Drs. Elizabeth Douville (Chair of the Board of Directors) and Rob Annan (President and CEO) are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Bonnie Schmidt and Mr. Andrew Stephens to Genome Canada’s Board of Directors for two-year terms. Dr. Douville and existing Board members Mr. Eric Cook and Dr. Jacques Simoneau were reappointed for additional two-year terms.
All five members were approved at Genome Canada’s Annual General Meeting on June 18, 2020, and their terms are effective immediately. The Board thanks former Board member Dr. Kathryn Phillips for her extensive service to the organization and the genomics community.
“As we mark 20 years of impact, Genome Canada is heading into an exciting new era of transformative genomics leadership with the addition of Bonnie and Andrew, who bring strategic science communications expertise and deep industry experience to our Board,” said Dr. Douville, Chair of the Board of Directors of Genome Canada.
“I am privileged to work with such a dynamic Chair and talented and dedicated Board as we move forward together with a bold vision and renewed purpose to deliver mission-driven genomics for a stronger and more resilient Canada,” said Dr. Annan, President and CEO of Genome Canada.
Dr. Bonnie Schmidt is the founder and president of Let’s Talk Science, an award-winning, national charitable organization that she started in 1991 while completing a PhD in Physiology. Let’s Talk Science helps children and youth fulfill their potential and prepare for their future careers and citizenship role by supporting their learning and engagement through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). She has served on the Board of Directors of Ontario Genomics and the Board of Governors of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), and is the founding co-Chair of the Science & Technology Awareness Network (STAN). Dr. Schmidt was named to the Order of Canada in 2015 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2018.
Mr. Andrew Stephens is a seasoned oil and gas executive with 35+ years of experience with Suncor Energy Inc and predecessor companies. He retired from Suncor in 2012 as Senior Vice-President, Business Services, a role in which he led Suncor’s information, supply chain and field logistics services and contributed to the strategic leadership of the company. Mr. Stephens holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta. Mr. Stephens served on the Board and as President of the Youth Science Foundation and is a past Chair and Honourary Member of the Energy Council of Canada. He is past Chair of Genome Alberta and current Chair of the Beverage Container Management Board.
Click here to meet the full Board of Directors.
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Media contact
Nicola Katz
Director, Communications
Genome Canada
C: 613-297-0267
nkatz@genomecanada.ca