Three new members have been appointed to serve on the Genome Prairie Board of Directors, replacing two departing members.
July 13, 2023
Genome Prairie announced today the appointment of three new members to its board of directors this month. The newest members are Dr. Susan, Blum Ms. Gina Feist and Mr. Al Shpyth.
“The appointment of Mr., Shpyth, Ms. Feist, and Dr. Blum marks the end of an extensive and successful search process,” said Mike Cey, President and CEO of Genome Prairie. “Each new member brings extensive experience and knowledge to the organization and further strengthens our diversity and capacity to respond to the opportunities and challenges for prairie-based genomics research.”
The new appointments fill existing vacancies with the recent departures of Mr. Bill Johnson and Dr. Jenisa Naidoo, whose board terms expired in June 2023.
“I want to thank Bill and Jenisa for their excellent service to our board. Their time and commitment have greatly helped Genome Prairie become a strong player in the Prairie’s bioscience sector,” said Cey.
Of the new appointments, two (Dr. Blum and Mr. Shpyth) work in Saskatchewan, while Ms. Feist’s work is based in Manitoba.
Dr. Blum is the Associate Vice President Applied Research and Innovation at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Previously, she was the Director of Research Services and Ethics at the University of Saskatchewan and Director of Finance and Administration at the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation. She has spent over 23 years working in research administration. Before these roles, Susan was a biologist for the Government of Nunavut.
Ms. Feist is currently the Executive Director of the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute (BMBRI), a Winnipeg-based not-for-profit member organization comprised of maltsters, brewers, seed companies and the barley commissions. Before joining BMBRI, Feist was the research program manager at the Western Grains Research Foundation. Feist holds a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Business Administration and a Professional Agrologist.
Mr. Shpyth is the executive director of the International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII) and brings over 25 years of consulting, government and industry experience in mining and the minerals sector. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, Mr. Shpyth obtained his master’s degree in environmental studies from York University (in 1991) and in environmental law and policy from the Vermont Law School, where he graduated with high honours in 2014.
Each new appointee was granted a three-year term, with an option for renewal (extension) in 2026.
For more information about this news release or any board appointees, please contact Genome Prairie Communications.
