Leon Zupan is a retired energy executive with a 30-year career with Enbridge, serving as their Chief Operating Officer with oversight of a workforce of 3500 employees in Operations, Engineering, Integrity. Leon's career has taken him to Sarnia, Ontario, Calgary and Houston but he was happy to retire in Edmonton.

His industry leadership includes leading the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association and the Alberta Chamber of Resources and locally served as Campaign Chair and Board member for the United Way. He is Chair of the Art Gallery of Alberta Board.

Leon and his wife Vonnie love to travel and spend time with their three children and four granddaughters.

Drew has over 30 years of experience leading finance and accounting groups in the private and public sectors. Drew recently completed over a decade as the CFO of the Law Society of Alberta.

Drew has served on the boards of the Certified Management Accountants of Alberta, Goodwill Industries Alberta, Windmill Microlending, Carbon Management Canada Research Institutes, and the Alberta Law Foundation.

In retirement, Drew focuses his time on giving back to the Edmonton and Alberta communities and keeping fit.

Melissa is excited to join ECF as Board Secretary. In her professional life, she is a partner with Miller Thomson LLP and is a member of the Financial Services, Real Estate and Social Impact Groups. Her practice is focused on banking and secured finance, commercial real estate, land development, corporate/commercial transactions and assisting non-profit organizations throughout Alberta and Canada. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys travelling, participating in her book club and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Gail Stepanik-Keber is a board member, former c-suite executive, business advisor, coach and entrepreneur. Gail loves the cooperative business model after spending 21 years at Servus Credit Union in key leadership positions. She is the founder of Triniti Solutions Inc, a niche consultancy focusing on purpose for business and for individuals.

Gail is also a board member of Travel Alberta, WJS Canada, Fort Edmonton Management Company and Cashco Financial. Gail has a business degree from the UofA and a masters in leadership from Royal Roads University. Gail lives with her husband, daughter, and many furry and feathery friends on a farm in Parkland County, Alberta.

Jonathan Chia is the president of Gratum Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that provides executive advisory services to small- and medium-sized businesses. Bringing a wealth of industry expertise and a deep passion for community building, Jonathan is known for his financial and strategic acumen, his ability to apply pragmatic solutions to complex problems and the pride he takes in his work. Having spent more than 20 years in a variety of senior executive roles at publicly traded and private companies, Jonathan was previously the CFO of Matrikon Inc., an Edmonton-based industrial IT company. He was also the CFO of Melcor Developments Ltd., a publicly traded real estate developer and Melcor REIT, a real estate investment trust and extension of Melcor Developments Ltd.

A lifelong Edmontonian, Jonathan is also a devoted Oilers fan and a golf enthusiast. Jonathan and his wife have two children, who keep them fully occupied on the weekends at local hockey arenas and pools.

Rakesh Saraf is a senior investment professional with extensive experience in private equity and infrastructure. He has held leadership roles at Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, Alberta Teachers' Retirement Fund Board (ATRF), and Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo). Rakesh currently serves on the Board of Governors at the University of Alberta (Chair, Finance and Property Committee), as well as on the boards of UBC Investment Management, POI Business Interiors, BeneSys Inc., Skyline Renewable LLC, and the investment committee of KV Private Equity. He holds degrees in commerce and management from Indian universities, and designations as a CFA and ICD.D.

Leanne Krawchuk is a distinguished member at Dentons Canada LLP's Corporate group and serves as the Co-Lead, Edmonton Corporate Practice Group. She holds positions on the Dentons Canada LLP National Board and Audit Committee. With expertise in Construction, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Securities she advises on multi-million dollar complex transactions.

Recognized for her excellence, Leanne has received numerous awards, including: The Best Lawyers in Canada, Lawyer of the Year, The Legal 500, Lexpert Special Edition. Actively engaged in the community, Leanne serves as a director of the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. In her leisure, Leanne enjoys music, reading books and working out.

Sam Narayan has over 20 years of experience in Business and Real Estate. Today, his focus is on companies EVER Real Estate Developments as Partner & President, and RE/MAX Excellence and RE/MAX Excellence Commercial Division as Owner/Associate Broker.

Sam is the Founder and President of the EVER Excellence Foundation, a Director of NAIOP Edmonton Chapter Leadership, is an active member of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, the International Council of Shopping Centers, a former director of the Better Business Bureau, and other Commercial memberships.

In his free time, Sam enjoys golfing, travelling, and spending quality time with his family.

Jai has more than 35 years experience managing Pension and Endowment assets. He managed $3 billion in financial assets as the President and the CEO of the University of British Columbia Investment management Trust. Prior to that, Jai was the Chief Investment Officer of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation managing $70 billion in financial assets.

Jai holds degrees in Engineering and Business Administration from the University of Alberta. He also holds CFA and ICD.D designations. Jai is serving on a number of Boards and Investment Advisory Committees. Jai likes to listens to Indian music and socially play game of bridge.

Michelle Okere is a proud Métis-Cree leader committed to community empowerment, reconciliation, and systems-level change. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation (IPF), where she leads initiatives focused on advancing economic opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Canada.

Michelle recently completed her Executive MBA through the Indigenous Business Leadership program at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business, reflecting her deep commitment to continuous learning and Indigenous-led economic development.

In addition to her leadership at IPF, Michelle operates a consulting practice and a small retail business, Sustainable Style Co. She is the co-founder of the REET Institute, Chair of the Board for PolicyWise for Children and Families, and a member of the University of Alberta Senate.

Michelle’s impact has been recognized through numerous honours, including Edify Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40, the Deputy Minister’s Award for Innovation, and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal.

Marion Haggarty-France is a trusted leader with over thirty years of experience in governance, administration, and executive leadership. She currently serves in a senior leadership capacity with the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton. Previously, Marion spent twenty-five years at the University of Alberta in several pivotal roles, most notably as University Secretary. In this capacity, she provided strategic counsel on governance and played a key role in the review and refresh of the university’s governance structures. In 2022, she was humbled to be appointed the Alberta Sites Coordinator for the Papal Visit—a historic role in which she coordinated extensive partnerships and volunteer efforts.

Marion’s commitment to governance is further reflected in her service on the boards of Newman Theological College, St. Joseph’s College, and the Canadian University Boards Association. A lifelong volunteer and former soccer coach (and team cheerleader), she holds a BA (Honours) in History and carries the ICD.D and GPC.D designations. Marion resides in Edmonton with her husband and two daughters.

Alexis Ksiazkiewicz is the Associate Vice-President of Government and Community Relations at the University of Alberta. An accomplished leader, she oversees stakeholder engagement, provides strategic counsel, builds and sustains key relationships and navigates complex legislative and funding frameworks to advance support for the university and the broader post-secondary education sector.

A passionate community builder, Alexis is a board member of the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton, a Women United cabinet member with United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, co-chair of the Edmonton Ambassador Network for Explore Edmonton, and past chair of the Canadian Universities Government Relations Officers Network.

Her contributions have earned national recognition, including a Circle of Excellence Gold Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. She is an alumnus of Edify Magazine's Top 40 Under 40 and a recipient of the Gillian A. Wood Award for Excellence in Government Relations from the Canadian Universities Government Relations Officers Network.

Nakita has recently joined ECF’s Board of Directors. She is a CPA and CFA charterholder and is a Principal at Kingston Ross Pasnak LLP. Over the past 20 years, Nakita has gained national and international experience within the banking and finance, alternative investments, not-for-profit, oil and gas, utilities, manufacturing and construction sectors. She is a seasoned lecturer, having worked as a Professor of Finance and Accounting for several years.

Nakita most recently held the position of Treasurer for Pro Coro Canada. With a passion for family betterment initiatives, she has served as Treasurer for Kelowna Women’s Shelter and as a volunteer for WINHouse, Central Okanagan Refugee Committee and Journey Home.

She is an avid gym goer, tennis enthusiast, exhaustive reader and musician.