Fall 2023 Environmental Forum Speaker Announcement
Our guest speakers will be diving into what resource sustainability looks like now and in the future.
Guest Speakers
Tomasz Wlodarczyk,
Senior Advisor, Environmental Management, Planning and Approvals, SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd.
He has over 30 years’ experience, providing expertise in several areas including: strategic planning, environmental and socio-economic impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, program evaluation, policy development and research. Tomasz specializes in undertaking environmental impact assessments under federal, provincial, and territorial legislation. Tomasz has conducted or participated in environmental and socioeconomic assessments for a variety of mining, transportation and enabling infrastructure (e.g., airports and port facilities, pipelines, transmission lines, fibre optic cables, waste management facilities and access road developments), energy developments (e.g., natural gas, hydroelectric, nuclear), and nuclear waste management facilities. Most recently, Tomasz led the socio-economic assessment and sustainability assessment for Canada’s first demonstration project of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR). He has participated in several nuclear projects across Canada and SMR projects in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon.
William Gowdy,
Technical Director of Aggregates, SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd.
Bill Gowdy is a graduate of Queens’ University in geology and has 35 years of experience in the geology and environmental fields. He has worked in the throughout Canada and in several overseas countries. For the last 22 years Bill has been based in Edmonton managing aggregate resource assessments, geological modeling, permitting, reclamation, groundwater monitoring, community relations and biodiversity projects. Bill is currently the Technical Director of Aggregates for SLR Consulting.
Kate Rich, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas
Kate Rich, P.Geo., has led various strategies for the public and private sectors related to energy, climate change, water and land management – all with a focus on sustainable development. She has lived and worked in several cities across Canada and internationally. Her current role is the Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy in Alberta Environment and Protected Areas and the Stewardship Commissioner in Alberta’s Land Use Secretariat.
Gerardo Leclair, Vice President Business Development, Kiewit Canada
Gerardo is the Vice President of Business Development at Kiewit Canada. He and his team are responsible for “get work” activities across Kiewit’s Energy markets across Canada which includes Oil Gas & Chemicals, Mining and Industrial markets. He has nearly 20 years of experience developing industrial opportunities and negotiating contracts. He has a B. Mgt. from University of Lethbridge and an MBA in Technology Commercialization from University of Alberta.
Shaudia Ricketts, Sr. HR Manager, Trades Recruitment & Services, Kiewit Canada
Shaudia Ricketts is a Sr HR Manager, Trades Recruitment and Field Support for the Kiewit Corporation. She has overall responsibility for the attraction, hiring, transferring, and onboarding support of around 13,000 trades talent (per year) across the US and Canadian markets while leading all recruiting strategy, planning, and project support efforts. Ms. Ricketts is involved early in the craft lifecycle as a part of the bid and proposal efforts and remains engaged through each project phase thereafter including the demobilization of craft talent.
Ms. Ricketts has an extensive HR background spanning the course of 20+ years in which she has held a variety of HR and Recruitment roles in the construction, oil and gas, real-estate, and retail industries. Given that most of her time has been spent in HR for construction, she understands the challenges and opportunities that exist for youth, underrepresented groups, and associated organizations within the industry. Through her many years in the industry, Ms. Ricketts recognizes the importance of the apprenticeship programs and has supported it by taking part in apprenticeship curriculum reviews, speaking to youth about apprenticeship opportunities and educating industry on the need to support apprenticeship initiatives. She is passionate about exploring and implementing recruitment methods that support diversity and inclusion, as well as engagement in the apprenticeship programs.
In her current role, Ms. Ricketts has been involved in several partnerships and initiatives with Skills AB, BC and ON, Women Building Futures, the Bridge to Gender Equality Advisory Committee, numerous indigenous and youth groups, and the Progressive Contractors Association. In addition, she site on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan, as well as her CPHR certification.
Randall Boessenkool, General Counsel, Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC)
Randall is General Counsel for CLAC. In this role he oversees national legal operations at CLAC and is a member of the national leadership group, as well as maintaining a busy practice assisting with legal issues across the country. He obtained a B.A. from the King’s University in Edmonton, and an LL.B. from the University of Manitoba. He spent three years on Bay Street as a management-side employment lawyer before joining CLAC in September 2012. After nearly 20 years in Toronto, Randall and his family moved closer to the mountains (Calgary, AB) in October 2020.
