Board Members

Al Shpyth joined the IMII in December 2015 and became executive director on January 1, 2016. Al brings more than 25 years of consulting, government and industry experience related to mining and the minerals sector to the IMII. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan (in 1986), he obtained his master’s degrees in environmental studies from York University (in 1991) and in environmental law and policy from the Vermont Law School, where he graduated with highest honours, in 2014.

As a consultant, Al worked on environmental assessments and feasibility studies for mining projects in Saskatchewan (potash), British Columbia (copper) and Manitoba (silica sand). While with the Government of Saskatchewan, Al was the lead author of the government’s Position Paper on Proposed Uranium Mining Developments in Northern Saskatchewan in the mid-1990s and helped to set the public policy framework for approvals of the McArthur River, Cigar Lake and McClean Lake projects. He also conceived of and created the Northern Mines Monitoring Secretariat and Environmental Quality Committees to facilitate community involvement in the regulation of the uranium mining industry in northern Saskatchewan. In industry, Al held a number of progressively more responsible positions within Uranerz Exploration and Mining Ltd. and Cameco Corporation in areas as diverse as public affairs, human resources, special projects (ISO 14001), policy and systems development, government relations, information systems & technology, and business technology services. His work for Cameco was both national and international in scope, having been seconded to the Canadian Nuclear Association in Ottawa as director, environmental and regulatory affairs, and represented the company as their first managing director in the Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan.

In Saskatchewan, Al served several years as the chair of the Uranium Section of the Saskatchewan Mining Association, and on the board of directors of the Saskatoon Co-op. He also served as a volunteer board member, President and Past President of the Saskatchewan Environment Industry and Managers Association.

Dr. Shawn Gibson is the Executive Director of the Agriculture Research Branch in the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan and has expertise in plant molecular biology and physiology.

Dr. Gibson’s work focuses on the Ministry of Agriculture’s science, research and innovation funding which involves engaging with stakeholders in the agriculture industry to coordinate provincial investments into organizations, people, projects and in the demonstration of new agricultural practices and technologies. Prior to his position as Executive Director, he was the Manager of the Research Unit and Research Specialist for Value Added Processing in the Agriculture Research Branch. He is based out of Regina.

Dr. Terry Fonstad is a leader in environmental research for animal agriculture.  His work is the basis for much of the regulations and policies related to siting and permitting of intensive livestock operations in the prairie regions.  Dr. Fonstad’s academic home is the Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering.

Dr. Fonstad’s research started with site selection for development of intensive livestock operations and includes design and construction of compacted clay liners and reactive transport of nitrogen rich solutions.  He was asked to expand his research into mass mortalities management when BSE was discovered in Canada.

This led to the novel use of gene sequencing of DNA extracted from soil cores to evaluate the risk of burial as a mass mortality management strategy.  Gene sequencing is also used in his research to maximize biogas production in relation to agricultural waste utilization.  Dr. Fonstad leads a Pan-Canadian team with the goal of increased biosecurity in the food industry through reduction of pathogen transfer in the swine transport sector.  Additionally, he leads a team completing environmental research for the cattle industry at the USask Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence.

Dr. Fonstad is a registered professional engineering and professional agrologist.  He is a Fellow of Engineers Canada and honorary Fellow of Geosciences Canada.  He has served two terms on the council of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan as well as one term on the executive and served as President in 2019-20.  He was awarded the Public Service Award from the RM of Blucher No 343 for his service on municipal council from 2002-2017.

Gina Feist is the Executive Director of the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute (BMBRI), a not for profit member organization comprised of maltsters, brewers, seed companies and the barley commissions. The primary purpose of BMBRI is to support the development of new Canadian malting barley varieties that are profitable for growers and meet the premium standards of BMBRI members and their customers.

Throughout her career Gina has worked in diverse research related roles; starting at the lab bench early in her career, moving on to business development and intellectual property management, and prior to joining BMBRI she was the research program manager at the Western Grains Research Foundation. Gina has a BSc., a Masters of Business Administration and is a Professional Agrologist (PAg).

Andrea is an innate leader that designs, delivers and realigns strategic and transformation plans in multiple, complex arenas including finance, technology, energy and climate, and health and the economy. She consistently achieves desired outcomes by maximizing partnerships and true collaborations, understanding risks, and unleashing the power and talent of teams to support and elevate the Bioscience industry.

Marlene has been actively involved in Canadian agricultural industry since obtaining her master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Saskatchewan in 1983. She traded and exported Canadian crops internationally for 20 years while working for Cargill Grain, XCSN Grain Ltd., and Berdex Canada Ltd. She serve as Executive VP at Berdex for eight years after being part of the founding team. Marlene co-founded Mercantile Consulting Venture with Anthony Temple, a former colleague at Cargill. As co-owner and Managing Partner, Marlene has represented the company and provided services across Canada as well as Australia, Europe and Asia.

Serving as the CEO of Research Manitoba since February 2024, Jennifer has extensive experience working with post-secondary institutions and government. Jennifer started her career at her alma mater, The University of Winnipeg, where she spent thirteen years working as the Program Officer, Research Development in the Research Office. In 2019 she moved to Research Manitoba as the Manager, Programs where she developed new programming for the organization, including the Innovation Proof-of-Concept Grant and the COVID-19 Research Fund. Jennifer gained new knowledge and experience when she moved into a newly formed role with the Province of Manitoba as the Director, Business Navigation in early 2022. During this time, Jennifer supported the creation of the Investment and Trade Division, a new provincial investment brand, and the creation of a new CRM system. Her thorough knowledge and understanding of the diverse research community in Manitoba, along with her passion for research and innovation, is vital to supporting the work of researchers and industry partners in Manitoba.

Dr. Wanda (Wuttunee) Charles, Professor Emerita, is an internationally recognized scholar whose work has shaped Indigenous economic development and entrepreneurship in Canada for more than 40 years. Her research examines how Indigenous values interact with capitalist systems, emphasizing community well-being, culture, gender, social enterprise, and co-operatives. Her influential concept of community capitalism highlights economic development that reflects Indigenous priorities and values with western business wisdom.

Dr. (Wuttunee) Charles has published extensively and presented nationally and internationally. Her recent edited books include Engraved on Our Nations: Indigenous Economic Tenacity (2024) and Still Ruffling Feathers: Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children (2025).

As a professor in Indigenous Studies and former Director of Aboriginal Business Education Partners at the University of Manitoba’s Asper School of Business, she mentored future leaders in Indigenous business education. Her many honours include the Indigenous Faculty Excellence Trailblazer Award, recognition among Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and leadership roles on national Indigenous economic advisory panels.

Brad is a Professional Agrologist and a certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) with a diverse investment and business background. A former managing director at Ag-West Bio, Brad ran a unique technology investment fund, providing guidance to developing agtech and bio-science companies. In addition to managing the fund, Brad developed creative programs, partnerships, and events designed to advance entrepreneurs and their industry. Now a Director with SREDA, Brad leads strategies to attract innovative business to the Saskatoon region. Prior to SREDA and Ag-West, Brad worked in the Canada and United States banking industries in various senior lending and management positions, including advanced experience in commercial real-estate development and community relationship building. In addition, Brad is a founding director of a health services business and was a successful farm business owner.