Keyano College Board of Governors
Farwell, Kim
Ms. Kim Farwell is the Manager of Production Planning, Control, Quality and extraction technical at Syncrude Canada Ltd. She has served on the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta for several years and has held the roles of President, Chair of the Governance Committee, and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. She was also the Director of the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Alberta, a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, and a certificate in oil sands technology from the University of Alberta.
Competencies required for members of The Board of Governors of Keyano College include the core competencies of leadership and governance as well as preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Ms. Farwell was directly appointed in August 2019 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Thomson, Adele
Ms. Adele Thomson is the Manager of Stakeholder and Aboriginal Relations with Canadian Natural Resources in Calgary. Prior to this, she was Project Manager Stakeholder Relations/Employee Services with Canadian Natural Resources in Fort McMurray. She holds a Master of Arts degree from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Windsor.
Competencies required for members of The Board of Governors of Keyano include the core competencies of leadership and governance, as well as the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Ms. Thomson was directly appointed in April 2020 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Powder, Raymond
Mr. Raymond Powder was an elected Councillor with the Fort McKay First Nation from 1998–2000 and from 2000-2020. He also held Administrator as well as Employment and Training Coordinator roles with the Fort McKay First Nation. He studied Business Administration with Keyano College and General Studies at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Competencies required for members of The Board of Governors of Keyano College include the core competencies of leadership and governance, as well as the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Powder was directly appointed on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Scott, Donald
Mr. Donald Scott is the Executive Director with the McMurray Métis Local 1935 and an Assessor and Practice Manager with the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education. He is the former Mayor of the Reginal Municipality of Wood Buffalo and a former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, where he held the roles of Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education, Associate Minister of Accountability, Transparency and Transformation, and Deputy Government House Leader. He holds a Master of Law degree from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Brunswick.
Competencies required for members of The Board of Governors of Keyano College include the core competencies of leadership and governance, as well as the preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Mr. Scott was directly appointed on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.
Brennan, Kathleen
Ms. Kathleen Brennan has been a library access technician at Keyano College since 2018. Prior to this, she was a library technician at Arnprior District High School and Arnprior Public Library. Ms. Brennan serves as an Alberta Representative on the CUPE National Library Workers’ Committee, as Chair of the Keyano College Support Staff Professional Development Committee, a member on the Alberta Library Employees Committee, and the Online Services Director of the Alberta Association of Library Technicians. Ms. Brennan holds a Library and Information Technician Diploma and an Office Administration Certificate from Algonquin College.
Antoine, Melanie
Ms. Melanie Antoine is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Owner of A.P.E Maintenance LTD in Fort McMurray. Ms. Antoine possesses twelve years of experience in various positions at Syncrude. She is actively involved with the Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association and YMM Start-up, both of which support regional economic development. She is a recipient of several awards, including the Female Leadership award from the Chamber of Commerce, the Citizen of the Year award from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the Resource Leadership award from the Alberta Chamber of Resources, and the Top Employer of Aboriginal apprentices’ award from the Alberta Apprenticeship Board.
Auty, Steve
Mr. Steve Auty is a long-time resident of Fort McMurray and is the President of Larimar Homes and BILD Wood Buffalo. Mr. Auty is also a Director on the board of BILD Alberta, which is affiliated with the Canadian Home Builders Association. He also served as the President of the Fort McMurray Rotary Club, and he is a recipient of the Queens 70th Platinum Jubilee pin award for outstanding community service. Mr. Auty is a Journeyperson Red Seal Heavy Duty Mechanic and Automotive Mechanic, and he earned his credentials at Keyano College.
Jickling, Wes
Mr. Wes Jickling is the Vice-President of Technology Development at Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance. Mr. Jickling has experience in public policy, having held executive roles with Innovation Saskatchewan, Intergovernmental Affairs at Canpotex, and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association. He also serves on academic research boards, including Canadian Light Source and the Centre for the Study of Science and Innovation Policy. Mr. Jickling holds a Master of Social Science degree in International Relations and Development from Aalborg University in Denmark and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Calgary.
Igbokei, Chioma
Ms. Chioma Igbokei is the President of the Students’ Association of Keyano College for the 2024/25 academic year. She is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at Keyano College. She is a Medicine Unit Casual Licensed Practical Nurse at the Northern Lights Regional Hospital. Ms. Igbokei is a recipient of the Students’ Association of Keyano College Achievement award, the Keyano College Community Entrance Award, and the Nigerian Canadian Association International Student Award. She holds a Practical Nurse Diploma, BLS Certificate, WHMIS Certificate, and a First Aid certificate. September 2024.
Tenebro, Christine
Christine Tenbro is an experienced accounting and customer service professional with a background in retail, manufacturing, and service industries. She brings expertise in financial reporting, bookkeeping, and a commitment to continuous learning and student advocacy. Ms. Tenbro actively volunteers in the community and is passionate about supporting student voices in institutional decision-making serving as a Director on the Student Association of Keyano College. She is currently pursuing a Business Administration, Accounting Diploma at Keyano College and working toward her CPA designation and holds degrees in Accountancy and Accounting Technology from universities in the Philippines.
Keus, Kelly
Kelly Keus (She/Her) is an academic librarian (MLIS, BSc) currently serving as Digital Literacy Librarian at Keyano College. She supports science, engineering, and trades programs through multimodal instruction, research consultations, and collection development. Kelly supports campus-wide digital literacy initiatives like the Library’s Technology Collection and the Peer Tech Support program that enhance student engagement and access to resources. She is an advocate for equitable access to educational technology to foster student success.
An active researcher, Kelly has contributed to SSHRC-funded projects and peer-reviewed publications in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and the Scholarship of Children’s Literature. Her professional service includes co-founding the CAPAL Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Community of Practice and serving as a consulting editor for College Teaching.