Merit Awards

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• Lifetime Achievement Award

  Any Fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Alberta who has rendered meritorious service to the profession on a continual basis throughout his or her lifetime, or whose career and achievements in the community have brought honour to the profession, far exceeding that level normally expected of a chartered accountant, may be considered for a LAA. Recipients of LAAs will generally have attained at least 60 years of age and have been an FCA for at least 10 years.

• Fellows of the Chartered Accountants

  By-law 610 reads as follows:
  
  “Any chartered accountant, who, in the opinion of Council, has rendered meritorious service to the profession or whose career achievements or achievements in the community have brought honour to the profession, may by resolution of two-thirds of the Council members be elected a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants”.
  
  Traditionally, FCAs are named based on meritorious service which has honoured the profession over a lengthy period of time. Candidates are expected to have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the following three areas: career, community services and service to the profession. However, outstanding accomplishments in one of these areas may balance a shortfall in the others. There is no minimum requirement of membership in the ICAA before being eligible; however, a member should normally be resident in the province for at least five years.
  
  Nominations of FCAs of other provincial institutes for a subsequent Alberta FCA may be appropriate when the member has rendered meritorious service to the CA profession in Alberta, or whose career achievements or achievements in the community have brought honour to the profession since the member’s relocation to Alberta.
  

• Distinguished Service Award

  Distinguished Service Awards are awarded to CAs who have accomplished a significant achievement within the last five years as demonstrated by commitment and excellence in community or volunteer services (eg., civic, political, charitable, professional, business or industry association), or innovation or remarkable accomplishment in their career or the field of accounting in general, or excellence in mentoring new CAs. Distinguished Service Awards are awarded to non-CAs who have a significant achievement in the last five years as demonstrated by significant support to the Alberta CA profession, or significant leadership or accomplishment in the field of accounting or business generally, provided there is a direct connection or benefit to the Alberta CA profession; or excellence in mentoring new CAs.
  
  A recipient may be recognized more than once for distinguished service to the profession and the Distinguished Service Award may be presented to a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants. In addition, this award may be presented to members of other Institutes or those in the community who have given significant support to the Alberta CA profession over a period of years. It may also be presented for significant leadership or accomplishment in the field of accounting or financial management generally, provided there is a connection to the Alberta CA profession.
  

• Early Achievement Award

  Early Achievement Awards are presented to CAs who has demonstrated exceptional achievement within the first ten years of qualification as a CA or during their time as a CA student (individuals are eligible for this award up to one year past their 10th anniversary of membership). Candidates should demonstrate excellence in professional, civic, charitable, community or other service, and/or excellence, innovation or remarkable accomplishment in their career or the field of accounting in general.
  
  An individual may receive this award only once.

2011 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

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• Doug Baker FCA 

  Doug Baker FCA is an independent businessman and corporate director from Calgary, Alberta. Doug is active in corporate governance, serving on the boards and chairing the audit committees of numerous companies, including ATB Financial Ltd., Bellatrix Exploration Ltd., Winstar Resources Ltd., and Century Energy Ltd. He is also board chair and audit chair at Orleans Energy Ltd. and board chair of Genesis Land Development Company Ltd. He also manages a private investment fund, Thoroughbred 2007 Limited Partnership, and is involved with several non-profit boards. 
  
  Doug has a lengthy history of volunteering within the CA profession. From 1990 to 1994, Doug served as the Alberta representative on the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) Inter-provincial Board of Examiners, the body that develops and oversees the development and administration of the Uniform Final Examinations for Chartered Accountants. In 1996 and 1997, he was Chair of that Board. From 1997 to 2002, Doug was a member of Council for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (ICAA) and served as ICAA President for the 2003 year.
  
  From 2004 to 2008, Doug served as Chair of the CA School of Business. He has also served on the International Qualifications Appraisal Board of CICA since 2000. In September 2008, Doug was appointed as Chair of the CICA, and finished his term in September 2010. Also in 2008, Doug served as Chair of the Oil & Gas Industry IFRS Oversight Committee.

  Professionally, Doug has more than 33 years experience in the oil and gas business and as a CA. During his career, Doug has served as the CFO for six public oil and gas companies. From 1997 to 2006 he was one of three partners who founded, promoted, managed and sold a series of three oil and gas companies while serving various roles including President, CFO and Vice-President Finance.
  
  A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, Doug holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Honors and Distinction, and earned his Chartered Accountant designation in 1977. In 1997, he received the honor of being named a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants (FCA) by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (ICAA).

2011 Fellows of the Chartered Accountants

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• Loretta Amerongen FCA

  Loretta graduated from the University of Alberta in 1983 and spent the early part of her professional career working in public practice. In 1989, she decided to return to university to pursue her PhD, which she completed in 1996. Loretta decided to focus her academic career on teaching, and has been a lecturer in accounting at the Alberta School of Business since 1996. A testament to her passion for teaching, she also acts as a facilitator for the CA School of Business and previously instructed in the pre-qualification program for the ICAA. Loretta has been recognized with numerous teaching awards, including the Kouri Berezan Heinrichs CASB Outstanding Facilitator award, the William Hardy Alexander Award for Excellence in Sessional Teaching (awarded to the top sessional lecturer at the U of A) and, this year, the Business Students Association Teaching Award and her third Chartered Accountants Education Foundation of Alberta Teaching Excellence Prize.

   

  Loretta also devotes considerable time to another passion, track and field, by competing in Masters Track and Field—she was named the 2010 Athletics Alberta Masters Female Track and Field Athlete of the year—and coaching at the high school and university levels. She has also previously coached basketball, and volunteers in a variety of other capacities related to her accounting and athletic expertise.

• Jim Berezan FCA

  James Berezan FCA received his CA designation in 1974. For most of his career he was the managing partner of Dawson Berezan & Partners, which has now merged with BDO Canada LLP. He retired on January 1, 2010. Jim is actively involved in the Lethbridge Community. He was on the board of the Lethbridge Public Library, member of the board and chair of the audit committee for St. Michael’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Housing Association, member of the University of Lethbridge Senate, and was a member of numerous fundraising committees for the University of Lethbridge. Jim also served on several Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta committees, and was part of a team that raised funds for the Chartered Accountants Education Foundation for the building of Markin Hall at the University of Lethbridge. He is currently on the Board of Governors and chairs the audit and finance committees at the University of Lethbridge, is an audit and finance committee member for Covenant Health and vice chair of the St Micheal’s Lethbridge Community Board.

• Terry Booth FCA

  Terry started his career as a chartered accountant in 1984 with Ernst & Young, working with that firm in Calgary and Russia for ten years before moving to industry. He became the CFO of a publicly traded biotechnology company and later became a part-time CFO for numerous early-stage technology companies. Terry returned to public practice in 2003, and is currently an audit partner with Collins Barrow Calgary LLP, where he works with entrepreneurial private and public companies, with a focus on the technology sector. He has been extensively involved with the education process of the CA profession for over twenty years, as a course instructor, marker, marking center supervisor, board member and finally, for the last two years, as the chairman of the Board of Evaluators. Terry has also been a founder, board member and volunteer for a number of not-for-profit organizations, including the Fig Tree Foundation, the Calgary Council for Advanced Technologies and Cochrane Run Foundation. In his spare time, Terry loves to ride his bike, do triathlons and marathons and stay busy with, as he says, “my amazing wife Lori and our two wonderful children, Kelan and Jory”.

• Maureen Cush FCA

  Maureen received her CA designation in 1988. Since then she has operated her own practice, became a partner in Daye & Company in 1998 and is currently a partner with BDO in Edmonton.
  
  Maureen has a long and distinguished record of volunteer services in our community. She has just completed her third year as President of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Edmonton and Area, which is Canada’s largest matching and mentoring agency for children. Over the past six months, she led the team which has negotiated a merger with the Boys and Girls Club of Edmonton. That newly merged agency will provide services to over 8000 children; Maureen has been asked to stay on as the president of the newly merged agency to lead it through the transition period. In addition to her work with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Maureen has been actively involved with the Sign of Hope campaign over the past 12 years. In 2008 she chaired that campaign, which raised a record amount of funds amidst the worldwide recession and economic downturn that was underway.
  
  Maureen has also found time to write an annual bulletin for the ICAA, sat on the board and finance committee of the Newman Theological College, sits on the Board of Catholic Social Services and serves as Finance Manager for her son’s novice hockey team.
  

• Carolyn Graham FCA

  Carolyn Graham FCA received her CA designation in 1989 while working with Deloitte LLP before joining Canadian Western Bank Group in 2000, where she currently stands as Senior Vice President and Chief Accountant. In addition to her designated position, she serves as the Bank's training principal for the CA Training Office program, trustee for the employee share purchase plan and a Director for the Bank's subsidiaries, Valiant Trust Company and Adroit Investment Management Ltd. Carolyn has volunteered her professional time and talents on committees for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta, the Canadian Bankers' Association and the Financial Executives Institute Canada. In addition, she actively serves the community through the Winnifred Stewart Association for the Mentally Handicapped, the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Habitat for Humanity Edmonton, amongst others.

• Ian Hills FCA

  Ian is a Partner with the firm of Heywood Holmes & Partners LLP in Red Deer, Alberta. He started his career with the firm in 1967 as an articling student, received his Chartered Accountant designation in 1975 and was admitted to the Partnership in 1976. Over the years, Ian has taken on responsibilities in various capacities to contribute to his profession and to his community. He has applied skilled direction and guidance to the benefit of The Westerner Exposition Association, Red Deer Public Library, Piper Creek Optimist Club and numerous other organizations. Ian has spent his career assisting and developing small and medium sized businesses and their shareholders. Being involved with the people is the most important and rewarding part of his profession. Ian’s vision is, and always has been, to provide clients and those around him with the personalized assistance required to reach their full potential.

• Gordon Kerr FCA

  Gord Kerr FCA is the President and CEO and a director of Enerplus Corporation , positions he has held since 2001. He has been involved in the oil and gas industry for over thirty years, in various management and executive positions with Enerplus and its predecessor companies. Gord has been very active in both professional and community volunteer roles. Professionally, he is a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, the Alberta Energy Minister’s Advisory Committee, and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Advisory Committee and “Promising Futures” Campaign Cabinet. He has also been a past chair of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and co-chair of the Coalition of Canadian Energy Trusts. In the community, Gord has most notably twice served as co-chair of the Major Energy campaign for the United Way of Calgary and Area. He has been married to his wife Joanne for 35 years and they have three sons and five grandchildren, all residing in Calgary.

• Allan Sawin FCA

  Allan Sawin FCA is currently the president of Bear Investments, Inc., a private investment company. From 1990 until its sale in 2006, he was president and part-owner of the Grizzly Well Servicing Group, which was headquartered in Edmonton and operated service and drilling rigs from various bases throughout Western Canada. Allan received his CA designation in 1979 and, after a brief period in public practice, joined the Grizzly companies. In addition to his business interests, Allan served for several years on the board of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors. In the community, he is a past board member of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, past chair of the University Hospital Foundation, and past chair of the World President’s Organization (Edmonton Chapter). He is currently the chair of the Edmonton Eskimos Football Club and is a director of Encana Corporation. Allan and his wife Sally have three children and reside in south Edmonton.

• Don Sieben FCA

  Don is currently a member of Alberta Health Services Board of Director and is chair of its audit and finance committee. He also currently serves on the Discipline and Appeals Tribunal Roster for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta. Don was previously a police commissioner with the Edmonton Police Commission, and served on both the Senate and Board of Governors for the University of Alberta. Don has also served as a board member for Athabasca University, Canative Housing Corporation, Centre for Innovative Management, Northern Alberta Children's Hospital, Alberta Hospital Edmonton, Apeetogosan (Métis) Development Inc., Athabasca Regional Economic Development Council, and the Edmonton Association for the Mentally Handicapped. He also sat on the Government of Alberta's Sub-Committee to review the Alberta Government's three-year business plans in 1993. He has a Bachelors degree in commerce and a post-graduate diploma in health services administration from the University of Alberta and a Masters degree in business administration from Athabasca University, and has been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta since 1981. Don is currently a partner with Peterson Walker LLP Chartered Accountants of Edmonton. He is married, has three children and enjoys playing golf and spending his free time with his three grandsons.

• Bruce Waterman FCA

  Bruce Waterman FCA is Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Agrium Inc. He is responsible for Treasury, Tax, Investor Relations, Controllers, Information Technology and Government Relations. Bruce is a graduate of the Queen's University in Ontario where he earned his degree in Commerce in 1973. He achieved his Chartered Accountant designation in 1975. Bruce brings more than 35 years of financial and management experience to his role at Agrium. Bruce received the 2008 “Canada's CFO of the Year™”, which is an award presented to a senior financial leader who has made a contribution to business in Canada with quality, insight and direction. Bruce also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Encana and previously served on the board of Opti Canada Inc. He has volunteered his time to a number of endeavours, including the University of Calgary’s International Business Advisory Board, the CFO of the Year Nomination Committee, and is a highly sought-after speaker. He has also been a strong supporter of the United Way of Calgary and Area, where he is a member of the campaign cabinet and the co-chair of the General Oil & Gas Division. Bruce is married with four children.

2011 Distinguished Service Award Recipients

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• Alison Atkins

  Alison’s clients value her as a highly credible and effective executive coach and business transformation consultant. Her passion for values-based integral leadership helps executives, organizations and communities achieve their individual and professional goals with less stress, clear purpose, happiness and peak performance. Since Alison founded her own firm, A*Venir Leadership Institute & Consulting, sixteen years ago, she has coached and taught over 7000 professionals. Her prior experience with leaders in business and the public sector crosses virtually all sectors: energy, health care, education, trading sectors, forestry, agriculture, logistics and manufacturing. Alison has worked around the world and is a successful catalyst for change with an exciting and  tangible track record. As an example she achieved reductions in the Income Tax Act which caused eleven international shipping companies to move their Head Offices to Canada. She also serves on and guides Boards of Directors to new levels of effective governance.

• Maureen Hamill CA

  Maureen obtained her B. Comm. degree from the U of C in 1985, CA designation (with Honours) in 1989, and U.S. CPA designation in 2000. She is currently a Partner with Collins Barrow Calgary LLP, providing audit, tax, securities and business advisory services for local, U.S. and international companies. She also previously held positions with Deloitte & Touche LLP, Apache Corporation, Sherritt International Inc., and OMV Canada Ltd. Maureen has been very actively involved throughout her career in a number of professional activities, including marking of provincial and uniform final exams, facilitating student courses, and authoring of uniform final exam questions. She was also a financial accounting instructor at SAIT for several years, Treasurer/Director for Kiwanis Calgary Foothills, and Governor with the Institute of Internal Auditors.
  More recently, Maureen served for six years as an elected member of Council for the ICAA, including Chair of the Bylaws & Rules and Audit Committees, as well as a member of the Practice Review Committee, and provincial representative on the Ethics Standards Harmonization Committee for the CICA.
  

• Don Ross CA

  Don Ross CA moved to Calgary at a young age, attended the University of Calgary (Bachelor of Science in Mathematics) and obtained his CA designation with Clarkson Gordon in 1974. Don was employed in the oil and gas industry throughout his twenty-five year career, mostly in the capacity of Chief Financial Officer of a number of junior resource companies. He has also been involved in the not for profit sector for the past fifteen years. He is a current member and past chair of the Special Olympics Management Committee, chair of the organization's annual golf tournament which has raised over $600,000 and is also a past director of the Special Olympics. Additionally, he is currently chair of the Calgary Rotary Challenger Park Society, director and treasurer of Youville Residence Society of Alberta, an active Rotarian and on the Board of the Alberta Motor Association and Bridgewater Bank. Other areas of interest include golfing, fitness, travel and reading. Don also proudly states: “my lovely wife, Lynn, and I will be in New York in June to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary."

   

• Jim Walker CA

  Jim, a graduate of the University of Alberta and Grant McEwan Community College, is an associate partner and professional practice leader with the enterprise practice at KPMG LLP in Edmonton, where he started his career. Jim is actively involved with the Institute's Continuing Professional Development program as both a seminar facilitator for various CPD seminars and conferences and author of various CPD seminars, roles he has served for several years. In addition, Jim has served on ad hoc committees with the Institute. Though some may believe Jim’s passion is accounting, he has two true passions: his “girls” (wife Pam and daughters Mackenzie and Madison) and football. For over ten years, Jim has served as a coach for his daughters’ soccer teams and as a volunteer for various school programs and activities. Most recently, Jim assisted the local junior high as a coach for the girls’ soccer program. A born and raised Edmontonian, Jim has been an Edmonton Eskimos’s season ticket holder for over thirty-five years.

2011 Early Achievement Award Recipients

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• Chris Burrows CA, CPA (Illinois, USA)

  Christopher Burrows CA CPA (Illinois, USA) is presently the Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of K-Bro Linen Systems Inc in Edmonton. He has also been involved as an instructor, facilitator and guest lecturer with the University of Lethbridge, Athabasca University, University of Saskatchewan and the CA School of Business. Chris formerly served as the Vice-President, Finance for The Churchill Corporation. An active volunteer, Chris is currently a governor of NorQuest College, a director of Goodwill Industries of Alberta and the chair of an ICAA working group. He has previously served as a director of the Centre for Family Literacy, the president of the Lifesaving Society and a governor of the University of Alberta. Chris graduated from the University of Alberta with Bachelor of Science and Commerce degrees and from the University of Saskatchewan Master of Professional Accounting program. He is also a graduate of the University of Toronto executive program in Human Resource Management.

• Adam Cook CA

  Adam has shown a passion for community service ever since high school, when he started and led a Students’ Against Drinking and Driving chapter at Edmonton’s McNally High School. This passion continued to the University of Alberta, where Adam was actively involved in the university community, serving as president of the Business Students’ Association, as a student representative to the Board of Governors, and where Adam instigated and oversaw the U of A Students’ Union’s first Audit Committee. While articling at Wilde and Company Chartered Accountants in Vegreville, Alberta, Adam remained active in his community and civic affairs, volunteering for Big Brothers and Big Sisters and serving as the youth chair for Premier Stelmach’s leadership campaign. Currently a manager at KPMG in Edmonton, Adam now serves as chief financial officer for the Edmonton Whitemud Progressive Conservative Association and as treasurer for the University of Alberta Business Alumni Association. When time permits, Adam also contracts as a case marker for CASB. In his personal life, Adam and his wife, Terra, are enjoying the trials and tribulations of being new parents, having welcomed their first son, James, in May 2010.

• Sara Jiménez CA, CFE

  Sara Jiménez is a manager in the Litigation department at RSM Richter. With more than eight years of experience, Sara has an extensive background in forensic evaluation and litigation support services. Her investigative experience includes forensic audits in connection with bank theft, and investigating banking and investment transactions in cases of fraud and on behalf of creditors in personal bankruptcy cases. Sara has performed various investigations in the case of shareholder, matrimonial and estate disputes. Sara also performs damages quantification with regard to breach of contracts and has worked on mandates in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, professional services, construction and engineering. Sara has mentored many CA students over the past ten years and previously worked with the CA School of Business as an online facilitator and case marker. Sara is also currently an instructor in the Certified Management Accountants of Alberta’s Accelerated Program.

• Phillip Peters CA, LL.B

  Phil chose to become a CA in Grade 10, after a friend passed along a brochure about the profession. After graduating from Houston Secondary School, he attended the University of Northern British Columbia to obtain his Bachelor of Commerce in accounting. Together with his fiancée (at the time) Wendy, who was pursuing a Masters of Arts degree at the University of Alberta, Phil relocated to Edmonton and began his articles with KPMG LLP. After receiving his CA designation, he joined the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to advance his knowledge and expertise in the tax field. After a brief time with the CRA, Phil pursued more education, attending the University of Alberta’s Law faculty, where he was awarded the John A Weir faculty scholarship. Phil articled with Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP in Edmonton under the guidance of Cheryl Gibson FCA. Currently, he practices with the financial law group of Alberta Justice as a tax and financial advisor to Provincial ministries and is completing the In-depth tax course. Phil is involved in a volunteer capacity with a number of worthy organizations, most notably Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Edmonton and Area. Phil and Wendy are proud parents to two wonderful children, Kinsey and Zachary.

• Serena Wall CA

  Serena Wall is currently employed with Laricina Energy Ltd., an emerging in situ oil sands company, where she is responsible for financial reporting and tax. Prior to Laricina, she has held various positions with Crescent Point Energy, Baytex Energy and KPMG LLP. In addition, she has worked with the CA School of Business as an online facilitator and marker. In the community, Ms. Wall volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area where she is a Big Sister and a member of the board of directors, currently serving as treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee. Ms. Wall and her Little Sister are currently enrolled in the “Big Ambassador” program as public representatives of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Ms. Wall holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Calgary and obtained her Chartered Accountant Designation in 2007.