OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Axel Meisen, PhD
President, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Dr. Meisen was elected President of the Fusion Energy Council of Canada at the annual General Meeting held in September 2021, and after having served as Interim President since January 2021.

Dr. Meisen held the inaugural Chair in Foresight at the Alberta Research Council, after serving as president of Memorial University of Newfoundland, president of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, and Dean of Applied Science and Professor of Chemical Engineering at The University of British Columbia.  He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2008.  He currently advises boards and senior management in Canada and abroad on strategy development of major initiatives with long-term time horizons.

Dr. Meisen has Bachelor, Master, and doctorate degrees in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London, California Institute of Technology, and McGill University, respectively.

Glenn Stowkowy, BSc, P.Eng
Past President, Fusion Energy Council of Canada
Director, University of Alberta Property Trust Inc. 

Glenn Stowkowy received his degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta and since graduation has worked as an electrical engineering consultant as a professional engineer in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Glenn previously served as the representative for Alumni Council on the University of Alberta Board of Governors. He is Past-President of the University of Alberta Alumni Association and a former Senator of the University.

Glenn was Vice President at Stantec and Senior Principal at AES Engineering.

Over his 40-year career, Glenn has been the electrical engineer of Record on numerous notable projects including Rogers Place Arena, Stantec Tower, JW Marriott Edmonton Hotel, Edmonton International Airport Redevelopment, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Calgary International Airport, National Institute for Nanotechnology, MacEwan University Robbins Health Learning Centre and more.

He has served on a number of professional and community organizations including the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society, the Illuminating Engineering Society, a coach with the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association and a referee with Hockey Alberta.

Brian Kryska, BSc, P.Eng
Vice President, Fusion Energy Council of Canada
CEO, Aerotek Engineering

Mr. Brian Kryska currently serves as CFO on the board of Fusion Energy Council of Canada. Mr. Kryska has arranged mergers, acquisitions and financing deals in excess of $200 million and has led due diligence, negotiation, legal, mediation teams and has secured funding for commercialization of advanced energy technologies. His acquisition work included petrochemical plants and industrial projects. He partnered in an international OCTG (Oil Pipe) distribution company doing $70 million. Mr. Kryska has provided business re-engineering, product commercialization and has demonstrated efficacy in cost management and maximizing ROI. He garners a combined proficiency in finance, business, engineering and physics.

As the founder of Aerotek Engineering (in 1981), Mr. Kryska brought new technologies to market and authored four patents. He has also held executive positions in research management and product commercialization. Mr. Kryska graduated from the University of Alberta in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He has completed additional graduate studies in Engineering and Business Administration at the UofA and at Carlton in Ottawa. Mr. Kryska has served on numerous boards. He lives in Sherwood Park, Alberta with his wife Monica and four children.

Robert Fedosejevs, PhD, P.Eng
Treasurer, Board Member at Large, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Robert Fedosejevs is a full Professor Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta.  He has carried out research related to fusion energy and applications of laser produced plasmas at the University of Alberta since he joined the University in 1980.  He received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Physics from the University of Toronto in 1973 and 1979 respectively. He has been a research collaborator with numerous institutions around the world including the Max Planck Institute in Germany, the Center for Intense Lasers (CELIA) in France and the Center for Ultrashort Pulsed Lasers (CLPU) in Spain.  He has held positions of Senior Industrial Research Chair in Lasers and Applications at the Univeristy of Alberta, Scientific Director of the Canadian Institute for Photonic Innovations (a federally funded national research network in photonics) and President of the Canadian Association of Physicists. He also has organized international conferences including the International Conference on Plasma Science in 2002.  He has published over 250 scientific articles, given 70 invited talks and contributed to over 330 conference presentations.

Klaas Rodenburg, MA C.Tech, LEED AP, ENV SP
Secretary Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Klaas has been in the building design industry for more than 35 years receiving his LEED AP accreditation in 2003. He has served as the Chair of the Alberta Chapter of the CaGBC as well as a director on the CaGBC Board and has served as the CEO of the Alberta Center of Excellence for Building Information Modelling (aceBIM). He has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Industrial Design (1984) and a Master of Arts degree in Communications and Technology (MACT) (2009) both at the University of Alberta.

Klaas was the Sustainable Design Coordinator at Stantec before moving to Mammoet Canada Western in 2014 as a quality advisor where he is a member of the Sustainovation Steering Committee, a Global initiative responsible for identifying and implementing innovative solutions to sustainability challenges faced by Mammoet and it’s sister companies. He is currently the volunteer Past President of the Alberta Council of Technology (ABCTech), has taught sustainability courses at NAIT, Lakeland College and U of A and has presented at a variety of sustainability focused events.

Dr. Patrizio Antici
Director, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Dr. Antici is a Full Professor at the Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre, Varennes, Quebec. He studied engineering at Sapienza University of Rome, where he graduated in 1999. After a brief period as consultant in a management consulting firm (Accenture), he obtained a doctorate in physics from Ecole Polytechnique (France) in 2007 in laser-plasma accelerators and a doctorate in engineering from the Sapienza University of Rome (Italy) in electromagnetism/accelerator physics. From 2007 to 2012 he worked at the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) on laser-driven beamlines, a topic that combines knowledge of lasers and laser-plasma acceleration with that of conventional accelerators. There he has combined scientific activities with more managerial activities within large-scale European projects in the field of lasers and accelerators, in particular the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI), in which he was responsible for funding and communication.

In 2012 he joined the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), where he is a full professor. His current research interests are focused on the setup and improvement of laser-driven proton and electron beamlines for applications, in particular in the field of material science, cultural heritage, fusion science, and astrophysics.

He is a Fellow of the European Physical Society, the Institute of Physics, and a member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada and an alumnus of the Global Young Academy.

In addition to his current roles, he has held board positions with the Canadian Electricity Association, the Alberta Chamber of Resources, the Association of Power Producers of Ontario, and is past Chair of PaceKids School for Children with Motor Disabilities.

Amee Barber

Director, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Amee completed her doctorate at the University of Alberta in 2014, where she taught courses in political science while working in politics. Amee received numerous scholarships for research and teaching, most notably the doctoral Social Science and Humanities Research Council award for her dissertation research which focused on democratic models of policy making.

Amee’s interest in policy brought her to the Department of Energy with the Government of Alberta, where she advised executive levels on intergovernmental strategic policy and negotiated consensus on regulatory equivalency between the provinces and the federal government on the assessment of methane.  Her knowledge of the energy sector and familiarity with many of the stakeholders saw her move to the private sector where she was responsible for building reciprocal relationships with indigenous communities in pipeline operating areas. Here Amee focused on exceeding minimum consultation requirements and working to create mutually beneficial partnerships and encouraged responsible development. The programs that were developed by Amee were delivered in partnership with community groups and won awards from both the Alberta Government and the Chamber of Commerce.

From here, she grew her skill set and her network by taking on politically sensitive and complex files with a focus on introducing new products and supply options to the market (vaping, biologicals, and fusion).  Through facilitating science-based discussions and closely collaborating with regulators and public interest groups, Amee helped to shape balanced regulatory frameworks. Amee has built a reputation for driving successful stakeholder and government relations strategies that incorporate multiple perspectives and produce mutually satisfactory outcomes.

Will Bridge, B.Eng., ICD.D
Director, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Will is an experienced power industry executive and corporate director with a track record of infrastructure investment in domestic and international markets including Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Australia, Chile, and the UK.

Mr. Bridge is originally from British Columbia where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Victoria and began his career trading power in the Western U.S. for BC Hydro’s subsidiary Powerex.

With the opening of the power market in Alberta in 1996, Mr. Bridge moved to Calgary and through his career, worked on the executive teams of both ATCO Power and TransAlta Corporation in a variety of positions including Executive Vice-President, Generation Technology & Procurement; Executive Vice-President, Business Development and Chief Technology Officer. Mr. Bridge is a holder of the Institute of Corporate Directors Director designation and currently serves as Board Chair for the Alberta Electric System Operator; Vice-Chair of the Board for Calgary Housing Company, an Alberta based affordable housing company; and Board Director for the Fusion Energy Council of Canada.

In addition to his current roles, he has held board positions with the Canadian Electricity Association, the Alberta Chamber of Resources, the Association of Power Producers of Ontario, and is past Chair of PaceKids School for Children with Motor Disabilities.

Blair P. Bromley, PhD
Director, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Blair is a Fellow of the CNS and is the current chair of the Fusion Energy and Accelerator Science and Technology Division of the Canadian Nuclear Society (CNS-FEASTD), since 2010. He has a B.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (University of Toronto, 1993), a M.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering (University of Illinois, 1998) and a PhD. in Nuclear Engineering (University of Illinois, 2001). Dr. Bromley has been employed as a Reactor Physicist with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), Chalk River Laboratories (2003-2014), and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) (2014-present). He also has prior work experience at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) (2001-2003), and Los Alamos National Laboratory (1994-1998). Dr. Bromley has served multiple volunteer roles in various divisions and committees within the Canadian Nuclear Society, the American Nuclear Society (ANS), and Women-in-Nuclear, Eastern Ontario Chapter (WiN-EO). More information about Dr. Bromley’s profile and research contributions can be found on LinkedIn.com, and also ResearchGate.com.

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Chandra Tomaras, P.Eng, LLB
Director, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Chandra Tomaras currently is the Director of Environment and Climate Resilience for the City of Edmonton. She received her Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Systems Engineering from the University of Regina in 2004 and her Bachelors of Law from the University of Alberta in 2008.

Chandra has been working as an environmental and energy professional for over a decade in the private and public sector. Her work involves the intersection of strategic planning and environmental, energy and climate risk management. Chandra led the development of Edmonton’s updated Energy Transition Strategy, which outlines the pathways for a low carbon and energy resilient city. The strategy aims to attract the next generation of energy innovators to the Edmonton region while transitioning to 100% decarbonized energy.

Perry Kinkaide, MSc, PhD, CMC
Board Member at Large, Fusion Energy Council of Canada
President of Kinkaide Enterprises Inc. (KEI)

Perry Kinkaide, MSc, PhD, CMC is a scientist and accomplished manager in several fields. Since retiring from KPMG Consulting in 2001, he has remained active as an advisor and director for several diverse public and private organizations. His most senior career positions include: former Managing Director of KPMG Consulting in Edmonton and Assistant Deputy Minister with the Alberta Government. He received his PhD in Brain Research from the University of Alberta.

Perry is the President of Kinkaide Enterprises Inc. (KEI), allocating start-up capital and assigning operating officers to emerging technology-based, enterprises in Western Canada.  He is also the past-President and CEO of the Alberta Council of Technologies (ABCtech) that he founded in 2005.

Allan A Offenberger, PhD
Board Member at Large, Fusion Energy Council of Canada
Professor Emeritus of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta

Allan Offenberger is Professor Emeritus of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta.  He received his B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. degrees (1962, 1963) from the University of British Columbia and Ph.D. degree (1968) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His research program for more than 40 years was focused on the development of high power lasers and their application to plasma physics and inertial fusion energy research.  He has published extensively and given many invited talks at international conferences, universities, government and industrial laboratories as well as to service and other non-governmental organizations in Asia, Europe and North America.

He is a Past President of the Canadian Association of Physicists and has served on many scientific advisory & research grant committees and boards, as a consultant to university, government & industrial institutions and, as a reviewer for research proposals, publications, university appointments & promotions.

Allan has been a guest professor and consultant at, among others: UK Atomic Energy Agency-Culham Laboratory; University of California-Los Alamos National Laboratory; Oxford University-Rutherford Appleton Laboratory; University of California-Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and; Osaka University-Institute of Laser Engineering (major labs for laser development and fusion energy R&D).

Allan was the Founding President of the Alberta/Canada Fusion Technology Alliance, now renamed as the Fusion Energy Council of Canada.

Ying Y. Tsui, PhD, P.Eng
Board Member at Large, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Ying Y. Tsui is a professor and the Associate Dean of Research and Internationalization in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta. He has been a Guest Scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. His research is focused on laser matter interactions, warm dense matter, high energy density physics and inertial confinement fusion.

Pooja Woosaree, BSc., MSc.
Director, Fusion Energy Council of Canada
Student and Young Researchers, Lead

Pooja is a PhD candidate at the University of Calgary, where her research is based in experimental nuclear physics in coordination with TRIUMF and CERN. She has completed her BSc with a specialisation in physics at the University of Alberta in 2014, and her MSc at Laurentian University in 2018 while working at SNOLAB. She has received many scholarships and awards in research and communication for her recent contributions towards the free-fall measurement of antimatter.

In recent years, she has helped found and organize several EDIA initiatives to promote diversity in physics and physics-related fields. These include groups such as WomXn in Physics (a group aimed at engaging with and promoting womxn in physics), Gender Minorities in physics and astronomy (a support group for gender minorities), Physics and Astronomy Mentor Talks (a podcast that showcases prominent gender-diverse scientists), and an EDIA advisory committee for physics and astronomy (a committee that raises awareness and supports department stakeholders in EDIA-related issues) all located at the University of Calgary. She also volunteers with the FECC’s young researchers’ initiative to host webinars throughout the year aimed at promoting fusion energy developments in Canada.

Grace Peach
Director, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

Grace is a passionate advocate for a clean energy future powered by transformative fusion energy. She leads external relations at General Fusion and is responsible for the company’s public-facing communications and government relations. Her work in the energy industry, public affairs and media spans more than 15 years. Before joining General Fusion, she led the marketing and communications activities relating to major projects at FortisBC, including gas line upgrades in an urban setting, and liquefied natural gas facility expansion and export. She also managed government relations initiatives and was a corporate spokesperson. Prior to her time at FortisBC, she worked at BC Hydro, interned at CBC Radio, and was a spokesperson for the BC Wildfire Service.

Grace holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees from Simon Fraser University.

Kate Huner
Director, Fusion Energy Council of Canada

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