Susan Ancel
Director of Stormwater Strategies, EPCOR Water Services
Board Member, Canadian Water Network
Susan Ancel is the Director of Stormwater Strategies for EPCOR Water Services Inc. This is a new role within EPCOR with a primary focus on the development of an integrated resource plan for stormwater management that considers capital and operational risk mitigation planning and builds awareness of the interrelationships between utilities, insurance, disaster response agencies and the public in preparing and responding to changing stormwater risks in the community. Prior to taking on this role Susan was the Director of Water Distribution and Transmission responsible for the planning, engineering, construction, operation and maintenance of the water distribution and water metering systems for EPCOR in Edmonton.
Koos J. Baas
Founder and CEO
Aquacare
Koos Baas is the Founder and CEO of Aquacare and Green Water Solutions. He was educated as a chemical engineer. Koos’ first job was in water treatment in 1978, and he’s never looked back. Since then, he’s developed expertise on corrosion, scaling and biofouling, primarily on cooling towers and boiler treatment. In 1988, Koos founded Aquacare Netherlands. He was involved in the early stage of membrane technology in the Netherlands and co-authored many articles on the development and use of anti-scalents. Since 2008, Koos has been implementing innovative technologies to avoid bio-growth through phosphorus limitation.
Mark Bainbridge
Director, Water & Wastewater Planning & Capital
City of Hamilton
Mark Bainbridge is the Director of Water and Wastewater Planning and Capital for the City of Hamilton. Working with a diverse and talented team of city professionals, Mark is responsible for infrastructure and programs related to capital design and construction, master planning, growth and development reviews, environmental assessments, sourcewater protection and facility asset management.
Gregory Baird
President
The Water Finance Research Foundation
Gregory Baird is President of The Water Finance Research Foundation and a financial management and infrastructure asset management specialist for municipalities and water and sewer districts. He is focused on helping governments and utilities improve the cost effectiveness of their operations and the affordability of water services through the use of technology and asset management practices. Greg is influencing the industry to require infrastructure asset management plans as a prerequisite to local, state and federal funding, as well as an analysis component for credit risk and public/private partnership evaluations.
Kathy Bardswick
CEO
Canadian Climate and Clean Growth Institute
Kathy Bardswick is CEO of the Canadian Climate and Clean Growth Institute. In 2016, she stepped down from her role as President and CEO at The Co-operators Group Ltd., following a career with the organization that spanned nearly four decades.
Janice Beecher
Director, Institute of Public Utilities
Michigan State University
Janice Beecher was appointed Director of Michigan State University’s Institute of Public Utilities in 2002, bringing more than 30 years of applied research experience to the position. Her areas of interest include regulatory principles, institutions, and governance and pricing, specializing in the water sector. Janice is a frequent author, lecturer and participant in professional forums and Editor of the journal Utilities Policy (Elsevier). She also co-authored the book, Risk Principles for Public Utility Regulators.
Rodney Bouchard
General Manager
Union Water Supply System
Rodney is currently the General Manager of Union Water Supply System (UWSS), which is a municipal water utility in southwestern Ontario that is jointly owned by the four municipalities of Essex, Kingsville, Lakeshore and Leamington. In this role, Rodney is responsible for directing UWSS’ day-to-day operations to ensure customers are provided with a safe and reliable drinking water supply. He is also responsible for developing UWSS’ annual and long-term operations and capital budgets and managing UWSS expenditures.
François Bouchart
Director, Water Resources – Planning
The City of Calgary
François Bouchart has been with The City of Calgary for the last 12 years, leading the planning of infrastructure required to deliver water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. This work includes long-range planning, asset management and approvals functions for assets donated under urban development applications and agreements. Before joining The City of Calgary, Francois ran his private engineering consulting business and held academic positions in Australia, Scotland and Calgary.
Andrew Burnham
Vice President and Global Practice Leader of Financial Services
Stantec
Andrew Burnham is the Vice President and Global Practice Leader of Financial Services at Stantec. He has more than 18 years of experience in conducting and overseeing cost of service allocations, long-term financial planning analyses, affordability studies and the development of alternative rate structures for a variety of utility systems, including water, wastewater, reclaimed water and stormwater. Andy is recognized as an industry expert, and has provided testimony in utility rate-related regulatory proceedings in multiple states and territories. He has personally conducted and/or managed over 600 water resources utility rate and financial planning studies, and has supported utilities in the issuance of over $1 billion of financing for capital improvement funding in the past 5 years.
Reid Campbell
Director of Water Services
Halifax Water
Reid Campbell, M.Eng, P.Eng, is Director of Water Services at Halifax Water. He joined Halifax Water in 1998 after ten years in consulting engineering. In 2007, Reid was appointed Director of Water Services. The water services department is responsible for the “source to tap” operation of the water supply system serving the Halifax metropolitan area, as well as company-wide SCADA and process control services. Reid is responsible for Halifax Water’s award-winning water loss control program, lead service line replacement program, industrial research chair at Dalhousie University, and is an executive co-sponsor of the ongoing AMI implementation project. Reid is a former vice president of the American Water Works Association and is currently a member of its Water Utility Council.
Vanessa Chau
Head of Asset Management Canada
AMCL Ltd.
Vanessa Chau is currently the head of Asset Management Canada for AMCL Ltd. She is responsible for business and client development, and program management project delivery for AMCL’s Canadian clients, as well as providing asset management expertise for various AMCL programs and projects worldwide.
Albert Cho
Vice President and General Manager
Advanced Infrastructure Analytics, Xylem
Albert Cho is Vice President and General Manager for Advanced Infrastructure Analytics at Xylem, a global water technology company with $4.7B in annual revenue. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s newest business, which focuses on intelligent infrastructure diagnostics and decision support services across water, wastewater and energy infrastructure. Previously, Albert led Xylem’s corporate and business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, market intelligence, and business development activities.
Bernadette Conant
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Water Network
Bernadette is the Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Water Network and is a trusted broker of water knowledge. Together with her team, she works to improve the application of water research to decisions for water management. In 2009, she founded the Canadian Municipal Water Consortium, whose members collaborate on critical drinking water, wastewater and stormwater challenges. The Consortium includes leaders from progressive municipalities, as well as industry and academic partners.
Michael D’Andrea
Chief Engineer and Executive Director
Engineering and Construction Services, City of Toronto
Michael D’Andrea is Chief Engineer and Executive Director of Engineering and Construction Services for the City of Toronto, where he leads almost 600 professional and technical staff and is responsible for the design and construction of the City of Toronto’s municipal infrastructure, which is valued at almost $600 million annually.
Lou Di Gironimo
General Manager
Toronto Water
Lou Di Gironimo is General Manager of Toronto Water, a division of the City of Toronto. Under his leadership, the 1,700 staff in Toronto Water focus on providing quality water services – supplying drinking water, treating wastewater and managing stormwater – essential for protecting public health, property and the environment.
Daryush Esmaili
Manager of Design and Construction
City of Guelph
Daryush Esmaili leads organization-wide asset management implementations to enable the best possible decisions which balance lifecycle costs, levels of service and risk management. His expertise includes maximizing value in utilities, transportation, facilities, parks and fleet services. Daryush holds a master’s degree, specializing in asset management, and actively contributes to the industry through the ISO Technical Committee 251 for Asset Management and AM Ontario.
Jay Famiglietti
Executive Director, Global Institute for Water Security
University of Saskatchewan
Jay Famiglietti is a professor of hydrology and the Executive Director of the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan, where he holds the Canada 150 Research Chair in Hydrology and Remote Sensing. Before moving to USask, Famiglietti served as the Senior Water Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His research group uses satellites and develops advanced computer models to track how freshwater availability is changing around the globe. A fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America, Famiglietti is a regular advisor to state, provincial and federal government officials on water security issues.
Maryam Golnaraghi
Director of Extreme Events and Climate Risk
The Geneva Association
Maryam Golnaraghi is the Director of Extreme Events and Climate Risk at The Geneva Association. Her experience spans over 20 years in international executive and senior advisory positions in industry, government and the United Nations. Maryam is working with C-level suite and boards of (re)insurance companies, financial institutions, governments and international organizations in three key areas: integrating climate risks and opportunities into core business and investing; scaling up investments towards a low carbon economy in areas such as sustainable infrastructure; and building operational and financial resilience to extreme events. Currently, she is also working on a major project on flood resilience in five countries, including Australia, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States.
Derek Hollman
Senior Manager
Project Development – Sustainable Energy, EPCOR
Derek Hollman is responsible for the development of sustainable energy projects, including renewable electricity, biomethane and district energy sharing systems. Previously, Derek worked at EPCOR in the Generation Business Unit, from 2003 until the creation of Capital Power Corporation in 2009. He worked in various roles at EPCOR and Capital Power for 10 years, including Senior Manager of Coal Production at Genesee Generating Station, where he was responsible for the Genesee Mine Joint Venture, as well as fuel supply and ash sales for all three Genesee units. Derek also held the role of Senior Manager of Renewable Operations, with overall responsibility for the Halkirk, Quality Wind and Kingsbridge wind farms.
Steve Kaye
CEO
UK Water Industry Research
Steve Kaye is the CEO of UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR), an organization that delivers research to meet the short-, medium- and long-term challenges of the UK water industry. He is a chartered mechanical engineer and has worked in the water industry for over twenty-eight years. Steve also holds an MBA from City University and is a visiting professor at Imperial College in London (UK).
Bu Lam
Manager of Municipal Programs
Canadian Water Network
Bu joined Canadian Water Network in May 2015. He is responsible for the ongoing development, management and implementation of Canadian Water Network’s municipal water programs, including the Canadian Municipal Water Consortium. Bu oversees the development and management of research programs and activities that collectively support and advance solutions for managing, regulating and supporting municipal drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems.
Stephen Lidington
Director on the Deals team
PwC
Stephen specializes in structuring transactions and commercial strategies for large, complex infrastructure projects for municipal, provincial and federal clients, with a focus on public-private partnerships and alternative financing procurements.
Adam Lovell
Executive Director
Water Services Association of Australia
Adam Lovell is the Executive Director at the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA). WSAA is the peak body for the urban water industry and its members provide urban water services to over 90% of Australia and New Zealand’s population. Adam provides national leadership in policy positions for the Australian urban water sector and facilitates collaboration within the water utility sector.
Allen K. Lucas
Manager, Research and Projects
Utilities Kingston
Allen Lucas holds a diploma in survey technology from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (1979), a BASc in civil engineering – water resources from the University of Waterloo (1989), a facilitator of adult learning certificate from Loyalist College of Applied Arts and Technology (2000), a certificate in risk management from University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (2017) and Canadian risk management program from the Global Risk Management Institute (2017).
Indra Maharjan
Program Manager, Energy Conservation, Resource Recovery and Climate Change
Ontario Clean Water Agency
Indra Maharjan, P.Eng, CEM, CMVP, is a senior engineer with an extensive history in energy conservation, energy, and greenhouse gas efficiency projects. He currently leads Ontario Clean Water Agency’s energy conservation, climate change and resource recovery program. Indra has extensive knowledge of the electricity and gas market, as well as water and wastewater sectors, and is working with more than 220 municipalities across the province.
Erin Mahoney
Commissioner of Environmental Services
York Region
Erin Mahoney is Commissioner of Environmental Services for York Region, overseeing water and wastewater services, waste management, forestry, corporate asset management and corporate energy for 1.2 million residents and 28,000 businesses. Erin leads a team of over 400 staff in the Environmental Services department, which was inducted into the Leading Utilities of the World network in 2017. Erin is past Chair of the Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario, and has over 25 years of public and private sector experience on projects involving water and wastewater treatment, waste management, environmental legislation, and public engagement. As an active member of the public works community she holds memberships with: American Water Works Association, Toronto Board of Trade, Canadian Water Network and American Public Works Association.
Matthew McCandless
Executive Director
International Institute for Sustainable Development – Experimental Lakes Area
IISD-ELA is a unique whole ecosystem research facility in Northwestern Ontario, and Matthew McCandless has been its executive director since the facility was transferred by the Government of Canada in 2014. Matt’s responsibility is to ensure that 50 years of monitoring and research continues without interruption at the world’s freshwater laboratory. This includes involves oversight of ecosystem research, administration, human resources and fundraising.
Brendo Meulman
Technical Director
DeSaH BV (Netherlands)
Brendo Meulman is the technical director of DeSaH BV, a consultancy and contracting firm specializing in the development and implementation of innovative and sustainable wastewater technologies, including feasibility studies, design, construction, management and maintenance. DeSaH works continuously to develop existing concepts and technologies, as well as developing new ones, enabling them to remain at the forefront of innovative and decentralised water technology. Previously, Brendo was the project manager of several national and international projects and has set up various collaborations with multiple research institutes within the Netherlands and abroad.
Sudhir Murthy
CEO, Newhub, Inc.
Sudhir Murthy is Chief Executive Officer of NEWhub, Inc., a cleantech company that specializes in managing technology and know-how for licensed distributors. He is a Senior Research Scientist at Columbia University, helping utilities and industries navigate their internal innovation and planning process. Sudhir is also Senior Vice-President of the International Water Association.
Chee Meng Pang
Chief Engineering & Technology Officer
PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency
Chee Meng Pang is currently the Chief Engineering and Technology Officer of PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency. He leads the technology department that administers PUB’s research and development program in the development and application of new water technologies spanning the entire water cycle.
Prior to his current role, Chee Meng was Director of the industry development department, where he led a team that formulates and implements strategies to grow the Singapore water industry in support of PUB’s mission, and facilitates the commercialisation of new water technology.
Sandra Odendahl
President and CEO
CMC Research Institutes
Sandra Odendahl is President and CEO of CMC Research Institutes (CMCRI), an environmental company that leads clients to develop innovative carbon management technologies and strategies for competitive advantage. CMCRI facilitates the testing and scale-up of technologies that reduce carbon emissions from industrial sources, and is at the forefront of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), and greenhouse gas monitoring technology development in Canada.
Don Pearson
Chair
Canadian Water Network
Don Pearson recently retired after five years as General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer of the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, following more than seven years as General Manager of Conservation Ontario. During his tenure at Conservation Ontario, the Clean Water Act was proclaimed and the substantial work of preparing Source Protection Plans for nineteen regions was undertaken. Before joining Conservation Ontario, Don spent two years as the first Chief Administrative Officer of the County of Perth, where he initiated the transformation and modernization of the County’s governance and administration.
Rob Renner
Former CEO (Retired)
The Water Research Foundation
Rob Renner is CEO of The Water Research Foundation, a non-profit organization officially formed in January 2018 through the merger of the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF) and Water Research Foundation (WRF). The Foundation is the leading water research organization with funding research, pilot projects, and technology demonstrations that maximize the value of all water, including wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, and recycled water. With close to 1,200 subscriber members in the U.S. and abroad, the Foundation has funded and managed more than 1,400 projects valued at more than $700 million.
Karen Rouse
CEO
Water Research Australia
Karen is the CEO of Water Research Australia, a member-based organisation that brings together industry, academia, regulators and consultants to collaboratively solve water sector challenges through high impact research. She has more than 20 years of experience in the water sector, including water resource and environmental management, economic regulation and strategic planning within a state-wide utility, and leading the urban water research program for CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. Karen’s career has seen her lead collaborative research initiatives in integrated urban water management; provide sector leadership in climate change response, and negotiate net positive environmental outcomes for wastewater treatment plant upgrades.
Dianne Saxe
President
Saxe Facts
Dianne Saxe, PhD in Law, is president of Saxe Facts, a business providing strategic advice and presentations on climate, energy and the environment.
From 2015 to 2019, Dr. Dianne Saxe was the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. She was appointed unanimously by all MPPs to report to the Legislature on Ontario’s environmental, energy and climate performance, and to be the guardian of the Environmental Bill of Rights. During her term, she improved the effectiveness of the Environmental Bill of Rights, increased public understanding of the urgency of climate change, and issued highly praised reports on a wide range of environmental, energy and climate topics.
Dean Shiskowski
Vice President, Water Resource Recovery
Associated Engineering
Dr. Dean Shiskowski is the Vice President of Water Resource Recovery at Associated Engineering group of companies, providing technical expertise and project, staff development and business development support across all subsidiaries. He is a member of Associated Engineering’s corporate climate change task force and climate change advisory group, and for five years chaired its carbon neutral committee.
Nancy Stalker
Manager of Water Quality Services
The City of Calgary
As Manager of Water Quality Services at the City of Calgary, Nancy Stalker’s work focuses on regulatory affairs, laboratory services, environmental monitoring, community compliance and applied research partnerships. During her tenure at The City of Calgary, Nancy has served in several leadership roles, most recently as Acting Director of Water Services where she was responsible for the delivery of water, wastewater and drainage services. This included the day-to-day operations and maintenance of two water treatment plants, drinking water distribution system, collection systems and three wastewater treatment plants that serve over 1.2 million people.
Anton Tabuns
Senior Advisor
Mantle
Anton is a lawyer with experience in environmental law, permitting matters, and due diligence on corporate transactions and a dedication to addressing climate issues. Anton received his Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School, and his Masters in Environmental Studies from York University in 2011. He has practiced as Associate General Counsel, with a focus on environmental and ESG matters, at a Bay Street private equity firm and has worked at Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP, one of Canada’s premier environmental law boutiques. He was also part of an international legal team pursuing the enforcement of a multi-billion dollar environmental judgement in numerous countries. He is also fluent in Spanish.
Sarah Thompson
Vice President, Sustainable Finance
RBC Capital Markets
Sarah Thompson is a business and sustainability professional with over 15 years of experience. She joined RBC in 2011 as the bank’s first full time Green IT Manager. In 2013, she moved to RBC’s Environmental Affairs team to oversee enterprise-wide operational footprint reduction initiatives. More recently, she worked with RBC’s business units to support the growth and development of environmentally sustainable and socially responsible financial products and services, with a focus on green bonds.
Kala Vairavamoorthy
Executive Director
International Water Association
Kala Vairavamoorthy is an internationally recognised water resource management expert with expertise in urban water issues. He combines a strong engineering background with international experience, and has published extensively. Kala has worked closely with the World Bank, UN-Habitat, UNESCO, Global Water Partnership, Stockholm International Water Institute and the European Union. This includes leading urban water management projects for the World Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and Department for International Development (UK).
Jantienne van der Meij-Kranendonk
Liaison
WaterCampus Leeuwarden (Netherlands)
Jantienne van der Meij-Kranendonk is the liaison for WaterCampus Leeuwarden (Wetsus, Water Alliance and Centre of Expertise Watertechnology), which is based in The Hague. She builds and maintains a network with water-related organizations and the Dutch government, from local to national levels. Jantienne represents Water Alliance in the Top Consortium for Knowledge and Innovation in Water Technology, and scouts for new strategic opportunities.
Mariëlle van der Zouwen
Manager, Knowledge Management Group
KWR (Netherlands)
Mariëlle is a member of the management team for the water research institute KWR and leads the knowledge management group. With the experts in the group, she gives shape to KWR’s motto ‘bridging science to practice,’ both nationally and internationally, and ranging from short-term to medium- and long-term perspectives on water sector and research challenges. This is done in applied research programs, learning alliances and initiatives, such as the joint water research program for Dutch and Flemish water utilities, the Dutch Water Sector Intelligence and the international, operationally-oriented platform Watershare. Co-production of programs and projects by both water managers and water researchers is key in these initiatives.
Suzanne van Drunick
National Program Director
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Suzanne van Drunick is the National Program Director for the United States Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (SSWR) research program. The SSWR program uses an integrated systems approach to develop scientific and technological solutions to protect human health, and to protect and restore watershed and aquatic ecosystems. Research focuses on three areas: watersheds, nutrients and harmful algal blooms, and water treatment and water infrastructure (drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and water reuse).
Patricia Wilson
Director of Water, Waste & Environmental Services
City of Regina
Patricia Wilson is the director of the Water, Waste & Environmental Services Department for the City of Regina. Pat leads 300 staff in delivering reliable and sustainable water, waste and environmental services for customers in the City of Regina and surrounding communities. Her portfolio includes the planning, design, construction and maintenance of sustainable water, wastewater and drainage services to the 220,000 residents and businesses in Regina, protecting public health and property. She is responsible for approximately $2 billion in infrastructure assets and $150 million of annual revenue.
Viviane Yargeau
Professor and Chair of Chemical Engineering
McGill University
Viviane Yargeau is a Professor and Chair of the department of chemical engineering at McGill University, as well as an Associate Member of the McGill School of Environment. She established the Controlling Contaminants of Concern (3Cs) laboratory, which is now internationally recognized for research on the fate and effects of contaminants in the environment, and in engineered systems and the monitoring of water quality. She has contributed to creating awareness about the presence and impact of trace contaminants in water and to the development of improved wastewater treatment technologies, such as ozonation, for the protection of our water resources.
Carl Yates
General Manager
Halifax Water
Carl Yates has extensive experience in the water utility profession, having served as Project Engineer, Chief Engineer and General Manager of the Halifax Water Commission from 1988 to 1996. In 1996, he was appointed General Manager of the Halifax Regional Water Commission, which assumed a regional mandate after the municipal amalgamation of the greater Halifax area in 1996. In 2007, Carl oversaw the formation of the first regulated water, wastewater and stormwater utility in Canada with the transfer of wastewater and stormwater assets from the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax Water is a body corporate municipal utility, generating approximately 140 million dollars in annual revenue with assets of over $2 Billion.