Irrigation Council
Ardell, Dave
Dave was appointed to Irrigation Council in 2008, representing Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. In his position as Executive Director of the Water Infrastructure and Operations Branch, Mr. Ardell is responsible for the operation, capital maintenance and technical support programs for all government owned water management infrastructure located across the Province. Mr. Ardell's group also manages and delivers the dam safety regulatory programs for both public and private dams and associated infrastructure in Alberta. Mr. Ardell has diverse experience with the design and construction of water management infrastructure in Alberta and has also been extensively involved with the review and delivery of environmental regulatory programs.
Wuite, Jamie
Raised in Calgary, Jamie obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in aquatic ecology from the University of Calgary, and a Master of Science degree in land and water resources from the University of Alberta.
Since joining Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation in 1997, Jamie has worked in technical, professional, and senior management capacities. Appointed to Irrigation Council in 2013, Jamie’s current role with the Department is the Executive Director of the Natural Resource Management Branch. The Natural Resource Management Branch: provides technical and scientific support to Alberta’s irrigators and irrigation districts; supports dryland and irrigation farmers with on-farm water supply issues; represents agricultural interests in cross-Ministry policy and program initiatives related to water supply; supports public policy and programming on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change in the agriculture sector; and supports applied research on surface and ground water quality in relation to agricultural activities as well as research on water application methods and technologies for irrigated crops.
Jamie lives in Edmonton with his wife and two daughters.
Slomp, Klaas
Klaas Slomp has worked in the agriculture sector for more than 40 years. He was a managing partner in a large diversified farming operation and is involved in environmental stewardship and food safety.
Mr. Slomp is a graduate from the Lethbridge College Vocational Ag Program. Klaas has been a director and chair for the Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District, board member on the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council, director and vice-chair for Alberta Milk, director of the Lethbridge Milk Producers, member and chair of the Policy Advisory Committee of the Alberta Dairy Control Board, and chair of the Regional Appeal Board of the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation.
Philipsen, Anne Marie
Anne Marie Philipsen is involved in a farming operation within the Eastern Irrigation District. She has a background in Social Work and Library Technology.
Anne Marie is a Board member for the Safe Community Committee and Chair of the Regional Assessment Appeal Board. Anne Marie has served as Councillor for the County of Newell, Board member for the Palliser Economic partnership, Red Deer River Water Users Group and the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance. Anne Marie has extensive experience with governance, leading meetings through her council position and fulfilling leadership roles both as a councillor and in her community.
Appels, Willemijn
Dr. Appels is Senior Research Chair at Lethbridge College, where she leads the Mueller Irrigation Research Group. She and her team investigate how new technological and management techniques for precision irrigation can be implemented in southern Alberta. This research is shaped in close collaboration with local producers, the provincial government, and the irrigation districts. Hailing from the Netherlands, Willemijn trained as a hydrologist at Wageningen University.
Miyanaga, Mark
A third-generation farmer, Mr. Miyanaga currently operates a farm along with his two cousins in southern Alberta, having learned much about farming from his grandfathers, father and uncle. Mark holds an Irrigation Technology Diploma from the Lethbridge College. With the large role irrigation plays on his farm, Mark has considerable first-hand experience in a variety of irrigation methods. Mark has been responsible for maintenance and scheduling of irrigation systems for over 25 years and manages 30 employees during the harvest season. Mark has also been an active member on many non-profit boards including Potato Growers of Alberta and the Alberta Vegetable Growers (Processing). In addition, Mark enjoys outreach activities that allow him to discuss his love of agriculture and how food is grown in Alberta.
Brewin, Brian
Mr. Brewin was first appointed to Irrigation Council in 2013. Brian was elected as a councillor for the Municipal District of Taber in 1998 and served there until 2020. Brian operates an irrigated mixed farm in the Purple Springs area that has been in the family for three generations.