Pat Cochrane	Mike Shaikh	Hanif Ladha
Dr. Gene Edworthy	Tamera Van Brunt	Mark Saar
Rod Garossino	Lora Wyman	Honourary members:
Chris Fong	John C. Drysdale	Joanne Cuthbertson
Dr. George Lane	Lynda Lyster	David Pickersgill
Dr. P. Michael Maher	Nancy Close
Dr. Yan Guo	Leslie Newon

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Pat Cochrane CBE Trustee, Wards 8 & 9
		Pat Cochrane, Trustee for Wards 8 and 9, has been involved in public education in Calgary since 1993. Pat acted as a Key Communicator, then Vice Chair and Chair of the School Council at her daughter’s school before becoming a Trustee in 1999. For much of that time, she was also actively involved as an advocate for public education through her work with SPEAK (Save Public Education Act for Kids). In addition to her commitment to the Calgary Board of Education, Pat continues an active relationship with the Samaritan Club of Calgary, where she has been a volunteer for the nine years.
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Dr. Gene Edworthy Optometrist, Edworthy Vision Centre
		Dr. Gene Edworthy is an optometrist practicing in downtown Calgary. He enjoys sharing his passions for important causes including healthcare, sport, the arts, and education. His sport involvement has included being president of the Canadian Luge Association and Chairman of the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA). He is currently a Director of the Canadian Olympic Committee and chairs the Olympic Legacy Coaching Fund. Gene chaired the committee which established the National Sports School, a joint venture between the CBE and CODA, of which 20 graduates competed for Canada at the recent Turin Olympic Games. Gene has been a member of the Board of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Fort Calgary Preservation Society, and currently sits on the Board of the 2009 (40th) WorldSkills Championship. Gene has been a member of the Calgary Rotary Club and has actively served on several committees of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede since the 1980’s. As a father of three children, Dr. Edworthy understands the value of building excellence in Calgary’s public education system.
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Rod Garossino Advisor, Community Investment, Encana Corporation
		Rod attended the University of British Columbia studying Physical Education and Sport Management and has spent more than 13 years in the field of event marketing, sponsorship and corporate philanthropy. Prior to Encana, Rod spent 5 years in non-profit fund development for organizations including Honens International Piano Competition, TirumpEnt and CentrePoint. Rod also worked with Lang & Associates, an international sponsorship agency. In his previous life as an athlete, he and his sister Karyn represented Canada on National, World and Olympic (Calgary '88) figure skating teams. Rod's commitment to public education comes naturally, having grown up with a mother who was a teacher passionate about education. Rod believes in a strong and viable public education system accessible to all students.
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Chris Fong Managing Director, Corporate Banking, RBC Capital Markets
		Chris Fong is Managing Director, Corporate Banking, responsible for managing corporate credit for energy clients globally in E&P, Utility and Energy Services. Located in Calgary, Alberta, Chris is also responsible for the management of corporate relationships in Alberta. Prior to joining the firm in 1980, he held production, development and corporate planning positions in the oil and gas industry. His experience with the firm includes extensive lending experience, oil and gas evaluations, financial analysis, structuring and client management. Chris is a registered engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologist and Geophysicists of Alberta and a member of the Calgary Petroleum Club. A Former director of Honens International Piano Competition, Chris is currently Chair of the Board of Governors of EducationMatters, and a Director of UNICEF Canada.
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Dr. George Lane CBE Trustee, Wards 6 & 7
		George Lane is a Trustee for Wards 6 and 7. He was Dean of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Business from 1975 to 1981 where he championed the funding and construction of the Faculty's home, Scurfield Hall. George’s career has included positions with the City of Medicine Hat, the City of Calgary, Donovan Realty and AMOCO Canada. An active member of the community, he was Governor and Treasurer of Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School and a member of the Fund Development Committee for the Developmental Disabilities Resource Centre of Calgary. George is also a founding member and President of the Developmental Disabilities Resource Foundation.
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Dr. P. Michael Maher Professor, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
		Dr. P. Michael Maher completed almost 30 years in three of Canada’s leading business schools including 18 years as dean of the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Management. Currently a professor of strategy and global management, he has served on many corporate boards and contributed to various public boards, including the Calgary Police Commission, Theatre Calgary, CNIB and the Bethany Care Society. Michael has managed many high level international projects and has assessed local, national and international business, government and academic initiatives. He has also acted as advisor to two federal cabinet ministers.
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Dr. Yan Guo University of Calgary
		Dr. Yan Guo is a lifelong academic and a strong supporter of English as an Additional Language (EAL) instruction. She currently works as a Faculty of Education professor at the University of Calgary, specializing in EAL. She has a passion for education that she shares through volunteer commitments, contributions to academic journals and books, consultancy work, and volunteer work on post-secondary committees. Yan is interested in second language education and acquisition, intercultural communication, and minority parent engagement.Her enthusiasm for and experience with education make her a welcome addition to the EducationMatters Board of Governors.
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Mike Shaikh Chartered Accountant, M.H. Shaikh Professional Corporation
		Mike Shaikh is a Chartered Accountant and a sole practitioner for 24 years. He is a Director of various private, public and not-for-profit organizations including past President of the Kiwanis Club of Calgary, a Board Member for the Alberta Securities Commission, Senator of the University of Calgary and Honorary Investment Counselor for Pakistan. As an entrepreneur and businessman, Mike is aligned with the goals of EducationMatters in ensuring students succeed in school and are ready for adult life.
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Tamera Van Brunt Director, Communications & Investor Relations, Alberta Securities Commission
		As Director, Communications & Investor Education at the Alberta Securities Commission, Tamera Van Brunt is responsible for overseeing the strategic communication and education efforts that support effective securities regulation in Alberta. Prior to joining the Alberta Securities Commission in 2006, Tamera spent more than 14 years in the Communications field, starting her career as a television reporter with RDTV Red Deer and then CTV Calgary. Since then she’s held positions in the areas of media relations, community investment, marketing communications and most recently as Manager, Corporate Communications at TransAlta Corporation. An active member of the community, Tamera brings her perspective both as a parent and as a Communications professional to her many volunteer efforts.
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Lora Wyman CPA and Community Member
		Lora Wyman has a long record of support for public education in Calgary from holding treasurer, council and committee positions at several Calgary schools. As a chartered accountant, Lora brings a wealth of expertise to her volunteer work as well as her passion for public education. She spent a year with SPEAK (Support Public Education-Act for Kids), an advocacy group for public education in Alberta and 6 years with the Calgary Association of Parents & School Councils. Lora earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computing Science from the University of Calgary and her CA designation from the Institute of Charted Accountants of Alberta. She is currently self-employed as a public practice Chartered Accountant.
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John C. Drysdale Community Member     John began his teaching career with the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) as an elementary school teacher at Collingwood School in 1973. During the next 34 years as a professional educator he served in a number of school based and system based leadership positions in the CBE. Prior to his retirement in 2007, John was the Superintendent of Educational Support Services for six years. Educational Support Services included the departments of Curriculum Support, Innovative Learning Services, Special Education, Corporate Partnerships and Accountability Services. In addition to his CBE roles, John also belonged to and served on a number of professional committees and community boards. John is a patron of the arts and an avid reader. He has a passion for travel and the desire to pursue further volunteer community involvement and support for public education. [ return to top]
Lynda Lyster Community Member Lynda dedicated 27 years to a career in education with the Calgary Board of Education. As a teacher, principal, and Director of Educational Services, she valued relationships and worked to upgrade public school libraries. Since leaving the CBE in 2006, she has assumed the Chair of the Marigold Library System, a cooperative network of libraries. In addition, she is Chair of Making Changes , an organization that helps women participate more effectively in the community. Lynda also continues to be involved with the welfare of children through Governors for Children. Lynda’s belief in the power of education has extended into Mexico where she has been instrumental in fundraising for a school in the small town of Barron near Mazatlan. [ return to top] Nancy Close Community Member Nancy sits on the Board of Sage Theatre Society, a professional Calgary theatre company. Nancy is Board Secretary and Chair of their Fund Development committee. She also represents Sage Theatre at imagineCALGARY and helps coordinate the Collaborative Action committee in support of the imagineCALGARY Plan. Nancy works as bookkeeper and music school coordinator for her husband’s store Music Centre Canada in Strathmore. Nancy was a Trustee for the Calgary Board of Education for eight years. Previous to that, she was involved in her children's schools as a volunteer school council chair as well as being on the executive of the Calgary Council of Home and School Association (now CAPSC) and the grassroots advocacy group SPEAK (Support Public Education, Act for Kids). Nancy’s passions are public education, the arts and the concept of building community. [ return to top]
Leslie Newton Community Member Leslie Newton is a member of the executive for the Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils (CAPSC) and has been an active board member of the Chinook Park, Kelvin Grove and Eagle Ridge Community Association for five years. With a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Calgary and a diploma in Business Administration from Mount Royal College, Leslie is continuing her education with courses in non-profit management. Her passion for education has seen her act as School Council Chair at Chinook Park and Woodman Junior High Schools, in addition to being a long standing member of EducationMatters' Grants and Scholarship Committees. [ return to top] Hanif Ladha Director, Environment & Regulatory, CCS Midstream Services At CCS Midstream Hanif is responsible for the development and implementation of a best in class environmental and regulatory affairs program.  He has over 10 years of regulatory expertise with Pengrowth, Quicksilver Resources Canada & the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB).  Hanif is a member of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) Operations Regulatory Committee as well as the CAPP Compliance Assurance Task Group. A passionate community volunteer and youth advocate, Hanif served as Chairman on the Ismaili Aga Khan Youth & Sports Board for three years and then as Chairman on the Ismailli Aga Khan Education Board for four years until 2009.  He is also the School Team Lead with Aga Khan Foundation Canada, a non-denominational charitable organization that aims to alleviate global poverty.  He served as a Member on the Grants Committee for EducationMatters for three years.  [ return to top] Mark Saar Group Head & Director, Project Finance, RBC Capital Markets  Mark Saar's career in corporate finance with RBC Capital Markets has seen several positions in both Ontario and Alberta. In his current position he leads a team providing structured debt financing and project advisory servicesto energy sector corporations and financial sponsors across North America. Mark holds an M.B.A. from Queen's University, a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Waterloo and is a registered Professional Engineer. Prior to joining RBC, Mark worked in engineering and business development roles in the energy infrastructure sector focusing on new pipelines and independant power projects.To EducationMatters, Mark also brings the experience of his past volunteer commitments supporting students with Junior Achievement, sports coaching and parent council activities and as Chairman of an academic fraternity. [ return to top] Honourary Ambassador
Joanne Cuthbertson Chancellor, University of Calgary
		As the first elected Board Chair of EducationMatters, Joanne Cuthbertson taught for eight years in Calgary’s public school system. A strong advocate of public education and young people, Joanne has been a director with Prairieaction Foundation, a member of the Unicef Regional Advisory Council, a Vice-President of the Friends of Western Canada High School Society and involved with Hull Child & Family Services. Currently, she serves on the board of the Glenbow Museum, and is a member of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Education Fund Development Advisory Committee. Joanne founded SPEAK (Support Public Education - Act for Kids) in 1997, receiving the Calgary Award in Education that same year. She is now serving as Chancellor at the University of Calgary.
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Honourary Ambassador

David Pickersgill David Pickersgill is a former CBE Trustee and a long time community volunteer. He has served as Co-Chair Calgary Rocky View Child and Family Services Authority; Co-Chair Calgary Rocky View Steering Committee for redesign of Children's Services; President Big Sisters and Big Brothers Society of Calgary; Director Mountain Plains Community Services Society; Director Street Teams Society; Director Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada; and Advisor Rocky Mountain Y.M.C.A. Youth Leadership program. The former chairman of a Calgary construction products manufacturer, David served seven years as a CBE Trustee, stepping down in 2004. [ return to top]