Newly appointed Board Members reinforce MindFuel’s leadership bench strength
Calgary, AB – October 31, 2019 – MindFuel (also known as the Science Alberta Foundation) is delighted to announce the appointment of six new members on its Board of Directors. The newly-selected members come with a diverse range of expertise across the science, financial, government, corporate communications and artificial intelligence verticals. The newly-appointed Board Members are fully committed to helping propel MindFuel forward and deliver on its mission of offering premium STEM educational programs and services to students and teachers.
“We’re pleased to have such a diverse group of individuals on our Board as we continue serving the STEM innovation agenda with our critical contributions to economic diversification,” says Shahauna Siddiqui, Chair, MindFuel. “Through our social enterprise and with our strong leadership team, we will continue providing 21st century technology-centric learning solutions to teachers and students, helping prepare a workforce for the innovation and digital economy.”
- Stephen D. Burns, Partner, Bennett Jones LLP
Stephen’s practice focuses on energy and agriculture related technology, procurement and outsourcing, IT procurement and outsourcing technology transfers, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate/commercial matters related to technology. Stephen regularly advises on matters concerning licensing, registration and protection of intellectual property in Canada and abroad.
- James Pettigrew, Financial Executive and Corporate Director
James joins the Board as a seasoned financial professional with over 30 years of experience leading teams and serving the complex needs of rapidly growing companies. As a chartered public accountant, James recently served as the Chief Financial Officer at Benevity Inc. Previously, he held executive positions at top-tier professional services groups such as Deloitte and PwC, leading the technology practices.
- Bill Peters, President, Bill Peters Consulting
Bill Peters is a leading international planner and innovator in the non-profit, museum, science centre and informal science learning fields. Bill played a pivotal role in building Calgary’s TELUS Spark Science Centre and the Creative Kids Museum. He pioneered the current generation of digital tilt-dome planetarium theatres. Bill is currently assisting Lowell Observatory in developing a new Astronomy Discovery Center and a master plan for its Mars Hill campus in Flagstaff, Arizona.
- Georgine Ulmer, President, Churchill Strategies Inc.
Georgine assists both private and not-for-profit organizations with leadership development and organizational change. She has held a number of leadership positions within Calgary for over 20 years, including leading the economic development authority for Calgary as its President and CEO. Currently, she is working with several non-profit organizations where she advises both CEOs and Boards on governance, strategic planning and facility development.
- Glenn Shepherd, Director of Government and Public Affairs, SAIT
Glenn brings a wealth of experience leading government relations activity, which includes speech writing, policy analysis, media relations, public speaking and more. Formerly, he served as the Chief of Staff for multiple ministers in Alberta over the course of six years. He is well versed in the intricacies of interacting and engaging with government at all levels.
- Dan Semmens, Vice President and Head of Artificial Intelligence, ATB Financial
Dan began his career as a software developer and has over 20 years of experience in information technology. He is recognized as an innovator in design thinking, lean and business transformation industries. Under his leadership, he and his team are disrupting the banking industry by re-imagining processes and leading with the deployment of Robotics Process Automation and AI.
Those interested in learning more about MindFuel’s Board of Directors can visit its website here.
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About MindFuel
Established in 1990 by James (Jim) Gray, O.C., as Science Alberta Foundation, MindFuel is a registered charitable organization focused on creating future generations of innovators and problem-solvers. As a digital literacy pioneer, MindFuel is helping Canada diversify its economy through a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and career paths. MindFuel supports teachers with 21st century award-winning learning services and helps immerse students in the fun world of STEM through blended learning, which includes both digital and hands-on training, critical to advancing Canada’s Innovation Agenda. MindFuel places a large emphasis on empowering girls, Indigenous youth and students in rural and remote regions to pursue studies and careers in STEM. In 2018, MindFuel programming reached hundreds of thousands of students across Canada in both French and English, and is used in over 170 countries around the world.
For more information on programming, please visit mindfuel.ca.
Media Contact:
Alma Abugov
Director, Development & Community Engagement, MindFuel
403-220-0077 ext. 234
AAbugov@mindfuel.ca
