Pat Alexander - Vice President

Sector: Municipal

Joint owner/operator, with wife Patricia of the Carlos Valley Ranch in the Carlos District north of Leslieville since 1973. He has four children and four grandchildren. He has also worked for Imperial Oil for twenty years, operating oil and gas wells, compressor stations and over-seeing facility and pipeline construction.

He has been director and president of the Aurora community center,  5 years as the chairman of the David Thompson High School Parent council and involved with the Gilby 4H beef club for 18 years and a coach for minor fastball for 10 years, 5 years at the provincial level. He was appointed to the environment, subdivision and development appeal board for the County of Clearwater for six years.

Candace Vanin - Secretary

Sector: Federal Government

Candace is a Land Use Analyst with the Agri-Environment Services Branch, of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada.  Candace works with the Land Use Decision Support Unit, of AAFC-AESB at Edmonton.  Her work involves provision of technical expertise on land use issues impacting agricultural landscapes across Canada.

 Candace was raised on a mixed farm near Indus, Alberta (southeast of Calgary). She completed her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1983.

 Candace has worked with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada since 1995, originally with the former branch known as P.F.R.A, in various capacities ranging from technical specialist, to management, to policy and program development; and has contributed to numerous prairie-based and national agri-environmental programs and initiatives.  Prior to coming to AAFC, she worked with the provincial government of Saskatchewan in agricultural extension, and co-managed a family farming operation involving over 4500 acres of crops, grazing lands and a 120 head cow-calf operation in the headwaters of the Assiniboine River.  She possesses 20 years of professional experience in integrated land use planning, land and water resource conservation, GIS analysis, community-based watershed planning, and multi-sector, multi-disciplinary initiatives.

 Candace’s involvement from 2000-03 as Co-chair of the Land Use Core Action Team (LUCAT), an Alberta-wide, multi-sector stakeholder group tasked with developing a “Provincial Land Use Strategy Framework for Alberta”, subsequently formed much of the groundwork for the current Land Use Framework initiative in Alberta.  Past and current projects include: Upper Assiniboine River Basin Study, Beaver Hills Initiative, Alberta Capital Region Ag Profiling Study, North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance, Cold Lake-Beaver River Basin Advisory Council, and Vermilion River Watershed projects.

Candace has a son & a daughter, ages 19 & 21, and together they enjoy sports and travel.

Ted Bentley - Treasurer

Sector: Non Government Organization 

His most recent large event was as Brigade Chief for the 2008 Thompson Brigade: a 3300 km, 65 day canoe odyssey of 300+ people in north canoes traveling from Rocky Mountain House to Thunder Bay. His long affinity for the watershed and its sustainability was instigated during his childhood summers visiting research sites in the watershed and across the province  with my father Dr. C. Fred Bentley, OC, Dean of Agriculture U of A.

Ted was a founder, executive and member of Alberta Whitewater Association, Ceyana Canoe Club, Edmonton Whitewater Paddlers, U of A Paddlers and have organized races and brigades from local to national levels.

As a donor, Ted continues to have numerous links to the Alberta agroforestry academic communities. He has been an executive member of computing and telecommunications professional groups.  Last winter he was part of a volunteer team that built a school in Honduras.

Ted retired as a Director of R&D for EMC and had been that for YottaYotta and Myrias Research Inc. He was a director/manager of telecommunications, information management and IT for TransCanada Pipelines and NOVA Gas Transmission. Previous to that he was a biology and chemistry teacher for Edmonton Public Schools.

Bob Kitching
Sector: Municipal

Laurie Danielson

Sector: Industry

Dr. Danielson joined the Northeast Capital Industrial Association as the Executive Director in 2007 following a lengthy career with Sherritt Inc., Viridian Inc. and The Westaim Corporation. Dr. Danielson holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Alberta and has extensive experience in regulatory compliance, government relations, and regional issues management. A longtime resident of Fort Saskatchewan, he is a member of the Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta, and a board member of the Fort Air Partnership. Dr. Danielson resides in Fort Saskatchewan with his wife.

Bill Fox

Sector: Agriculture

With a certificate of Practical Agriculture from Vermilion School of Agriculture, now Lakeland College, Bill Fox operates a mixed farm in the Elk Point/Bonnyville area. He is an Alberta Beef Delegate for Zone 8, a member of Alberta Conservation Tillage Association, has participated in a working group for AG Summit 2000, is on the Board of Lakeland College Alumni, and is presently Alberta Beef’s Public Affairs Committee Representative member on the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance Board.

In his spare time, he farms and does custom work for other farmers and for Provincial Grazing Reserves. He has also done construction work in the oil field. 

Patrick Gordeyko

Sector: Municipal

Involved in municipal politics since 1998, Patrick is currently Councilor for the County of Two Hills, a position he has held since 2005. Previously, he was the Deputy Reeve/Councilor in 2003-2004, and Reeve/Councilor from 1998-2002.  He is also Chairman of Agricultural Service Boards Provincial Committee, a member of the Federation of Gas Utilities Strategic Task Force Committee, and current President of the Two Hills Agricultural Society, an organization he has belonged to since 1998.

Pat farms near Two Hills with wife Barb and has 2 daughters, Morgan & Kristen

Rod Kause

Sector: Utility

Rod has been with TransAlta in varying roles for the past 12 years and currently holds the position of Director Environmental Services for the operational fleet. He is responsible for the permitting, environmental operations performance and regulator / stakeholder relationships of TransAlta’s facilities. He holds an Environmental degree from the University of Alberta and manages a large group of environment professionals within TransAlta. He operates out of the TransAlta Alberta Thermal operations located at Wabamun Lake and thoroughly enjoys and appreciates the livelihood the NSR watershed provides.

Naomi T. Krogman

Sector: Individual Member at Large

Naomi is an environmental or resource sociologist with a particular interest in cumulative social impacts of resource development and how local people can play a stronger role in resource management. This has led her to examine integrated resource management, forest co-management, local perceptions of changing land uses (e.g. poplar plantations), local buy-outs of forest product mills and forest tenures, public involvement in forest management, and social impacts of resource development (currently in Fort McMurray and Yellowknife).  Her  dissertation (1995) addressed why wetlands continued to be filled in Louisiana despite a “no net loss” policy at the time, and currently, as part of a larger Alberta Water Research Institute grant, she (with Suzanne Bayley, Lee Foote, Irena Creed, Shari Clare, and Gabor Sass) are  studying wetland policy implementation in Alberta and how it might be improved in the Beaver Hills sub watershed. For the past several years she has taught a special graduate seminar with Killam Memorial Professor Dave Schindler on “Water in Western Canada”, “Integrated Resource Management”, “Oil Sands in the International Spotlight”, and “Social and Ecological Impacts of Northern Development.” This course and her research has acquainted her with relevant experts to NSWA across the U of A campus, the province, and throughout Canada.

She has served on the Edmonton Environmental Advisory Board for 3 years, and currently sits on the Environmental Task Force for the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.  As an academic, a citizen, and a person with a long term commitment to Alberta, she is pleased to merge her academic interests with her role as an elected member of the NSWA WPAC.

Sid Lodewyk

Sector: City of Edmonton

Sid graduated with a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alberta in 1986, and after a few years working as a research associate at the same institution joined the City of Edmonton. He is a professional Engineer and works as the General Supervisor for Environmental Monitoring with Drainage Services at the City of Edmonton’s Asset Management and Public Works Department.  Sid has over 20 years experience in the areas of utility management, wastewater collection and treatment, storm drainage and associated environmental impacts.

Sid grew up in the City of Red Deer in a house perched on the edge of the valley escarpment, and spent the free days of his youth in the woods and along the shores of the Red Deer river.  He now lives with his wife Trish and 3 (almost) grown children in Castle Downs in Edmonton. Sid still tries to fit in a walk down to the shore of the North Saskatchewan River into his work day from his office downtown, and is successful about half the time. Sid’s hobbies include woodworking, brewing beer and wine, gardening, cycling and hiking.

Andrew Schoepf 

Sector: Provincial Government

Andrew is Senior Planner with Alberta Environment, Regional Services and is the Department’s representative on the NSWA Board and Integrated Watershed Management Committee. Andrew has over 15 years experience working on integrated resource management issues within both the forestry and agricultural sectors. Born in Germany to first generation immigrants, raised on the prairies, and studied in Sweden, Andrew brings an eclectic mix experience and perspectives to the table. He shares a passion for the conservation of our natural environment, and has been an active member of the NSWA since its founding date.

He currently resides in Edmonton with his wife and daughter, and is an avid fly fisherman, photographer, and home handyman.

Tracy Scott

Sector: Non Government Organization

Raised on the family farm near Camrose, Tracy is a graduate of Olds College, completing studies in the Agronomy – Land Resources Program and in the Ag. Business Program with a Finance Major. Following graduation, he worked as an Agricultural Fieldman for the County of Paintearth in east central Alberta prior to obtaining employment with Ducks Unlimited Canada in 1990. During his career with DUC Tracy has functioned in various capacities including delivery of upland and wetland habitat programs to agricultural producers and as a Technical Assistant for the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan. In his current role as Provincial Watershed Coordinator for DUC, Tracy works closely with many partners to incorporate the importance of wetlands, riparian habitat and upland cover into watershed planning initiatives.

Over the last several years Tracy has played numerous roles in support of watershed partnerships. These include two terms as President of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance (NSWA) Board of Directors. During those terms NSWA obtained WPAC status, completed its State of the Watershed Report and received an Emerald Award for its accomplishments. In addition to his other duties on the NSWA Board, Tracy serves as the Board rep. on the NSWA Integrated Watershed Management Plan Steering Committee, is a member of the Communications Working Group and chaired NSWA’s Watershed Stewardship Group working group. He served as a member of the Red Deer River Basin Advisory Committee since early 2003 and was an initiating partner of the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance (RDRWA). He currently serves on the RDRWA Board and as chair of the RDRWA State of Watershed Steering Committee. Involved in the work being done in the Battle River Watershed from the very initial stages, he was an active member of the Battle River Watershed Advisory Group and now serves as Vice Chair of the Battle River Watershed Alliance (BRWA) Board of Directors and sits on BRWA’s State of the Watershed Project Steering committee. Additionally, he is a member of the Bow River Basin Council’s IWMP Steering Committee and Strategic Watershed Action Team, the Nose Creek Technical Advisory Committee and the Alberta Stewardship Network’s Board of Directors as well as serving on the curriculum review committees for Lakeland College and Olds College. As a past member of the Iron Creek Watershed Improvement Society and other local initiatives, he is well attuned to local stewardship issues in rural Alberta.

At a provincial scale, Tracy has recently served on two Alberta Water Council (AWC) project teams, the Shared Governance and Watershed Planning Framework Project Team, where he represented the interests of Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils throughout Alberta, and on the AWC Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems Project Team. 

Bob Winship

 Sector: Forestry

Jamie Wuite

Sector: Provincial Government

James (Jamie) Wuite is the Head of the Farm Water Supply Section of the Rural Water Branch at Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (AARD). He joined the Department in 1997 after 5 years of environmental consulting in both the Calgary and Fort McMurray areas. Jamie holds a B.Sc. in aquatic ecology from the University of Calgary, M.Sc. in Water and Land Resources from the University of Alberta, and the designation of Professional Biologist.
In addition to his work with the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance, Jamie also works closely with similar groups in the Red Deer River, Cold Lake/Beaver River, and Battle River basins. In his current role with AARD, Jamie manages a team that provides both emergency and strategic water supply support to Alberta's producers.

Aaron Rognvaldson

Sector: Petroleum

 First Nation, Metis

If you have any questions about the vacant Directorship seats, please contact us.