Guest Speakers

Dr. Ray Bergstra

 President/Owner, MTN Consulting Associates

Ray completed a B.Sc. in Applied Chemistry at McMaster University and obtained his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry in 1991 from the University of Alberta.   Dr. Bergstra spent 9 years in industrial research, product development, and product line management with Mobil Oil Corporation based in New Jersey, Virginia and the UK, followed by 3 years in lubricants marketing and sales with ChevronTexaco in Alberta.  In 2003, He established MTN Consulting Associates. 

Dr. Bergstra has authored four technical papers and is a co-inventor of two patents.  He has lectured both university-level General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry courses, written articles for Lubes 'n Greases magazine, and has made presentations to the Alberta Chapter of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, and the Industrial Oilseeds Conference in Saskatoon organized by AgWest Bio.  Ray is a member of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants, BioAlberta, American Oil Chemists Society, and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.

Ray specializes in market research, industry reviews, technology commercialization, and business strategy development, with a focus on emerging bioindustrial technologies. He is currently involved with the Canadian Triticale Biorefining Initiative for developing triticale as an industrial crop and feedstock for biofuels, biobased chemicals and materials.

Walter Dunnewold

Senior Engineer- Utilization and New Business, ATCO Gas 

Graduate of the civil engineering program of the University of Calgary and a member of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta.  Working with the ATCO Group of Companies for over 23 years with experience in natural gas distribution and transmission system design, operations and planning and electrical distribution commercial connections.  Currently working in the Utilization and New Business group of ATCO Gas, which is focused on investing in alternative and renewable energy delivery projects.  These include biomass / biogas, solar, geo-exchange, wind, district energy systems and fuel cell projects.

Bern Kotelko

President, Highland Feeders

Bern has presided over Highland’s growth from a small mixed farming operation to an annual $60Million revenue agribusiness.

Bern graduated from the University of Alberta in 1976 with a Bachelors of Sciences in Agriculture, and is a Professional Agrologist. In 2001, he completed the Canadian Securities Course, and in 2007, the ICD “Director’s Education Program”.

Bern is one of Alberta’s top strategic thinkers and has extensive experience in financial oversight, business development, and innovation.

William (Bill) M. Hunter                                              

Mr. Bill Hunter

President / Owner, Northern Opportunities Facilitation Inc. (NOFI)

NOFI is a consulting service which started in September 2004.
NOFI is focused on projects including:

• Northern Economical Development,
• Bio-based Economy,
• Environmental Enhancements,
• Business planning and mentoring
• Aboriginal Capacity Building

Mr. Hunter retired as President & COO, Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (a $1.4 Billion asset with annual sales of $350 Million) in April, 2004 after 13 years with the company, including construction and start up. He had been in the forest industry for 31 years and worked in SK (Parsons & Whittemore), BC (Eurocan Pulp & Paper), Ont. (James River – Marathon Ltd.), and AB (Al-Pac) in Operational & Project - Senior Management positions.

Mr. Hunter was named to Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People in 2002/2007 – Alberta Venture Magazine and a multiple recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005.

John Rilett M.A., B.E.S.

Director of Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Climate Change Central

John Rilett is the Director of Energy Efficiency and Conservation at Climate Change Central, a unique public-private partnership that promotes the development of innovative responses to global climate change and its impacts. Since joining Climate Change Central in 2003, John has led or facilitated numerous initiatives focused on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions. These include alternative transportation fuels and technologies for the commercial transport sector; renewable energy and energy efficiency programs for consumers and industry; as well as initiatives designed to support carbon offsets and emissions trading programs.

Currently John is overseeing the operation of two biofuels projects in Alberta. The Alberta Renewable Diesel Demonstration (ARDD) is Canada’s largest on-road demonstration of renewable diesel in the long-haul trucking industry, while the BioFleet market development program is focused on supporting the implementation of biodiesel into Alberta’s fuel mix.

John is also the acting Chairman of the newly-formed Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance, sits on the Clean Air Strategic Alliance’s Vehicle Emission Team and has been named to the Alberta Motor Transport Association GHG Coordinating Committee.

John holds a Masters of Arts (Geography) and Bachelors of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, specializing in transportation, energy efficiency and climate change.

Ian Thomson

President, Canadian Bioenergy Corporation

Ian Thomson is the President and Co-Founder of Canadian Bioenergy Corporation, Canada’s leading supplier of premium biodiesel.

In addition to his role at Canadian Bioenergy, Ian serves as President of the Alberta Biodiesel Association, President of the BC Biodiesel Association, and sits on the Mayor’s Climate Leadership Council in Vancouver. Prior to Canadian Bioenergy, Ian worked as a strategic consultant to organizations such as Cargill, Chevron, Duke Energy, PetroCanada, and United Technologies.

Canadian Bioenergy is Canada’s first and only BQ-9000 certified marketer of biodiesel and has started construction on a global scale, canola based biodiesel production facility on land adjacent to Bunge Canada's oilseed crushing and refining operations near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.

Jim A. Jones

Business Development Specialist, Alberta Agriculture & Food

Jim is a “Business Development Specialist” with the “BioIndustrial Development Branch” of “Alberta Agriculture and Food” (AA&F). The majority of his time is spent as the “Leader of the Biogas (methane) Initiative” with time also dedicated to “Combined Heat and Power” using incineration and gasification.

He sits on a number of “Alberta Agriculture and Food” teams. This includes the multiple ministry team who developed the Government of Alberta’s “9 Point Plan for Bioenergy”. He sits on the “Green House Gas and Carbon Credit Technical Team” and  “Specific Risk Materials Team” (SRM).

Jim has been with AA&F for five years. Prior to joining AA&F he spent over 25 years in the chemical industry. He holds degrees in Science and Business Administration plus the Professional Agrologist designation.

Reinhard F. Schuetz, P.Eng.

President, Tanksafe Inc.

Born in Austria, Reinhard graduated from the U of A in 1969 (Mech. Eng.) and spent the next 27 years involved as an engineering consultant in the Western Canadian Petroleum Industry.  In 1996, Reinhard developed a patented design for an aboveground, heated, dual-containment storage tank and started TankSafe Inc.  A subsequent patented design by Reinhard in 1998 led to the development of a BTEX Condenser Unit with an average 90% benzene emission reduction efficiency from dehydration facilities.  From inception, Reinhard has served as President of TankSafe Inc., and since 2006 as Director and Outreach Committee Chair for the Alberta Biodiesel Association.

Matthew Machielse
Director of Bio-Energy, Government of Alberta

He is currently part of the Ministry of Energy, a relatively new position within the Government. The position is responsible for leading provincial policy and program development in the emerging bio-energy sector and facilitating investment within the province.

Prior to his current posting most of his career has been spent working in either the agriculture industry or the Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Food.  He was Director of Bio-Industrial Technologies Division, an area focused on the development and demonstration of industrial biochemical and mechanical processing technology. His past experience with the department also includes production economics, crop and livestock market analysis as well as leading industry business development.

Early in his career he was an active partner in the family farm in Southern Alberta. Matthew is a graduate of the University of Alberta, with a specialization in Agricultural Economics.

Bill Waugh

Branch Manager (Lethbridge), Cummins Western Canada

Bill has worked with Cummins Western Canada and for the last 22 years he has been the Branch Manager of the Lethbridge Branch.He is a member of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and presently sit on the AITA (Agriculture, Industry, and Transportation Affairs) committee, in September of 2007 he travelled to Toronto to introduced a resolution on biodiesel quality to the Canadian Chambers of Commerce AGM. The resolution called on the Government of Canada to regulate biodiesel quality in order to protect the consumer against costly damage caused by poor quality biodiesel fuel and blends. The resolution presented to the CC of C passed unanimously.

In the fall of 2007 he joined the Alberta Biodiesel Association as a member, an organization dedicated to making sure that their members provide quality biodiesel to the market. He is also a member of the Provincial Advisory Committee for the Parts Technician program as an employer member they provide input on keeping that program current and viable.

For more information, call Northlands Agriculture Department at 780.471.7300.