Our Executive and Board
Stephen Madsen is a founding member of the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society. He has a BSc in civil engineering from the University of Alberta, and is currently employed as a technology management consultant. He has lived in the US and Canada and worked for both public and private organizations. He and his wife of 27 years have five children, all of whom have left the nest; and most still live in the Edmonton area. Steve loves the outdoors, enjoys frequent trips to the mountains, and invests his time in the NSRVCS because of his desire to balance the use of the Edmonton River Valley resources with the need to preserve them for future generations.
Michael Phair, Vice-President
In February of 2016 the Provincial Government appointed Michael Phair Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta. Previously he was part time Executive Director with the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society, an Educational Coordinator with the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services at the University of Alberta and from 1992-2007 an elected member of Edmonton City Council.
In the Edmonton community Michael Phair has have been active for over 25 years with Edmonton’s Gay/Lesbian (Queer) community, founder of AIDS Edmonton, and a current board member of NeWest Press, Pro Coro Music Society, Paths for People and Edmonton Homeward Trust.
Keren Tang, Treasurer
Keren joined the NSRVCS board in April 2015. As a public health professional, she has deep appreciation for the natural environment, recognizing that it is an important factor that influences Edmontonians’ health and wellness. She connects with nature by mountain biking and walking through the river valley, and skiing in the Rockies. Keren also has over 10 years of experience in community organizing, social entrepreneurship, and wellness initiatives. In addition to joining NSRVCS on the Big Island Woodbend master plan effort, she has advocated for active transportation and anti-racism initiatives, is active in her community league, and serves on the board of the Edmonton Community Foundation. Keren lives next to the Mill Creek Ravine with her daughter and her husband Zack (also a NSRVCS member).
Harvey Voogd, Director and Secretary
Harvey Voogd -Director and Secretary
Harvey Voogd has been involved since January 2015 when he joined the Board of Directors. He has also served as the Society’s Executive Director.
Harvey works as a Senior Associate with IMC Projects and has decades of experience, professionally or as a volunteer, working with government, business, unions, community organizations and non-profit boards.
Harvey loves Edmonton’s ribbon of green and spends at least an hour a day walking in the river valley with his dog and enjoys canoeing the river. Five years as an Executive Assistant to a City Councillor made him acutely aware of Edmontonians’ passion for the river valley.
BOARD
Dianne Assaly, Director
Dianne was born in Edmonton and has been a resident for over 60 years. Dianne has been involved in the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society since inception and a board member since 2010. Dianne has also volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters as an in school mentor.
A graduate of Grant Macewan Community College ( fashion retailing and later management studies). Dianne has worked in the hospitality industry, retailing and property management.
A resident of Big Island Woodbend area for 24 years, Dianne is retired and actively enjoying Edmonton’s amazing River valley many days a week! Dianne is also a grandmother and gardener who is passionate that children and all residents need ready access to nature for their physical and mental well being.
Trevor Chow-Fraser, Director
Biography coming soon.
Raquel Feroe, Director
Raquel Feroe is a physician with an interest in fostering connections between healthy communities, healthy environments, and healthy people. In addition to serving on the board of the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society, she serves on the board of the Alberta Capital Airshed, Solar Energy Society of Alberta, and Alberta Environmental Network. She is involved with the NSRVCS because of the importance of protecting an area of Edmonton that offers so much health and happiness for all.
Matthew Klywegt, Director
Biography coming soon.
Michelle Murphy, Director
Michelle is a PhD student at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation. Her research examines the environmental and cultural history of the Canadian Rockies from an interdisciplinary perspective. Michelle has also completed an MA from the same faculty, and a BSc. from the University of Alberta, Faculty of Agricultural, Life, and Environmental Sciences.
Born in Edmonton, Michelle has spent many hours dog-walking in Edmonton’s river valley and hiking in the Canadian Rockies. She has developed a deep appreciation for the landscape. She learned to ride a horse at the Whitemud Equestrian Centre in Whitemud Park and has fond memories of trail riding through the river valley trails. She also volunteers with the Sierra Club of Canada, Edmonton Chapter, and works as a Teaching and Research Assistant at the University of Alberta.
Ian Murray, Director
Ian Murray is a founding member and past President of the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society. Since 1989, Ian has been the owner and president of IMC, a consulting and management services firm focused on the natural resource and manufacturing sectors. Previous to that, he was the Executive Assistant to the Minister of Albert Forestry, Lands and Wildlife.
Ian volunteers as the Secretary-Treasurer and Director of the Environmental Law Centre, and coaches boys and girls’ basketball teams, as well as Little League baseball. He is married with four children.
Ian has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario. He was admitted to the Law Society of Alberta in 1986.
PearlAnn Reichwein, Director, Sierra Club of Canada Edmonton Representative
PearlAnn Reichwein is a historian and associate professor at University of Alberta with twenty years of experience in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. As an educator, she explores the significance of parks and enjoys nature outings of all kinds.
Her research studies Canada’s history of prairie west and mountain regions. Her book Climber’s Paradise: Making Canada’s Mountain Parks, 1906-1974 was awarded the Canadian Historical Association’s prestigious Clio Prize, a finalist in the international Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival competition, and earned an INDIEFAB Book of the Year Honourable Mention for Ecology and Environment.
Born in Edmonton, Dr. Reichwein grew up in its ravines and loves the North Saskatchewan River to its headwaters. In addition to serving on the NSRVCS board, she volunteers with the Sierra Club of Canada, Edmonton chapter, guiding hikes at Plain of Six Glaciers, and acting at Fort Edmonton Park as a park interpreter. She is also interested in governance, policy, and communications, and has worked in national parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
David Ushko, Director
David grew up on a farm northwest of Edmonton, which included some unspoiled forested land and was where he first developed an appreciation for the natural environment. He has lived in Edmonton since the 1980’s and over the years he has enjoyed mountain biking and walking in our wonderful river valley.
In the late 1990’s he started his own accounting firm, which he continues to operate currently and which primarily serves local businesses, individuals and a variety of not for profit organizations and charities.
Over the years, he has also served on a variety of boards for Not for Profit organizations and Charities, including HIV Edmonton, the Alberta Entrepreneurs Association, the Edmonton Rainbow Business Association, the Central Edmonton Community Land Trust and Edmonton Exposure Festival Society.
Doug Visser, Director
Doug Visser has lived almost all of his 64 years next to the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton’s North East.
Now, after 30 plus year of vegetable farming in this river valley, he has ‘retired’ to support Lady Flower Gardens, a land based community development project which operates on a parcel of his land which includes 75 acres of wild lands nestled in the oxbow of the river.
Presently, Doug is also working on putting a conservation easement on the Riverbend Gardens and Lady Flower Gardens properties with The Edmonton and Area Land Trust (EAL