundated with.  During her time with the GIR, Ms. Lepine has been managing numerous files for the Miksiew Cree some of which include five oil sands regulatory interventions, developing the Mikisew Cree consultation protocol, four traditional land use studies, numerous oil sands application reviews, initiating a community based environmental monitoring program and multiple government policy initiatives.

Hon. Rob Renner
MLA, Medicine Hat
Minister of Environment
Deputy Government House Leader

Rob Renner was elected to his fifth term as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Medicine Hat on March 3, 2008.  He was appointed to a second term as Minister of Environment on March 12, 2008.  He also currently serves as Deputy Government House Leader, Vice-Chair of the Cabinet Policy Committee on Resources and the Environment, and as a member of the Agenda and Priorities Committee.

Mr. Renner previously served as Minister of Municipal Affairs from 2004 to 2006.  His duties since first being elected in 1993 have included:  Member of Treasury Board, President of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, Chair of the Health Professions Act Implementation Steering Committee, and Co-Chair of the Automobile Insurance Implementation Team.  He also served as the Government Caucus Whip.

Ward Hagemeijer
Manager Shell Partnership at Wetlands International

Biography: Ward is the Relationship Manager for the Shell - Wetlands International Partnership. Trained as an ecologist (Ornithology and Aquatic Ecology) at Nijmegen and Groningen Universities in The Netherlands, Ward has a wealth of experience in applied conservation, biodiversity assessments, monitoring and policy advice, increasing based on the ecosystem approach, reflecting nearly 25 years of work in this field.

After having worked for two years on Environmental Impact Assessments at the provincial government level in the Netherlands, he joined a Dutch ornithological NGO, where he lead the Research and International Department for 10 years, gathering, analyzing and providing information for policy making at various levels of scale, and increasingly at international level. The step to Wetlands International in 2000 allowed a further broadening of the international horizon and shifting the focus from a pure taxonomic group to the wider context of wetland ecosystems and the ecosystem approach.

Ward has a senior position with Wetlands International and knows the organization and its network of offices and expertise very well. He has been through its different levels of expansion and expertise development over the years. He actively participated in shaping the strategy of the organization, including the development of the strategic partnership with Shell.　Since 2008 he has been leading this partnership. 

Please click here to download the overheads from Mr. Hagemeijer's presentation.