Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is a professional group of people with varied backgrounds, including small business, legal services, finance, corporate executive, community service and development. We are proud to have such a strong group who is able to offer our corporation guidance.
Our Board of Directors:
Left to right: Dave Urness, Chris LaBossiere, Ken Cory, Jim Smith, Andy Beal, Abe Neufeld, Rick Pfliger, Gerry Marcotte. Missing from group photo: Darlene Halwas. Biographies for each member are below.
Andy Beal - Chair
Andy is a founder of the law firm of Stefura Greber & Beal LLP where he continues to practice law.
He grew up in Grande Prairie and returned home in 1992. Andy attended the Grande Prairie Regional College, the University of Alberta and Queen’s University at Kingston.
Andy is very active in the community. Highlights of his past involvement include the chairing the highly successful 2000 Alberta Summer Games, chairing the Odyssey House women’s shelter from 1992 to 1996, and was the Director in charge of development for the Community Foundation of Greater Grande Prairie. In addition, Andy has served on the coaching staff of the Tomahawk Volleyball Team, the Wapiti Striders Running Club and Wapiti Nordic Racing Rabbits program.
In 2005 he received the Alberta Centennial Medal for service to the people and province of Alberta. He is a Paul Harris fellow.
Rick Pfliger - Secretary
Rick is a Certified Management Accountant whose work history includes the roles of Chief Accountant of Prince George and Intercontinental Pulp and Paper Mills, and Controller for Canfor Alberta Operations in Grande Prairie. He also served as Controller at Ken Sargent Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd. and was the Owner/Manager of Wonderland Toy & Hobby Ltd.
In 1998, Rick was awarded the Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award as well as the Downtown Association Downtowner of the Year award.
Ken Cory
Since June 2011, Ken is the Chief Industry Advisor / Executive in Residence at Apollo Global Management LLC. He works with Apollo to identify, screen, and close larger scale, high return transactions in the power generation, utility, and related sectors.
Previously Ken was Founder and CEO of NewCo and raised $2 billion with Energy Investors Fund out of New York City and Bank of Montreal out of Calgary to acquire and lead a 1500 mw power generation company with assets in the U.S. and Canada.
Ken also served as Executive Vice President, Finance & Administration for EPCOR Utilities from 2007-09, before serving a transitional role as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Risk at Capital Power Corporation. EPCOR has a single government shareholder - the City of Edmonton - but operates as a publicly run company with an independent Board of Directors under a unanimous shareholders agreement, which is similar to Aquatera’s status.
Ken has a strong financial and industry background and has a Ph.D. in Strategic Management with a specialization in Finance. He holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, and his previous board memberships include Capital Power Corporation, Capital Power Income Limited Partnership, V3 Technologies LLC, and the Center for New Ventures & Entrepreneurship at Texas A&M University.
Darlene Halwas
CFA, FRM, ICD.D
Darlene is an executive with significant experience in governance, management, staff development, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), project management, mergers and acquisitions, investment oversight, and development of policies.
Her strong engagement and commitment on current and past board memberships has included the Safety Codes Council, the CFA Institute in Virginia, and the Calgary Police Commission. She is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Darlene currently lives in Calgary where she is the President of Birdtail Consulting Ltd.
Chris LaBossiere
Chris is co-founder and owner of Yardstick Software Inc., the grand prize winner of the 2006 Venture Prize Business Plan competition, and recognized by Alberta Venture magazine as one of the fastest growing corporations under $20 million every year from 2007 to 2011. In both 2010 and 2011, Yardstick was listed in Profit magazine’s Profit 100 Fastest Growing Companies in Canada.
Previously, Chris held positions as Senior Vice President for Waste Services (CA) Inc. and Market Area Manager for Waste Management Inc. from 1997-05, resulting in an extremely strong solid waste industry background.
Chris’ board memberships include the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, the Alberta Party Political Association and the Edmonton Student Finance Appeal Committee.
Gerry Marcotte
Gerry's 31 years as owner of G & M Plumbing & Heating Ltd. has encompassed work throughout the Alberta and B.C. Peace region consisting specifically of construction and service of residential, commercial, institutional, industrial and utility infrastructure work. Journeyman and Red Seal plumbing certification was achieved through NAIT. Gerry sold his business in 2010.
Very active in the community, his current board and committee memberships include Swan City Rotary, Catholic Family Services, and St. Joseph Church finance committee. His past board memberships include the Grande Prairie Credit Union, Grande Prairie Minor Hockey, the Grande Prairie Construction Association, and the Alberta Construction Association.
Abe Neufeld
Abe is a successful local business owner and entrepreneur. In 2007 he sold Neufeld Petroleum and Propane Ltd. and Neufeld Holdings Ltd. to Parkland Income Fund. Abe then joined Parkland Income Fund as a Vice President.
Jim Smith
Jim had a successful 32-year career shared between Procter and Gamble and Weyerhaeuser. He held a wide range of senior leadership roles in plant and corporate systems design, business planning and organization development.
David Urness
David has practiced as a charted accountant since 1991. He is currently a partner with MNP LLP, one of the largest chartered accountancy and business advisory firms in Canada.