Who We Are
Board of Trustees.
Max Chan
Board Chair (Calgary)
Max is a member of the Executive Leadership Team for Enbridge Inc., and was appointed Senior Vice President, Operations and Engineering for Liquids Pipelines in July 2025. Previously Max was the Senior Vice President & Corporate Development Officer responsible for Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Allocation, Investment Review and the Transaction Management Office. Max joined Enbridge in 2012 and has also served as Vice President, Treasury & Enterprise Risk among other leadership roles. Max started his career with BMO in Calgary in 2001.
After being diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) in 2020, he is now grateful to be a cancer survivor due to early detection and solid medical care. This experience inspired Max to become much more actively involved in cancer care, research and fundraising, and he has been proud to be the top fundraiser the last three years in the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer ride.
Max holds a degree in Economics from the University of Calgary, and an MBA from Dalhousie University. Max serves as Executive Chair of the Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer fundraising event and is a Senator at the University of Calgary. In the past Max has served as a board member for other not-for-profit organizations including; Inn From The Cold and the Westside Recreation Society.
In 2022, Max was named one of Canada’s Top 50 Changemakers by Report On Business Magazine. Max was also the recipient of the 2024 Mentor of the Year Award by Ascend Canada.
Tom Valentine
Interim Vice Chair and Governance & Human Resources Committee Chair (Calgary)
Practicing as a partner with Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP Tom has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, both as a barrister and as a solicitor.
Tom’s focus is on international energy projects, with a particular emphasis on gas and liquified natural gas (LNG). In 2002 and 2003, Tom and his family lived in Doha, Qatar, where Tom was senior counsel (projects) with Qatar Petroleum, the national oil and gas company for the State of Qatar. While in Qatar, Tom acted for Qatar Petroleum, as well as both Qatargas and RasGas.
Since returning to Canada, Tom has continued his work on upstream projects around the globe. He has advised both governments and project sponsors on projects in Canada (West and East Coasts), the United States, Iraq, the United Kingdom, Peru, Cyprus, Angola, Qatar, Australia, Uruguay, Nigeria, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran.
Tom also provides three and four day training seminars around the world on LNG contract law and production sharing contracts, appearing regularly in London, Dubai, Brazil, Brunei, Singapore, Seoul, Mozambique, and Algeria.
Darren Baumgardner
(Spruce Grove)
Darren Baumgardner has a passion for, and a proven track record of, driving fundraising initiatives for cancer research and patient care, including the Glenn Anderson Day of Golf, the Cross Cancer Institute’s 50th anniversary celebration, Jammin for a Cure, and many other events that continue to deliver much-needed support to patients with cancer across Alberta.
Darren is a managing partner of Westbrand Group of Companies and a partner in two industrial distribution companies. He has a long history of managing private equity investments in multiple industries and has held several leadership positions in telecommunications, heavy industrial and communications. Darren is also the Volunteer Co-Chair for the Glenn Anderson Day of Golf, an annual tournament that supports cancer care and research at the Cross Cancer Institute, and the Director of the Cure Cancer Foundation. He is a Canadian Institute of Advertising Certified Advertising Agency Practitioner. He also has a diploma in marketing management from NAIT.
Mark Blackwell
(Calgary)
Mark Blackwell is the General Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Builders VC, a venture capital firm with over $1 billion in assets under management. At Builders, he leads firm operations and investments focused on technology companies modernizing antiquated industries such as agriculture, healthcare and industrials across North America and beyond.
He serves on the Board of Governors at the University of Calgary, where he is Chair of the Budget Committee, Chair of the Investment Committee for the University’s Endowment, and Vice-Chair of the Finance and Properties Committee. Mark is also the Chair of the Investment Committee for Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), overseeing multi-billion-dollar public-private investments in clean technology and industrial innovation.
Previously, Mark was the Chief Operating Officer of GNS3 Technologies, a Calgary-based enterprise networking startup that was bootstrapped and later acquired by SolarWinds. During his tenure, the platform scaled to over one million monthly users and 16 million downloads, with clients including the U.S. Department of Defense, AT&T, Walmart, Google, and Facebook.
Earlier in his career, he was an Investment Manager at Cenovus Energy’s corporate venture fund and worked in technology investment banking at CIBC World Markets and business development at Enbridge.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary, where he received the Order of the University of Calgary and the Future Alumni Award, and was named one of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40. He also completed venture capital programs at Harvard Business School and UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Mark has had multiple close family members affected by different forms of cancer, which has deepened his personal connection to the cause. He feels fortunate to be investing in some of the world’s most advanced cancer drug discovery and precision medicine companies, helping accelerate innovation and hope in oncology.
Scott Budau
(Calgary)
Scott holds over two decades of financial and managerial expertise within the accounting and finance sectors with a primary focus on oil and gas operations. Currently serving as Chief Financial Officer at Touchstone Exploration Inc., Scott joined the company in 2011 as Manager of Financial Reporting and was promoted to his current role in 2012.
Prior to Touchstone, Scott held several senior finance roles, including Corporate Accountant at Cathedral Energy Services Ltd. and Controller at Rare Method Interactive Corp. and Calgary Flames Limited Partnership, where he was an Executive Committee member of the 2006 and 2007 Flames Alumni Charity golf tournaments.
Scott holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and earned his Chartered Accountant designation in 2005.
Kathryn (Kate) Chisholm
(Edmonton)
Kate Chisholm recently retired from the role of senior vice-president, chief legal and sustainability officer with Capital Power, where she had been a member of the senior executive team since 2004, leading Capital Power’s legal, regulatory and compliance, environmental policy, government relations and external affairs teams, and risk management and internal audit, media and communications, and sustainability efforts.
Prior to Capital Power, Kate served as EPCOR’s senior vice-president, general counsel and corporate secretary from 2004 to 2009, and vice-president, legal and commercial for Alberta’s Transmission Administrator (now the Alberta Electric System Operator) from 1999 to 2003.
Kate obtained her bachelor of arts from Mount Allison University, her bachelor of law from the University of Alberta, and her MBA from Queen’s University. She was awarded the prestigious “Robert V.A. Jones” Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association in 2008, appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2010, named one of Canada’s Top 50 Diversity Champions by Women of Influence Magazine in 2013, named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and given a Leadership in the Profession Award by WILL/Counsel Network/Association of Women Lawyers in 2014, and named one of Canada’s Top 50 General Counsels in 2016.
Kate currently chairs the University of Alberta Board of Governors and serves on a number of other boards and governing bodies, including the Canadian Investment Regulatory Commission and Emissions Reduction Alberta.
Rajko Dodic
(Lethbridge)
Rajko is a lawyer in Lethbridge having practiced in the city for over 30 years and is presently associated with Davidson & Williams LLP. He has also served on Lethbridge City Council both as a councillor and as mayor.
Rajko immigrated to Canada with his parents as a young child from the former Yugoslavia and has been proud to be a Canadian for more than 50 years. He received all of his education in Alberta and is a proud graduate of both the University of Lethbridge and the University of Alberta. Rajko believes his greatest achievements are having a wonderful spouse, two great children and three amazing grandchildren, and he looks forward to serving on the Alberta Cancer Foundation board.
Mark Fitzgerald
(Foothills)
As President and CEO of Eavor Technologies, Mark has more than 35 years of experience in the energy industry, and has held senior executive roles in production, development, operations, strategy and corporate development. His background includes time with large, integrated producers across North America as well as the junior oil and gas sector in western Canada. In addition, Mark has held senior global positions, shaping his perspective on social and community issues from a broad perspective.
Mark is a previous Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (“CAPP”) and is a current member of the Board of Directors for Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) and the Calgary Counselling Centre. He is also a founding board member for Classroom Champions and previously sat on the board for the Edge School Foundation, a unique learning community where students can pursue academic excellence while striving to reach their full athletic potential.
As a cancer survivor, Mark is passionate about supporting cancer research and support for those managing through their own difficult journey.
Joan Forge
(St. Albert)
After several years in the banking, agri-food business and three years with Economic Development Edmonton, Joan was appointed Chief of Staff to the Honourable Iris Evans, Minister of Alberta Municipal Affairs and Housing. She spent two years in this political position responsible for issues management, media and public relations, legislative strategies and managing the Minister’s office.
In 1999, Joan joined the Edmonton 2001 World Championships in Athletics as Director of Communications and a member of the Senior Management and Issues Management Teams and Chaired the Multi-Party Communications Committee. After wrapping-up the track and field championships in early 2002, Joan opened her own consulting business, Forge Ahead Communications, specializing in communications, government and community relations. In June 2006, Joan volunteered for the Ed Stelmach for Leader of the Progressive Conservative Association campaign as Chair of Communications and member of the executive ream. Stelmach won the contest and served as Premier of Alberta for two terms.
Joan has served as a member of the Board of Directors of several boards within the province, spearheaded the Edmonton Eskimo Wives Endowment Fund for ovarian cancer research and was a member of the 50 Women of Options 2021 and 2022 campaigns. Joan is an avid football fan and enjoys walking, off-roading, handcrafting, reading, traveling with her husband and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Witnessing cancer’s impact within her immediate and extended family, and supporting a close friend currently facing cancer, Joan has a heartfelt commitment to improving the cancer journey for all who face it.
Brenda Hubley
(Edmonton)
Brenda is the Chief Program Officer for Cancer Care Alberta within Alberta Health Services. Brenda is a senior health-care leader who has worked in the sector for over 20 years with extensive experience in health-care leadership, project management and strategic and operational planning in health-care service delivery. Brenda is a graduate of Dalhousie University and her clinical background is as a radiation therapist. Brenda has worked in academic and hospital environments and with provincial and national professional associations and councils including serving as vice president of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists.
Since joining the Alberta health system in 2006, Brenda has held numerous leadership positions in cancer care including operations leader for the Radiation Therapy Corridor Project, executive director community oncology and provincial practices and senior program lead for CancerControl North. Brenda is committed to a high-performing cancer program informed by research and evidence, designed in partnership with patients and families, and respectful and responsive to the diversity of the populations we serve.
Shenaz Jeraj
(Edmonton)
Shenaz Jeraj is a management and IT consultant with experience in strategic planning, organizational design, business process improvement, project and change management, and cybersecurity. She has worked in both public and private sectors, including petrochemicals, oil and gas, health care, banking, forestry, and education. She is Chair of the Departmental Audit Committee for the federal government’s Communications Security Establishment.
Shenaz has served as Vice-Chair of the University of Alberta Board of Governors and sat on several of its committees. She continues to serve on the university’s finance, audit and risk committee. Her other board roles have included the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the University Hospital Foundation and community-based groups supporting education and refugee resettlement. She holds a degree in computing science from the University of Alberta, along with an ICD.D designation and certifications in project and change management. In 2005, she received the Alberta Centennial Medal for community service.
Shenaz’s dedication to cancer advocacy stems from personal experience, having supported her husband, extended family and close friends, through various stages of cancer treatment. These moments have deepened her understanding of the emotional and practical needs of patients and caregivers.
Sandra Lau
Investment Committee Chair (Edmonton)
Sandra is an accomplished corporate and investment executive with over 25 years of experience managing multi-billion-dollar, multi-client funds. She most recently served as Co-Chief Investment Officer and Head of Public Investments at Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), where she led the management of a diversified portfolio of public and private assets for AIMCo’s pension, endowment, and specialty fund clients. In her role as Co-CIO and Chair of the Investment Committee, Sandra was responsible for shaping AIMCo’s investment strategies, overseeing active asset allocation and investment management, and directing currency, derivatives, and liquidity management.
Prior to this role, Sandra was Executive Vice President of Fixed Income at AIMCo, where she led and drove the growth of the organization’s public fixed income, private mortgages, private credit, and derivatives investments.
In addition to serving as Chair of the Investment Committee and Board of Trustees at the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Sandra also acts as an independent advisor and serves on advisory boards for several Canadian companies. Her past committee roles include the Bank of Canada’s Canadian Fixed Income Forum, the Canadian Alternative Reference Rate Working Group, and the FTSE Russell Canada Fixed Income Advisory Committee.
Sandra holds a Master of Economics and Finance and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance, both from the University of Alberta, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Lynn Mandel
(Edmonton)
Lynn started a professional career in dance at the age of 15 in Toronto, performing in stage and TV shows from 1961-1973. For 12 years she juggled school (both high school and university), her career and the responsibility of owning and operating two Royal Academy Ballet schools.
In 1973, Lynn and her husband Stephen (Edmonton’s previous mayor), moved to Edmonton. While teaching at Muriel Taylor Dance School, she was invited to become part of the staff of the newly founded dance department at Grant MacEwan, and for 10 years, she taught in the dance, outreach and musical theatre departments.
Lynn is a committed community volunteer. She currently sits as a director on the board of the Nina Haggerty Arts Society and is a past director of several boards within the city. She has also been instrumental in helping many nonprofit organizations in Edmonton and Alberta raise funds.
Pete Merlo
(Grande Prairie)
Pete is Partner and President of the LSM Group of Companies in Grande Prairie. With over 60 years in business, LSM employs more than 120 trades and support staff across construction, service and manufacturing. Though no longer involved in day-to-day operations, Pete is proud to have helped embed a strong culture of corporate social responsibility across the company, with staff regularly volunteering and supporting community organizations.
Pete is a past President of both the Grande Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce and the Swan City Rotary Club. He has served on the boards of Alberta Blue Cross and Northwestern Polytechnic, chairing governance and compensation committees and holding terms as Board Chair. He received his ICD.D designation in 2011 and remains an active member.
Pete and his wife, Lori, a thyroid cancer survivor, are strong supporters of the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital and its regional cancer centre, and are committed to the continued growth, development and improved wellbeing of their community.
Shelley Powell
Chair of the Impact & Engagement Committee (Calgary)
Shelley Powell is the Senior Vice President, exploration and production and in situ at Suncor Energy. In this role, she leads all of Suncor’s operated and non-operated in situ, and exploration and production assets in regions including northern Alberta, the East Coast of Canada, and the United Kingdom. Shelley’s organization is also responsible for coordinating Suncor’s strategic objective of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions from oil sands operations by 2050. She is originally from Edmonton and grew up moving across Canada as part of a military family. More recently she spent 10 years residing in Fort McMurray and now calls Calgary home. Shelley has a bachelor of chemical engineering from the University of Ottawa and two master’s degrees, one in business administration and one in science and finance both from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Dean Ruether
(Calgary)
Dr. Ruether is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in Oncology at the University of Calgary. He completed a Master of Science Degree followed by his MD at the University of Alberta. This was then followed by a Residency in Internal Medicine and Subspecialty Training in Oncology at the University of Calgary. Dr. Ruether worked in private practice including clinics at the Tom Baker Cancer Center from 1995 until early 2000 and subsequently joined the Tom Baker Cancer Clinic full time in 2000. He was awarded the Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders in 2020, reflecting his interest and professional development in health leadership.
Dr. Ruether has served as an Associate Senior Medical Director and Medical Director, Community Oncology in Cancer Care Alberta since September of 2015. In this role, his area of responsibility and area of particular interest is in Community Oncology. Together with his dyad partners and CCA leadership, the ability to provide cancer therapies outside of the tertiary programs, and closer to home for Albertans has expanded considerably. Further development of this program and capacity remains a key interest of his.
Dr. Ruether has a demonstrated record of exemplary service in education, including receipt of several teaching and preceptorship awards. He received an Alberta Health Services President’s Excellence Award for Achievement in Patient and Family Centered Care in 2019. In addition, he has had significant experience in a variety of administrative roles provincially, nationally and internationally.
Outside of work Dr. Ruether enjoys time spent with his partner and two children and can regularly be found walking at Nosehill or other parks in the city with his two dogs. He enjoys weight training, yoga, gardening and travel. His family recently welcomed their first grand daughter.
Kiren Singh
(Canmore)
Kiren is a senior executive with more than 30 years of experience in the global energy industry with extensive experience in international corporate finance, global capital markets activities and financial risk management in private and publicly traded companies in Canada and the USA. She has a strong background in governance and serves on the board of directors for several prominent organizations, including as Chair of the Audit Committee at Pieridae Energy Inc. (PEA:TSE), and Audit and Risk Committee of Computer Modelling Group (CMG:TSE), and Travel Alberta. Previously, Kiren served as a director on the boards of Dynamic Risk Assessment Systems and Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC).
Kiren Singh has a deep personal connection to cancer care and research. After losing her mother, sister and uncle to cancer, she co-founded HaskalifeTM, a functional food company centered around the Alberta-grown haskap berry and its significant health benefits. The products are curated around the unique phytochemical profile of the haskap berry and deploy premium processing technologies to retain the maximum nutritional value. Kiren’s mission is to expand awareness of this powerful Canadian superfruit and contribute to the well-being of our community.
Kiren earned a master of business administration and a bachelor of commerce from the University of Calgary. She also holds Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designations, as well as the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation, representing a lifelong commitment to excellence in the boardroom.
Wayne Steinke
(Desert Blume)
Wayne Steinke is an accomplished professional engineer with a successful career marked by continuous growth and leadership. Wayne is currently a senior licensing manager at Topsoe with a focus on leading the energy transition by helping clients achieve their decarbonization and emission reduction goals.
Wayne started his career at CF Industries in Medicine Hat, Canada’s largest nitrogen manufacturing complex. His first role was as a process engineer in 1999, after graduating with a degree in chemical engineering with distinction from the University of Calgary.
Wayne demonstrated a passion for plant operation and troubleshooting, gradually taking on larger roles. His dedication to people leadership and organizational development has been a hallmark of his career. Wayne held many leadership roles including production manager, engineering manager and from 2020-2024, through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as the site’s general manager.
Wayne joined the Alberta Cancer Foundation Board to provide input from, and raise awareness of, the Medicine Hat region. Wayne lost his mom to cancer in 2015 and is proud to support the Alberta Cancer Foundation in achieving their vision of a cancer-free future.
Danielle Thorkelsson
(Edmonton)
Danielle is a seasoned Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with over 25 years of experience in accounting and finance. She has held key roles in both public and private companies, showcasing her expertise across diverse sectors. Currently, Danielle serves as the Chief Financial Officer and part owner of Pitbull Energy Services Inc. where she oversees finance, human resources, and health, safety and environment. Under her financial leadership, Pitbull has grown into a thriving energy services company with over 400 employees, operating across Western Canada.
Danielle holds a Bachelor of Commerce with distinction from the University of Alberta, and has been recognized for her volunteer commitments with a Distinguished Service Award, reflecting her dedication to giving back to the community.