Governance
Meet the Board
Learn about our Board Members.
Lara McClelland
Chair
Lara is passionate about learning and the role of pathways into post-secondary institutions. She believes the greater Edmonton area has a rich and well-esteemed landscape of post-secondary institutions that each transform lives and strengthen the fabric of the community and success of the economy.
She brings a depth of leadership experience and knowledge as a leader in the post-secondary education and public sectors. With over 25 years of progressive leadership experience, she has held executive positions with NAIT, the University of Alberta and is currently the vice-president of University Relations with MacEwan University.
Born in Edmonton, McClelland grew up in Medicine Hat, Alberta and returned to Edmonton in 1999. She holds an MSc (Sports Medicine) from the U of C, an executive MBA from Athabasca University, a fellowship in health system improvement from the U of A and is a certified mediator.
Lara is a full-time single mother of two teenage daughters, one enrolled at MacEwan and the other at the UofA. She loves being with family, travelling adventures, hiking and almost all outdoor activities.
Cheryll Watson
Director
Cheryll is passionate about education and the role innovative, technology-enabled learning plays in preparing students for future careers. She believes strong STEM education creates opportunity, builds confidence, and equips young people with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy.
She brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across the private and public sectors, with deep expertise in innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. Cheryll began her career with Intuit, a global financial technology company, before shifting her focus to Edmonton in 2015 to support the region’s growing innovation ecosystem. She founded Innovate Edmonton (now Edmonton Unlimited), helping create pathways for technology-enabled startups and future-focused talent.
Cheryll played a lead role in launching STEM Collegiate and now serves as its Founding Board Chair, providing strategic governance in support of student-centred, real-world STEM learning. She is also the President & CEO of Junior Achievement Northern Alberta, where she works to ensure young people develop financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills, and career awareness from an early age.
A lifelong Edmontonian, Cheryll is deeply committed to creating accessible pathways that empower students to explore their potential, develop critical thinking skills, and pursue post-secondary and career opportunities with confidence.
Randy Heaps
Director
Born and raised in Edmonton, Randy’s 25+ year career in this City has evolved from landscape architectural project and client management, to business and people management, to corporate operations and governance. Randy is currently Director and Chief Operating Officer for ISL Engineering and Land Services (ISL), an Edmonton based multidisciplinary consulting firm specializing in the design of civil infrastructure for public and private sector clients across western Canada. In his role as COO, Randy is responsible for the management and operations of ISL’s 14 offices, with leadership support for ISL’s 30 business units and 475 staff. As a Director, Randy is responsible for leading or supporting strategic planning and implementation, company and business unit performance, corporate policy development, human resources, safety, IT and innovation. Randy also provides leadership support for ISL Adapt, a subsidiary company partnering with the University of Alberta, Alberta Innovates and Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), on a research pilot project focused on optimizing water treatment through artificial intelligence and machine learning.
During his career, Randy has been proud Rotarian, including serving as the President of the Rotary Club of Edmonton for its 100th anniversary. Randy also has served as President of the Alberta Association of Landscape Architects. As an experienced Director, Randy brings to the Board table an exceptional range of strategic and tactical skills, leadership and governance expertise, community engagement and networking, passion and common sense.
Dean Lindquist
Director
Dean brings extensive leadership and teaching experience in public, separate and charter schools. In addition to his current position as Superintendent for Thrive Elementary Charter School, he served in Superintendent roles for New Horizons Charter School, SD 71 (Comox Valley) and Grande Yellowhead Public Schools, as well as Associate/Deputy Superintendent for the Aspen View Regional School Division. Earlier in his career, Dean also held positions as a Principal and as a classroom teacher in schools across central Alberta. Rounding out his experience, Dean has taught graduate-level courses at the University of Calgary and served as Assistant Deputy Minister (Program and System Support) for Alberta Education.
Dean is an avid sports fan and spends time cheering on his favourite teams. He also enjoys immersing himself in professional and academic literature to stay up to date on the latest developments in education and related areas.
Benoît Houle
Director
Benoit Houle is a seasoned leader with a career focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. Starting his first tech business at 17, Benoit demonstrated an early passion for solving complex problems and building meaningful ventures. Benoit’s second start-up focused on tax software, and its assets were acquired by Intuit Canada in 1996. After the acquisition, Benoit relocated to Edmonton to join Intuit, further strengthening his software development and business strategy expertise.
With over 25 years of experience managing multidisciplinary teams, Benoit has a proven track record of leading organizations through transformative growth. In 2006, he joined BioWare, overseeing a development team for a AAA game. In this role, Benoit played a pivotal part in redefining the company’s software development frameworks, practices, and team structures while fostering a culture rooted in trust, collaboration, and accountability.
Benoit’s core values—authenticity, sincerity, and integrity—have been central to his success in steering organizations through change and delivering world-class products. His ability to balance the needs of customers, employees, and the organization has earned him a reputation as a thoughtful and caring leader in the gaming industry.
As a passionate advocate for education and innovation, Benoit is eager to bring his extensive leadership experience and support the community in fostering a cutting-edge STEM environment where creativity and collaboration thrive.
Benoit found his soulmate after moving to Edmonton 28 years ago and is the proud father of two young women who are pursuing post-secondary education.
Fraser Forbes
Director
Dr. Forbes earned a B.A.Sc. (Chemical Engineering) and an M.A.Sc. from the University of Waterloo, and a Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering) from McMaster University. He was appointed to the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering at the University in 1996, after two years at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto. Between his Masters and Doctoral degrees, he worked as a consultant in the agriculture / food processing, wood products and steel industries. His research has focused on systems engineering and in particular, process control and optimization. He has published broadly (155 research papers and 95 conference presentations) in this area and supervised 30 master’s and 14 PhD theses.
Dr. Forbes became the Chair of the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, where he led an aggressive expansion program, which included: establishing 5 new Canada Research Chairs and 3 NSERC Industrial Research Chairs; the renewal of 3 Senior NSERC Industrial Research Chairs; the establishment of the Imperial Oil Institute for Oil Sands Innovation and the Alberta Centre for Surface Engineering and Science (ACSES); the creation and revision of educational programs; recruitment of 42 new faculty members; substantial growth in undergraduate and graduate programs; and establishment of the D.B. Robinson Distinguished Speaker Series. During this time, the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta has become the strongest department of its type in Canada and within the top five world-wide.
In 2015, Dr. Forbes was appointed the Dean of Engineering at the University of Alberta. In his time as Dean, he has: led the creation of the Future Energy Systems Research Institute through $75 Million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund; has completed an $80 Million capital improvement program to support the Faculty’s research and teaching; and has overseen growth of our faculty and student complements in excess of 10%, and an extraordinary growth in the number and scope of student project groups.
Board Meeting Minutes
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (September 2024)
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (October 2024)
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (November 2024)
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (January 2025)
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (February 2025)
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (March 2025)
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (September 2023)
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (October 2023)
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (November 2023).
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (January 2024).
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (February 2024).
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (March 2024).
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes (April 2024).
Annual General Meeting and Special General Meeting
Bylaws
Board Policies
- Policy 1: Foundational Statements (September 2023)
- Policy 2: Policy Development (September 2023)
- Policy 3: Role of the Board and Board Director Code of Conduct (September 2023)
- Policy 4: Board Accountability (September 2023)
- Policy 5: Board Committees (September 2023)
- Policy 6: Comments and Presentations (September 2023)
- Policy 7: Student Appeals (September 2023)
- Policy 8: Welcoming, Safe, Caring, and Respectful (September 2023)
- Policy 9: Superintendent (September 2023)
External Audit Committee Members
Nick Panizzon
CPA
Nicholas Panizzon is a Senior Manager in PwC Canada’s Assurance practice, based in Edmonton, Alberta. He brings extensive experience in audit, financial reporting, and risk management, working with clients across diverse industries to deliver high-quality assurance services that strengthen transparency and business confidence.
Nicholas holds the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation and has led numerous external audit engagements, focusing on internal controls, compliance, and financial statement audits. He is recognized for fostering collaboration, advancing initiatives that improve operational effectiveness, and supporting strong governance practices.
Committed to education and board governance, Nicholas contributes his expertise as a member of STEM Collegiate’s Audit Committee, ensuring robust financial stewardship and oversight. He is also deeply interested in technology, innovation, and emerging trends, with a focus on understanding their impact on businesses today and in the future.
Outside of his professional role, Nicholas values community engagement and leadership development. He enjoys Edmonton’s vibrant culinary scene, playing soccer and volleyball, and cheering on the Edmonton Oilers. His leadership philosophy emphasizes integrity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Parveen Grewal