Jerry is one of Canada’s most prominent Indigenous leaders. He is committed to enhancing the quality of life for Indigenous people through the creation of new business opportunities and development of skills and capacity. He is credited with leading his First Nation from 98% unemployment to full employment and a thriving nation once again. Jerry was President and founding member of the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (1985), the largest native-owned and operated heavy construction company in Western Canada building it to a $60 million corporation with 8 divisions and 29 joint-venture partnerships in the mining industry. Today, the Tahltan Trust Fund holds $120 million for future generations from these opportunities. He is also a founding member of the National Indian Businessman’s Association (1981) (now the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business) as well as the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association (CAMA) (1991-November 2013) where he served as Vice President.
Sonia is a Canadian-Ukrainian lawyer and entrepreneur with more than 15 years’ experience working in international business, project finance, resource law and community engagement.
Sonia worked as a finance lawyer in mining, renewable energy and infrastructure at two of Canada’s largest law firms and as founder and National Co-Chair of her firm’s Latin American Services Group. Sonia has negotiated multi-billion-dollar transactions and managed financings of large capital projects across Canada and around the world. Sonia has worked extensively with industry and governments developing mining policy and new legal frameworks for infrastructure public-private partnerships to facilitate investment into the mining sector.
Sonia has worked with governments around the world implementing legal frameworks and policies for open, transparent, and accountable governance and anti-corruption practices. Sonia has worked for the Public Defender’s Office in Argentina, for the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine, as legal advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, and for the President of the Commission of Human Rights and Justice in Mexico.
As co-founder of the Global Indigenous Development Trust, Sonia supports Indigenous communities across the world assert their self-determination and re-build natural economies, with a focus on working with natural resources in an equitable and sustainable manner.
Sonia is a published author of “A New Human Story: A Co-Creator’s Guide to Living our True Potential” and a TEDx speaker. Sonia spends her time at her home in the country where she grows her own food, forages and interacts with the magic in nature to continually uncover its secrets.
Judy has worked as an accounting professional at one of the top accounting firms in Canada where she was recognized for her work with multi-national clients and the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards.
Judy worked with a Fortune 500 mining company where she led the successful implementation of internal control reforms across Canada and the US. She received an executive award for leading a company-wide process improvement project in financial reporting that resulted in significant fiscal efficiencies and annual savings.
Judy joined a multi-billion-dollar global financial services company where she was part of a small team managing budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting for subsidiaries around the world, including Mexico, Chile, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia and England. She developed and implemented various financial corporate policies, including valuation of financial instruments and transfer pricing. Judy conducted internal audits of subsidiaries in North and South America and was recognized for her ability to strengthen relationships across borders.
Judy is a leading expert in the emerging field of sustainability accounting and the development of a valuation approach that encompasses living ecosystems. Her life’s work is to align business decisions with the health of the environment for a thriving planet, leading in the development of new financial accounting valuation and reporting methods that consider life systems. Judy is active in national and international economic development projects as part of the Global Indigenous Development Trust team. Fluent in English and Spanish, Judy is a Certified Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accountant and has a B. Comm from the University of British Columbia.
Helgi is a seasoned geologist with deep experience in Northern BC. Helgi has led a variety of exploration programs across Canada, USA, Mexico and China, including VMS, porphyry, epithermal and mesothermal Au vein, anorthosite hosted Ti, and nephrite. Helgi has over two decades experience as manager at several dimension stone quarries on the BC Coast.
Geraldine is a member of the crow clan of the Tahltan Nation with more than 30 years’ experience in office management and human relations with both the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation and with the mining industry. Geraldine has deep seated knowledge and experience working with the mining exploration sector particularly within the Tahltan Territory and Golden Triangle, having served as office manager and worked extensively in exploration camp management with leading companies in the area. Geraldine has also worked extensively with youth, the strengthening of families and communities through community wellness and building respectful relationships. Geraldine brings a breath of expertise and lived experience and wisdom to SRR process, relationships, and partnerships, as well as exploration efficiency and office and camp management capabilities.
Nalaine has extensive technical experience in both mining and environmental assessment processes, and is well known for her work to build positive relationships that recognize the role of Indigenous Nations in decision making on Indigenous Lands. Prior to joining Skeena Resources as Vice President of Sustainability, she was the Lands Director for the Tahltan Central Government. Ms. Morin has been recognized for her leadership as recipient of the 2021 Skookum Jim Award, 2018 Indigenous Trailblazer Award and the 2018 Aura Award. She is also a board member of BC Hydro. Nalaine is a nationally recognized professional that has managed environmental reviews of several large resource development projects on behalf of Indigenous Nations. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of British Columbia and a Mechanical Engineering Technology Diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
Sue is a highly qualified professional with over 30 years of management experience including regulatory, environmental, social, Indigenous, governance, financing, and technical expertise. Sue is a committed peer-recognized volunteer with significant experience on mining, energy, and education boards and associations. She is a strategic, innovative and effective leader with the proven ability to ensure achievement of strategic goals and key performance indicators in a timely and cost-effective manner. Sue is committed to sustainable resource management and education with a collaborative and communicative approach to team leadership, partnerships and project outcomes. Some of her recognitions include:
Hans Matthews is an experienced geologist and member of the Wahnapitae First Nation in Ontario. As a founder and president of the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association (CAMA), he has played a key role in the evolution of Indigenous communities as equal partners in the mining industry. He helped CAMA bring together industry and Indigenous leaders, government representatives and youth in a neutral setting to discuss resource management, youth engagement, and health and environmental protection. The organization has been pivotal in developing partnerships that provide training, employment, business opportunities, and equity to Indigenous Peoples across Canada. While continuing to lead CAMA, Hans negotiated the participation agreement between the Nickel Rim South mine in Sudbury and the Wahnapitae First Nation, and was elected band councillor in 2012. Hans is a recipient of the Skookim Jim Award and in 2021 received the Distinguished Graduate Award in the Faculty of Mathematics and Science at Brock University.
A Senior Social, Environmental, H&S, and Permitting Advisor with over 20 years of proven global experience in the development and implementation of technically-effective, innovative and pragmatic, community-based and sustainable solutions. A bilingual (French-English) Certified Sustainability Practitioner (CSR-P)and dual US-Canadian Executive with proven success in a variety of sectors, specializing in mining, financial institutions, oil & gas, forestry, energy, transportation, & property transactions/M&A. Linda has served as Director of Environment at Hudbay Minerals, Director of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs at Lundin Mining and Global Head of Environment at Glencore. Linda is currently Vice President, Health & Safety, Environment, Quality & Sustainability at a leading global supplier of recycled critical battery materials for clean energy.
Paolo is a leading expert in mining technological innovation, airborne geophysical survey mapping, data processing and data interpretation. Paolo has worked with Geotech Ltd. for almost 20 years, currently serving as Vice President. With his breadth and depth of experience, and knowledge of best solutions in sustainable geophysical exploration, Paolo is a tremendous asset to the team. Paolo has worked around the world with some of the biggest names in mining and alongside Indigenous communities.
Originally from Alderville First Nation, Renata is a young exploration geologist with a passion for working with the land and all things related. Her work has taken her around the world and she has gained a breath of experience in mapping and prospecting in a wide range of terrains, often in remote environments without established buildings or access, and in core logging and deposit modelling and target identification. Renata actively attends short courses covering a range of deposit types to stay well rounded in our evolving industry. Renata also has experience in conflict mediation, in addition to acting as a consultant in Indigenous Engagement. Renata brings a unique perspective to the team and a future looking perspective of working towards 7 generations.
