Alex MacWilliam Chair

Mr. MacWilliam is a lawyer and partner with the law firm of Dentons Canada LLP (formerly Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP) and has practiced environmental law for the past 25 years. He leads the firm's Canadian Environment and Climate Change Practice Groups. He has extensive experience in dealing with environmental approvals, enforcement matters, climate change issues, resolution of contaminated land disputes, water issues, Brownfield developments and intensive livestock operations. He has appeared before a wide variety of administrative tribunals, including the Alberta Energy Regulator (and its predecessor the Energy Resources Conservation Board) and the Natural Resources Conservation Board. Mr. MacWilliam has appeared before all levels of court in Alberta and the Federal Court of Canada. He is a member of the Canadian Centre for Environmental Arbitration and Mediation and the Planning Committee of the Bridgeland Riverside Community Association. He is a frequent presenter on environmental issues at seminars and conferences in Canada and the United States. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Calgary and an LL.B. from the University of British Columbia and was called to the Alberta Bar in 1986. Mr. MacWilliam was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on July 26, 2005, and as Chair on October 16, 2015. He is also responsible to the Minister of Environment and Parks for the delivery of the Public Lands Appeal Board program.
 
 

Brenda Ballachey Board Member

Dr. Ballachey is a biologist with expertise in wildlife and marine biology, toxicology, genetics, and animal sciences. Dr. Ballachey received B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Animal Sciences from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Animal Breeding from Oregon State University. She did post-doctoral studies at South Dakota State University and then worked as a staff officer at the National Research Council in Washington, DC. Subsequently, Dr. Ballachey took a position in Alaska with the U.S. government, studying long-term effects of petroleum contaminants from the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill on nearshore marine communities, including sea otters and sea ducks. She retired from the U.S. Geological Survey in 2015, but retained emeritus status and participates in several ongoing research projects in Alaska while continuing to manage the family ranch near Millarville, Alberta. Dr. Ballachey was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on October 5, 2016 and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.

Meg Barker Board Member

Ms. Barker is a regulatory compliance professional and a professional geologist with extensive experience relating to energy regulation, resource development, environmental stewardship, and land use planning, having worked for over 25 years with independent quasi-judicial regulatory boards, administrative tribunals, and government agencies in the energy and resource industries across western Canada. Ms. Barker's career in the regulatory compliance field has included establishing and leading corporate-wide regulatory and compliance assurance departments at three large independent oil and gas companies. She has advised companies, within and outside the energy industry, on how to manage activities to meet the expectations of regulators and stakeholders and ensure compliance by developing a culture of accountability and integrity and supporting a culture of safety, environmental stewardship, and a regard for stakeholders. Ms. Barker has served as a member and Vice Chair of the City of Calgary's Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, is a rural landowner, acts as a community representative, and has been an active participant on a variety of City of Calgary land use planning and policy development issues. She holds a B.Sc. (Honours) in Geology from the University of Manitoba. Ms. Barker was formerly the manager of compliance for a major oil and gas company. She was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on October 5, 2016 and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.

Tamara Bews Board Member

Ms. Bews is a lawyer and has practiced primarily in the areas of administrative law, commercial law, and regulatory compliance for the past twenty-two years. Over the course of Ms. Bews' legal career, she has gained a broad range of experience on energy, transportation, and agricultural issues. She has worked as a lawyer in both private practice and as in-house legal counsel for TransCanada Pipelines Limited, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, and Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Ms. Bews has represented clients in significant regulatory applications before provincial and federal administrative tribunals, and in judicial review applications before the Alberta Court of Appeal. She has acted as a session chair for energy-related industry conferences, and co-developed and co-instructed for courses on energy-related issues to professional organizations and post-secondary institutions. Ms. Bews holds a B.Comm. (Finance) and a LL.B. from the University of Calgary. After graduating with her business degree in 1987, Ms. Bews gained international experience in the financial and information services industries in her work for one of Denmark's largest banks. In 1991, Ms. Bews returned to Calgary to pursue a law degree and was called to the Alberta Bar in 1995. She was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on October 18, 2017 and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.
 
 

Tim Goos Board Member

Mr. Goos is a meteorologist with 37 years' experience in environmental management. He currently operates a writing and editing business for domestic and international agencies, with an emphasis on atmospheric and oceanographic technical publications. He has a B.Sc. in Science (Physics) from the University of Saskatchewan and a M.Sc. (Meteorology) from the University of Alberta. He worked for 33 years with Environment Canada and chaired both domestic and international committees and boards, including ten years as chair of the International Buoy Programme and 11 years as Canada's accredited officer for the St. Mary and Milk Rivers. In Alberta, he was on the board of the Clean Air Strategic Alliance and the Alberta Water Council, and chaired the Prairie Provinces Water Board and the Mackenzie River Basin Board. Mr. Goos volunteers for a number of organizations in Strathcona County. He was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on October 18, 2017 and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.
 
 

Line Lacasse Board Member

Ms. Lacasse is a lawyer with over 25 years' experience advising clients on regulatory, administrative, indigenous, and environmental matters. She worked in private practice focusing on aboriginal and environmental matters, followed by several years as Board counsel for the Energy and Utilities Board, and as in-house counsel for a large resource development company. She has represented clients in court cases and regulatory hearings, developed, negotiated and implemented agreements, participated in energy projects development, assessment and implementation, and was involved in developing corporate strategies and policies in Alberta, Quebec, and British Columbia. On October 31, 2017, Ms. Lacasse was appointed as a Board member of the Surface Rights Board and of the Land Compensation Board of Alberta. Ms. Lacasse holds a civil law degree from the University of Montreal and a common law degree from McGill University. Ms. Lacasse was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on November 26, 2018, and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.
 
 

Dave McGee Board Member

Mr. McGee has expertise in environmental issues, negotiation, government regulatory procedures, and water policy. He received a B.Sc. (Geography/Geology) at the University of Alberta, then completed 37 years of experience in Alberta water management, including in decision-making roles under the Alberta Water Act and Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. He has negotiated agreements on landowner and municipal issues, regional water sharing agreements, and First Nations' settlement agreements. He represented Alberta on an International Joint Commission Task Force in a boundary water dispute. His work has been published, and he has presented water governance work to numerous universities and conferences, and appeared before joint Canada/Alberta water project hearings and the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board. Mr. McGee currently operates Blue Horizon Resources Corp. providing consultation on water management issues, while continuing to manage the family interests in a ranching operation in the Lundbreck area. He was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on October 18, 2017 and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.
 
 

Anjum Mullick Board Member

Ms. Mullick is an environmental engineer whose area of focus has been in contaminated site assessment and remediation in the oil and gas industry. She has a M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Alberta and a B.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Currently, she is the Director of Engineering Services at the City of Edmonton. Prior to joining the City of Edmonton, she was developing and managing oil sands mine reclamation and closure projects, specifically focused on tailings pond reclamation. She has been involved with the management and execution of Site Specific Environmental Liability Assessments for large upstream oil and gas operators and other industrial clients. She also led the development and implementation of a diversity program at her employer, focusing on the advancement of women within the firm. As a former member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta Environmental Committee, Ms. Mullick has worked with both industry stakeholders and government organizations to develop environmental policy and guidelines. Ms. Mullick was also a member of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers' Canadian Engineering Qualifications Board Environment and Sustainability Committee to develop a National Practice Guideline on Environmental Site Remediation. She was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on October 5, 2016 and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.
 
 

Sarah Palmer Board Member

Ms. Palmer is a lawyer and consultant in environmental law and policy. She provides strategic advice to corporate and non-governmental organizations, and works with philanthropic foundations, in the conservation field. Ms. Palmer practiced primarily in environmental law, working both in private practice and as in-house counsel. Over the course of her legal career, Ms. Palmer provided advice to clients on a wide variety of matters. These issues included: land use planning; remediation of contaminated lands; conservation and reclamation; the environmental assessment process, corporate environmental systems; environmental compliance and management of environmental risks and liabilities; climate change; and new environmental legislation and policy. Ms. Palmer has served on a number of not-for-profit boards in Director, Chair, and membership roles. These include: Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation (Y2Y) Initiative; the Calgary Foundation, Arts Committee; and the Environmental Law Centre. Currently, Ms. Palmer serves on the board of the Alberta Ballet; is a member of the Advisory Council of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary; and serves as a director on two foundation boards. Ms. Palmer obtained her Bachelor of Laws, LL.B. degree from Dalhousie University and was called to the Alberta bar in 1995. Ms. Palmer graduated from the Director's Education Program with an ICD.D designation from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Ms. Palmer was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on November 27, 2018, and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.
 
 

Chris Powter Board Member

Mr. Powter has a B.Sc. in Ecology and a M.Sc. in Plant Ecology from the University of Guelph. He is the owner of Enviro Q&A Services, a consulting firm providing environmental advice and guidance to the resource industry and government regulators since 2015. From April 2010 to December 2014 Mr. Powter was the Executive Director of the Oil Sands Research and Information Network (OSRIN) in the School of Energy and the Environment at the University of Alberta. His work involved identifying research and information gaps related to environmental impacts of oil sands mining, filling those gaps through research, and providing information to regulators, industry and the public. Mr. Powter worked for Alberta Environment for 29 years, including duties in land reclamation from 1981 to 2002, in policy and legislation development from 2002 to 2007 and finally as the head of the provincial environmental assessment program from 2007 to 2010. Mr. Powter was a member of the National Energy Board's Participant Funding Review Committee. Mr. Powter was the recipient of the Canadian Land Reclamation Association's (CLRA) Edward M. Watkin Award in 1988, the Noranda Land Reclamation Award in 2001 and the Alberta Chamber of Resources 2004 Reclamation Citation for lifetime achievement. He was also a longtime editor of the CLRA's Reclamation Newsletter and the International Affiliation of Land Reclamationists' (IALR) Newsletter, and author of Curmudgeon's Corner in the Canadian Reclamation magazine for 10 years. He was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on November 27, 2018, and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.
 
 

Nick Tywoniuk Board Member

Dr. Tywoniuk is a Civil Engineer who currently operates his own consulting business that provides environmental, engineering, and mediation and arbitration services. He has a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering (General) from the University of Alberta, a M.Sc. in Civil Engineering (Water Resources) from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Water Resources) from the University of Ottawa. He is a member of the Alberta Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (APEGA), the ADR Institute of Alberta, and the ADR Institute of Canada. He has worked with Environment Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada, and internationally in Eastern Europe and Pacific Rim countries. Dr. Tywoniuk is a chartered arbitrator and chartered mediator, and participates in conflict resolution programs of the Alberta Civil Courts, Service Alberta business licence appeals, Environmental Appeals Board, Public Lands Appeal Board, and Alberta Municipal Affairs. Dr. Tywoniuk has recently been appointed by the Law Society of Alberta as a public adjudicator for the Society's discipline hearings. He was appointed as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board on September 30, 2010 and is cross-appointed to the Public Lands Appeal Board.
 
 

Gilbert Van Nes General Counsel and Settlement Officer

Gilbert Van Nes serves as the Board's General Counsel and Settlement Officer.  Mr. Van Nes provides advice to the Board as well as coordinates the Board's alternative dispute resolution activities.  Mr. Van Nes has been a lawyer with the Government of Alberta since 1992. His employment history includes that of an Environmental Prosecutor with the Special Prosecutions Branch of Alberta Justice.  Mr. Van Nes' experience includes seven years with the Environmental Law Section of Alberta Justice serving his main clients in the Departments of Environment, Infrastructure, and Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.  While with the Environmental Law Section, Mr. Van Nes assisted in drafting legislation such as the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and the Water Act, developed enforcement programs, appeared before the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, and joint Natural Resources Conservation Board/Canadian Environmental Assessment Act panels.  Mr. Van Nes graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in April 1991 and was admitted to the Bar in July 1992. Mr. Van Nes also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a certificate in Conflict Management from the Alberta Arbitration and Mediation Society.

Denise Black Board Secretary

Denise Black is the Board Secretary.  Reporting to the Chairman and General Counsel, the Board Secretary is responsible for the overall operations of the Board.  Ms. Black has served the provincial government since 1981 commencing with the Solicitor General’s.  She has held various operational and corporate positions in Alberta Justice prior to joining the Environmental Appeals Board in 1996. 

Valerie Myrmo Registrar of Appeals

Valerie Myrmo is the Board's Registrar of Appeals. Valerie is responsible for the administration of the appeals that come before the Board, coordinating appeal proceedings, monitoring the flow of documentation, and providing information and assistance to participants and the Board throughout the appeal process. She has worked with the Government of Alberta since 1994, at Municipal Services, the Law Enforcement Review Board and Correctional Services, and has been with the Environmental Appeals Board since 1999.

Jennie Delaney Administrative Assistant

Jennie Delaney is an Administrative Assistant with the Board. Jennie carries out an array of functions in support of the Board related to the general administration of the Board and appeals that are filed with the Board. After studying Fine Arts at the University of Alberta and Art at the University of Calgary, she has been employed with the provincial government and in the private sector, performing a variety of administrative, financial and marketing functions.
 
 

Candice Mah Administrative Assistant

Candice Mah is an Administrative Assistant with the Board. Candice provides support to the Registrar of Appeals, the Board Secretary and the Board's General Counsel. Her primary responsibility is providing support for the processing of appeals. She has worked with the Government of Alberta since 2009 for the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program and the Appeals Secretariat, and joined the Environmental Appeals Board in January 2015.