Board of Directors

Public Interest Alberta is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from our member organizations and individuals. The Board is elected by the membership at our Annual General Meeting.

PIA strives to have a Board of Directors that reflects the diversity of Alberta and our membership, with balanced representation from around the province.

The 2010-2011 Board of Directors are:

Larry Booi, President

Larry has long worked to strengthen education and support the public good. He is the former President of the Alberta Teachers’ Association and was also a member of the Executive Board of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation. He has been actively involved in curriculum development, has written textbooks used in Alberta schools, and acted as a consultant for publishers and NGOs. Currently, he is on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council on Learning. Larry has played a central role in the establishment and growth of Public Interest Alberta and is also Chair of the Democracy Task Force.

Lori Sigurdson, Vice-President
Alberta College of Social Workers

Lori has been employed as a social worker for over 20 years. She has worked in various fields of practice, including children’s services, mental health, social policy and education. Currently, her work involves membership support for the over 6000 Registered Social Workers in Alberta. Larger systems advocacy to promote progressive social policies, as well as the profession of social work, are also part of her role. Lori received her Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Calgary. She lives in Edmonton with her 3 sons.

Dennis Theobald, Treasurer
Alberta Teachers’ Association

Dennis is the Alberta Teachers’ Association Associate Executive Secretary. He joined the Association staff in 2001 and has assisted with the planning and implementation of the Association’s communications and lobbying strategy. Before joining the Association, Dennis taught for 13 years, working on the Saddle Lake First Nation Reserve and in Battle River School Division. In 1996, he was seconded to Alberta Education, spending five years in senior management roles. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Bachelor of Education degree and is presently pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree. His primary interest is in issues relating to the K-12 Education sector, but he is also involved in promoting the public interest as it relates to post-secondary education and democratic governance in Alberta. Dennis played a key role in establishing Public Interest Alberta.

Bev Ray, Secretary
Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Edmonton

Bev Ray is the Local President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (730) Edmonton and has been a letter carrier since 2001. Prior to being employed by Canada Post, Bev worked for the Alberta Association for Community Living (AACL) and the Family Centre. During those years Bev was directly involved in providing advocacy support to families with developmental disabilities, as well as being a representative voice during the dismantling of Social Services and the creation of provincial boards. She has been a long-time advocate for human rights and has spent the last 25 years working on social justice issues that impact persons with developmental disabilities and has been involved in community organizing against conservative agendas that marginalize citizens.

Heather Smith, Director
United Nurses of Alberta

Heather is the President of the United Nurses of Alberta, a position she has held since 1988. Born and raised in Ontario, she came to Alberta to work as a nurse at the Edmonton General Hospital. She quickly became involved in her union and served as President of her Local for two years. She also sat on the provincial negotiating committee during the 19 day illegal strike in January of 1988. Heather has been a key figure in political action to defend public health care in Alberta including campaigns to oppose Bill 37, Bill 11 and the Third Way.

Elisabeth Ballermann, Director
Health Sciences Association of Alberta

Elisabeth has been President of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta since 1995, becoming the first president elected by the membership. Elisabeth joined HSAA in 1980 when she started her health care career as a physical therapist at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. In 1986, she joined the HSAA Staff Association. In order to enhance her academic background in labour relations, Elisabeth graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta. Her extensive community service was recognized in 2005 with the awarding of the Alberta Centennial Medal.

John Nicholls, Director
Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations

John is the Executive Director of the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations (CAFA), which has been a member of PIA since its inception. He has played an active role on PIA's Post-Secondary Task Force, and previously sat on the PIA Board of Directors when he served as Research and Liaison Officer for the Alberta Colleges and Institutes Faculties Association (ACIFA). John is passionately committed to the principles of accessibility, affordability and quality in post-secondary education in Alberta.

Brian Staples, Director
Seniors' Action Liaison Team (SALT)

Brian Staples is a retired educator and has been chair of the Seniors' Action Liaison Team from 1998 to 2009. He suffered quietly from the fact that both his parents were rural Alberta teachers. In his work life he has been a young army officer, a teacher, superintendent of schools and an Alberta public servant. He developed the province's further education councils and its program of designated community schools. He will take anyone sailing at any time.

Jennifer Prosser, Director
Womanspace Resource Centre

 Jennifer Prosser is a graduate of Political Science from the University of Lethbridge and has worked in advocacy groups of all stripes since her mid-teens. Having a strong passion for community action and education advocacy, Jenn is a current member of the Womanspace Resource Group board in Lethbridge, Alberta; as well as serving with other community based groups in various capacities. Following her passion for creativity and artistic expression, Jenn currently works at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery as the Manager of Public Programs and Education. Womanspace is a community-based organization that provides research and initiates policy change at both the local and provincial level in order to improve the status and further the political, social and economic equality of women.

Gerald Wheatley, Director
Arusha Centre

Gerald is the Coordinator of the Arusha Centre's InfoActive Resource Centre, which brings community activists together on a variety of social justice and environmental issues since 1972. He is a founding member of Calgary Dollars, a complimentary currency system. Gerald is also the producer of the Hold Your Ground music compilation, which has produced four volumes of songs from Alberta musicians to raise money for community organizations. He has contributed to the creation of Calgary's two car sharing initiatives and is the volunteer organizer of Calgary's first pesticide-free park, New Edinborough in Sunnyside, which has supported the City's move toward eliminating cosmetic pesticides. He has a BA in International Relations and is currently completing a Master's Degree in social research.

Guy Smith, Director
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees

Guy Smith has been President of AUPE, Alberta’s largest union, since 2009. Prior to that Guy was an AUPE vice-president for 8 years and a worksite and Local activist for over 20 years. Guy brings a passion for membership mobilization and democracy into the position of President and is dedicated to building a strong and effective defense of all public services. Guy knows how important it is to build links of solidarity with organizations such as Public Interest Alberta to engage in the struggle for a more just and equal Alberta for all. 

Gil McGowan, Director
Alberta Federation of Labour

 Gil was elected President of the Alberta Federation of Labour in 2005. Prior to that, he worked for 10 years as the AFL’s Communications Director. In addition to his experience in labour, he worked with the Friends of Medicare between 1996 and 2003, where he acted as Communications Coordinator and was a lead organizer for its campaign against Bill 11. Gil is also currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Parkland Institute and the Friends of Medicare.

Cherie Langlois-Klassen, Director

Cherie Langlois-Klassen is a Labour Relations Officer with the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), where she advocates for the rights of Alberta's nurses. Cherie is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, and previously practiced union-side labour law as an associate with the law firm of Blair Chahley Seveny in Edmonton. Prior to that, Cherie served for several years as the Executive Director of the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation (ACGC) and the International Panel of Experts on Partnership Programming for the then Federal Minister of International Cooperation. She is active on the AFL's Women's Committee and also serves as co-chair of PIA's Task Force on Childcare.

Ricardo Acuña, Director
Parkland Institute

Ricardo is the Executive Director of the Parkland Institute, Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta – a position he has held since May 2002. Previous to that he worked for nine years as Projects Coordinator for Change for Children Association, an Alberta-based international development organization working in Latin America. He has a degree in Political Science and History from the University of Alberta, and has over 20 years experience as a volunteer, staffer and consultant for various non-government and non-profit organizations around the province. Ricardo is a regular speaker to students, teachers, and community groups around Alberta. He has spoken extensively and written on issues of water, NAFTA, commodification of the commons, and energy policy in Alberta. He is a regular media commentator on public policy issues, and writes a regular column for VueWeekly in Edmonton.