Members

Terms of Office: July 14, 2010 - July 13, 2013

Public Member, Lawyer
John's professional practice is in commercial real estate, and he recently retired from Fraser Milner Casgrain, where he was a senior lawyer and partner.

As a community leader and a parent of three grown children, two of whom attended MacEwan, John is very familiar with MacEwan and its contribution to the community and economy.

John is an alumnus of the University of Alberta and he was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1990. A member of the Edmonton Bar Association and the Law Society of Alberta, John previously served as Vice-Chairman of the Law Office Economics Section of the Canadian Bar Association. John's other community involvement includes: Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, Board Member; Edmonton Economic Development Authority, Board Member; Edmonton Air Services, Board Member; University of Alberta, Volunteer alumnus; Marmot Basin, Chairman of the Board; Mountain Park Lodges, Chairman of the Board.

Terms of Office:

David W. Atkinson is the President of Grant MacEwan University. With a career marked by a commitment to student engagement, David also brings significant experience as a passionate educator, president of three Canadian universities, and an active participant in both the academic and non-academic communities. More information on David can be found at the Office of the President web page.

Terms of Office: March 23, 2011-March 22, 2014

Public Member, Finance
Carolyn Graham holds an FCA designation and is in a senior financial leadership role with Canadian Western Bank. She has served and continues to serve on many professional, community and volunteer boards. Carolyn also serves as chair of the Audit and Finance Committee.

Terms of Office: March 23, 2011-March 22, 2014

Public Member, Human Resources
Elizabeth Hurley is a well-respected expert and leader within the human resources field. As a partner with Davies Park, she is intimately familiar with executive level recruitment as well as board recruitment and development. Ms. Hurley also brings extensive governance experience from her community involvement, which has included the post-secondary sector. Elizabeth will replace Gaye Sydenham as chair of the Board's Human Resources Committee.

Terms of Office: May 1, 2011 - April 30, 2014

Student Member
Kassie is a Bachelor of Arts student majoring in Political Science. She is Vice-President, Operations and Finance, at the MacEwan Students' Association. Kassie also sits on the Board of Directors as the Director of Finance for the Alberta Students' Executive Council. Prior to becoming a student executive at MacEwan, she was a student councillor with the university. As a member of the Board of Governors, she seeks to bring forward a strong student perspective to enhance the learning culture at MacEwan.
Kassie endeavours to assist the Board in maintaining a focus on students, with an eye toward accountability and diversity. Native to Edmonton, she enjoys participating in the vibrant arts, culture and business communities of the city.

Terms of Office: September 14, 2009 – September 10, 2012

Public Member, Energy
Willie Grieve is the first Chair of the Alberta Utilities Commission, where he oversees the Commission’s regulatory processes to ensure they are open and responsive to Albertans’ needs.

Willie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Carleton University and an LLB from the University of Saskatchewan. He is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Law Society of Saskatchewan and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2012. Willie brings to MacEwan’s Board of Governors a commitment to learning and involvement in community priorities related to young adults, particularly Aboriginal youth.

A former professional musician and the parent of a MacEwan Music Program graduate, Willie appreciates MacEwan’s approach to teaching music as a profession. He views MacEwan as an exciting, progressive post-secondary institution.

Terms of Office:

November 7, 2007 - November 6, 2010
March 17, 2011 - March 16, 2014

Public Member, Arts
Appointed to the Board of Governors in November 2007, John Mitchell brings extensive experience in leadership roles with community and volunteer boards. Mr. Mitchell is an investment strategist and portfolio builder with The Palisade Corporation in Edmonton. A board member with Diamond Tree Energy Ltd., he also serves on the Reserves and Audit Committees. In the post-secondary sector, Mr. Mitchell co-founded the Queen’s University Edmonton Scholarship and annual dinner. He is a long-standing member of the Ridley College board and a member of its Academics and Capital Campaign steering committees. He also serves as a member and organizer of the World Presidents Organization Mentor Program in Edmonton. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Commerce degree with honours from Queen’s University. Mr. Mitchell and his wife, Maggie, are well known in the Edmonton community for their passion for and support of the Arts. 

Terms of Office: August 23, 2006 - August 22, 2009
August 23, 2009 - August 22, 2012

Public Member, Orthopaedic Surgeon
Bill Johnston, co-medical director and acting chief of surgery of the University of Alberta Hospital (UAH), was appointed to the Board of Governors as a public member in August 2006. Born and raised in Edmonton, Dr. Johnston is a graduate of the University of Alberta. After studying in Toronto, Texas and Europe, he returned to Edmonton in 1984 to set up an orthopedic practice with his father. For 11 years beginning in 1985, Dr. Johnston held the position of Chief of UAH orthopedics. During that time, he also served as president of the UAH medical staff (1993-1994) and chief of surgery (1996-1998). In 1990 he became president of the Canadian Orthopedic Association and in 1998 assumed medical directorship of the University of Alberta Hospital, a position he continues to hold. In addition to his work with the UAH, Dr. Johnston maintains an orthopedic practice specializing in arthroplasty surgery.

Terms of Office:

Terms of Office: August 23, 2006 - August 22, 2009
August 23, 2009 - August 22, 2012

Public Member, Economic Diversification
Oryssia Lennie served in the public sector for 35 years, 26 with the Alberta Government and 9 with the Government of Canada. She was Deputy Minister of Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs, Government of Alberta (1990-97), and Deputy Minister of Western Economic Diversification Canada from 1997 until her retirement from the Public Service of Canada in 2009.

Oryssia is Vice-Chair of the MacEwan Board of Governors and has been very pleased to be a part of building MacEwan as a dynamic, progressive post-secondary institution which contributes significantly to the local and provincial economy.

Oryssia has received numerous awards for her accomplishments in public service and in the area of business and management, including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, the 2002 Lieutenant Governor’s Gold Medal for Excellence in Public Service and the 1997 YMCA Women of Distinction Award.

Terms of Office: First Term: March 4, 2009 - March 5, 2012

Public Member, Financial Management
Appointed to the MacEwan Board of Governors on March 4, 2009, Gerry Martins is a Certified General Accountant with a private practice in St. Albert. Since Gerry and his wife Rose moved from British Columbia to St. Albert in 2002, he has been involved in several community organizations including the Rotary Club of St. Albert Parkland, the St. Albert Health Council, St. Albert Chamber of Commerce, and the Frontline Ministry at the St. Albert Alliance Church. Gerry has also been serving with the St. Albert Protestant Separate School District #6 in the capacity of elected trustee since 2004.

Terms of Office: July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2010
July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2013

Faculty Member
Chaldeans received his doctorate in Political Science from the University of Alberta in 1990. He received his M.A. from Brock University and his B.A. from the University of Ghana. He is currently Chair of the Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science.

In 1996, Chaldeans received the Canadian Immigration Award in recognition of his teaching excellence. In the same year, he was recognized at MacEwan with a distinguished instructor award. In 2005, Chaldeans received the MacEwan Medallion.

Chaldeans sits on the board of the National Collegiate Conference Association (NCCA), which is associated with the UN Department of Public Information. Chaldeans is the regional representative on the National Board of the United Nations Association in Canada and Past President of the Edmonton branch of UNAC. The Alberta government honoured Chaldeans with the Award of Distinction for Internationalizing Teaching and Learning Practices in 2007.