Board Members

Mr. Blaine Boutin has served as a member on the former Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board for more than five years. He also spent six years as a member of the Automotive Service Technician Provincial Apprenticeship Committee. Mr. Boutin trained at NAIT as a Red Seal Automotive Service Technician and was awarded the Canadian Technician of the Year in 2013 by Canadian Technician Magazine.

Mr. Chris Waples is the Director of Education with the United Association (UA) of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 488, a position he has held since July 2019. Mr. Waples has over 20 years of experience in the skilled trades, including leadership in various trade unions. He is a founding member of Trade Winds to Success, and he has participated on various committees for Skills Alberta and Skills Canada. Mr. Waples served as a Chairman of the UA Western Regional Apprentice Competition in 2024 and also as a Chairman of the UA National Apprentice Competition in 2014, 2016, and 2018. He is currently enrolled in the UA Instructor program at the Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He holds a journeyman Red Seal plumber and gasfitter “B” certification, a Red Seal Steamfitter-Pipefitter qualification certification, a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta, and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia College.

Mr. David Kavanagh is an Associate Director of Distribution Operations at EPCOR. He is a Journeyperson Red Seal Electrician and Power Systems Electrician and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from NAIT and a Master of Organizational Leadership degree from Gonzaga University. Mr. Kavanagh has served as a member on the Alberta Provincial Apprenticeship Committee for Electricians, participated as a Provincial representative in various Red Seal initiatives, and is an active member of his community coaching youth sports and mentoring young people.

Mr. Declan Regan is the President and Business Representative for the International Union of Operating Engineers and is involved in the ACTIMS Designated Apprentice Program. He currently represents the Mobile Crane Operator trade on various boards and committees. Mr. Regan holds a Business Administration certificate in Management and Journeyman Red Seal Mobile Crane Operator, both from NAIT.

Joe McFadyen is President of Construction Labour Relations - An Alberta Association (CLRA), a position he has filled since July 2019. Mr. McFadyen has worked for the Association since 2012 involved in all aspects of Labour Relations, arbitrations, collective bargaining, and collective agreement administration. He is currently the Chair of National Construction Labour Relations Alliance (NCLRA), Director of Helmets to Hardhats, and a member of the Construction Owners’ Association of Alberta Safety Committee. Mr. McFadyen has previously been a labour relations practitioner in both air transportation with two major airlines in Canada and academia working with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Mr. Matthew Lindberg-Fowlow is currently the Dean for the School of Construction and Building Sciences and Dean of the Office of Apprenticeship at NAIT. He has held various leadership positions within NAIT and received the Ernest Manning Leadership Medallion in 2021. Mr. Lindberg-Fowlow is a board member and Provincial Technical Committee member of Skills Alberta and a member and Educator Representative of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, in addition to a National Technical Committee Member of Skills Canada. Mr. Lindberg-Fowlow is a Red Seal Endorsed Journeyperson Plumber and Gasfitter.

Nancy Suranyi is the Owner and Operator of Namao Auto & RV Repair Ltd. and brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the Automotive and Recreational Vehicle service and repair industry. She currently serves as Deputy Chair of the Alberta Board of Skilled Trades and is the Alberta Board of Governor representative for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Ms. Suranyi previously served as Chair of the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council, as a director on the board of the RV Dealers Association of Alberta, and as Presiding Officer on the Automotive Service Technician Provincial Apprenticeship Committee. Ms. Suranyi holds a diploma in Business Administration Management from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and has also studied Occupational Health and Safety at the University of Alberta. Ms. Suranyi draws on her years of governance and work experience to support apprenticeship and workforce development.

Mr. Paul de Jong is the President and CEO of the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA). He has over 30 years of labour relations and policy advocacy experience in the construction industry. Mr. de Jong has served on a variety of industry boards, including: Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA), Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) Respect in the Workplace Committee, University of Alberta Construction Innovation Centre, Alberta Labour Relations Board, BuildForce Canada, and the Alberta Board of Skilled Trades. 

Mr. Raymond Massey is the Chair of the Alberta Board of Skilled Trades, President of Skills Canada Alberta, President of Skills Compétence Canada Board, and Member of the Interprovincial Alliance of Board Chairs (IPA). He is a Red Seal Journeyperson, a former small business owner for 34 years, and is experienced with governance and policy development. Mr. Massey previously served for 12 years on the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board and was a former member of the Alberta Skills for Jobs Task Force and the Alberta Education Career Education Task Force.

Mr. Robert James serves as Director of Apprenticeship and Education for the Alberta Boilermakers Training Trust Fund, Lodge 146, bringing more than 25 years of industrial sector experience. He is a Red Seal–certified Journeyman Boilermaker and Welder, holds ABSA B-Pressure certification, has earned a Blue Seal in Business Competencies, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Psychology from the University of Alberta. Mr. James is actively involved in apprenticeship recruitment, workforce development, and industry advancement. He previously represented Labour on the Pressure Equipment Sub-Council with the Safety Codes Council and continues to contribute to industry through his work with the Alberta Council of Turnaround Industry Maintenance Stakeholders (ACTIMS) Designated Apprenticeship Program and the Boilermaker National Training Coordinators Committee.

Ross Undershute is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience leading national-level operations across both public and private sectors. As President of OpenCircle Group of Companies and former CEO of Funds Administrative Service Inc., Mr. Undershute has a proven track record in strategic planning, governance, financial stewardship, and organizational restructuring. He brings deep expertise in pension, health, and training trust fund administration, having overseen $2.5 billion in pension assets. Mr. Undershute currently serves on multiple private company advisory boards and holds a CPA designation,
along with degrees in education and accounting.

Mr. Ryan Hartman is a Workforce Training and Development Manager at PCL Builders Inc. for the past 15 years, as well as a Site Supervisor. He was a former member of the Provincial Apprenticeship Committee for Carpenters and a former member and presiding officer of the Local Apprenticeship Committee for Carpenters. Mr. Hartman earned a Red Seal Journeyperson certificate as a carpenter from NAIT.

Shaudia Ricketts is the Head of Trades Strategy & Recruitment, North America for the Kiewit Corporation. Ms. Ricketts has an extensive HR background spanning the course of over 20 years, in which she has held a variety of HR and Recruitment roles in the construction, oil and gas, real estate, and retail industries. Given that most of her time has been spent in HR for construction, she understands the challenges and opportunities that exist for youth, underrepresented groups, and associated organizations within the industry. Ms. Ricketts also sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum and is the Chair for the newly formed Canadian Apprenticeship Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan, as well as her CPHR certification.

Mr. Sheldon Anderson is the Dean of Trades and Technologies at Lethbridge Polytechnic, where he has spearheaded youth initiatives that promote skilled trades awareness and apprenticeship pathways. He is also the CEO of InspectaCAR Inc.. Mr. Anderson serves on the executive of Skills Canada Alberta as Treasurer and is a member of the Alberta Deans of Apprenticeship and Trades. In recognition of his leadership and contributions to skilled trades education, he was the recipient of the 2019 Chairperson’s Award of Excellence from Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. He holds three Red Seal Journeyperson certifications: Agricultural Equipment Technician, Heavy Equipment Technician, and Automotive Service Technician.