Morning Panel
Panelists:
Chris O'Halloran, UFCW Canada National Training and Education Representative,
Youth Issues
Phillip Pratt, Council Administration Liaison, Students Association, Norquest
College
Shirley Howe, Alberta's Public Service Commissioner, Personnel Administration Office
Chris O'Halloran, Chris started his involvement with the union
as an employee of Forest Lawn IGA and an active member of Local 401 for the past six years.
Chris is a graduate of the Canadian Labour
Congress Labour College program in Ottawa. Chris also served as the first youth vice-president
on the Alberta Federation of Labour's Executive Board. Currently, Chris has been appointed to
the national office of UFCW Canada. His responsibilities include, Talking Union education,
youth programs and initiatives, specifically concerning increasing youth involvement and
awareness on union and workers rights.
Phillip Pratt,
Born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Phillip Pratt came to Edmonton in the winter of
1998 after spending 20 years in Standardbred Horse Racing. He returned to school to obtain a
Bachelor of Commerce in order to begin a career in business. He also served on the Students'
Association of NorQuest College as the Council/Admin Liaison for nearly three years. Phillip
is a motivational speaker with over five years experience and has helped NorQuest College
raise in excess of $350, 000 towards student scholarships and school infrastructure.
Shirley Howe, As the Public Service Commissioner for Alberta,
Shirley Howe is responsible for leading and providing advice on human resource policies,
strategies and legislation. In her role as Commissioner she directs the Personnel
Administration Office and collaborates with ministries to respond to emerging human resource
issues. The work of the Personnel Administration Office encompasses the areas of labour
relations, benefits, classification and compensation, staffing, workforce development,
executive search, and workplace health. Shirley began her career with the Alberta Government in
1981 and was appointed the Public Service Commissioner in 2003.
Lunch
Lunch and Panel Session - What more can people do to improve
health and safety?
Panelists:
Dr. Louis Francescutti, Director of Alberta Center for Injury Control & Research,
University of Alberta
Wayne Boss, Boss Consulting
Shelley Ewart-Johnson, Deputy Minister, Alberta Human Resources and Employment
Michael Summers, Student and Young Injured Worker
Dr. Louis Francescutti,
trained at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in Baltimore
where he completed his Master of Public Health degree and a Preventive Medicine Residency while
pursuing further studies in injury control and public health. He is an Associate Professor in
the Department of Public Health Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the
University of Alberta and is currently developing an electronic injury surveillance system and
community-based centres for injury control and research. He works as an emergency physician at
the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. He is also the Director for the Alberta Centre for
Injury Control and Research.
Wayne Boss, BA, BEd, MSc, CPsych, CHRP
Wayne is a Chartered Psychologist and Certified Human Resources Professional. Wayne has over 35
years of Human Resources and Organizational Development experience working in a number of industries
including education, oil and gas, health care, and telecommunications. He is President of Boss
Consulting Inc., based in Calgary. His company focuses on helping people create healthy and productive
workplaces based on respect, trust and mutual success through shared vision, collaboration and alignment.
Shelley Ewart-Johnson,
was appointed Deputy Minister of Alberta Human Resources and
Employment (AHRE) in September 2002. The department supports Alberta people, skills, and workplaces
with a staff of 2000 and an annual budget of $1 billion. Shelley joined Alberta Labour in October 1991.
She served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Workplace Health, Safety and Strategic Services, as well as
Director of Mediation Services, before being appointed Deputy Minister on April 28, 1999. She directed
the Issues Management Group responsible for research, policy development and analysis, and facilitation
services. It was during this time that Shelley and her staff worked closely with employers and employees,
encouraging both parties to adopt non-adversarial problem solving and relationship building in order to
address labour relations and other workplace issues.
Michael Summers,
was raised in the Crowsnest Pass and moved to Edmonton in fall of 2000. He
found work at a galvanizing company but was seriously injured in an industrial accident in early 2001. He
endured almost three months of medical procedures and physical therapy, prior to going home. Michael is
now enrolled as a business student at Grant MacEwan College and also participates in speaking engagements
regarding his experience as an injured worker.
Spousal Event - Kitchen Magicians
Guys and gals...this is a terrific session for anyone who loves to cook! Did you ever
wonder how
some of those special dishes are created? Join the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge's culinary team
to discover secrets to exquisite cuisine prepared the easy way.
Dinner and Speaker
Dinner and Speaker - What role can mentoring and coaching play to
advance the workplace culture and knowledge base?
Speaker: Dr. Lyle Oberg, Minister, Alberta Learning
The Honourable Dr. Lyle Oberg, Minister, Alberta Learning
Dr. Oberg graduated as a medical doctor in 1983 from the Faculty of Medicine at the University
of Alberta. In June, 1993, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the constituency of
Bow Valley. In May, 1999, Dr. Oberg was appointed to the position of Minister of Learning. He
was re-elected to the Alberta Legislature on March 12, 2001, continuing in his role as Minister
of Learning. Prior to entering provincial politics, Dr. Oberg served as a school board trustee.
He advocates the importance of lifelong learning and works to ensure our learning system is
flexible, responsive and accountable.
Friday Night Mixer
If you've been to the Workplace Conference in the past, you'll know what a great time you can
have at the Friday Night Mixer. Musically inclined? - bring a guitar or other musical instrument and join in
the fun in a laid-back atmosphere of singing and socializing.
Ruben Nelson is a big picture strategic thinker, social
activist and media commentator. Ruben is invited to conferences, boardrooms
and church basements to explain the forces that are shaping our
future and explore what we could do in response to them, if we truly
knew what we were doing. He has made over 600 presentations in
Canada, the USA, Europe and India. Ruben is a pioneer of serious
futures thinking in Canada. In 1960, as an undergraduate at
Queen's, he organized Canada's first formal conference on the
future. Since then, rather than do "real work," he has pursued his
passion as a pioneer of a knowledge-based economy. In short,
Ruben Nelson is Canada's most widely-experienced professional futurist.
Nizar J. Somji is the founder, President and CEO of Matrikon
Inc., the leading industrial IT solutions provider in North America. A
visionary leader, Nizar's ability to identify emerging trends in both
business and technology has established Matrikon's reputation as a
leading provider of cutting edge solutions for over 14 years.
From Matrikon's beginnings in 1988, Nizar's philosophy for building
the company's success has remained unchanged: the job is never
finished until the value sought by the client is achieved. Today, the
success of that philosophy is evident. Matrikon has grown from a
one-person operation to a publicly traded, multinational company
employing over 450 people servicing clients on six continents - and,
under Nizar's leadership, Matrikon continues to build and strengthen
existing business relationships while searching the world for new opportunities.
Don Burnstick
is a Cree from the Alexander First Nation located outside of Edmonton Alberta
Canada. Don has produced three comedy albums "You Might Be a Redskin", "Redskin Club", and
"Redskin Radio". He also has two comedy videos entitled "Redskin Club" shot in the Yukon and his latest
release is "Rockin" the Rez. which was shot in Alexander First Nation. He is in high demand as a
performer, speaker, facilitator and actor. Touring over 250 days of the year to sold out audiences all over
Canada and United States.
