Transition Binder for Chief Executive Officer

Cassie Doyle, Chairperson
s. 19(1)

Cassie Doyle has had a distinguished career in the public service, where she served at the executive level in all three levels of the Government in Canada, including as Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada. She has gained a deep understanding of natural resource and environmental governance and management and has a strong track record of effective partnerships with non-governmental organizations, industry, First Nations, governments and academia. Ms. Doyle was recently the Chair of the Expert Panel on Integrated Natural Resource Management conducted by the Council of Canadian Academies and a Board Member of the Alberta Energy Regulator.

George Vegh, Vice-Chairperson
s. 19(1)

Mr. Vegh is the Head of McCarthy Tétrault’s Toronto energy regulation practice and co-leader of the firm’s national energy regulatory practice. Mr. Vegh is an Adjunct Professor of energy law and regulation at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy as well as the University of Toronto Law School, Mr. Vegh was previously General Counsel at the Ontario Energy Board.

Alain Jolicoeur, Director
s. 19(1)

Alain Jolicoeur has served as a temporary member on the National Energy Board since 2016. He has more than 30 years of experience as an executive in the federal public service, including as the former President of the Canada Border Services Agency. Mr. Jolicoeur holds a Master of International Law and Customs from the University of Canberra, as well as degrees in Physics Engineering and Meteorology. He also holds an Institute of Corporate Directors Certificate from the Rotman School of Management.

Ellen Barry, Director
s. 19(1)

Ellen Barry is a former Deputy Minister with the Province of New Brunswick. As a career public servant she served as Deputy Minister with the Departments of Tourism & Parks, Wellness, Culture and Sport and the Department of Human Resources. Previous to these assignments, she served as Assistant Deputy Minister in the Department of Natural Resources and Finance. Her public service experience has provided her the opportunity to work extensively with multi-stakeholder groups. Since her retirement, Ms. Barry has worked on consulting assignments in New Brunswick as well as with the Institute of Public Administration (IPAC). She is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick.

Melanie Debassige, Director
s. 19(1)

Melanie Debassige has over 20 years of experience in Indigenous Economic Development and is a certified corporate director. She is currently employed as the Executive Director of the Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation and serves on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Clean Water Agency. She previously served as Chief of Staff for the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations and was an elected official with the M’Chigeeng First Nation. Ms. Debassige holds a Master of Business Administration from Cape Breton University and is a graduate of the Directors Education Program at the Institute of Corporate Directors and Rotman School of Management.

Damien Côté, Lead Commissioner
s. 19(1)

Damien A. Côté was appointed as a temporary member of the National Energy Board (NEB) in October 2016 and reappointed in April 2019. He has a wealth of expertise related to Indigenous and regulatory law and more than seven years of senior executive leadership, many of which were spent in the Canadian Arctic. He holds a Juris Doctor and a Licentiate of Laws from the University of Ottawa, a Master of Arts (Economics) from the University of Toronto, as well as a Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental) and a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from Carleton University.

Kathy Penney, Deputy Lead Commissioner
s. 19(1)

Kathy Penney was a permanent member of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission until her appointment as a Commissioner. She has over 25 years of regulatory, environmental, health and safety (HSE) experience in the public and private sectors, in Canada and Australia. Ms. Penney has expertise in environmental assessments, HSE assurance and compliance processes, the development of regulatory frameworks, quasi-judicial and federal government project hearings, and Indigenous consultation. She holds a Master of Science from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto. Ms. Penney is a Pearson College scholar and holds an Executive Management Certificate from Queen’s University.

Trena L. Grimoldby, Commissioner
s. 19(1)

Trena Grimoldby has extensive experience in the energy and regulatory sectors, including administrative tribunal practice and procedure, regulatory law, environmental law, Indigenous matters, occupational health and safety, litigation, employment law, and privacy law. She most recently served as in-house counsel for PETRONAS Canada and Public Chairperson at the Insurance Councils Appeal Board of Alberta until her appointment as Commissioner. Prior to that, she served as in-house counsel to Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Shell Canada Limited, and as Board Counsel at the Alberta Energy Regulator (then the Energy and Utilities Board and subsequently the Energy Resources Conservation Board). She holds a Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Arts with a specialization in English from the University of Alberta.

Wilma Jacknife, Commissioner
s. 19(1)

Ms. Wilma Jacknife served as a temporary member of the NEB until December 31, 2018. She has almost 20 years of experience in practicing law, both in private practice and as legal counsel for Cold Lake First Nation in Alberta. She specializes in First Nations governance, consultation and negotiation of impact benefits agreements, business development, administrative law and employment and estates law and law-making. Ms. Jacknife also has extensive experience working with various First Nations organizations across Canada. Ms. Jacknife holds a Doctor of Juridical Science in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy and a Master of Laws in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy from the University of Arizona – College of Law and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia and two Bachelor of Art degrees from the University of Alberta.

Stephania Luciuk, Commissioner
s. 19(1)

Stephania Luciuk has extensive experience in the energy sector, including in oil and gas industries on a broad range of matters, among them environmental, labour, First Nations and employment and human rights issues. Ms. Luciuk has been in legal practice for over 20 years and previously served as in-house counsel for Imperial Oil, where she oversaw a legal team that successfully completed the regulatory process for the Kearl Oil Sands project and negotiated with First Nations groups and government regarding the Mackenzie Gas project hearings. In 2017, Ms. Luciuk was appointed as an assistant professor at Mount Royal University. Ms. Luciuk holds a Juris Doctor from York University and a Master of Laws in international environmental law from Dalhousie University.

Mark Watton, Commissioner
s. 19(1)

Mark Watton was first called to the bar in Ontario and practiced as a litigator in the Toronto office of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin. He left private practice, relocating to Calgary to join the National Energy Board (NEB) where he was legal counsel for seven years, advising on multiple major project applications. Before his appointment as Commissioner with the CER, he held the position of Senior Legal Counsel, Commercial and Canadian Regulatory Law for TC Energy's Liquids Division.

Prior to practicing law, Mark worked in executive and policy advisory roles for numerous cabinet ministers in several federal government departments, and in the office of the Prime Minister.

Mark holds an LL.B. from Dalhousie University Law School with specializations in Marine Law and Business Law, and a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Political Science) from the University of Ottawa.

Alex Ross | Executive Vice-President, Law and General Counsel
s. 19(1)

Alex Ross became Executive Vice-President, Law and General Counsel in July 2018. He joined the regulator in August of 2001 where he has served as Associate General Counsel for seven years and counsel for ten years. Between being called to the Bar in 1997 and starting at the organization, he worked as a lawyer at Dentons Canada LLP (formerly, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP). His career has focused on energy regulation (including aboriginal, environment, energy and natural resources management issues), and associated public and administrative law.

Sandy Lapointe | Executive Vice-President, Regulatory
s. 19(1)

Sandy Lapointe became Executive Vice President, Regulatory in May 2011. Prior to this, she was Vice President, Operations from August 2007 and Vice President, Applications from July 2002. She joined the regulator in 1992 as an Environmental Specialist and has held various positions. Prior to joining the regulator, she worked for an environmental consulting firm in Edmonton.

Tracy Sletto | Executive Vice-President Transparency & Strategic Engagement
s. 19(1)

Tracy Sletto joined the regulator in 2011 with extensive experience in strategic planning, policy development, strategic communications, and public administration. She served as Vice-President, People and Communications Services before joining the Energy Adjudication Business Unit. Before joining the organization, she worked with the federal department of Western Economic Diversification Canada in Calgary. Previously, she worked with the Government of Saskatchewan in a variety of leadership roles.

Alexis Williamson | Vice-President People & Workforce Supports and Chief Human Resources Officer
s. 19(1)

Alexis Williamson joined the regulator in October 2016, after working with the British Columbia provincial oil and gas regulator. She has over 20 years’ experience working in senior leadership positions both in the private and public sector. Her primary focus of work has been dedicated to strategy and employee engagement, program design, change management, recruitment and hiring, compensation, learning and leadership development, workforce planning and executive coaching.

Jean-Denis Charlebois | Secretary of the Commission
s. 19(1)

Jean-Denis Charlebois joined the regulator in 2006. He has led the analysis for a number of tolls and facilities hearings as well as public engagement initiatives. As a Director in the organization, he led various multidisciplinary teams focused on public hearings, tolls and tariff matters and regulatory policy. As Chief Economist, he oversaw the technical work of the organization related to financial and economic regulation, and market analysis. Previously he worked at the Department of Finance in Ottawa and the Canadian International Development Agency.

Katherine Murphy | Chief of Staff
s. 19(1)

Katherine Murphy joined the regulator in July 2012, became Associate General Counsel in October 2017, and Chief of Staff in July 2019. She has practiced law in the energy regulatory and litigation fields for 10 years, in both government and private practice. While at the NEB and CER, Ms. Murphy has worked in legal and policy roles, serving as counsel to the Board for numerous proceedings, as well as various policy initiatives. Her experience includes governance matters, administrative law, Aboriginal law, and environmental law. Prior to joining the organization, she practiced at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Calgary, Alberta.

Mark Power | Vice-President Performance & Results and Chief Financial Officer
s. 19(1)

Mark Power joined the regulator in December 2017. He was most recently with the Wood Buffalo Recovery Task Force, a municipal organization created to respond to the aftermath of the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire. He has had a long and distinguished career in public service including several roles in the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador, including oil and gas royalty administration. Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, he has lived in Alberta for the last 20 years working in senior leadership positions in the oil sands and with oil and gas service companies.