Join us in our nation’s capital
September 19-20, 2023
National Arts Centre

Ann Burton leads on International Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) projects at Drax Group. As part of the Innovation team, she’s responsible for the identification and development of new sites for BECCS plants, with a specific focus on North America, as Drax looks to export its UK experience of sustainable bioenergy generation to new geographies. Ann has a MSc Business Strategy & the Environment, and a BEng Civil Engineering; and previously experience includes international business development within the energy sector and global project management for KPMG and EY.

Mr. Bill Laturnus is a Senior Safety Advisor, Manufacturing at the British Columbia Forest Safety Council (BCFSC). Bill has extensive experience in sawmill operations, and as a proponent of Process Safety Management (PSM), supports the incorporation of practical applications of PSM at wood pellet worksites. Bill has recently conducted key safety activities focusing on risk reduction of hazards in wood pellet operations (WPAC). Bill also has 13 years of experience auditing Safety Management Systems (SMS) in forest products manufacturing.

Ms Collins, a Tsimshian matriarch from the House of Niis Hai Waas, wearing the name of K’sm Huk’dzen, meaning the bright sunlight shining through the mist; is firstly a wife, mother and grandmother with a strong belief in family.

Currently Ms Collins resides in the Tsimshian village of Kitsumkalum, which is the primary village of the People of the Robin, located immediately west of the city of Terrace, BC.

As a graduate of the University of Northern British Columbia Ms Collins has had a long career focus of supporting First Nations in their development in business, training, education, health as well as politics and treaty making.

Currently the General Manager for the Kitsumkalum group of companies, she is supporting the development of own source revenue for the community by building corporations, projects and joint ventures.

Dr. Fahimeh Yazdan Panah is the director of research and technical development at the Wood Pellet Association of Canada and a Research Associate at the University of British Columbia. She has been engaged in research and discovery in the emerging area of bioenergy for over 15 years and have managed bioenergy projects for a variety of clients including governments, manufacturers and technology developers. She has led biofuel densification, pretreatment, storage and handling research studies for 10 years and has co-authored more than 80 technical reports and peer-reviewed publications in the field. Fahimeh also serves as the Project Lead within ISO Technical Committee 238 (Solid Biofuels) and served as the Chair within ISO Technical Committee 300 (Solid Recovered Biofuels) for two years. She received her PhD and MASc from Chemical and Biological Engineering Department at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and she holds a bachelor’s degree from Amirkabir University of Technology. She is also a registered Professional Engineer with EGBC and Professional Project Manager with PMI.

Dr. Jamie Stephen is the Managing Director of TorchLight Bioresources, a decarbonization strategy and policy advisor for national, provincial, and municipal governments, First Nations, utilities, airlines, large industrial emitters, property developers, and investment funds. Projects range from the development of energy facilities to national strategies on meeting Net Zero targets. He has two decades of experience in the bioenergy industry, working at the interface of the energy, forestry, agriculture, and waste sectors. Dr. Stephen holds a PhD in Forest and Energy Economics and a Masters in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of British Columbia. After growing up in the prairies and spending over a decade in eastern Ontario, he now resides with his wife and three daughters in Nova Scotia.

Dr. William Strauss is the president and founder of FutureMetrics, LLC. Bill and his FutureMetrics team are globally recognized as the leading experts in the wood pellet sector. Bill continues to be a thought leader in the sector and has published numerous papers on a variety of subjects relevant to the wood pellet sector. He is also a founder and director of Maine Energy Systems, the largest manufacturer of European style automatic pellet fuelled central heating systems in North America. Bill is the 2012 recipient of the International Excellence in Bioenergy award and was named as one of the most influential leaders in the biomass sector in 2016 and 2017 by Argus Media. Bill has more than 40 years of strategic and policy planning, project management, data analysis, operations, and modeling experience in the renewable energy sector. He has an MBA (specializing in Finance) and a Ph.D. (Economics, Earth Systems Science).

Gary Bull is a Professor and Head of the Forest Resources Management Department at the University of British Columbia in Canada. He teaches courses in the emerging bio-economy and resource economics.

Gary has worked with First Nations in Canada for nearly 20 years bridging the gaps between changing technologies, natural resource management and First Nations’ culture and values. He is also a resource economics specialist working with global forest products companies, the bioenergy sector, UN FAO, several eNGOs, indigenous organizations and all levels of government.

He has worked and undertaken applied research in countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as Europe and North America.  He has prepared over 200 scientific publications and technical reports for international organizations.

Gary is familiar with the work of SBP, serving as a member of the independent Advisory Board to SBP from 2015 to 2018.

Having been on the ground in sawmill and woodlands operations, as well as the corporate finance aspect of the industry – working in mergers, acquisitions, and project financing, Gordon Murray joined the Wood Pellet Association of Canada in 2009. Today, he works as an ardent advocate on behalf of Canadian producers, traders, ports, terminals, shipping companies, equipment suppliers and all those who want to participate in growing a safe and prosperous wood pellet industry. Gordon Murray has a bachelor of science in forestry. He is a registered professional forester and a chartered professional accountant.

Gregg Koehler, Sales Manager, Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd. and Sales Director, Premium Pellet Ltd. Gregg is the Sales Manager for Sinclar and has held this position since January 2011. In January 2017 Gregg was appointed Sales Manager for Winton Homes Ltd. and in July 2017 he was appointed Sales Director of Premium Pellet Ltd. Gregg has held several progressive positions within the Sinclar Group since joining the company in 2002 as a sales assistant with an affiliated business, The Pas Lumber Company Ltd. Gregg has been a member of the Canada Wood SPF Marketing Steering Committee since 2015 and is a graduate of the University of Victoria where he achieved his bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science.

Jeff Mycroft B.Sc, is a leading expert in explosion protection and the Ontario Regional Sales Manager for Fike Canada.  Fike are world leaders in explosion protection, as well as overpressure protection.  Jeff has been with Fike Canada for over 20 years and is a frequent speaker at industry events, governmental bodies, inspection agencies all across Canada. He has an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry, and has received various professional certifications and designations.  Jeff is experienced in the design and application of

Explosion Protection Systems, as well as navigating the relevant governing documents, codes, and standards.

Jonathan graduated from NBCC in Business Technology. He has been with Groupe Savoie since 1999, holding various positions and responsibilities in the fields of shipping, sales and plant management. Since 2011, he is the Vice-President of Sales and Development. Jonathan is a member of Forest Nova Scotia, Wood Pellet Association of Canada and also a director of the Atlantic Council for Bioenergy Co-operative.

Julie MacDougall, RPF, started her career in the 90’s as a practicing field forester in Burns Lake and then as a resource manager in Vanderhoof before relocating to work as a District Manager with Alberta Parks for 10 years. Now back home in BC, the province is benefiting from her diverse background as she leads the Innovative Bioeconomy and Indigenous Opportunities, the Forest Carbon and Climate Services Branches and the Old Growth Strategic Review in her role as the Executive Director Strategic Initiatives, in the Office of the Chief Forester, Ministry of Forests.  As an avid backcountry mountain biker and backpacker, her love of spending time outdoors with friends and family only strengthens her resolve to see BC’s forests continue to thrive in a changing climate. Julie’s breadth of multi-sector natural resource planning and management experience in both British Columbia and Alberta offers insightful, first-hand knowledge of sustainable forest management and forest landscape planning.

Karen Brandt is a communications professional who has a passion for sustainability and for the past 30 years she has held a number of senior positions in the public and private sectors where she has built common positions and partnerships with First Nations, environmental groups, customers and governments. She holds an honours Bachelor of Journalism (minor Political Science) from Carleton University in Ottawa.

Kayleigh has more than 12 years of professional experience working across a range of industries, including wood processing, aerospace, oil and gas, and nuclear. She holds a Master of Applied Science from Dalhousie University in chemical engineering, specializing in process safety and risk management. After graduating, Kayleigh has worked in risk management in a range of sectors, including wood products manufacturing and healthcare.

Kayleigh has provided technical guidance for a range of health and safety, environmental protection, and continuous improvement programs. Kayleigh leverages this diverse experience to provide holistic risk management support across organizations of all sizes. Kayleigh is specialized in process safety and hazard analysis and helps organizations protect their operations and personnel, enhance productivity, and improve health and safety metrics.

Kayleigh is a registered Professional Engineer (NS, BC) and holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical), as well as a Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Chemistry).

Mike works as an Occupational Safety Officer and Supervisor with WorkSafeBC. Mike has been an Officer of the Board for over 23 years.

Prior to joining WorkSafeBC, Mike spent many years working in a wide range of industry positions, including supervision and safety management. In 2004, he achieved national accreditation as a “Canadian Registered Safety Professional”.

In 2016, Mike was recognized by the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering with the Outstanding Achievement Award for his role in developing the “Supervising for Safety” educational program. This program is a free instructional website assisting supervisors in understanding their roles and responsibilities and has been completed by over 18,000 supervisors.

Mike is a member of WorkSafeBC’s Process Safety team and has worked extensively with the wood pellet industry since 2012. Mike sits on several provincial project teams related to manufacturing sectors, including the safeguarding regulation development committee and the combustible dust working group.

Monique Frison is a Director General in the Canadian Forest Service at Natural Resources Canada, the national and international voice for Canada’s forest sector. The Canadian Forest Service collaborates closely with Canada’s provinces and territories to ensure our forests are sustainable and healthy for our country and the world to enjoy. Monique’s career spans two decades with the Canadian federal government.  She has held various high-profile positions across the Federal Public Service, including at Health Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Infrastructure Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Global Affairs Canada. Internationally, Monique has also held positions with the International Organization on Migration, as well as with Global Affairs Canada in Washington DC, where she worked on the 2006 Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement. Monique hails from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, but currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Paula Cook leads the energy program for the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works, who own and manage 2400 buildings valued at over $2.5 Billion. She has over 15 years of construction industry experience, including several years as a project manager in mechanical contracting, a supervisor in utility operations, and more recently working in owner’s project management roles which led to her passion in energy program management. Her mission is to support commercial building owners in developing and executing strategies to thrive toward Net-Zero Emissions by 2050 targets. Paula is a professional engineer (P.Eng) with a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from Dalhousie University. She is also a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) with the Association of Energy Engineers. Paula looks forward to sharing how wood heat can play a role in Nova Scotia’s building emissions reductions targets.

Philippe Theriault, RPF, has more than 25 years’ experience in British Columbia’s forest sector.

He is the General Manager of Tsi Del Del Enterprises Limited and of the Tsideldel Development Corporation. He is also a team member of Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation and the Eniyud Community Forest. As an entrepreneur committed to First Nations involvement and economic development, he likes to challenge the status quo and find creative ways to maintain employment and generate revenue for the Tsideldel First Nation.

Philippe and his team have been involved with the biomass industry since 2009, specializing in large scale biomass recovery from waste in traditional logging operations. To date, the team as recovered over one million cubic metres of wood in the Cariboo Region that would otherwise been burnt at roadside.

Roger Keery joined Skeena Sawmills in 2014 as VP Operations and moved to the President’s role in Nov 2018.   He is also the President of Skeena Bioenergy, a standalone company incorporated to operate the wood pellet plant built by Skeena in 2019.    Born and raised in an entrepreneurial  sawmilling and logging family in British Columbia, he has over 40 years of forest industry experience.   This includes working around the province in various areas of the industry with a strong focus on Northern B.C.  Starting work as a Mechanical Designer for Ainsworth Lumber in 100 Mile House and them moving to B.C. Forest Products Mackenzie Division for 15 years.   He has also managed remanufacturing plants, engineered wood plants, a sawmill equipment design and manufacturing business, specialty sawmills as well as consulting for Forest companies in Canada and New Zealand.    A UBC graduate in Mechanical Engineering, he is a registered Professional Engineer and has held positions on several industry committees.

Away from work at Skeena he enjoys golf, building furniture, painting and taking long trekking holidays with his wife.

For more than 25 years, Scott has worked across the forest products industry in diverse leadership roles in mill operations, residual based renewable energy production (wood pellets), and major capital projects execution and commissioning.

As the Chief Executive Officer for Peak Renewables, Scott is responsible for the people, culture, and operational execution of all aspects of Peak’s business. Scott is passionate about Team, believes in leading with empathy and fostering a strong performance management culture that is based on candor, respect, and accountability.

Prior to joining Peak, Scott served as the Chief Operating Officer at Pinnacle Renewable Energy. During his tenure, Scott’s leadership led Pinnacle’s growth from a 800,000 MT of annual production wood pellet producer to becoming the world’s second largest wood pellet producer with production capacity of 2.8 MM MT/yr with annual revenue exceeding $400MM.  A champion of safety driven culture and enthusiastic leader, Scott was deeply involved the planning, construction, marketing, and commissioning of 5 green field pellet facilities across North America.

Scott holds an MBA from the University of Alberta, a Master of Forestry from the University of Alberta and a B.Sc. (Env) from the University of Guelph.  Scott sits on the Board of BC Forest Safety Council and the Executive Health and Safety Council of BC. Scott is also the CEO of One Sky Forest Products and the VP Fibre for Hydrogen Naturally.

Steve has a strong track record in forest industry operations, forest policy and management for large and small companies, and for government. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree in 1994 and has held key positions with an integrated forest products manufacturer, the Council of Forest Industries, a pulp company, BC Timber Sales and the BC Ministry of Forests. He is currently the Executive Director of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC.

Vaughan is Senior Vice President of Biomass Sales and Logistics at Drax PLC based in London, UK from where he manages a global team stationed in the UK, Canada and Japan. Vaughan joined Drax through their acquisition of Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. in 2021. Vaughan was the executive in charge of commercial activities at Pinnacle. He remains a Director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada and is serving as its President. He is a past-Director of the London based Sustainable Biomass Program Ltd (SBP) and past-Chairman of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters association, BC Division.

Vaughan has an extensive career in international business, particularly in the forest products industry. Previously, he spent almost 20 years with Sappi, a global pulp and paper company. As their executive in charge of their world-wide pulp sales, he was stationed in Hong Kong for 10 years before moving to Canada in 2007 and joining Pinnacle in 2011. Vaughan earned his BSc from the University of Natal and his MBA from the University of the Witwatersrand, both located in South Africa.

Vaughn Palmer’s hard-hitting columns have seen him cover the feats and follies of B.C.’s premiers for almost 40 years. An award-winning journalist, Palmer is the Vancouver Sun’s provincial political columnist, based in Victoria. Palmer is a regular commentator on radio station CKNW in Vancouver.

Palmer is the recipient of the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jack Webster foundation, a co-winner of the Jack Webster award for reporting, and a recipient of the Hyman Solomon award for excellence in public policy journalism from the Canadian Public Policy Forum. Since 1984, Palmer has examined an extensive range of issues, personalities and scandals that have come to define B.C.’s political scene.