Leadership

Karl Bomhof is the President and Chief Executive Officer of FortisAlberta and also sits as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.   

Mr. Bomhof joined FortisAlberta in 2006 and held successive executive positions with the Company after becoming its General Counsel in 2010. Prior to becoming President and CEO in June of 2017, Mr. Bomhof was the Vice President, Corporate and Customer Service and in that role he had accountability for the Company’s relationships with its customers and other key stakeholders, including government and other public agencies. Mr. Bomhof began his career with FortisAlberta as Corporate Counsel before taking on progressively wider responsibilities with the business. His Corporate Service responsibilities also included oversight of Human Resources, Corporate Communications, Legal Affairs and the Corporate Secretariat. Mr. Bomhof earned his Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia.

Mr. Aplin brings more than 25 years of experience in the power line trade. He is a Journeyman Power Line Technician who has held increasingly senior leadership roles including managing our training facility and work methods. He also served as Director for a region of our service territory, and as a director in our engineering, procurement and construction areas. Mr. Aplin currently serves on the Western Energy Institute Electric Board Committee. He is a graduate of the Queen's University Executive Leadership program and holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from Queen's University.

Mr. Dettling brings more than 25 years’ experience in the utility industry in Alberta. He started his career in distribution design, and has held increasingly senior leadership roles in FortisAlberta’s service area including Operations Contracts, Forestry and Supply Chain Management. Mr. Dettling also served as Director of South Field Operations, Project Management and Grid Connections leading operational changes and enhanced customer service. Mr. Dettling is a graduate of Civil Engineering Technology at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and graduate of Queen’s University Executive Program in General Management.

Mr. Eck has more than 20 years of experience in the electricity industry, including a high level of engineering expertise and a broad exposure to Alberta’s regulatory environment. In his role of Vice President, Engineering, Mr. Eck is responsible for the strategic oversight of the Company’s capital expenditure program and providing leadership and direction for the Company’s engineering, system operations, and supply chain management functions. Previously, Mr. Eck was Vice President, Customer Care and Operations for Belize Electricity Limited. He holds a Masters of Engineering degree from the University of Colorado and is a registered Professional Engineer in Alberta.

Ms. Sullivan brings more than 20 years of finance and regulatory experience, including Director roles with FortisAlberta and Newfoundland Power. In her previous role as Director of Regulatory and Financial Planning, Ms. Sullivan established regulatory policy, including leading the organization through a change in distribution utility regulation, and implemented related financial strategies. Ms. Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and is a Chartered Accountant and member of the Institutes of Chartered Accountants of Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Tisdale brings more than 18 years of experience in information technology and finance to his role providing support improvements in customer service through technology enhancements. In his role as Vice President, Customer and Information Services, Mr. Tisdale is responsible for leveraging our existing technology to improve customer service and productivity. Prior to this, he held manager roles in Enterprise Solutions and Business Solutions for our company. Mr. Tisdale holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, is a graduate of the Queen’s University Executive Leadership program and he holds a Certified Management Accountant designation.

Mr. Thomas was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April 2013. He has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Mr. Thomas recently retired as Executive Vice President, North America at Nexen Inc. In that role, he was responsible for Nexen’s operations in Canada and the United States including business development activities in Mexico. During his 30-year career with Nexen, Mr. Thomas held a variety of positions including Vice President, Specialty Chemicals; Vice President, Global Oil and Gas Marketing; Vice President, Corporate Planning; and Senior Vice President, Canadian Oil and Gas. Mr. Thomas attended the University of Toronto, graduating in 1974 with a B.A. in Economics/History. He is also a graduate from the Executive Program at the University of Michigan in 1994. He is a past Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Past President of the Alberta Chamber of Resources, Past Chairman of the Canadian Oilmen’s Executive Association, Past Chairman of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), and Past President of the Calgary Petroleum Club. Mr. Thomas is currently Chairman of the Board of Maxxam Analytics International Corporation. He also serves on the Board of Phoenix Energy Services Corporation and the Glenbow Museum. He previously has served on the Boards of Flint Energy Services, Orion Energy and WestFire Energy.

Karl Bomhof is the President and Chief Executive Officer of FortisAlberta and also sits as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.   

Mr. Bomhof joined FortisAlberta in 2006 and held successive executive positions with the Company after becoming its General Counsel in 2010. Prior to becoming President and CEO in June of 2017, Mr. Bomhof was the Vice President, Corporate and Customer Service and in that role he had accountability for the Company’s relationships with its customers and other key stakeholders, including government and other public agencies. Mr. Bomhof began his career with FortisAlberta as Corporate Counsel before taking on progressively wider responsibilities with the business. His Corporate Service responsibilities also included oversight of Human Resources, Corporate Communications, Legal Affairs and the Corporate Secretariat. Mr. Bomhof earned his Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia.

Ms. MacKenzie was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April 2014. She is a seasoned executive, with more than 25 years of experience in Alberta’s energy sector. Since 2009, she has acted as an independent consultant and executive coach for a number of well-known organizations in the energy industry. She has held a variety of leadership roles with prominent Canadian oil and gas companies, including Petro-Canada where Ms. MacKenzie served as Vice President of In Situ Development and Operations and Vice President of Human Resources. She has served on numerous other Boards, including current directorships for Enerplus Corporation, TransGlobe Energy Corporation and Freehold Royalties Ltd. Ms. MacKenzie holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from McGill University, an MBA from the University of Calgary and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geoscientists of Alberta. She also holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Mr. Giebelhaus was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April 2013. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the construction services industry and has been instrumental in the growth of the Clark Builders since its founding in 1978. Mr. Giebelhaus served as Chief Operating Officer for Clark Builders, leaving that role in March, 2017. The Edmonton-based Clark Builders is an international construction services company with residential, commercial, industrial and institutional projects throughout western and northern Canada and internationally. The staff of Clark Builders has grown to more than 700 employees and completes in excess of $500 million in construction projects on an annual basis. Clark Builders has been acknowledged as one of the 50 best employers in Canada and as one of the country’s 50 Best Managed Companies. Mr. Giebelhaus is the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s (NAIT) Construction Technology Program. He is a member of Board of Directors of Clark Builders and is on the Board of Habitat for Humanity (Edmonton).

Ms. Ralston joined the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April, 2015. Ms. Ralston is currently Vice President, Corporate at Red Deer College. She has more than 20 years of management experience in sales, marketing, operations, general management and human resources. Ms. Ralston served as Director, Talent and Culture for Xerox Canada, leaving that role in March, 2017. She joined Xerox Canada in 1991, and during her time there has held various senior management roles. Ms. Ralston is an active community member in Central Alberta. In 2010, she was appointed to the Red Deer College Board of Governors and in March 2012, she was appointed to the Chair of that Board. Shelley is also a past board member of the Red Deer Rotary Club; a board member of the Women’s Leadership Foundation, past cabinet member of the Central Alberta United Way, and a marketing committee member for the Central Alberta Leadership Centre. She was the recipient of a Women of Excellence award in 2008 and was profiled as a Women Worth Watching in Diversity Magazine in 2013. Ms. Ralston has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta.

Ms. Hale joined the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April 2016. She is a senior executive with strong business and operational expertise. Ms. Hale is currently Senior Vice President, Finance at Finning (Canada) a division of Finning International. Previously, she held the roles of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Edmonton Economic Development Corporation and Vice President, Finance for Prairie Mines & Royalty Ltd. and has also held numerous senior roles at TELUS. In 2013, she was elected as a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Alberta, a special designation bestowed upon Chartered Accountants who have brought honour to the profession. Ms. Hale is involved in several community initiatives, which includes serving on the board for STARS and TEC Edmonton and as past chair of the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region. She is a member of the Diversity Council at Finning and a past recipient of the YWCA Women of Distinction business award. Ms. Hale holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta.

Mr. Hutchens was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in July 2016. He has more than 20 years of experience in the utility industry. Mr. Hutchens is President and CEO of UNS Energy Corporation and its subsidiaries Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and UniSource Energy. He has held continuously progressive positions and was appointed as President in 2011 and CEO in 2014. Mr. Hutchens serves on the Boards of Edison Electric Institute, Western Energy Institute, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, the Tucson Conquistadores Foundation, Salpointe Catholic High School, Sun Corridor, Inc. and the University of Arizona Foundation. He holds  a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arizona.

Ms. Duke was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in January, 2017. Ms. Duke’s career with the Fortis Group spans 30 years. She was previously President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortis Properties; Vice President of Hospitality Services of Fortis Properties; and Vice President of Customer and Corporate Services of Newfoundland Power. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and Master of Business Administration from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Ms. Duke serves on the Board of CH Energy, a Fortis utility. She has also served on the Board of Newfoundland Power. Ms. Duke serves on the Boards of Slate Office REIT, Destination Canada and Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Genesis Group. She is past Chair of IHG Canada Owners’ Committee, the Newfoundland and Labrador Employers’ Council and Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Genesis Centre Selection Board, and past Vice Chair of the Hotel Association of Canada.

Ms. Blair Apsey was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in January, 2017. Linda H. Blair Apsey is President and CEO for ITC Holdings Corp. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic vision and overall business operation of ITC and its subsidiaries. Previously, Ms. Blair Apsey served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Unit Officer, leading all aspects of the financial and operational performance of the company. Ms. Blair Apsey has also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, and President of ITC Michigan where she was responsible for the company's regulatory, marketing and communications, federal, state and local government affairs, and human resource functions. Ms. Blair was Manager of Transmission Policy and Business Planning for ITC when the organization was a subsidiary of DTE Energy. Prior to that role, she held a variety of positions at Detroit Edison including Manager, Regulatory Relations, where she was responsible for developing and managing regulatory and communications activities with the Michigan Public Service Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Ms. Blair earned her MBA and bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs Management from Michigan State University. She serves on the board of The Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Trustees for Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. She is a past member of the Department of Energy’s Electricity Advisory Committee (EAC), the EAC’s Transmission Subcommittee, past chair of The Heat and Warmth Fund, THAW, and past President of the Novi Parks Foundation.

Mr. Bricker was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in May 2017. He has established and grown a number of venture capital fund programs, participated as a partner in several venture capital funds, and has been involved in investing in more than 300 early stage technology and life sciences companies. He is currently the Managing Partner for Westcott Ventures Inc. From 2006 to 2012, he was President and CEO with AVAC Ltd. He is currently a Director with BioAlberta, the Alberta Life Technology Forum, and several private companies. In 2016 he retired after nine years as a Director with the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA). Mr. Bricker is a Professional Agrologist with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Alberta and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Regina. His post-graduate work included Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Calgary. In 1999, he completed his corporate banking accreditation in the areas of commercial and personal credit, investment and corporate finance with one of the Schedule I Banks. He received an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors in 2013.

Mr. Price was appointed to the FortisAlberta Board of Directors in April 2018. Mr. Price is currently President of the Sunterra Group of Companies including Sunterra Meats, Sunterra Markets and Sunterra Farms based in Alberta with operations in Ontario and the Midwest United States. Mr. Price is also a Director of the Board for Sunterra, the Canadian Meat Council, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. He also served as Vice Chair on the Board of Alberta Innovates – Bio Solutions, and was a member of Government of Canada’s Council of Science and Technology Advisors. Ray also volunteers in the community where he lives by contributing time to local organizations.