Keynote Speaker

Convention

Corey Hirsch is a former NHL goaltender, coach and an Olympic Games silver medalist and currently a colour commentator for the Vancouver Canucks with SportsNet Radio.  Following his professional hockey career and after dealing with his own mental health struggles, he embarked on a mission to open a conversation to end the stigma around mental health.

In 1994, just three years after being drafted by the New York Rangers, Corey both won a silver medal and drank from the Stanley Cup as a member of the Rangers’ championship team. What no one knew was that Corey tried to take his own life that same year.

Months later, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks and went on to play 100 more NHL games, before finishing his career in Europe. The entire time, Corey struggled with his mental health issues. When he could no longer play due to debilitating panic attacks and severe weight loss, he finally reached out to his team trainer. Corey was eventually diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and got the lifesaving treatment that he needed.

Corey would go on to coach goaltenders with the Maple Leafs and Blues, before joining Sportsnet Radio to do colour commentary for the Canucks.

In February 2017, Corey wrote a piece for The Players’ Tribune, sharing publicly his mental health diagnosis and suicide attempt. His story sparked important conversations within hockey and beyond, as more athletes began to open up about mental health.

Today, Corey is an advocate in the battle to end the stigma around mental health. He is an engaging speaker that educates, motivates, and inspires his audience. He gives hope to others struggling by showing vulnerability and letting people know they are not alone.

Entertainment

Banquet

Drew Gregory has been a staple of the western Canadian music scene for several years; his hard-won fan base, as well as the commercial success, was earned through a deep-rooted honesty and authenticity in both the songs that Gregory writes and sings.

Gregory is a three-time Country Music Alberta Horizon Male and the inaugural YYC Male Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (Better in a Bar), and Album of the Year (I Was There). Recently Drew Gregory took home 50,000.00 from Project Wild to help advance his career.

With new songs in the works, and an album expected soon, there is a bubbling excitement and anticipation within the music scene for what just may be Gregory’s most confident, vibrant, and exciting creative outpouring.

New Director Information Session

Tuesday Training Sessions

Dan Tompkins is the Zone 2 Director for the Federation of Alberta Gas Coops. Dan has been on the Board for 6 years and is also on the O&M Committee as well as the Federation Finance Committee. Dan also has sat on the Board of Directors for West Parkland Gas for the past 27 years. Outside of the Federation Dan is a First-Class Power Engineer and also sits on the Boiler and Pressure Vessel committee for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Achievement Award

Convention

Dana Daniel is the new Senior Director of Benefit Services with Alberta Municipalities since this past June.

Dana has 24 years experience in benefits, disability, pensions, payroll & Human Resources management. Most recently Dana spent over 18 years with the City of Edmonton where she held several Director roles including leadership of the Employee Service Centre, Disability Management, and Enterprise Commons systems and business transformation teams. Prior to her time at the City, she was a Group Benefits & Payroll Specialist with Manulife Financial for 5 years and a Payroll Management Instructor for the National Payroll Institute at NAIT for 7 years.

Office Admin Seminar - Emotions... You Have to Name It to Tame it

Spousal Program - Gratitude and Joy

Danielle Reed is an authenticity coach, professional speaker, author, workshop facilitator and high school counsellor. Danielle is passionate about helping people find more joy and ease in their lives by aligning themselves with what matters, choosing self-compassion over self-criticism, embracing imperfections and always looking around for the twinkle lights no matter how challenging life gets. Danielle’s purpose in life is to bring laughter and optimism to everyone she meets. Her greatest professional achievement was being invited to speak at Brené Brown’s Courage Camp in Texas in 2018.

Hostile/Difficult Customers

Service Personnel Seminar, Tuesday Training Sessions

Darcy Devos has been in Law Enforcement on and off since 1995. He is an active Community Peace Officer with Westlock County Municipal Enforcement Services for the past 3 years. Most of Darcy’s law enforcement training was with the justice institute of BC. Over his law enforcement career, he has worked in a variety of areas including a term as a UN Peacekeeper in Cypress receiving his UN Peace Keeping medal in 1989, a special provincial constable with the SPCA, a Manitoba Town constable, bylaw enforcement officer in Langley BC, a correctional peace officer with BC correctional services, and then several terms as a Municipal Community Peace Officer. Darcy has now been with Westlock County for the past 3 years and currently oversees the department. One of Darcy’s past accomplishments was developing the Animal Control program for the Township of Langley, B.C.

Benefits Update

Convention

A dedicated Albertan Executive with more than 25 years of experience spanning sales leadership, business development, operational leadership and client relationship management in the Alberta and Canadian marketplace.

Throughout the years Dean has strived to enhance operational efficiencies and establish a standardized process that focused on improved productivity, customer retention and employee morale.

FIRE Update

Convention

Katharine Hall graduated from the U of A Law School in 1997, and after a career in private practice, and various in house legal roles, she joined Aon 14 years ago.  While she started in the executive lines space, she moved into the professional & cyber  liability space setting up  Aon’s professional liability centre of excellence.  Katharine was also part of the creation of Aon’s Cyber Practice in Canada, and has held the Cyber Practice Leader role since 2020 .  Currently, she is Aon’s National Cyber Practice Leader and Branch Lead, Edmonton.

Managers' Advisory Group

Convention

Kevin Ouderkirk started his career as a labourer with Foothills Gas Co-op in 1988. In 1997 he moved to the Onoway area to work for Ste. Anne Natural Gas Co-op and has held various roles from Operations Supervisor to his current position as CEO. 

Kevin is a dedicated advocate for the Gas Co-ops and what they mean to Rural Alberta. He is the Chairman of the Managers Advisory Committee of AB Gas Co-ops.

‘Concern for community” is one of the seven guiding principles of a Co-op and Kevin is very proud of SANG’s charitable work; including the SANG Community Enhancement Foundation and the SANG “Kids With Cancer Society” golf tournament.

Keep Moving Forward

Service Personnel Seminar

On July 15, 2015, just five days after marrying the love of his life, 26-year-old Levi Stanford nearly died. Stanford loved pyrotechnics. He was considering working in the field of demolition, when he went to an area near the St. Mary Reservoir outside of Cardston with his wife, and a few members of his family. He had designed a pyrotechnic display for the water, so that when it ignited, a huge geyser would shoot into the air. A family member took along a video camera, to capture what they hoped would be a spectacular display. Instead, the camera caught a terrifying explosion. “Unfortunately, something went wrong, and it went off early in my hand,” he explained. “Basically, near my face. And so there was two-and-a-half pounds of this really powerful explosive that should have killed me instantly…we got the whole thing on video. The whole accident.”

Audited Financial Statement

Annual General Meeting

Phil is an audit and accounting specialist with 29 years of public practice experience and spends the majority of his time servicing audit clients.  Prior to joining METRIX in 1997, Phil was with KPMG (Saskatoon) from 1992 – 1996.  Phil has a Bachelor of Commerce (distinction) from the University of Saskatchewan (1992) and obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1996. 

Phil’s current audit clients include not-for-profit organizations (including gas co-operatives), local government and related entities, and school divisions. 

Phil and his wife, Donna, have three children. He enjoys spending his spare time with his family, boating, hiking, golfing, and travelling.

Hostile/Difficult Customers

Service Personnel Seminar, Tuesday Training Sessions

Randy Burgess has been in Law Enforcement for 15 years. He is an active Community Peace Officer with the Town of Westlock for past 11 years. Over his law enforcement career Randy has worked in a variety of areas including security detail, bylaw enforcement and his current position as a community peace officer. He has always had a keen interest in law enforcement and societies complex challenges. He is very community minded and committed to ensuring that people in society treat each other with respect and dignity. He also devoted to lifelong learning which led him to becoming an instructor in several areas including firearms and defensive driving. He is currently active in the process of developing accredited training programs in conjunction with the Alberta Solicitor General for peace officers.

Hydrogen Panel

Convention

Randy Litun is the President of Sky Point Resources Ltd., an engineering consulting company offering strategic and technical advisory services to the energy sector, currently focusing on energy transition including hydrogen generation and utilization, carbon capture, utilization, and storage, renewable energy generation, and energy carriers. 

As an advocate for optimization, efficiency, and creative innovation, he has worked on the responsible development of primary and secondary recovery of oil, gas, heavy oil, and unconventional resources, and is currently focusing on the role of hydrogen and hydrocarbons in a sustainable low-carbon energy transition economy. Litun has authored “Towards Hydrogen: A Hydrogen HUB Feasibility Study for Southeast Alberta”, released in July 2022, in addition to co-authoring a private client study on oil & gas facility energy optimization, transition, and efficiency.

Randy Litun is a Professional Engineer with APEGA and a lifetime member of the SPE.

New Director Information Session

Tuesday Training Sessions

Legal Q&A

Annual General Meeting, Office Admin & Service Personnel Seminars

Ray Purdy is General Counsel for the Federation of Alberta gas Co-ops Ltd. Ray graduated from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law in 1980, and began articling for Brownlee Fryett the same year. Ray was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1981, and the Northwest Territories Bar in 1994. He was Managing Partner of Brownlee LLP from 1994 to 2010. For much of his career with Brownlee, Ray worked on files for the Federation of Alberta Gas Co-ops Ltd. and Member Utilities. He is likely one of the most knowledgeable people regarding utility laws in Alberta! Ray retired from Brownlee LLP and joined the Federation team as General Counsel.

Ray was raised on a family farm at Rich Valley and graduated from Onoway High School. He is married to Joyce and they have two sons, Ray and Danny.

Benefits Update

Convention

Sydney Pigeon is a licensed representative and the Director of Benefits Services at Alberta Municipalities, supporting communities by identifying and providing group benefits solutions that help them build resilient and thriving communities.

Sydney has been with Alberta Municipalities since 2019 and has over 8 years of industry experience. She has her Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology and a certificate in Human Resource Management. She has served over 5 years on the executive committee and board of the Alberta Human Ecology Association. With her human ecological background Sydney brings a holistic person first perspective to employee benefits.