Our Board of Directors

The Guelph City Council, as shareholder, appoints the Board of Directors for Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc.

The Board for GHESI comprises eight private Directors: Jane Armstrong, Robert Aumell, Brian Cowan, Judy Fountain, Robert Fennell, Barbara Leslie, Rick Thompson and Jasmine Urisk and one representative of Guelph City Council, presently Mayor Karen Farbridge.

Jasmine Urisk is currently Acting Chair of the Board...

Jane Armstrong
Ms. Armstrong is a partner with the law firm of Vorvis Anderson Gray Armstrong LLP and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1982 after receiving her Bachelor of Law degree from York University. She also has an honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, and has served on the Boards of several community organizations, including the Downtown Board of Management, the Canadian Red Cross Society and is a past president of the Rotary Club of Guelph. Ms. Armstrong is a former member and chair of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Panel, a former chair of the Guelph Police Services Board and is represented in the Women in the Lead Directory- an index of women whose professional experience recommends them as candidates for corporate board appointments. Ms. Armstrong was appointed to the Board of Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. in 2006.

Robert G. (Bob) Aumell
Mr. Aumell retired in 1997 after a career of 33 years with Farm Credit Canada. He was Regional Vice President for the four Atlantic Provinces from 1978 until 1983 and Regional Vice President for Ontario since 1983. He now manages Aumell Agri Consulting, providing consulting services in Farm Finance, Risk Management, and Family Farm Succession. He is Past President of the Ontario Institute of Agrologists, board member for the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame and is active in many other rural organizations.

Brian Cowan
Mr. Cowan previously held positions as Vice President for Marketing & Program Management with Teranet Inc. in Toronto, as President and COO of Centric Systems Corp. in Canada and the Netherlands. He holds a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and has completed advanced training in negotiations from Harvard Law School. He also holds the Chartered Director designation from McMaster University. He is currently Chair of Curl Ontario and VP Marketing and Program Manager. Mr. Cowan was appointed Vice Chair in 2009.

Karen Farbridge
Dr. Farbridge is Mayor of the City of Guelph and is the City's representative to the Board of Directors. A resident of Guelph since 1979, she has an MSc and PhD from the University of Guelph, and for 10 years was the Director of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group. In 2009, Mayor Farbridge obtained the Chartered Director (C.Dir) designation from The Director's College, a joint venture of Mc Master University and The Conference Board of Canada. She was the recipient of the prestigious Women of Distinction Award from the YMCA-YWCA of Guelph in the business and the professions category in 2005. Initially elected to Council in 1994, Karen was previously Mayor in 2000-2003.

Rob Fennell
Mr. Fennell is the General Manager and COO of Enbridge Electric, a smart sub-metering company and was previously General Manager, Enbridge Gas in Toronto. He was Divisional Vice President of the Canadian Standards Association International, General Manager of Operations for Manitoba Hydro and Vice President of Operations and Customer Service for Centra Gas in Manitoba. Mr. Fennell has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Electrical Engineering) degree from the University of Waterloo and has completed the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Western Ontario. He is past chair of the Canadian Gas Association Standing Committee on Operations and a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario, among many other affiliations. Mr. Fennell was appointed to the Board of Directors of Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. in 2006.

Judy Fountain
Ms. Fountain retired in 2007 after serving as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority ("GTAA") for nine years. During that period she was responsible for the financial, accounting, risk management, concessions and procurement and contracting for the GTAA. It was also the period of the redevelopment of the Toronto Airport and she was responsible for the overall capital program to fund the extensive reconstruction project. The GTAA is a non-share corporation and this funding was raised through the investment community. Prior to joining the GTAA Ms. Fountain had a career in real estate finance, including the Royal Bank of Canada, Marborough Properties Inc. and Marathon Properties Inc. She has also served on the Boards of PBB Logistics Inc. and Port Credit Yacht Club. Ms. Fountain was appointed to the GHESI Board in June 2009.

Barbara Leslie
Dr. Leslie is a former CEO and Registrar of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario. A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Science from the University of Guelph. Dr. Leslie also holds the designations of Chartered Director from McMaster University. Also, she has completed the program in Association Leadership from the Canadian Society of Association Executives and is a member of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, and both the Canadian and Ontario Veterinary Medical Associations. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Hospice Wellington, and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Wellington County 4H Association. Dr. Leslie was appointed to the Board of Directors of Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc. in 2006.

Rick Thompson
Mr.Thompson was a sales and marketing executive with the Johnson & Johnson family of companies in Canada for 21 years before becoming a partner and Vice President of the consulting firm of McCormick Delisle & Thompson (MDT) Inc. Following the sale of MDT in 1998, Mr. Thompson became Executive Director of Canada's Technology Triangle Inc., responsible for creating and managing joint economic development initiatives for the cities of Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener, and Waterloo. Today Mr. Thompson has a consulting practice in sales, marketing, commercial real estate and investment management, and possesses the Canadian Investment Manager designation.

Jasmine Urisk
Ms. Urisk is President of JTU Consulting Inc. a Guelph-based energy consulting firm. She has actively and successfully engaged in the environment and energy sectors for over 25 years, both through her consulting practice and her prior employment with TransCanada PipeLines Limited. Ms. Urisk was also responsible for several international water management programs with Environment Canada. A resident of Guelph since 1973, Ms. Urisk is active in several industry and environmental associations. She holds the Chartered Director designation from McMaster University. She is the past Chair of the Board of the Environmental Careers Organization Canada and also served on the Board of the Ontario Energy Association. Ms. Urisk is currently Chair.