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Date September 16, 2021 Time 8:30 am - 10:00 am Timezone Mountain Daylight Time Chapter Edmonton Place Virtual Session Cost $25.00

Edmonton Chapter – “Getting Up to Speed When the Pressure is On”

Registration is closed.

FMI Edmonton Chapter and CPA Alberta are pleased to invite you to attend: “Getting Up to Speed When the Pressure is On” 

Online ZOOM Event

Vaccination rates are climbing, COVID restrictions are falling and soon we will be back to ‘normal’.  For someone working remotely, the office will seem like the first day of work.  Now imagine that your first day of work is as the CEO of a university or the Chief of Police. Starting a new job is never easy, but when that new opportunity comes along in the midst of cultural tensions, a pandemic and extreme fiscal challenges; the perfect storm requires visionary leadership combined with a blend of confidence, calm, compassion and true grit.

For this panel discussion, six proven leaders from the municipal, provincial and post-secondary sectors will share their trade secrets on how to navigate in these trying times. Whether you are a leader at the top or an ‘up and comer’, the principles of leadership are universal and can be applied at any level in your organization.

So, don’t miss this chance to gather a wealth of knowledge from the comfort of your own office. This event, put together by Jeanette Stead, former FMI Edmonton Chapter President, will be presented on ZOOM and will be moderated by Frank Potter, a former Director from the Government of Alberta and no stranger to starting new positions in a variety of organizations, will be our moderator.

Who should attend:

  • Public sector employees from Finance, Policy or Program Delivery streams
  • Aspiring leaders

Qualifies for: 1.5 CPD Hours (verifiable ethics credits)

Event Poster

Speakers

  • Annette Trimbee – President and Vice-Chancellor, Grant McEwan University

    Dr. Trimbee brings to MacEwan a wealth of experience and knowledge as a leader in both the post-secondary and the public sector. As an accomplished academic, Dr Trimbee holds a PhD (Ecology) from McMaster University, a M.Sc. (Botany) from the University of Manitoba and was a postdoctoral fellow (Zoology) at the University of Alberta.

    In addition to her time as a postdoctoral student at the U of A, she spent nearly 30 years in the city building a distinguished career with the Government of Alberta. During this period, she held several senior leadership positions, including appointments as deputy minister with Advanced Education and Technology and Treasury Board and Finance.

    During her tenure at UWinnipeg, Dr. Trimbee focused on academic and research excellence, the student experience, Indigenization and the financial resilience of the university including overseeing the highest level of research revenue in the institution's history, which included a focus on industrial partnerships in research.

    Dr. Trimbee currently serves on the board of Universities Canada, the voice of Canadian universities at home and abroad; is the chair of USports, which oversees sports at 56 Canadian universities; and is a chair of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network, a partnership of Canadian universities dedicated to expanding digital content for the academic research and teaching enterprise in Canada. Along with her role as president and vice-chancellor, Dr. Trimbee holds an academic appointment as professor, Department of Biological Sciences at MacEwan.

  • Laura Jo Gunter – President and CEO, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

    Laura Jo Gunter became NAIT’s seventh President and CEO on August 24, 2020. She brings extensive post-secondary knowledge and an entrepreneurial spirit to the role.

    Previously, Ms. Gunter was President and CEO of Calgary’s Bow Valley College, where she led the creation of the college’s new strategic plan. She expanded the college’s brand locally, nationally, and internationally through partnerships with global companies and post-secondary institutions, and through innovative adult education initiatives such as Pivot-Ed. – an AI-enabled system for upskilling and reskilling.

    Ms. Gunter has an extensive background in post-secondary. She was the Senior Vice President Academic with George Brown College where her portfolio included the academic divisions, applied research, registration, international and student services. She was also the Dean of two portfolios at Seneca College including the Faculty of Information Arts and Technology and the Faculty of Creative Arts and Design.

    Ms. Gunter has also been an entrepreneur. She was the CEO and co-founder of Condition30 Inc., a software and game company based in Toronto and Vancouver, and was Vice-President of Creative and Community for B.C.-based User Friendly Media.

    As a dedicated community builder, Ms. Gunter has had a broad impact. She is a member of the Minister of Advanced Education’s Skills for Jobs Task Force and is a member of the Council of Post-Secondary Presidents of Alberta. Ms. Gunter contributed to Skilled by Design: A Blueprint for Alberta’s Future Workforce, a report by the Business Council of Alberta. Ms. Gunter chaired the Coordinating Committee of Vice-Presidents Academic for Colleges Ontario, and was a board member for Telus Spark, Interactive Ontario Board, and North York General Hospital. She currently sits on the Edmonton International Airport Advisory Committee.

    Ms. Gunter has a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University, and a Master of Business Administration from Queen's University.

  • Bill Flanagan – President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta

    Bill Flanagan is the 14th president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta. Under his leadership, the university is embarking on a major program of academic and administrative restructuring guided by the University of Alberta of Tomorrow proposal, his five-year vision for the university. Through his ambitious plan, the U of A will more efficiently deliver on its core mission and become a stronger driver of economic growth, innovation and creativity in our province and beyond.

    Born and raised in Alberta, Professor Flanagan holds a BA (English and Philosophy) from Carleton University, a JD from the University of Toronto, a DEA in International Economic Law from Université Paris I-Sorbonne, and an LLM from Columbia University. He joined the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University in 1991, where he founded the faculty’s International Law Program at the Queen’s University Bader International Study Centre at Herstmonceux Castle in the U.K. His scholarly work spans property law, corporate law and international trade law.

    Serving as dean of law from 2005 to 2019, he is known for his transformative and entrepreneurial leadership. He oversaw the establishment of the faculty’s PhD program, the founding of the Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace, a major expansion of the business law program, an online undergraduate Certificate in Law Program, an online Graduate Diploma in Legal Services Management, and a forthcoming new online Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law. During his tenure as dean, he expanded the faculty complement by 25 per cent, diversified the composition of the student body, and increased annual donor support more than fivefold. In recognition of these achievements, law alumni contributed more than $550,000 in donations to create an endowed fund in his honour that supports international studies at Queen’s Law.
    In addition to his service as dean, Professor Flanagan has an extensive record of leadership and engagement at Queen’s University and in the broader community. He was president of the Council of Canadian Law Deans from 2011 to 2014, and served on the National Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters. He was closely involved in the successful implementation of a new budget model at Queen’s, the development of the University Strategic Framework (2014-2019), and a comprehensive overhaul of the university’s Student Code of Conduct.

    Professor Flanagan’s work in support of HIV/AIDS research and initiatives has made him a well-recognized and respected public figure. He currently serves as chair of the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research’s National Working Group, and has served as board chair of the AIDS Committee of Toronto—Canada’s largest community-based HIV service organization—as well as on the Ontario HIV Treatment Network and Canada AIDS Russia Project. In recognition of his community service, he was named to the Honour Roll of the Ontario AIDS Network in 2011.

    Bill Flanagan is married to his husband Saffron Sri, a registered dietitian who works in the health-care sector.

  • Mary Persson – Deputy Minister, Alberta Infrastructure

    Mary Persson has been appointed Deputy Minister (DM) of Infrastructure with the Government of Alberta as of August 9, 2021. Prior to this appointment, Mary was the City of Edmonton's Chief Financial Officer and Deputy City Manager for the Financial and Corporate Services department since January 2020. In that role she oversaw several areas such as strategic innovation and performance, information technology, real estate, tax and assessment, procurement and supply chain as well as financial services.

    Mary is a senior executive with many years of leadership experience in large, complex organizations, including the Government of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, University of Alberta and the Government of Canada. She has an MBA from the University of Alberta, is a Fellow with the Chartered Professional Accountants, and has earned certifications in Risk Management, Assurance, and Auditing. She has earned the ICD.D designation and has served on numerous boards and committees, including as a board member for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music.

  • Dale McFee – Edmonton Chief of Police

    On February 1, 2019, Dale McFee was sworn in as Edmonton’s 23rd Chief of Police for the Edmonton Police Service.

    Chief McFee has an extensive background in policing , including 26 years as a police officer in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (nine years as Chief of Police) and six years as the Deputy Minister of Corrections and Policing in the Ministry of Justice for the Saskatchewan government.

    From 2011 to 2014 he served as President and Past President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. He has previously held the positions of President of the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers, and Director of the Canadian Police Association.

    Chief McFee has received several commendations in his areas of expertise, including the appointment and subsequent promotion by the Governor General of Canada to the Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. He is a recognized Governor General Leadership alumnus, former citizen of the year within his home community, and the recipient of a provincial policing leadership award for “Leadership in Multi-Agency Community Mobilization”.

    In addition to his extensive policing background, Dale has considerable experience managing small- to mid-size businesses, and has lectured nationally and internationally on the topics of leadership and change management in private and public sector organizations. Chief McFee speaks with first-hand knowledge and expertise about policing, community engagement, data and analytics, social finance and impact investing. He is a former member of Entrepreneurs International and served in the capacity of moderator for groups of business leaders within Saskatchewan.

    Dale is married with three daughters and is an active member in his community. He has considerable Board experience including three years as a member of the Parkland Health Board. He is the Past President and current Director of the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders.

  • Roxanne LeBlanc – Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance, Alberta Energy

    Roxanne LeBlanc has been Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance at Alberta Energy since February 2021. A highly experienced Senior Financial Management Professional and Certified Professional Accountant, Roxanne has a proven record of success in directing financial services, business, and operational planning processes, along with substantial experience dealing with complex, multi-party and multi-jurisdictional challenges. She worked in the airport industry for 10 years prior to joining the Government of Alberta, serving as Vice President of Corporate Services for the Fort McMurray Airport Authority, then moving to the Edmonton International Airport Authority –Outside work, Roxanne enjoys skiing in the mountains with her family in the winter and gardening in the summer. She is also an avid cook and all-around foodie.

  • Frank Potter - Moderator

    Frank Potter, your moderator for the morning, is no stranger to tackling new situations and work circumstances. He retired from the Government of Alberta in 2020 after spending 12 years in director roles with the Ministries of Finance, Health and Advanced Education. Prior to provincial government, he worked in healthcare at the director level in both Calgary and Edmonton. When not a public servant, Frank has worked as a consultant with clients that included NATO, the Canadian federal government, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Organization for Security and Cooperation Europe.

    Since retirement, Frank has kept busy on volunteer consulting engagements ranging from developing a strategic investment strategy for Mongolia and teaching financial literacy to First Nations. He is working with a local food bank to develop a better way to teach financial literacy. He is coming to you this morning from Vienna Austria where he is spending a year managing an IT project for an international organization.

    Most importantly, Frank is a husband, grandfather, community thought leader and outdoors enthusiast who enjoys cycling, snowshoeing, and keeping busy.