Speaker List

Darlene Brander has been a member of the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners since December 2014 and was first elected Chair in January 2016, followed by her re-appointment to the Chair position each year since.

Ms. Brander is the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Wanuskewin Heritage Park, an internationally acclaimed northern plains Indigenous interpretive site that is home to more than 6,000 years of history. A national recruitment campaign that attracted over 100 applicants from across Canada culminated in the hiring of Ms. Brander to oversee all of Wanuskewin’s operations including the most extensive development campaign in the organization’s history.

Previously, Ms. Brander served as the Director of Human Resources Officer for Athabasca Catering Limited Partnership, a Saskatoon-based, 100% First Nations owned company that serves the mining sector in Saskatchewan. In that role, she was responsible for overseeing and managing ACLP’s human resource department, ensuring the company complies with all employment related government legislation and contractual obligations.

A Band Member of the Red Earth Cree First Nation, Commissioner Brander holds a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Saskatchewan as well as a Certified Human Resources Professional designation. Her 18-year career within the human resources field has included progressively responsible positions with not-for-profit organizations, gaming institutions, municipal government and First Nations organizations.

Within her human resource area of specialty, Ms. Brander has participated in several boards including the Interprovincial Association of Native Employment and the Saskatoon Aboriginal Professional Association. Outside of her work related activities, Commissioner Brander also serves on the Board of the Nutrien Wonderhub, a children’s discovery museum located in Saskatoon.

Ms. Brander’s top priorities as a member of the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners are to ensure the Police Commission operates efficiently and effectively within its mandate. She strives to ensure the Commission meetings are a trusted and welcoming forum where residents can communicate with the Police Service through the Commission.

TBA

Born in Calgary, Frank is a graduate of the University of Calgary. Following graduation, he strapped on a backpack and traveled around the world for two and half years. He joined the Calgary Police Service in 1995. Over the past 22 years, he has worked as a patrol officer first in Forest Lawn and then Victoria Park. His career took him into a specialized undercover team for three years where he worked on organized crime and major crimes targets. He returned to patrol work for a short stint and was subsequently promoted to the rank of Detective. During his five years as an investigator he was first assigned as an intelligence officer responsible for domestic and international terrorism in the City of Calgary. This assignment was followed up as a Detective in the CPS’ Internal Affairs Unit. In 2007, he returned to patrol work as the Sergeant responsible for the communities of China Town, the East Village, Inglewood and Ramsay. During this time he was the Team Leader responsible for the closure of the Cecil Hotel. Following that assignment Frank was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant and was the officer in charge of the Youth Services Unit. As part of this work he helped launch several programs including the Police and Crisis Team (PACT program). Over the past three years, he has been the Executive Director of SORCe.

Raj Dhir comes to the OHRC from the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Civil Law Division, where he was overseeing ten Legal Services Branches. As the Portfolio Director, he led the development of the Civil Law Division’s Anti-Racism Action Plan and played a key role in coordinating Indigenous legal advice on several high profile matters for the government. Previously, Raj was the Legal Director at the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. He has also served as a Deputy Director in roles at the Ministry of the Attorney General (Crown Law Office – Civil and the Constitutional Law Branch) and the Ministry of Labour (Litigation and Solicitor Practices).

Raj also spent 11 years as counsel at the OHRC where he litigated and advised on a variety of human rights matters and appeared before administrative tribunals and at all levels of court up to and including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Chief Neil Dubord joined the Delta Police Department on June 29, 2015 after three years as Chief of the Metro Vancouver Transit Police and 25 years with the Edmonton Police Service where he was the Deputy Chief in charge of Community Policing Bureau.

Chief Dubord has been awarded the Officer of the Order of Merit from the Governor General of Canada, the Police Exemplary Medal and the Queens Diamond Jubilee medal.

He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, FBI National Academy, FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association and serves on committees for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police. He is the past President of the British Columbia Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police and is an Honorary Aide-de-Camp for the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

Chief Dubord holds a Master’s degree in Leadership & Training from Royal Roads University and successfully defended his dissertation to fulfill the requirements of his Doctor of Philosophy Degree in business from Northcentral University. Additionally, Chief Dubord has graduated from the FBI National Academy and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development program. He is also a Canadian Human Resource Professional (CHRP).

Jan Fox is the Executive Director at REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities. REACH is a not for profit organization dedicated to making Edmonton a safer community within one generation. Our work is about creating true systemic change and enhancing collaboration to address complex social issues.

Prior to joining REACH, Jan worked as a senior manager with the Correctional Service of Canada for 30 years. She was the first Warden at the Edmonton Institution for Women- a new and innovative Correctional model. She also managed Community Corrections for Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Jan worked internationally to assist other countries seeking to improve their criminal justice systems.

Jan has a keen interest in working with Indigenous groups and is currently the co-Chair of the Rotary Indigenous Committee. She is also co-Chair of the Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention. Jan was honoured to be the first Woman of Vision in Edmonton and is the the proud recipient of the Lois Hole Lifetime Achievement Award.

Andrew Graham researches, teaches and writes on public sector management, financial management, integrated risk management and governance. He teaches at Queens University School of Policy Studies as well as a variety of international and Canadian venues. He is Series Editor of the Case Study Program of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, Canada’s leading source of public sector case studies.

He is the author of Canada’s leading textbook on managing public money, entitled, ​Canadian Public Sector Financial Management,​ available throug hMcGill-QueensPress. It has now been adopted by a number of Canada’s leading universities as a text and is used in governments for staff training.

He has also published Making the Case: Writing and Teaching Case Studies, also available through McGill-Queens. He also recently edited Innovations in Public Expenditure Management, a publication of the Commonwealth Secretariat and Canada’s Critical Infrastructure: When is Safe Enough Safe Enough? for the Macdonald Laurier Institute of Canada.

Mr. Graham teaches in both the graduate and professional development programs at Queens and elsewhere. He also has writes extensively, now writing a regular column on management issues, Briefly Noted for the Public Management, a periodical of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

Mr. Graham has taken a special interest in emerging management issues, including strategic planning, modern police governance, performance measurement and integrated risk management. He has written extensively in this area, including an e-book Implementing Risk Management, available free on his website.

From a teaching perspective, his interest in the use of case studies for both academic teaching and the retention of organizational learning has expanded.

He has been associated with the Building Democracy in Ukraine Project of Queens University. He is Project Lead for Queen’s partnership with the Government of Canada in the Canada-Brazil Technical Co-operation Project. He has developed teaching material and taught workshops at Brazil School of Public Administration (ENAP) in Brasilia.

Professor Graham has taught many professional development workshops in the areas of his expertise for the Canadian Police College, various police services across the country, the Canadian Association of Police Boards, the Canadian School of the Public Service, the Government of Ontario as well as other public agencies across the country.

An Assistant Deputy Minister for 14 years in the federal government with over 30 years of service, he has experience in line operations (Warden, Kingston Penitentiary), leading a complex regional operations, and a number of national policy and corporate leadership roles, including Senior Deputy Commission of the Correctional Service of Canada. He has extensive corporate management experience, including having served as the ADM, Corporate Services of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He took part in an executive interchange to the Conference Board of Canada for two years.

He served as President of APEX, the professional association of public executives. He is a voting member of the Institute on Governance. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Canadian Public Administration Journal of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

He has a Masters of Arts degree in political economy from the University of Toronto and a B.A. from Glendon College, York University. He is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of the Canadian Centre for Management Development. He holds a Diploma in Landscape Design and Horticulture from Guelph University. He is a graduate of the Orvis School of Fly Fishing.

He is actively involved in his community through service to various voluntary organizations. He is a member of the Board of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network, the Friends of Charleston Lake Park and the St. Lawrence District Medical Centre.

Nicholas (Nick) Jones is the interim Associate Vice-President (Research) and the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) as of June 1, 2019. Shortly after joining FGSR, Nick was also appointed the Executive Director of the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT). Nick started at the University of Regina in 2006 in the Department of Justice Studies. He was the Coordinator of the Police Studies program from July 2007 until June 2012. He served as Department Head from July 2015 through June 2018 when he became the Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) for the Faculty of Arts.

Before his academic career, he worked as a counsellor at a halfway house, a youth correctional worker, and received training as a facilitator of family group conferencing.

Jones is an associate professor and holds a Bachelor of Arts (psychology and sociology) from the University of Calgary, a Master of Administration of Justice from San Jose State University, and a PhD from the University of Calgary. His doctoral work examined the judicial response to the Rwandan genocide. He has an active research program focussing primarily on restorative justice, transitional justice, policing, genocide, and Indigenous justice. He has authored one book and numerous peer-reviewed articles, technical reports, and book chapters.

Fred Kaustinen is Principal at Governedge Inc. - a governance and risk consulting firm. He is also Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards (OAPSB) and Strategic Advisor to the Halton Police Board.

Fred has worked with boards and teams all his life. He learned the real value of teamwork and strategic leadership through 20 years of service as a Canadian Army combat engineer and combat diver. He served on four continents and was decorated for leadership and courage. He concluded his Army career with the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, as a Strategic Planning faculty member.

Two key lessons from his military service are:

1. Senior leadership drives corporate performance – good or bad
2. Teams at all levels can improve performance by focusing their efforts on those issues that really impact mission success

As a consultant, Fred has worked with the Canadian Association of Police Governance, Durham Regional Police Services Board, Peel Regional Police Services Board, Anishinabek Police Authority, the 2019 Thunder Bay Police Services Board, Six Nations Police Commission, the Manitoba Police Commission and dozens of public and private sector firms. He has delivered educational sessions to hundreds of police board and commission members across Canada, and is a featured speaker in The Canadian Institute’s Law of Policing conference series.

Fred has an engineering degree from the Royal Military College, and an MBA specializing in leadership from Royal Roads University. He recently completed the Institute of Corporate Directors’ (ICD) Directors’ Education Program, at Rotman Business School, University of Toronto.

Renu Mandhane was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in October 2015. She is the former Executive Director of the award-winning International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. She has an LL.M in international human rights law from New York University. Renu began her practice focused on criminal law, and in that capacity she represented many survivors of sexual violence and prisoners. Renu has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada and the United Nations. Most recently, Renu was recognized by Canadian Lawyer magazine as one of Canada’s most influential lawyers for her advocacy related to solitary confinement.

A Canadian Forces pioneer, Karen McCrimmon honed her leadership and team-building abilities in the service of her country. Karen joined the Canadian Forces as a reservist. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Windsor, Karen transferred to the Regular Forces where she quickly rose through the ranks. In 1981, she became an air navigator—the first woman to earn the qualification. In 1998 Karen was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of 429 Transport Squadron in Trenton, becoming the first woman to command a Canadian Forces flying squadron.

After retiring from the Canadian Forces in 2006, Karen started her own business offering mediation services to both public and private institutions. She has been an active member of the Canadian Federation of University Women, the Royal Canadian Legion, and Canadian Women in Aviation – an organization focused on encouraging more women to become involved in the aviation industry.

Karen is currently the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Jack McGee was a Navy – carrier - and air force pilot, Director of Air Studies at Canadian Forces Command and Staff College and commanded 412 (VIP) Squadron and Canadian Forces Base Comox. He is a graduate and runner-up for the United States-Italy Douhet-Mitchell International Air Power Trophy of the US Air Force Air War College. He was awarded the Canadian Forces Medal, the Special Service Medal (NATO), and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to Canada.

Jack is past President of the Justice Institute of British Columbia, previously President of St. Clair College and a Dean at George Brown College He holds a BA (St. Mary's), an MPA (Auburn), completed Doctoral courses in International Relations and Strategic Studies (York) and received an honorary Doctor of Laws (Windsor). He currently serves on the Boards of the West Vancouver Police, E-Comm 911, Sovereign Order of St John supporting hospice, and the Pacific Autism Family Centre Society and Foundation. For his charitable volunteering, he received the Canada 150 Award and Pin.

Gordon has 40 years of local government management, educator and consultancy roles. He provides governance, strategic and leadership services and serves as Executive Advisor at CivicExcellence. He has conducted 1,200 workshops involving 140,000 people on topics such as:

• What Is Black and White, & Grey All Over? – using success indicators to enhance governance and organizational effectiveness as well as the political/administrative interface
• The Deep C Below Us! – exploring personal behaviours and organizational practices to develop strategies and principles that promote respectful leadership
• Are We on the Same Page? – aligning political choices with organizational capacity along with action plans for regular monitoring
• Look Yonder – translating the relevance of major trends impacting Canadian communities and local governments for strategic processes
• How’s Your Vision? – scanning community influences and organizational factors to describe and assess progress toward a preferred future
• What’s in the Box? – determining essential and discretionary services as well as ways to maximize delivery efficiency and effectiveness
• What Does It Take? – developing leadership (political or administrative) competencies for personal and organizational success along with learning and performance plans
• Playing Nice in the Sand Box! – facilitating shared values and strategies for enhanced team, interdepartmental, interagency and intergovernmental collaboration

Gordon received the Professional Award of Excellence and has served as President of the Local Government Management Association in BC. As the Islands Trust Executive Director, he worked with a 26-member Council serving the 470 Gulf Islands in the Georgia Basin.

Doctor McIntosh’s research focuses on the political/administrative interface and CAO role. Faculty roles include Universities of Victoria, York, Dalhousie, Cape Breton and British Columbia.

He has delivered conference sessions, executive workshops and customized programs for local, First Nation, Métis and regional governments as well as municipal associations throughout Canada and overseas - Palestine, Caribbean, South America, Sri Lanka, Africa and Philippines. Alumni say his sessions are fast paced, interactive, humorous and practical with very high satisfaction ratings.

For more information or a customized service proposal to make a local government leadership difference, please contact Gordon at ga.mcintosh@shaw.ca

TBA

After spending 15 years working as a clinician, outreach worker, and manager in psychiatry, addiction, and harm reduction, Felix developed a passion for working with those who are marginalized, victimized and who experience barriers to participation in society. For the past 10 years, the work that Felix does with organizations, communities/municipalities, and the different orders of government is focused on community safety, equity and inclusion, and the social and environmental determinants of health. Whether the focus is violence prevention, mental illness, addiction, or sustainability, Felix believes in the power and promise of investing in prevention as the only long-term and sustainable solution. Through his collaborative approach to leadership, Felix has guided CMNCP from a collection of individuals working in separate municipalities to a cohesive entity with significant national and international profile and a strong sense of a shared identity and vision among its members.

Felix holds a PhD in community psychology, a master’s in environmental studies, and a mental health nursing diploma, and has published in peer reviewed and other journals on collaboration, environmental sustainability, community-service learning, and social change and justice.

Naheed Nenshi, A’paistootsiipsii, was sworn in as Calgary's 36th mayor on October 25, 2010 and was re-elected in 2013 and 2017.

Prior to being elected, Mayor Nenshi was with McKinsey and Company, later forming his own business to help public, private and non-profit organizations grow. He designed policy for the Government of Alberta, helped create a Canadian strategy for The Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy, and worked with the United Nations to determine how business can help the poorest people on the planet. He then entered academia, where he was Canada's first tenured professor in the field of nonprofit management, at Mount Royal University's Bissett School of Business.

For his work, Mayor Nenshi was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, was awarded the President’s Award from the Canadian Institute of Planners, and received the Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Psychological Association for his contributions to community mental health. In 2013, after his stewardship of the community during devastating flooding, Maclean’s magazine called him the second-most influential person in Canada, after the Prime Minister. He was also awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize by the UK-based City Mayor’s Foundation as the best mayor in the world.

In 2014, he was also honoured by Elder Pete Standing Alone with the Blackfoot name A’paistootsiipsii, which means ""Clan Leader"" or ""He who moves camp and the others follow"". In 2016, Elder Bruce Starlight of the Tsuu T'ina First Nation honoured him with the name Iitiya: ""Always Ready"".

Mayor Nenshi holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with distinction) from the University of Calgary, where he was President of the Students' Union, and a Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he studied as a Kennedy Fellow.

Incoming Chief Neufeld believes strongly in providing top-quality police service to the community through professionalism, innovation, and inclusive leadership that is supportive of employees. The women and men - both sworn and civilian - who deliver frontline police service have been particularly special to him throughout his career and his priority is to serve and protect not only the community, but also those who commit themselves to serving and protecting the community.

Neufeld joins the Calgary Police Service after two years as the Chief of the Camrose Police Service, a smaller community that gave him the opportunity to build strong partnerships with staff and residents to improve quality of life in the city.

Neufeld is well and positively connected within police circles provincially, nationally, and internationally. He is currently Interim President of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, Chair of the ALERT board of directors, and a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police board of directors.

Neufeld recently completed a Masters in criminology and police management at the University of Cambridge. He has also completed the CACP Executive Global Studies program, where he studied international approaches to cybercrime, and the International Executive Development in Policing program from the Canadian Police College and Hong Kong Police College. Upon completion, he was invited to join the faculty of this program where he led a syndicate of senior police leaders from both Canada and Hong Kong through the program.

In 1992, Neufeld’s police career began with the Vancouver Police Department. The illness of a parent brought him to the Edmonton Police Service the following year. He spent 12 years as a frontline patrol officer, including in Edmonton’s diverse inner-city where he worked with residents and community partners to address neighbourhood crime, disorder, and social issues.

He also has experience in undercover operations, incident command, crisis negotiation, and as a member of the EPS Public Order Unit working on the G-8 and G-20 summits, Stanley Cup and Grey Cup deployments, as well as the 2006 riot.

Neufeld was promoted to the role of detective in Internal Affairs in 2004 and to Staff Sergeant in the Intelligence Section in 2007. A secondment in 2007 brought him to the Province of Alberta where he successfully assisted with the implementation of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT).

In 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Inspector and assigned to Professional Standards where he led the development of a strategic planning process that resulted in the restructuring of the branch, the civilianization of numerous investigative and administrative positions, and an increased emphasis on alternative dispute resolution and complaint prevention. Along the way, Neufeld made sure staff were actively engaged in setting direction and priorities. He celebrated successes and acknowledged the efforts of individuals and teams.

As an Inspector, he also spent time in the Human Resources Division where he developed a recruitment strategy for the police service before being seconded to ASIRT for a second time as the Director of Investigations.

In 2014, Neufeld was promoted to Superintendent, Criminal Investigations Division, where he was responsible for all EPS major and serious crime units, including homicide, missing persons, robbery, arson, sexual assault, child protection, domestic conflict, Integrated Child Exploitation (ICE), elder abuse, economic crimes, auto theft and support units including the Child at Risk Response Team (CARRT) and the Police and Crisis Team (PACT). In this role, he made it a priority to encourage strong working relationships between frontline officers and specialized investigative units.

Two years later, Neufeld moved back to operations as Superintendent of the Southwest Division, a large, diverse area of Edmonton that stretched from the University district to the southern city limits. In this role, he made a point of being visible, accessible, and approachable. He applied an approach to problem solving that involved encouraging open and honest conversations, and moved the division forward through patience, compassion and consistency.

Neufeld was invested as a member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces in 2014. He is also the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Police Exemplary Service Medal, and the Alberta Law Enforcement Long Service Medal.

He and his wife Lynn have four adult children. They are all active community volunteers, and together they enjoy fitness, travel, and friends.

With a significant background in human resources, Ms. Micki Ruth brings a solid management background having managed diverse teams in the aviation, telecommunications and financial services organizations.

Ms. Ruth’s approach to problem solving and oversight is a blend of knowledge garnered from experience in policing, provincial prosecutions, banking investigations, and 20 years in human resources in financial, aviation, and the telecommunications industry. As a human resources professional, she consulted and planned on behalf of her employers on proactive planning, strategic alignment, employment relations, and organizational effectiveness.

Service oriented and community minded, Ms. Ruth gravitates to endeavors and organizations with a distinct approach to improving what is already in place and challenging the status quo.

Ms. Ruth’s board and commission experience is significant, particularly with regards to policing issues and oversight. She participated as a member of the Halifax Regional Municipality’s Board of Police Commissioners from 2011 to 2014 – as Chair for one year and Vice-Chair for two years. She contributed to the approval and oversight of the police budget while serving mandated oversight to the Board of Police Commissioners for Halifax Regional Police and the Advisory Board for Halifax District RCMP. Her earlier experience as a police constable in Ontario combined with her work in human resources energized her in her ability to work towards an improved policing service in a uniquely integrated environment.

Minister Schweitzer was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on April 16, 2019, as the MLA for Calgary-Elbow.

A dedicated husband, father of two young girls and a long-serving community volunteer, Schweitzer has a strong record of public service, including previously raising funds for military families and serving as Vice Chair of the Calgary Drug Treatment Court. He is passionate about restoring Alberta's promise - an Alberta in which, no matter where you came from, if you worked hard, you could succeed.

Schweitzer was a partner at a leading Alberta law firm as a restructuring and bankruptcy lawyer. This experience gave him a first-hand view of the staggering impacts of failed policies that have led to job losses, economic stagnation and a loss of hope.

Doug Schweitzer was appointed as Alberta’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General on April 30, 2019. He is committed to working with Alberta’s prosecutors, police and justice system to improve public safety, address rural crime, and make Alberta a leader in combating human trafficking.

Schweitzer’s extensive legal experience make him uniquely positioned to get to work on day one and deliver results for Albertans.

Mr. Stamatakis has sat on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Police Association (CPA) since 2003, and served as President since May 2011.

He also serves as the President for the British Columbia Police Association (BCPA) and was recently acclaimed Chairman of the International Council of Police Representative Associations (ICPRA).

Mr. Stamatakis has been a Constable with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) for approximately 29 years, where he enjoyed a variety of assignments prior to his secondment to the Vancouver Police Union (VPU).

He also sits on the boards of Covington Capital, "Odd Squad" Productions and several Federal and Provincial advisory boards and committees.

In 2017, he was promoted to Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces in Canada.

Linda Stewart, M.O.M. is a thirty-five-year veteran of the Vancouver Police Department and retired as a Sergeant Instructor from the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) after teaching for eight-years at the JIBC Police Academy.

Over her career, she was specially selected to take courses with the FBI, RCMP, and the Canadian Police College.

In 2009, Sergeant Stewart was the recipient of the Order of Merit, presented by the Governor General of Canada for outstanding work in the field of Public Service. Because of her acclaim as a police officer and negotiator, a commemorative video documentary featuring her professionalism and community outreach was produced by the internationally renowned Odd Squad who specializes in documentaries featuring police officers and other first responders interacting with the public.

Sergeant Stewart’s primary focus was Crisis Intervention De-escalation, Mental Health and Domestic Violence training. In 2009, she introduced a course on autism awareness training to all Municipal Police Recruits with input from the Pacific Autism Family Network. This training continues to be an integral component of municipal police recruit training at the JIBC.

Sergeant Stewart has an impressive record in many areas of policing and social work, in particular as a leading Crisis Negotiator and trainer for a number of Police Departments, including internationally.

Dr. Rebecca Sullivan is a Professor of Women’s Studies at the University of Calgary. She is past President of the Canadian Communications Association and currently Chair of the Sexuality Studies Association. Through her consulting firm, Diversity Leads, she has provided organizations with cutting-edge best practices training and culture reviews to improve gender equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Brian Thiessen has been selected as the new Chair of the Calgary Police Commission. The decision was made at the Calgary Police Commission’s annual organizational meeting on November 29, 2016.

Brian is a lawyer and a partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. His practice focuses on employment and labour issues, including employment arrangements, workplace investigations, privacy law matters, employment disputes, and human rights complaints.

He is among Canada’s top business lawyers and has received numerous recognitions including Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2016, and the Best Lawyers in Canada from 2011 to 2016.

Brian is also a dedicated volunteer, most recently receiving the Debra Dean Award for outstanding contribution for his work with the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta.