An
Alberta
Synergy
Group
operating
since
1992
The Board of Directors is made of volunteers from Industry, Community and Government. They are a policy making board that sets the goals and directions for SPOG and the subsequent committees that fall under the SPOG umbrella.
The Board has a variety of experience levels from founding and new members. Together, they bring a wealth of knowledge to SPOG with their industry experience.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman - Brad Johnson
(Loyal Energy)
Vice Chairman - Judy Bysterveld
(Community)
The James River area has been home for me for the past 56 years. I farm in the area and raised 3 active sons that kept me busy. My sons also now do reside in the area and help with farming. Throughout the years I have been active on many boards. I have held many positions on
Secretary - Scott Dickson (Whitecap Resources)
Scott is currently employed by Whitecap Resources working out of the Westward Ho area for the last 14 years, recently adding the Bergen and Bearberry fields to his area of operations. Scott started out operating oil and gas wells in 2005 and is now the Field
Team Lead for his areas. He joined SPOG in 2017 as an industry representative and has recently been elected as Secretary on the Executive board where he is able to meet with landowners and community members to discuss the oilfield activity in the area. “I believe Community is the most important, SPOG gives me the opportunity to build relationships with the people in the area so we can all work together.” Scott was born and raised in the Sundre area and currently resides just outside of town with his wife Andrea and three children.
James River Hall board and was responsible for the fundraising of new hall that was built in 2008-2009. I have been a vendor and also managed the Sundre Farmers Market for 7 years. I have been an avid volunteer and board member at the Sundre Museum for approx. 15 years and held the position as President for 2 years. I also was a member and resided on the board for the Prairies to Peaks association.
Currently, I am the president of our local ladies club and the co-chair for SPOG community affairs. I came to SPOG as an interested community member in the late 1990’s and became a community rep shortly thereafter. I’ve held positions on the ND committee, communications committee along with being the community co-chair. I was briefly on the SPOG board about 13-14 years ago. I would like to thank everybody for the opportunity to be on the SPOG board of directors and hope I can contribute in some small capacity.
Municipal Representative -
Bruce Beattie (Mountain View County)
Coming from a background in the cattle, dairy and a more recent partnership in the forage production. Bruce sat on and chaired a variety of Agriculture based organizations such as Alberta Milk Producers, Dairy
Farmers of Canada, and the Dairy Nutrition Council of Alberta. From there, Bruce was elected as the Chairman of the Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Council and in 2010 was elected to Mountain View Count Council, Division 4, serving as Reeve and Vice Chair of the Mountain View Senior Housing Authority.
Industry Representative -
Carol Elliott
(Qube)
I have been involved with SPOG for many years as both a producing member and more recently as a service provider member. My roles have been Chairman, Vice Chair, and Environmental Committee Chair.
I grew up on a Ranch in the Sundre area and then worked with Shell for 30 years starting in production and then advancing my career into decommissioning, abandonment, and reclamation. Following retirement from Shell in 2018 I joined a group of Alberta Entrepreneurs and founded Qube technologies Inc. Qube has developed a low-cost environmental IOT device and surveillance platform that improves the accuracy of emissions measurement so industry can effectively reduce emissions and meet regulatory compliance using artificial intelligence and machine learning.
I look forward to being a part of some very exciting new projects being led by Tracey and her team in the future.
Wayne Heikkinen
Community Representative -
Tom Jackson
The Jackson family moved just north of Sundre to what was once was known as the Derbytown district in 1926. Jackson Creek was named after the family, it flows into the Red Deer River 5 miles north of Sundre. Tom grew up on the family farm and continues to own and operate
a cow/calf business. Farming in the Sundre area involves being very close to the oil and gas industry. Tom has 4 children, Jordan, Beau, Elise and Kate. Both of his sons work in the local oilfield area along with helping on the family farm. He also co-owns a local catering company which allows him to meet new people and be fully engaged with the community. Tom has represented the Sundre and area on the Red Deer River Watershed group and is presently on the Agriculture Service Board with Mountain View County.
SPOG Executive Director -
Tracey McCrimmon
Before joining SPOG in January of 2010, Tracey worked in the Oil & Gas Industry for several companies over the past 25 years. Tracey spent most of her years in the oil and gas industry and living in Calgary until 2009 when her and her family and husband, Graham, moved with their
two boys. Her career starting in the land industry and after obtaining her Petroleum Land Management designation, worked as a Surface Landman for several years. This led her into the field of Public Consultation, Aborginal Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement.
Tracey has participated in several synergy stakeholder groups throughout the Province and has served as an Industry Member of SPOG since 2006. She was also the Chairman of the Energy Committee for SASCI (Southern Alberta Communities Initiative) prior to leaving the energy industry. Tracey's commitment and belief in the values of synergy is what has brought her to SPOG as their Executive Director.
Treasurer - Tim Hoven - Municipal Representative (Clearwater County)
Industry Representative -
Laura Rathgeber
(AGAT Labs)
With over 13 years of experience in the environmental and oil and gas sector and a degree in environmental studies and biology, Laura started her career as an environmental scientist with a small private
firm working on site remediation and reclamation in remote areas around Alberta. After consulting she moved into a business development role with AGAT Laboratories for the environmental division working closely with consultants and oil and gas companies. To further her sales career she also spent some time with Stantec and Newalta on enhancing her knowledge in the environmental compliance and waste management field. Now back with AGAT Laboratories as Vice President, Laura works closely with all divisions in the lab leading the business development strategy across Canada.
Brian Boutin
(AEMA)
Brian joined SPOG as a volunteer in 2008 assisting with the development of SPOG's Mutual Aid emergency management system and training Resident Visit staff. Brian is a field officer for Alberta Emergency Management Agency. "It is a personal belief that mutual aid is the
future and the best way to collect data for response to emergency situations. It’s a way to give back.” Brian has been around SPOG off and on going back to the early 90’s as a Shell employee. “In my opinion, SPOG is the premier mutual aid group in the province - due mainly to it resident visit program. That template and process is second to none.” In his spare time Brian volunteers with Neighbourhood Watch and enjoys cruising in his 1954 Chev truck. Brian and his wife Barb have been married for 30 years and have two adult sons.
Community Representative -
Duane Papke
Duane was raised on a farm in the Elkton area and graduated from Cremona High School. He guided big game hunters for four years in the Yukon and BC, returning home and attended Olds College in 1975 and took the course in Animal Sciences.
Duane began working in the oilfield industry in 1970 and still is involved in the industry through rentals to contractors and oil companies. Throughout the years he has had sideline business working with tourism in guiding and outfitting in the foothills area in Central Alberta. He has spent many hours on different boards associating his time involved in tourism, municipal affairs, rodeo committees and water resources. Duane enjoys recreation activities such as trail riding in mountains, attending rodeos, curling bonspiels, hiking and producing diamond willow walking sticks.
He has a very sincere responsibility to look after our back country to keep the areas clean and open to all recreation users and industry to be available for future people users. Presently they own land in the Eagle Hill area, enjoying being with their horses and working in his shop on various endeavors.
Councillor Tim Hoven is SPOG’s Municipal representative from Clearwater County. He is a 4th generation farmer who resides in the Eckville area. Tim understands the importance of the oil and gas industry for Clearwater
County, and is an advocate for strong relationships between the industry stakeholders and landowners, and between development and environmental stewardship.