Terry Price
President
As a retired teacher and activist, Terry has served in various elected and staff positions with territorial, provincial, and national teachers' organizations for the past 26 years. Terry served in various capacities in the Canadian Teachers' Federation from 1993 to 2005 including two years as President. She served as a staff officer of the Manitoba Teachers' Society from 2006 until her retirement in November 2017, when she moved to Edmonton to be closer to family. Terry has been active with Public Interest Alberta as a member of the Board of Directors, Secretary of the Executive, and Chairperson of the Seniors' Task Force and guided the planning of a highly successful Citizens' Forum on seniors' issues held in Red Deer in March 2019.
Rory Gill
Director
CUPE Alberta Division
Rory Gill has worked in the public sector with the City of Calgary for over 20 years. He first joined the City as a seasonal parks labourer in 1997 and worked in several different capacities until he was promoted to foreman in the Parks Department in 2000.
In 2006, Gill became active in his local union, CUPE 709 – the Calgary Civic Foremen’s Union. He joined the local Executive in 2011, and was later elected as the local’s Vice-President in 2012 and then the President in 2014. At the same time, Rory was active with CUPE Alberta Division and attended its conventions since 2011. In 2016, he was elected to the division’s Executive Committee as Calgary Area Vice President. The following year, he was elected Southern General Vice President and served in that position until he was elected President of CUPE Alberta in March 2019.
Rory is originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, though he primarily grew up in Calgary. He is the proud father of three.
Mike Parker
Vice-President
Health Sciences Association of Alberta
Mike Parker has been a first responder since 1992, volunteering in his local community of Coaldale, Alberta. He went on to work in the private ambulance industry in Andrew, Lamont, Morinville and Athabasca, before moving to Edmonton in 1996. He graduated as a paramedic in 1999. He has been involved in the labour movement for many years, serving as a steward and as vice-president of his local with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). He became a member of HSAA in 2009 and served as a board member before being elected as HSAA vice-president in 2015. The following year, he became president. Mike has always been a strong proponent of the role of unions in protecting the rights of citizens and also of the public sector in providing vital services. Mike has also served as a volunteer with Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT), providing emergency assistance after disasters in the Philippines, Pakistan and Nepal.
Jonathan Teghtmeyer
Treasurer
Alberta Teachers’ Association
Jonathan Teghtmeyer is the Associate Coordinator, Communications for The Alberta Teachers' Association. His primary responsibilities are in communications, political engagement and advocacy. He has a Bachelor of Education and Masters of Arts in Communication and Technology from the University of Alberta. Prior to coming to the Association, he taught high school Math and Drama at Breton High School.
Donna Staszenski
Secretary
Donna is a retired teacher and school principal. Throughout her career, she was committed to nurturing children’s success in learning and supporting good teaching practices. Through her work as an ATA Economic Consultant, an Alberta School Employees Benefit board member and a leader in school curriculum initiatives, she contributed to the defence and integrity of public education. In several federal, provincial and municipal elections, she successfully developed organizational and volunteer capacities. Currently, Donna serves as chair of the Public Interest Alberta Child Care and Early Learning Task Force. She supports the importance of advocating for establishing a public system of early learning and child care programs which are of high quality, accessible, affordable and well-regulated.
Gil McGowan
Director
Alberta Federation of Labour
In 2021, Gil McGowan was re-elected to a record ninth two-year term as president of the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), Alberta’s largest union advocacy organization, representing more than 175,000 workers in both the public and private sectors.
McGowan, a father of three, has presided over a period of substantial growth for the AFL and has been instrumental in putting many important issues forward for public discussion in Alberta. For example, he has led public discussion that led to policy changes on resource development, reform of the temporary foreign worker program, climate change and green jobs, a $15 minimum wage, pension reform, reforms to the labour code and employment standards, and reforms to occupational health and safety and WCB legislation.
Gil has been instrumental in coordinating the AFL’s political action campaigns, including the campaign that helped elect Alberta’s first NDP government in May 2015. That same year, Gil was named one of Alberta’s 50 most influential people. In addition to his position with the AFL, Gil also sits on the Canadian Council, the governing body of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), and was Co-Chair of the Energy Diversification Advisory Committee (EDAC), a special committee established by the Notley government to make recommendations about how to add more value to Alberta’s energy resources. Gil also serves as Sponsor Board Chair Person for the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP), Alberta’s largest pension plan and he was a member of the Federal Just Transition Task Force, which developed transition strategies for workers and communities affected by the phase out of coal fired electricity across Canada.
Heather Smith
Director
United Nurses of Alberta
Heather is the President of the United Nurses of Alberta, a position she has held since 1988. Born and raised in Ontario, she came to Alberta to work as a nurse at the Edmonton General Hospital. She quickly became involved in her union and served as President of her Local for two years. She also sat on the provincial negotiating committee during the 19-day illegal strike in January 1988. Heather has been a key figure in defending public health care in Alberta, including campaigns to oppose Bill 37, Bill 11 and the Third Way.
Quinn Benders
Director
Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA)
Quinn Benders (he/him) is serving his second term as Non Academic Staff Association (NASA) President and has a long history of involvement with his union. Since starting at the University of Alberta in 2012, Quinn has been a steward, and served as both Political Action & Member Education Chair and as Vice-President. Quinn has focused his efforts on fostering member engagement, championing equity and access & cultivating strategic alliances. Quinn has also been deeply involved with community organizing over many years, and has previously served on both the Public Interest Alberta Board of Directors and as both a member and Chair of the Post Secondary Education Task Force.
Rory Gill
Director
CUPE Alberta Division
Rory Gill has worked in the public sector with the City of Calgary for over 20 years. He first joined the City as a seasonal parks labourer in 1997 and worked in several different capacities until he was promoted to foreman in the Parks Department in 2000.
In 2006, Gill became active in his local union, CUPE 709 – the Calgary Civic Foremen’s Union. He joined the local Executive in 2011, and was later elected as the local’s Vice-President in 2012 and then the President in 2014. At the same time, Rory was active with CUPE Alberta Division and attended its conventions since 2011. In 2016, he was elected to the division’s Executive Committee as Calgary Area Vice President. The following year, he was elected Southern General Vice President and served in that position until he was elected President of CUPE Alberta in March 2019.
Rory is originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, though he primarily grew up in Calgary. He is the proud father of two sons and a daughter.
Sheldon Kerr
Director
United Utility Workers Association
Sheldon was born in St. Albert but raised in Airdrie, Alberta where he still lives with wife and son. He has worked as a Business Representative for the United Utility Workers’ Association since 2018 and before that was a local shop steward in the Contact Centre at FortisAlberta. He is an alumni of SAIT and Athabasca University where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Recourses and Labour Relations. Sheldon sat as a Vice President on the Alberta Federation of Labour Executive Committee and was Recording Secretary for the Political Action Committee.
Collin Anderson
Director
Alberta Federation of Union Retirees
Collin is a Past President of the Calgary and District Labour Council and prior to retirement was the President of the Telecommunications Workers Union Locals 204 and 205. He is currently the President of the Calgary Area Council of the Congress of Union Retirees of Canada (CURC) and on the Executive of the Alberta Federation of Union Retirees (AFUR). Within the roles with CURC and AFUR, Collin advocates on behalf of retirees and seniors on issues such as health care, long term care, housing, and pensions. A prime focus in 2018 will be to continue the opposition to Bill C-27, an attack on pensions by the federal government.
Greg Mady
Director
Edmonton & District Labour Council
A member of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), Greg was elected in 2018 to help the EDLC continue its advocacy for working people in Edmonton. As a long time union activist and community organizer, Greg brings a wide range of skills and experience to his role and strives to provide the tools to those willing to do the hard work to achieve a more equitable world and is excited for any opportunity to increase the visibility and strength of working people across the Alberta Capital Region.
Why is he engaged? “For too long average working people have been ignored in politics in favour of a wealthy and powerful elite. If we’re not acting to increase the recognition of our value we are agreeing to see others benefit off of our work. I think we deserve better, and can do better as long as we do what we can as often as we can together, we can make it happen!
Jann Lehmann
Director
Jan Lehmann is a mother of four and an entrepreneur with a deep commitment to community engagement and driving positive change. Jan sits on the board of her local Chamber of Commerce and serves as the Vice-Chairperson with the Crisis Association of Vegreville. Jan is currently working on completing a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Psychology. She also serves as Vice-President External (VPEX) for her Student Union and is assigned primary delegate to the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) where she also serves as Vice Chair of the Governance and Internal Review Committee (GIRC) and Secretary of the Federal Policy Committee (FPC). Through her various roles added to a background in health and wellness that is continuously enhanced with various courses and certifications, Jan has developed skills in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; inclusive team leadership; trauma-informed care; strategic collaboration; policy writing and analysis; and a high proficiency in time management and organizational skills.
Linda Osborne
Director
Seniors United Now
Linda retired in 2007 after working for Edmonton Public Schools for 34 years as a teacher and school administrator. Linda has served on several boards since her retirement and was a Board of Director for Seniors United Now for three years before taking on the position of Executive Director in May 2016. Her focus has been on advocacy for seniors in areas of pensions, housing, health awareness and social isolation. She is committed to being a contributing part of the changes necessary to mee the dynamics of a growing and changing Senior population. Presently, Linda is a member of the PIA Senior Task Force and the Pharmacare Working Group. Linda has served as the volunteer coordinator for many non-profit organization special events.
Bonnie Gostola
Director
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE)
Ex-officio Members
Chris Gallaway
Friends of Medicare
Chris Gallaway (he/him) is an experienced community organizer and advocate for public health care. Born and raised on a farm in rural Saskatchewan, he has since spent most of his adult life living on Treaty 6 territory, first in Saskatoon, and for the last decade living here in Edmonton. His past experience includes working for the Alberta Federation of Labour, in three provincial legislative assemblies, and for a variety of non-profit and community organizations. Outside of work Chris is an active volunteer and community member engaged in social justice and the arts.
Ricardo Acuña
Parkland Institute
Ricardo Acuña has been executive director of Parkland Institute since 2002. He has a degree in Political Science and History from the University of Alberta, and has almost 30 years of experience as a volunteer, staffer and consultant for various non-government and non-profit organizations around the province. He has spoken and written extensively on energy policy, democracy, privatization, and the Alberta economy, and is a regular media commentator on public policy issues. He is co-editor, with Trevor Harrison, of the 2023 book Anger and Angst: Jason Kenney's Legacy and Alberta's Right, available from Black Rose Books.
Glynnis Lieb
Fyrefly Institute
Glynnis has been active in the union movement since joining CUPE 16 years ago. She served as provincial treasurer for CUPE Alberta, has worked for the Alberta Federation of Labour, served a term as Trustee for CAUT, and has been serving as Chair of the international committee of contingent academic workers (COCAL) for the past six years. Glynnis also ran as a Labour supported candidate in the 2021 Edmonton municipal election. She is Co-Chair of her local, CUPE 3911 and is currently also a member of AASUA at the University of Alberta, and has been newly appointed to the general faculty council there.
Glynnis Lieb obtained her PhD in Social and Personality Psychology from the University of Manitoba. She has worked in social services – government and not for profit – for over 20 years. She has also been a post secondary instructor since graduate school and has taught at seven universities in colleges across the prairies. In addition to teaching, Glynnis is currently the Executive Director of the Fyrefly Institute for sexual and gender diversity at the University of Alberta.
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