Board of Directors

Evan Saugstad is the chair of Northern Development and retired in December 2011 as the Mayor of Chetwynd after nine years in the role. When not busy with community politics, he works as a community coordinator with Spectra Energy on special projects and is now based out of Fort St. John.  He has lived and worked in three of the four geographic areas of the Northern Development Initiative Trust; Bella Coola (born and raised), Prince Rupert, Atlin and Chetwynd/Fort St. John.

Evan’s past experiences include chairing the South Peace Economic Development Commission and Chetwynd and Area Economic Development Commission, and as a director of the Peace River Regional District.   He is currently a director of the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS), headquartered in Calgary.

Life work experiences have included forestry planning and engineering, heavy equipment operator, pulp mill worker, air attack officer for forest fires, Federal water lands and forest inspector, trapper, professional big game and fishing guide and community consultation specialist.

Lori Ackerman has lived in the Peace Region for over twenty-eight years. She was elected Mayor of Fort St. John in 2011 and was previously a councillor for the City of Fort St. John as well as a director for the Peace River Regional District since 2005. Lori is the chair of Northern Development’s Northeast Regional Advisory Committee, and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Director’s Governance Essentials Program for Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations.  Lori is a member of Northern Development’s Executive Committee.

Lori joined the Sci-Tech North team as the executive director in July of 2002. Lori’s background is in marketing. Sci-Tech North is the Science, Technology and Innovation Council in the northeast region of BC. Under Lori’s management, Sci-Tech North acts as an education and information service, a referral agency, and a venue for research aimed at identifying science innovation and technology opportunities. Their clients are engaged in increasing regional wealth through economic development and diversification of the industries they work in through the use of new technologies. Sci-Tech North supports the process of innovation from discovery to delivery.

Ted Armstrong first participated on the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) board as an alternate director in 1977 for one year. He was then elected director for Electoral Area A (south Quesnel area) in the general elections of 1978 and has served successive terms since that time. He is currently the CRD’s vice-chair and chair of their Treaty Advisory Committee.  Vice-chair Armstrong has been a member of most of the Cariboo Regional Districts’ boards commissions and committees.

In 1988, he was elected as vice-chair of the CRD and in 1993, he was first elected as chair of the CRD, a position he held for eight consecutive years, until 2000 inclusively. No other Cariboo Regional District board member since the Regional District’s incorporation in 1968 holds that distinction. After focusing his efforts as Area Director from 2001 to 2002, he was re-elected as chair of the Cariboo Regional District in 2003.

Director Armstrong and his wife Doreen have two grown children and four grandchildren.

Mitch Campsall has been a resident and business owner in 100 Mile House for twenty-four years and has served as a councillor for ten years. Mitch spends as much time as possible with his family and is also involved and supports many aspects of his community. He spent many years on the 100 Mile House Lions Club Board and has participated and supported many other charities and organizations in our community.

Mitch is a past member of the 100 Mile House Fire Department and past president of the South Cariboo Fire Fighters Association. While on Council, Mitch held the position of Chair for the Public Works Committee for ten years, was a member of the South Cariboo Recreation Commission for six years and chair for Community Schools for five years.

Shari was born and raised in Prince George and is married with one son. She graduated from PGSS in 1985 and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from UBC. Shari was very active in the school system, as a parent representative contributing to school plans that improve student success both locally and provincially.

Shari owns a retail store in downtown Prince George and is a past president of the Downtown Prince George Business Association. Since joining council in 2008, Shari has been a member of the Downtown Partnership, dedicated to improving downtown Prince George. She sat on the Beyond Homelessness Committee, with the goal to end homelessness in our community, and on the Policy Advisory Committee. Shari co-chaired the Prince George Torch Celebration for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games, and worked on the bid team for the 2015 Canada Winter Games as director of Athlete and Village Services for the bid.

Since being elected Mayor in November 2011, Shari also sits on the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, the Northern Development Initiative Trust board and the Prince George Regional Advisory Committee, the Prince George Community Foundation, the City’s Finance and Audit Committee, and the Municipal Finance Authority.

Carol has had a varied career working in health (BSc in Nursing) in large cities and small remote areas, in fishing as a salmon troller for twenty-five years, in marketing as the treasurer of Pacific Wild, and as a consultant representing trollers during Fisheries and Oceans license buy back program.

She entered local politics as her area’s electoral area director, assisted the incorporation committee achieve a successful vote for incorporation in 2005 and has since been their mayor. Carol is member of the Northwest Regional Advisory Committee and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Director’s Governance Essentials Program for Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations.  She co-chaired the Haida Gwaii Strategic Land Use Plan which aims to bring stability to development of Haida Gwaii.

Carol is a long time resident of Queen Charlotte and can often be seen being walked by her dog.

Mr. Kuzma, RPF is the woodlands manager for the Carrier Group of Companies, a director with the New Relationship Trust, Interex Forest Products Ltd., and vice-president/ director of Sakaw Askiy Management Inc.Working with the Carrier group of companies, Mr. Kuzma has been involved in numerous First Nation forestry related companies having served as a director of West Chilcotin Forest Products Ltd., Cheslatta Forest Products Ltd., and Carrier Janvier Forest Products Ltd.

Mr. Kuzma was a former board member of Initiatives Prince George and the British Columbia Forestry Association, Northern Interior. A graduate of the University of Alberta, Mr. Kuzma has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry. He also holds a professional forester designation in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Dave Pernarowski is the Mayor of Terrace, British Columbia.  He also works as a Director, Community & First Nations Affairs with Kitsault Energy.

Dave is a Director with Northern Development Initiative Trust and he is Chair of the Northern Development Initiative Trust Northwest Regional Advisory Committee.

Dave is sitting in his second term as a Director-At-Large with the Union 0f British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).   He is Chair of the Community Economic Development Committee and has picked up the Environment portfolio for the 2012/2013 term.

Dave has served as President of the Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce and has been an active member on numerous boards and committees including his position as ex-officio board member for the Terrace Community Foundation.

Dave has a Personal Financial Planning Designation (PFP) from the Institute of Canadian Bankers and has completed the Governance Essentials Program for Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations from the Sauder Business School at UBC.

Dave is married and has four children.

Alexander Pietralla moved to Terrace, B.C. in the summer of 2009. He was born in Graefelfing near Munich, Germany and holds a Master’s Degree in chemical dngineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich and an economics certificate from ESMT (European School of Management and Technology) in Berlin, specializing in strategy and leadership, change management and innovation, and entrepreneurial thinking.

He worked as project manager in the automotive supply industry for Plastic Omnium SA in both Frankfurt, Germany and Paris, France from 1998 until 2001. From 2001 until 2006 he was Magna’s director of sales for BMW Group and MAN AG, managing all relevant business activities with these customer’s in Magna’s office in Munich, Germany. The last three years before his immigration to Canada, Alexander worked for Draexlmaier Group in Vilsbiburg, Germany, as divisional sales and administration manager with signing responsibility for twenty-four staff members and $160 million in yearly turnover.

He runs his own consulting business in Terrace and is an elected member of the board of Terrace Economic Development Authority (TEDA), BC Rural Network and Kitimat Terrace Industrial Development Society (KTIDS) in Terrace and Kitimat. He is also the contracted executive director of Kitimat Terrace Industrial Development Society and works towards building a sustainable, diversified and responsible economy in the northwest.

He enjoys his family life, is an avid skier and still believes he can one day master the game of golf. Other spare time activities include cooking, reading, and travelling. Alexander is a member of Northern Development’s Finance Committee and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Director’s Governance Essentials Program for Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations.

Danny Schilds has worked for over twenty-two years in the family owned Aspol Ford dealership in Dawson Creek. Previously, he taught grades five through eleven in the South Peace. He holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta. Danny is currently the chairman of the board of directors for the Northern Lights College Foundation. As well, he sits on the board of the BC Ford Dealer Marketing Association.

Danny is the chair of Northern Development's Finance Committee and a member of Northern Development's Executive Committee.

Bill Streeper is Mayor of the Northern Rockies Region Municipality after being elected in February 2009. He served as a Regional Councillor for the town of Fort Nelson from 2002 to 2008.

Born and raised in Dawson Creek, Bill was often in Fort Nelson working along with his Dad and brothers and for many years; Fort Nelson has provided employment for the majority of his family, including his sisters, aunts and uncles. In 1975, Bill started Bill Steeper Contracting (later becoming Streeper Contracting), his first oil field company. After the sale of Streeper Contracting in 2006, Bill semi‐retired but remains active in the community. Today, Bill is focused on giving back to Fort Nelson and Northern Rockies in a variety of ways for the betterment of the community.

Bill and his wife Sheryl have raised their three children in Fort Nelson and are privileged to have five of their six grandchildren in the community as well.

Bill has served in public office since 2002 and is proud to be serving as the Mayor of British Columbia’s first Regional Municipality. In December 2012, Bill was elected to represent the Northeast Regional Advisory Committee on the Northern Development Initiative Trust board of directors.

Mayor Streeper’s 2013 municipal portfolios, committees, and other assignments include chairing the Emergency Program Executive Committee, member of the Infrastructure, Development and Capital Projects Committee, member of the Personnel Committee, Energy Portfolio, Roads Portfolio, alternate representative on the Municipal Finance Authority, alternate representative on the Municipal Insurance Association, and director on Northern Development Initiative Trust’s Northeast Regional Advisory Committee.

Gerry Thiessen was born and raised in Vanderhoof, graduating from Nechako Valley Secondary School in 1971. After a short stint in the logging industry, he moved to Prince Rupert and began working in retail sales management. Gerry met his wife Lesley in 1973 and they have four children together. In 1988, two more sons (both two years old at the time) were welcomed to the family. In 1980, the family returned to make Vanderhoof their home. Most of the children and all twelve grandchildren still live close to the Vanderhoof family home.

In 1977, Gerry started selling real estate and except for a short period after 1980 this has been his occupation.Gerry has always been very active in the community holding many leadership positions with sports groups, the 4-H Club, his Church, Rotary and the Cattlemen’s Association. In 1995, Gerry was president of the Cariboo Real Estate Association.  In 1998, he was president of the BC Real Estate Association and in 2005, he was president of Canada’s largest single trade association, the Canadian Real Estate Association. He is also a founding director of the Washington DC based International Housing Coalition.

Gerry is currently serving his second term as Mayor of Vanderhoof. Gerry has a deep commitment to the future of Vanderhoof with the goal of seeing strong employment opportunities in Vanderhoof for generations to come.  Gerry is a member of Northern Development’s Executive Committee and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Director’s Governance Essentials Program for Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations.

Gerald Wesley is the chief negotiator for the Tsimshian First Nations Treaty Society in northwestern British Columbia. He is currently sits as a director for Northwest Community College, Kalum Ventures Ltd., and co-chairs the Northwest Tribal Treaty Nations in northern B.C. Gerald has previously served as a director on the Federal Advisory Committee on Softwood Lumber Community Assistance Initiative, BC Transmission Corporation, North Coast Museum Society, and is the past secretary-treasurer of the Tsimshian Tribal Council.  Gerald is Northern Development's vice chair and he is a member of the Trust's Executive Committee.  He is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Director’s Governance Essentials Program for Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations.

He was an elected task group member (political executive office) of the First Nations Summit and served as the chairman of the First Nations Health Committee under the structure of the First Nations Summit. Gerald served as one of the original members for the University of Victoria, Administration of Aboriginal Governments Program Advisory Committee from 1986 until 1995.

He spent seven years in the forest industry before moving on to become executive director/band manager for the Kitamaat Village Council (Haisla) and then executive director of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. He and his wife Angela are partners in Wes-Can Advisory Services which has provided consulting services since 1992 for First Nations and other governments. Gerald is a hereditary chieftan from the Kitsumkalum First Nation just outside of Terrace, B.C. and in his free time, Gerald can be found hunting, trapping or fishing within his traditional territories in the vicinity of the Kalum and Skeena Rivers.