2024 Speakers

Kent has watched the sun rise on Edmonton for years and will tell you that getting up early is a whole lot better than staying up late.

Kent enjoys helping you start your day with everything you need to know before you get out the door. He loves putting a spotlight on the people and places that make Northern Alberta a great place to live. He believes in delivering your news with a smile and hopefully, a few laughs.

Kent lives in Edmonton with his beautiful wife Katie and their 3-year-old son Leo. Together Kent and Katie enjoy the city’s fitness and culinary scenes, usually in consecutive order. In the summer, you’ll probably find Kent at a local golf course, taking too many swings.

Kent grew up in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan where he played hockey and baseball. In 2005, he moved to Oakland, California to chase a baseball career. That career was slightly longer than the flight.

Kent graduated with honours from The School of Journalism at The University of Regina. During his last semester of school Kent produced a film called “Denendeh” that went on to win the 2010 Human Rights DocFest Award for best small budget documentary. In 2012, an article he wrote about the experience making the film won a Gold Medal at the Western Magazine Awards for best article from Saskatchewan.

He is also a Canadian Screen Award winner.

Kent’s television career began as an intern at CTV’s Alberta Primetime. Now, he’s back in the same building where it all began and happy to be part of the city’s best news team.

Erin is the CEO of SREDA, the economic development organization dedicated to advancing the Saskatoon Region. Appointed in June 2023, she is the first female CEO in the organization's history.

Erin joined SREDA in 2015, serving most recently as the Chief Marketing Officer. Born and raised in Saskatoon, Erin holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan. 

Under her leadership, SREDA champions the people, potential, and prosperity of Saskatoon and surrounding communities. Erin is passionate about fostering meaningful relationships and collaboratively ensuring a diverse and dynamic economy. Committed to being a steward of progress, she is dedicated to addressing community needs and creating opportunities for growth and success. Erin takes pride in leading an organization that plays a vital role in shaping Saskatoon, a City she’s proud to call home.

Brad Armstrong brings over 30 years of experience in planning and development. His early career involved "planning on the edge" of western Canadian cities, contributing to municipalities like R.M. of Edenwold, M.D. of Rocky View, and Strathcona County. In 2004, he joined Qualico Communities as a project manager, overseeing capital region neighborhood planning. His professional journey includes creating a land development company, collaborating with MMM Group, and a return to Qualico Communities as Land Development Manager in 2010, where he eventually became Vice President, Community Development. Brad's leadership extends to boards like the Urban Development Institute (UDI) and BILD Alberta, showcasing his commitment to industry growth. Outside work, he actively supports the Kids With Cancer Society as Board Chair, contributes to the River Valley Alliance board and implementation committee, and serves as a judge for the Global Hydrogen Case Competition, aligning with his passion for advancing Pure Hydrogen as a low carbon energy source in community development.

Munira Mohamed, is a Registered Provisional Psychologist and the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Manager of Recovery in Alberta with the Canadian Red Cross, brings extensive experience in trauma-informed care, community recovery, and mental health capacity-building. 

She has led initiatives supporting individuals and communities impacted by disasters, focusing on integrating mental health and economic development. Munira works closely with community leaders to address mental health challenges including stress, grief, and trauma, promoting resilience and well-being in communities.

Wade Williams brings over 20 years of experience in economic development consulting and corporate site location services, leveraging his extensive background to benefit companies and communities. Before joining Montrose Group, Wade founded and served as Principal of the Economic Development Group, a regional consulting firm known for delivering innovative solutions to its clients.

Wade has held several leadership roles, including Vice President of Business Development at REDI Cincinnati, where he managed targeted domestic and international attraction efforts. He also spent a decade as COO of NKY Tri-ED, an economic development organization serving three counties in the Cincinnati region.

Additionally, Wade's experience includes over ten years managing business operations and complex real estate acquisitions for Duke Energy's Ohio and Kentucky-Indiana divisions. Throughout his career, Wade has been instrumental in generating over 600 leads, 380 projects, 18,500 jobs, and more than $3 billion in new capital investment for the Cincinnati region.

Beyond his professional achievements, Wade is a dedicated community service advocate, volunteering on numerous leadership and community boards across Greater Cincinnati. He is committed to positively impacting the clients and communities he serves.

Chris Lane looks to transform Economic Development Regina into a data, analytics, and investment attraction powerhouse. With more than six years of executive leadership experience coupled with 15+ years of communications & media experience, Chris is ready to lead and tell the economic development story of Greater Regina Area while attracting businesses and investments from around the world. Serving on the boards of several local organizations and an avid volunteer, Chris is deeply connected to the Regina community. In his spare time, Chris is a private pilot and aircraft owner.

Angela is passionate about helping entrepreneurs because she is an entrepreneur herself. Her vast experience includes the cattle, fashion, health, and wellness industries.

Angela’s career in economic development began when she was appointed by the Alberta Government Minister of Recovery to assist in the Emergency Operation Center during the 2013 southern Alberta floods.

As the Business Recovery Officer for the Town of High River, she played a crucial role in creating and leading the downtown recovery efforts, which was the hardest-hit area. She established Canada's first temporary business park and formed a Business Recovery Task Force with local stakeholders. During four years of recovery, Angela and the renewal team had sustained close to 80% of the pre-flood business community.

Later, she used her experience to help support other business and economic recovery efforts including the Fort McMurray business emergency hotline, hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, and flooding in British Columbia.

In 2019, Angela transitioned to the Town of Okotoks, where the business community was experiencing a period of rapid growth. Utilizing her knowledge of the area and expertise in BR&E, she delivered a robust Economic Development plan and formed a local business stakeholder committee.

Since October 2022 she has served as the Senior Manager Economic Stability and Investment, for the Town of Strathmore. 

Angela’s passion for mental wellness, is a direct result of her personal and professional experience over the past decade.  Her work in High River impacted her own mental health issues, including PTSD.

Ann Wu is the Managing Director, Government Grants for Ryan ULC, an award-winning global tax services and software provider and the largest firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes and Government funding. With over 10 years of financial management and leadership experience in both the for-profit industry and the not-for-profit sector, combined with a background in economics and passion for economic development and innovation, Ann has helped hundreds of businesses and organizations capitalize on opportunities to increase their competitiveness and bring forth innovation to market through government funding. 

She has spent the last eight years supporting high-value projects and proposals, managing government-funded projects, and liaising with community partners, funders, and government officials. Her leadership and oversight have resulted in over $800 million in government funding awards to businesses across North America and billions of dollars in capital investments and new IP creation in Canada.

Gillianne has over 13 years of experience with the federal government, including working in International Business Development and Investment Promotion at Global Affairs Canada (GAC). Responsible for Partnerships within Investment Promotion, Gillianne works directly with Canadian Provinces, Territories, and Municipalities to attract foreign investment into Canada. 

Gillianne holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland. 

Mayor Hnatiw is a long-time Sturgeon County resident and active volunteer. She lives in Division 5 with her husband Rob and two children. Mayor Hnatiw comes from a long line of farmers, but has spent most of her adult life as an oil and gas business owner. As a leader, she focuses on opening doors to residents and keeping an open mind while looking for innovative solutions to current challenges.

Developing a prosperous future for Sturgeon County is a priority for Mayor Hnatiw. Diversification of agriculture and industry is one of her goals, as is the support of small businesses. There are many opportunities for responsible, sustainable development in Sturgeon County.

In her spare time, Mayor Hnatiw enjoys horseback riding, golfing, downhill skiing, and teaching yoga.

Mayor Hnatiw serves as ex-officio for all Committees of Council and is the Chair of all Regular Council Meetings, unless absent.

Tom Viinikka is the CEO of Edmonton Unlimited, with the mandate of empowering the organization to move into the next level of scale and integration locally and globally, while supporting Edmonton’s innovators who are solving the world’s toughest problems. 

As a passionate, community-centric, long-time entrepreneur and investor, Tom has founded, acquired, exited and invested in businesses spanning technology, construction, retail and energy. 

Prior to joining Edmonton Unlimited, Tom served as the CEO of Edmonton Screen Industries Office (ESIO), where he oversaw economic development in the film, TV and video games industry. He has also held senior roles at AlignVR and vrCAVE—both of which he cofounded—along with Enzo Energy Services and Allsports & Cycle. 

Tom is a Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) mentor at the University of Alberta, where he supports entrepreneurs building high-impact ventures in Edmonton. 

He holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in international business and minoring in business law, from the University of Alberta and is fluent in Spanish.

Harold has held a variety of roles, primarily centred on economic development since 1986.  After graduating from Queen’s University, Harold extensively worked assisting new and established businesses to succeed.  Another major focus has been on regional economic development initiatives, including cross-border.

Harold has worked for municipalities, regions, provinces and non-profit organizations, including heading the Chamber of Commerce in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where he was born and raised, and administered the Canadian Centre for Unmanned Vehicle Systems during its first year.  

Harold has served as a Governor of the Thunder Bay Regional Hospital and was a Director of both EDCO and EDA Alberta.  While working as the Economic Development Manager for the City of Leduc from 2018 until June, 2023, Harold served as the Chair of the Greater Edmonton Economic Development Team, on the Steering Committee of the Port Alberta Free Trade Zone, and a Member of the Airport Development Council of the Urban Land institute, a global organization who’s mission is to Shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. 

He also managed development of a 42 lot residential sub-division on his grandfather’s former potato farm. In 1997, Harold spent nearly 7 months in Western Ukraine, where he acted as a mentor for the business consultants and economic development staff at a Canadian sponsored business centre.  He has also taught International Business courses at Confederation College for seven semesters, to International students, primarily from Chile, India, Bangladesh, Ghana and Vietnam.

Derek is currently Director of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) delivered out of Calgary Economic Development (CED). Derek leads a team that finds, fuels and fosters opportunities to build a more diversified and resilient economy. He previously led a Calgary-based team at Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), a federal government department tasked with growing and diversifying Alberta’s economy through innovation and entrepreneurship. Through his different roles, Derek has helped enable growth in areas such as the energy transition, agricultural innovation, health and life sciences, digital tech, and economic inclusiveness. For almost 20 years, Derek has provided strategic advice and operationalized economic, environmental, and infrastructure initiatives in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and now Calgary. This includes strategic climate change policy, major public-private infrastructure projects, and regional economic development. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree from McGill University in Montreal.

Heather Thomson is a consumer behaviour expert. Previously, Heather was the Executive Director of the Centre for Cities and Communities. Heather has the opportunity to work first hand with businesses, community organizations, and municipalities to ensure local economies and businesses are thriving. Prior to her work with the University of Alberta, Heather has helped dozens of communities and hundreds of businesses across North America. Heather was named in Edify’s top 40 under 40 class of 2023, and she is a sought after key-note speaker, successful fundraiser and looks for opportunities in every situation. 

Heather is a proud mom of two boys, finishing her masters in behavioural economics and an advocate for gender parity and equity in the workforce.

Luke Panek is the Director of YOLO Nomads, an online platform that supports smaller communities to position themselves to attract relocators, investors and remote workers who are tired of rising prices, crime, congestion, and lack of community.

Jordan Tidey MBA, MSc, is the Director of Economic Development with the County of Grande Prairie. Over his 10-year career in Economic Development he has worked across Canada both as a Consultant and Economic Practitioner in urban and rural communities. Jordan’s projects have often included implementing technology solutions to collecting data and reporting the value proposition and return on investment in Economic Development.

Amy Gerber brings 25 years of industry experience and is an Executive Managing Director in our Business Incentives Practice at Cushman & Wakefield.  The practice helps companies mitigate risk in site selection through negotiations with state and local governments and other entities to address both upfront and operating costs differentials as well as timing hurdles.  

Amy specializes in location analytics and understanding the financial impacts on a company when operating in a market.  Ms. Gerber utilizes her state and local tax background when evaluating market costs and tax structures as well as in working with economic development teams to evaluate and understand tax and incentive legislation and statutes.  In many instances, Ms. Gerber, has even modified existing legislation generating significant savings for her clients.  Amy has led and managed numerous multi-state incentive negotiation engagements for both office and industrial projects across the country for a wide range of companies including Fortune 10 companies to start-up companies.

Amy came to Cushman & Wakefield from Jones Lang LaSalle where she was part of the Business and Economic Incentives practice for 16 years. Prior to joining Jones Lang LaSalle, Ms. Gerber worked at KPMG, LLP with the State and Local Tax Practice/Strategic Relocation and Expansion Services Division. 

Amy Gerber holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Montana State University.  Amy is a former Board member with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and was a member of Leadership Georgia class of 2016.  Amy is also a member of the Georgia Association of Manufacturers and is on the editorial advisory board for Area Development Magazine.

Darryl Julott is the Managing Lead for Digital Main Street, a program created by the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) with support from the City of Toronto to help small businesses embrace digital adoption. Darryl brings a wealth of expertise in fostering public-private partnerships and designing programs that enhance small business and community growth through technology adoption, and digital transformation. Under his leadership, the Digital Main Street program has supported over 100,000 businesses across 1,400+ communities to date, facilitating their digital transformation journeys. The Digital Main Street program has also created 3,500+ jobs for recent graduates to help kick start their careers.

A veteran entrepreneur and innovation expert, Darryl combines his extensive experience with a passion for innovation, positioning himself as a thought leader in the intersection of retail, technology, and digital transformation. In his spare time, Darryl enjoys coaching youth sports and volunteering with youth mentorship organizations, as well as other charities.

Chris Knight is the Managing Director of fDi Intelligence, which is part of the Financial Times Ltd. Previous to this, Chris was the Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder of Wavteq, which was a boutique FDI consultancy.

Chris has been working in the field of foreign direct investment and advising governments for over 17 years. Chris is an expert on how to market and promote locations globally. Chris has a track record in the benchmarking of locations, as well as analysing and interpreting FDI trends worldwide. 

Chris has worked with hundreds of IPA’s worldwide in all aspects of foreign direct investment including: lead generation, event organisation and management, best practice in investment promotion and location benchmarking propositions.       

Chris is of the IEDC Board of Directors.

Ms. Casey brings extensive and diverse experience in leadership, public administration, marketing, business development and retention, and strategic planning as the President & CEO of Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to create a prosperous and diverse economy for the four-county Albuquerque metro region. Since her arrival in October 2020, she has made groundbreaking progress in completing a complete regional strategic plan, a full organizational rename and full bylaws and articles of incorporation rewrite, and is near completion of a capital campaign to ensure organizational success and plan execution. In addition, for the first time in the organization’s 60 year history, public sector organizations have formally joined and become voting participants on AREA’s Board of Directors, transforming a traditional business association to a mission-based public private partnership.

Previously, she served as the Executive Vice President for the Greater Sacramento Economic Council and oversaw the organization’s business development, marketing and communications, investor engagement, research, and strategic initiatives critical to advancing economic growth in Greater Sacramento. She oversaw the comprehensive launch and execution of a best-in-class national site selection consultant strategy and established first-ever memorandums of understanding with seven local commercial real estate brokerage offices, receiving a Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council in 2020 for a joint publication she spearheaded with CBRE. She established critical internal efficiencies with revisions to all organizational practices from database management to budget development and oversight. Even in the wake of COVID-19, the organization succeeded in meeting all its annual metrics and job creation goals and launching a regional business retention and expansion outreach program.

From 2013 – 2018, Danielle served the well-known City of Scottsdale, Arizona as its Economic Development Director. Under her leadership, the department received six awards of excellence from the International Economic Development Council, status as an Accredited Economic Development Organization, the 2015 ‘Large Community Economic Development Organization of the Year’ award from the Arizona Association for Economic Development, and unanimous Council approval of a Five-Year Economic Development Strategic Plan – the first for the community in more than 15 years. During her tenure, the department was directly involved in projects accounting for more than $24 million in 5-year direct revenue impact to the city, $7 billion in 5-year total economic impact, 4,428 or more new jobs in the first 12 months of business operation alone and $160 million in new capital investment.

Ms. Casey served in various executive roles at the City of Maricopa, Ariz. since 2005, lastly as the Assistant City Manager. Departments under her oversight included economic development, community and development services, capital improvement, public works and City-wide marketing and communications activities. She managed several noteworthy tasks in the establishment of the City’s economic development office, such as the creation of an Industrial Development Authority,the City’s first Redevelopment District and Area Plan, the establishment of a local economic development 501 (c) 3 (the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance), City-wide branding and Economic Development Strategic Plan. Prior to her time in Maricopa, she attained significant experience in the non-profit sector working in fundraising, marketing, and event and membership management at the Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art in Phoenix, Arizona and at Save The Bay in Providence, Rhode Island.

Ms. Casey received her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and Master of Administration from Northern Arizona University. She is both a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) as well as a certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP). She is a member of the International Economic Development Council and serves on its Board of Directors and as Chair of the External Member Relations Committee. She also serves as an instructor at the Oklahoma University Economic Development Institute. Danielle is a Past President of the Arizona Association for Economic Development, a statewide professional association with more than 480 public and private members.

In May 2010, Ms. Casey was the honored recipient of the ‘Economic Developer of the Year – Small Community’ award from the Arizona Association for Economic Development and in January 2017 she was recognized as a national top ‘40 under 40 Rising Star’ in economic development by Development Counsellors International. She was named a Top 40 Economic Development by Consultants Connect in 2022. In addition, she is co-founder of the Arizona Chapter of Women Leading Government which in its eighth year draws hundreds of participants from around the state.

An Air Force brat, Ms. Casey has had the great privilege of living in Texas, Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana, Utah, Rhode Island, Arizona and California throughout her life and is thrilled to now call Albuquerque home, along with her trusty English bulldog Sophie.

Sasha Bogdanovic is the CEO and co-founder of CityViz, an award-winning provider of the CityViz economic development data platform, used by communities and organizations across Canada to attract investment and boost economic growth. With over 23 years of experience as a data specialist, Sasha has delivered data products for provincial and local governments as well as the private sector.

He holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science and was recognized as a top performer in the inaugural class of the Data Science Specialization by Johns Hopkins University and Coursera. Sasha was also a winner of the BC Housing Market Data Visualization Challenge by BC Stats and Innovate BC.

As the Director of Venture Services and Partnerships at WEtech Alliance, Adam has dedicated the past seven years of his career to fostering growth in the Ontario startup sector. His role as coach, program designer, and connector has allowed him to develop and deliver several internationally recognized entrepreneurial development programs. In addition to being honored as one of United Way's 40 under 40 leaders and the 2021 BizX Powerhouse Professional of the Year, Adam has also been named to The Peak's 2024 Emerging Leaders' List, highlighting his significant contributions to the field.

Chris Steele is the CEO and President of EBP-US, based in Boston.  His over 30 years of experience in location consulting, site selection, and economic development have resulted in a unique perspective on how the concept of place impacts business and community success around the globe. 

Past clients include The Boeing Company, BlueCross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Lenovo, Morgan Stanley, Club Med, Becton Dickinson, the US Transportation Research Board (of the National Science Foundation), Olympus, and Biogen IDEC.  He also frequently advises governments and public sector agencies on business attraction and economic development efforts.

Chris has written on location strategy and real estate topics for Area Development, Business Expansion Journal, Site Selection Online Insider, and the Journal of Corporate Real Estate, served as an editor for Ernst & Young's United States Investment Monitor, and is a frequent presenter at forums around the world.

Mark Perna is the founder and CEO of TFS Results, a full-service strategic consulting firm at the forefront of the national paradigm shift in education and workforce development. As an international generational expert, Mark has devoted his career to empowering educators and employers to unleash the tremendous potential of today’s young people.

Mark founded the Education with Purpose & Employment with Passion movement to help communities connect the pipelines between education, business, and economic development. Mark serves on the Advisory Council for the Coalition for Career Development and is a member of the International Economic Development Council, both in Washington, DC. His work has helped countless parents, educators, employers, and national organizations across North America to engage with the younger generations more effectively.

Mark today delivers over 70 in-person and virtual keynote speeches annually at national and statewide events, where he frequently brings audiences to their feet. He’s also spoken at Harvard University by special invitation. At TFS Results, Mark’s team of talented professionals share his vision of helping organizations of all sizes experience significant gains in recruitment, engagement, retention, and performance.

Mark is a weekly contributor at Forbes.com, where his work reaches an audience of over 4 million. He interviews frequently on radio shows, television, and podcasts, and his library of episodes on The Perna Syndicate podcast reaches listeners in more than 70 countries. His multi-award-winning bestseller, Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations, was written to help educators, employers, and parents understand and motivate the millennial and Z generations. Find out more at MarkCPerna.com.

Steve Patterson is an award-winning comedian with over two decades of international performance experience. Best known as host of the long-running hit radio show and podcast The Debaters and theatre show The Debaters Live, Patterson’s brand of comedy is best described as honest and erudite, combining well-crafted writing with unparalleled off-the-cuff wit.

Twice named Canada’s Best Male Stand-Up at the Canadian Comedy Awards, Patterson has also taken his award-winning humour to the literary world with The Book of Letters I Didn’t Know Where to Send and his newest release Dad Up! available wherever books are sold.

Vito has over 10 years of experience in government administration with the Corporation of the City of Windsor. Currently serving as the Senior Economic Development Officer for the municipality, Vito is dedicated to fostering economic growth and development. In 2021, Vito played a crucial role as part of a six-person project team to develop the implementation plan for Windsor Works, the city's comprehensive economic development strategy. Vito and his team are responsible for implementing Windsor Works and its related projects, as well as investment attraction, business retention, talent attraction, and downtown revitalization.

With over 25 years of experience in marketing places, April founded Violet PR in 2010. Her passion is working with clients dedicated to improving their communities. She has managed PR campaigns for destinations including Canada, Morocco, Switzerland, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Savannah and New Jersey, and has arranged hundreds of media interviews for governors, mayors, CEOs and industry experts – promoting cities, states and regions across the world. April holds an M.A. in journalism/marketing communications from the University of Kansas.

Lee Anderson is the Vice President of Customer Success at Localintel. In his role, Lee engages daily with economic development professionals, gaining insights into their initiatives, challenges, and aspirations. Prior to joining Localintel, Lee was a researcher and site selector at the Walton Group of Companies, a multinational land development firm. There, he played a key role in researching strategic growth corridors across the U.S. and Canada. He collaborated with various municipalities, economic development professionals, and supporting organizations to monitor and analyze socio-economic conditions and development initiatives throughout North America, with a focus on uncovering commercial, industrial, and residential development opportunities.

Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) degree from the University of Calgary, graduating in 2007.

Sean McCormick is an expert in consumer spending data. Sean joined Moneris in 2015 and is the Head of Growth Strategy for Moneris Data Services which enables private and public sector organizations to use payment data to improve their economic forecasting capabilities and inform your economic development strategy.

Brock Dickinson is the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Waterloo, and the Director of the University’s Economic Development Program. He currently works in private equity, and advises communities, companies and organizations around the world on geopolitics, economic development and sustainability.

Robert Bell heads research, analysis and content development activities and directs the analytics that ICF uses to assess the potential and progress of communities, which also selects honorees for the annual Intelligent Community Awards program. Robert developed and leads the Intelligent Community Accelerator and Certification programs. Serving as the content lead for ICF's Global Summit, he is also the author or editor of ICF's research reports, and lead co-author of Brain Gain, Seizing Our Destiny and Broadband Economies.  

Robert has contributed articles to IEDC Journal, Mayors & Cities, Global Urbanist, and Daily Yonder; and has appeared in segments of ABC World News and The Discovery Channel. A frequent keynote speaker and moderator at municipal and telecom industry events, he has also led economic development missions and study tours to cities in Asia and the US.

As Trade Commissioner and Senior Investment Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada to Germany, Mr. Engler looks back at 25 years of advising German investment prospects on all aspects of site selection in Canada, from providing value propositions, cost analyses, to counselling on financing options and incentive packages.

An award-winning Canadian Trade Commissioner, Mr. Engler is a well-known strategist combining theoretical concepts of foreign direct investment attraction with the experience of counselling senior executives of thousands of German investors. Global Affairs Canada has been using him as a mentor, coaching trade commissioners around the globe and economic developers in Canada on how to convince senior company executives to locate and expand their investments in Canada.

Since 2009, Mr. Engler has held various university teaching assignments in international business, foreign direct investment attraction and site selection management, most notably at the Berlin University of Technology and Business Administration (HTW Berlin).

Mr. Engler was born in Germany and went to Canada in 1988. He graduated in Canadian Studies at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. He then obtained post-grad degrees in political science, economic history, public law and EU business administration in Freiburg and Frankfurt, Germany.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Engler held executive positions at private-sector consulting institutions, focusing on regional economic development.

Leann has been the CEO of Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) since 2009. She specializes in community economic recovery and resiliency.

Leann’s personal and professional experience has fostered a growing interest in supporting the mental wellness of community leaders in challenging times. This includes completing a recovery project with 11 Alberta flood-impacted communities (2014), setting up and operating the Fort McMurray and region business hotline, validating businesses for Red Cross emergency relief, and leading a 10-member technical assistance team to the region (2016-17). Her Master Your Disaster series of readiness, response and recovery guides for families, businesses and communities was launched on Amazon shortly after her work in Fort McMurray.

Leann has also updated the Canadian version of IEDC’s Leadership in Times of Crisis toolkit several times to help communities prepare for and recover from economic disruptions and brought IEDC’s community economic resiliency training to Canada. EDA’s most current version of this course continues to be offered online and in-person, and its Mental Wellness for Community Leaders Course is scheduled to launch early in 2025.

Leann is a Certified Economic Developer through EDAC and has a BA (Political Science/Sociology), BSW (Community Development), Professional Management Certificate (Marketing) and a Certificate in Economic Development.

She is currently coordinating a multistakeholder group focused on building regional economic capacity in response to the 2024 Alberta wildfires.

Chris is an informative, entertaining, and insightful strategic humorist with a serious message: dare to be different and reach highest aspiration or join the burgeoning ranks of the unnoticed. Chris’ 30 years of award-winning community economic development experience in 90 communities has been dedicated to reconnecting people to the power of community-building. His dry sense of humour and no nonsense, cut-through-clutter style challenges conventions and leaves people with inspiration to “make community-building personal.”