University of Alberta Board of Governors

Bruce, Heather

Dr. Heather Bruce is a Professor and Chair with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science. She is the past President of the Association of Academic Staff at the University of Alberta. She holds a Ph.D. in Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science from the University of Alberta, a Master of Science degree in Meat Science, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture, Animal and Poultry Science from the University of Guelph.

Ashdown, Christopher

Mr. Christopher Ashdown is a retiree and ordained as a Permanent Deacon of the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton. He has served on several boards and committees, including as President of the Edmonton Radial Railway Society, former Board Chair of St. Joseph’s Auxiliary Hospital in Edmonton, and past committee member for Covenant Health and the Covenant Foundation. He holds a Master of Health Services Administration degree and Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Alberta.

Young, Kate

Ms. Kate Young is a Management Consultant with KPMG and Registered Nurse. She is an active volunteer, having served as Chair of the University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing Alumni Board, a member of the Faculty of Nursing Strategic Advisory Committee, and a University of Alberta Senator. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Alberta, and a Certificate in Quality Management with distinction from the University of Manitoba.

Chisholm, Kate

Ms. Kate Chisholm is the Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer for Capital Power Corporation. She serves on several boards and committees, including Carbon Management Canada, Canadian Electricity Association, and current executive committee member with the Institute of Corporate Directors. She was a founding board member of the Calgary City Centre Rotary Club. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta, and Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Allison University. Ms. Chisholm has her ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.


Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Alberta include the core competencies of leadership and governance as well as preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Kat Chisholm was directly appointed in August 2019 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.

Ross, Tom

Mr. Tom Ross is a practicing lawyer and partner at McLennan Ross LLP. He has experience in the areas of labour arbitrations, wrongful dismissal, human rights, privacy, and a variety of other labour and employment issues. He has received annual recognition in The Best Lawyers in Canada for Labour and Employment Law and the Leading Business Lawyer under Management Labour & Employment, Who’s Who Legal: Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from the University of Western Ontario and earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta.


Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Alberta include the core competencies of leadership and governance as well as preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Tom Ross was directly appointed in August 2019 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.

Saraf, Rakesh

Mr. Rakesh Saraf has been a self-employed independent consultant since 2018. Prior to this, he was Head of Private Investments with the Alberta Teachers' Retirement Fund for eight years. He has served as a board member with NCSG, RTL - Westcan, KMC Mining and many more. He holds a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Chennai in India, and a Masters in Management Studies from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai. Mr. Saraf is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds an ICD.D. designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.


Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Alberta include: leadership, governance, finance, human resources, legal, risk management and/or strategic planning. Rakesh Saraf was directly recruited and appointed on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills and attributes as described above.

Bridgeman, Guy

Mr. Guy Bridgeman is a retiree and a former Senior Vice President with EPCOR. He currently serves on several boards including as Vice Chair with Claystone Waste Management, a member with Alberta Electric System Operator, and Rohit Advisor Board. He also serves on the Executive Committee of Institute of Corporate Directors, Edmonton Chapter. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics, a Master of Arts degree in Economics, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Bridgeman has his ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.


Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Alberta include the core competencies of leadership and governance as well as preferred competencies of finance, human resources, legal, risk management, and/or strategic planning. Guy Bridgeman was directly appointed in November 2019 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.

MacKinnon, Janice

Ms. Janice MacKinnon is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a member of the Order of Canada, and a former Saskatchewan Finance Minister. She is a Professor of fiscal policy at the University of Saskatchewan and an Executive Fellow at the University of the Calgary School of Public Policy. She serves as Co-Chair of The She Leads Economic Council of Alberta and Co-Chair of the Manitoba Commission reviewing the K-12 education system. She served as Chair of Alberta's Blue Ribbon Panel, Chair of Canada's Economic Advisory Council, and Chair of the Board of the Institute for Research on Public Policy and board member of the Canada West Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. and a Master of Arts degree from Queen's University and also a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours from the University of Western Ontario.


Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Alberta 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. MacKinnon was directly appointed in March 2020 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.

Whittaker, Paul

Mr. Paul Whittaker served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Forest Products Association. He is Co-Chair of the Alberta Softwood Lumber Trade Council, Chair of the Capital Region Housing Corporation, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation. He previously worked at the Government of Alberta where he served as Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Relations, Deputy Secretary to Cabinet and Deputy Clerk of Executive Council. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with Honours from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Queen’s University.


Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Alberta 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. Whittaker was directly appointed in March 2020 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.

Bhambhani, Zarina

Ms. Zarina Bhambhani is an Audit Partner with KPMG LLP. She has held several senior positions with KPMG in their Edmonton, Calgary, and New York offices. She is a Facilitator with the Institute of Corporate Directors and Treasurer and Executive Committee Member with the Edmonton Downtown Business Association. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Honours from the University of Alberta.


Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Alberta 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. Bhambhani was directly appointed in July 2020 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.

Zenari, Lillian

Ms. Lillian Zenari is the Senior Assistant Vice President Finance with Canadian Western Bank. Previously, she was the Controller of EPCOR Water Services and a Senior Manager with EPCOR Utilities Inc. She is a Member of the YWCA Finance and Audit Committee and a past Treasurer with the Italian Cultural Society. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.


Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Alberta 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. Zenari was directly appointed in July 2020 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.

Policicchio, Sett

Mr. Sett Policicchio has over 38 years of experience in the utility and construction industry as a Professional Engineer. He has spent the last 17 years within senior executive roles with ATCO Electric. He serves as member on the Board of Directors of Catholic Social Services. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta. He has an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and is a Professional member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta.


Competencies required for members of The Governors of The University of Alberta 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. Policicchio was directly appointed in September 2020 on the basis of meeting the competencies, skills, and attributes as described above.

Aziz, Bishoi

Mr. Bishoi Aziz is the President of the University of Alberta Graduate Student's Association, and previously served as the 2022/23 Graduate Students’ Association Vice-President Academic. He is currently a PhD candidate with the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Alberta. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Alberta, and a Bachelor of Medicine degree and a Bachelor of Surgery degree from Assiut University in Egypt.

Fotang, Christian

Mr. Christian Fotang is the Vice-President External Affairs of the University of Alberta Students’ Union. He is in his fifth year of a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology.

Raitz, Stephen

Mr. Stephen Raitz is a law student at the University of Alberta and the Vice-President General of the Law Students’ Association. He is a Subdivision/Development Appeal Board Member with City of Edmonton, and a certified professional member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and Alberta Professional Planners Institute.

Ross-Graham, Margot

Ms. Margot Ross-Graham is the President of Sandbar Coaching and Consulting providing services such as strategic planning, leadership development, succession planning, and process improvement. Previously, Ms. Ross was the Assistant Deputy Minister of Leadership and Talent Development at the Government of Alberta, and Vice President of Integration at Williams Engineering Canada. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and Chartered Professional Human Resource. Ms. Ross-Graham holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Recreation Administration from the University of Alberta.

Dickie, Stephanie

Ms. Stephanie Dickie is a Team Lead with Student Programs Administration in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences. She has been employed at the University of Alberta since 2004, when she began working as student staff in Conference Services and Residence Services and later as a Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA) staff, NASA Union steward, and University of Alberta alumni. She has volunteered in a variety of ways with her union and with the university community, including serving at the ALES Faculty Council, working as a Communication Director for the Edmonton Pride Festival Society and as a Community Engagement Coordinator at Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts. She completed her undergraduate degree in art and design at the University of Alberta.

Vethanayagam, Dilini

Professor Delini Vethanayagam is a Professor with the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. She is an Academic Clinician (Respirologist) with her academic practice based at the University of Alberta Hospital/Kaye Edmonton Clinic. Over the past seven years she has sat as a faculty representative to the General Faculties Counci (GFC), GFC representative to the Council of Student Affairs, Chair Selection Committee and GFC representative to the Senate.


Dr. Vethanayagam followed her medical degree from the University of Alberta with a rotating internship at Dalhousie University, an internal medicine residency at Queen’s University, a respirology fellowship at the University of Western Ontario and an asthma clinical research fellowship at McMaster University. She was recruited from Hamilton Health Sciences to the University of Alberta in 2003.

Vemana, Venkata

Biography not available
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