Bernard M. Theissen

Chairman

Mr. Thiessen has gained extensive transportation experience over 26 years in Western Canada in the capacities of President & CEO and Director of various Laidlaw Inc. and Laidlaw Transit companies and their subsidiaries. Since 1993 he has served in executive capacities with Manitoba Telecom Service and Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation. Mr. Thiessen holds degrees in Philosophy and Theology and is now a business consultant and a founding shareholder of AHSR.  Mr. Thiessen joined the Board AHSR in September 1999

The Honourable Jake Epp

Director

Mr. Epp served as Member of Parliament for the riding of Provencher, Manitoba from 1972 to 1993. During that time he held three cabinet posts: Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1979 - 1980), Minister of National Health and Welfare (1984 - 1989) and Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources. In 1993 he joined TransCanada PipeLines as Senior Vice President and President of TransCanada International. In May 2003, Mr. Epp was appointed by the Ontario Government to lead a panel to review the delays and cost overruns at the Pickering A nuclear generating station. The findings of the report were released in December 2003 at which time he was appointed interim Chairman and then Chairman of Ontario Power Generation Inc. Mr. Epp holds degrees in Arts and Education. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Trinity Western University. He is currently Chancellor of Tyndale University College.  Mr. Epp joined the Board in January 2004.

Norman H. Haines

Director

Mr. Haines, the former President of CFCN Communications Radio Division, established Haines Elliott Communications Limited in 1983 following a 25-year career in Canadian broadcasting. In 1987, the Communications company became Haines Elliott Marketing Services Inc. Mr. Haines is heavily involved in the Calgary community and has served on the National Council, Boy Scouts of Canada, the Calgary Economic Development Authority, the United Way, the Chancellor's Club, University of Calgary, Rotary Club of Calgary, and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce among others.  Mr. Haines joined the Board in December 2003.

Peter Menzies

Director

Peter Menzies is a senior executive and consultant with a broad range of experience acquired during a 27-year career that grew from a summer internship at small weekly newspaper on Vancouver Island, to the chief executive office of one of Canada's leading newspapers.

While progressing from junior employee to his most recent position as publisher of the Calgary Herald, Mr. Menzies earned a reputation for internal and community leadership.

His progressive career growth was founded upon journalistic performance excellence, involving objective analysis and presentation skills, as well as the ability to persuade through compelling research and argument. Mr. Menzies understands the nuanced needs of the market and can distil complex situations and disperse them to great effect. These skills have been supplemented over the years by public speaking and teaching.

Jack C. Donald

Director

Mr. Donald is a well-known businessman and resident of the Red Deer area since 1971 and has founded and developed many companies in the oil & gas industry and in property development, farming and finance.  A number of these companies have since inception become Public Corporations.  He has extensive experience as a Director of companies in many fields and is currently Board Chairman & Director of Canadian Western Bank, Canadian Western Trust and Valiant Trust Co.

He has further experience in the community serving two terms as an Alderman for the City of Red Deer, member of the Board of Governors of Red Deer College, Chairman and director of the Alberta Opportunity Company and has served on many boards in the agricultural and oil & gas industry.

As President & CEO of his company Parkland Industries Ltd. he was in 1989 the recipient of the 1989 Canada Award for Business Excellence in the Entrepreneurship category.  In the same year both the City and Chamber of Commerce of Red Deer recognized him with the award “the Red Deer Business of the Year”.   He was awarded Red Deer’s “Citizen of the Year” in 2002. Mr. Donald joined the Board in September 2007.

William R. Cruickshanks, F.I.C.B.

President & CEO

Mr. Cruickshanks, F.I.C.B. (Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers) has been a resident of Calgary for 29 years. During his career with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, he specialized in Commercial Lending to a wide range of medium and large Alberta and Canadian based companies. Mr. Cruickshanks broad interest and understanding of the railway industry stems from his experience managing a book publishing company, which over 25 years, has produced more than 80 volumes on the History of Canadian Railways. Mr. Cruickshanks, who has been with AHSR for 6 years, also serves as a Director of AHSR.

Ralph L. Garrett, P. Eng.

VP Infrastructure

Mr. Garrett, has over 25 years of experience in the railway industry including the construction of a 265-mile mining railroad in Australia and maintenance work on the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railroad. As a project engineer for the City of Calgary, he supervised LRT construction the Northwest and Northeast legs of the city LRT projects, which came in on time and under budget, and later served as supervising engineer responsible for the ongoing maintenance of Calgary Transit's fixed infrastructure including the LRT system. He was founder, owner, and Chief Engineer for Central Western Railway / Railink, Canada's first modern shortline railroad. With ATCO, Mr. Garrett originally managed the construction of work-force housing, and later became Vice President of ATCO International. Mr. Garrett's career experience also includes management of a high-technology company. He holds a Civil Engineering degree and a Masters of Business Administration. He has been with AHSR for 7 years.

John H. Chaput, P. Eng.

VP Operations

Mr. Chaput, gained early experience maintaining mining equipment in Labrador City, Nfld., with the Iron Ore Company of Canada. He entered the transit industry with Halifax Transit Corporation as Supervisor of Operations and Maintenance and later joined the City of Calgary in 1978. Over the next 26 years he took on a series of increasingly responsible positions becoming Manager of LRT (Light Rail Transit) Construction, Manager of Transit Maintenance, and then General Manager of Transportation Infrastructure Construction. In the latter position he was responsible for developing the proposal for purchase of the second generation of LRT cars as well as managing Infrastructure construction in LRT and roadwork projects. He was Project Manager for the 2002 International G8 Conference. His final position with the City was as Chief of Staff, working with the CEO on all aspects of the City's business. Mr. Chaput holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has been with AHSR for 2 years.

Frank L. Der, P. Eng.

Consulting Electrical Engineer

Mr. Der, P.Eng, began his career in the oil and gas industry at gas and chemical plants. In 1986 he joined the City of Calgary Electric System as project engineer for Calgary's North West LRT project. Mr. Der continued with the Electric System as a design engineer where he managed various projects including the Brentwood LRT Extension, LRT traction power maintenance, and various street lighting projects. Mr. Der was recruited to ENMAX to create a new business unit responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of the Traction Power, Signal and Communication Systems for the LRT System in Calgary. He was involved in all areas of management, engineering, construction, maintenance and customer service. Mr. Der left Enmax in late 2005 to establish a private consulting company, Platinum Engineering Ltd. Mr. Der holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and has been with AHSR for 1 year.

Alf J. Bennett

Consulting Electrical Engineer

Mr. Bennett began his 47 years in the railway signal business with Canadian National Railways. Here he gained experience in construction, maintenance and design of signal systems. As a Training Supervisor he worked in western Canada, set up a training centre in Edmonton and ultimately moved to the CN headquarters in Montreal. As Training Officer, Advanced Systems, he was responsible for the electronic and special system training of CN signal personnel across Canada, a staff in excess of 1000.

He left this position with CN after 16 years, to become the Canadian Manager of Safetran Systems Corporation, a North American signal equipment supplier, where he learned the supply side of the industry, and became familiar with the operation and requirements of the other major railroad in Canada, CP Rail, and the short line railroads.

In 1978 he returned to British Columbia to set up his own company, Systems Design & Development, to become an independent consultant in railroad signalling. Under contract to Canadian Pacific Consulting Services he performed signal system design work in Algeria, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Mexico, the U.S.A. and Canada. His major work in Canada was during the eighties, where he was Project Manager for all aspects of signalling on the Calgary Light Rail Transit system. This work also involved the design, procurement, installation and commissioning into service of all systems, including a train identification and tracking system, an operations control centre, and digital signage along Seventh Avenue.

During his 12 year association with the consulting firm Hatch Mott MacDonald until his retirement in 2005, he designed the cab signalling system block layouts for numerous major projects in the U.S.A. utilizing the computer simulation program he developed.

He is a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association (AREMA); Railway Systems Suppliers Inc. (RSSI); and The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA).