Doug Firby is Editor-in-Chief of Troy Media, Canada’s largest independent source of online news, features, and commentary. He has more than three decades of experience of writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and online publications in Ontario and western Canada. He is also an award-winning editorialist. When he was Editor of the St. Catharines (Ont.) Standard, the newspaper won its second-ever National Newspaper Award. And, like many writers, he has a handful of half-drafted novels languishing on his computer.

Nigel is an emeritus professor of law, having retired from the University of Calgary in 2021. Nigel spent much of his career working in the areas of energy and natural resources law, as well as international environmental law. He posts regularly on these issues on the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law blog. Nigel enjoys spending time in the mountains, cross country skiing, hiking and backpacking, and is passionate about maintaining the natural spaces of southern Alberta for the benefit of future generations. He is proud to have raised, with his wife Jane, two young adults with a love of the outdoors. 

Deanna Steblyk, K.C., has practiced law in Alberta since 1998 and currently works at the Alberta Securities Commission as Senior Special Counsel to the Vice-Chairs, where she assists with policy work and adjudication. Deanna has always had a strong commitment to public service and governance, and has worked in a wide variety of volunteer capacities throughout most of her life, including throughout the majority of her legal career. She considers it important to give back to the community through volunteerism, and values the opportunity to make a contribution. Animal welfare and environmental protection are at the top of her list of the non-profit endeavours she is most excited to support. Deanna has an extensive history of non-profit board and leadership experience, including service on the boards of the Law Society of Alberta, Legal Aid Alberta, the Association of Women Lawyers, and the Calgary Humane Society. At all four organizations, she served as President or Chair. In 2013, Deanna received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her community service.

Don McGarvey practiced law for 37 years before retiring in May 2025. Don spent much of his career as a commercial litigator with an emphasis on class action defence, professional regulation and discipline, and commercial insurance. He has held a variety of leadership and volunteer positions over the years. He has also held board positions with various not-for-profit entities. Don’s interest in the work of CPAWS derives from his lifelong passion for Alberta’s fish, wildlife, and wild spaces and ensuring they are protected and preserved for future generations. Among a variety of other sporting interests, Don enjoys fly fishing in the Alberta wilderness where he feels most invigorated and energized, regardless of whether the fish are biting.

With more than 30 years of experience in government policy at both the provincial and municipal levels, Douglas Mills has honed his skills as a strategic communications and public affairs leader. He's an innovation enthusiast, which makes him an optimist and focused on possibilities and solutions. His background includes a focus on supporting science-based decision-making and developing strategies for areas such as climate change adaptation and water resource management. As a result, he learned the value of the ecosystem services that parks and wild areas provide. As a canoeist in Northern Ontario, he developed an early appreciation for Thoreau's assertion about wilderness being the preservation of the world. Moving west to find different kinds of wilderness in the Eastern Slopes, he's still waiting to see Thoreau proven wrong. He doesn't do as much hiking, skiing, cycling or canoeing as he'd like, but tomorrow's another day.

Lana is a finance and strategic planning professional with over 10 years of experience, primarily in the agriculture sector. Her expertise includes strategy formation, forecasting, and financial analysis. She holds a CPA designation and an MBA from Queen’s University. Lana grew up biking and hiking on the protected land near her family farm in rural Manitoba. These days, you can find her taking advantage of Alberta’s beautiful landscapes – skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. Lana looks forward to taking an active role on the board, as she feels that preserving our beautiful land for future generations is of the utmost importance.

Nicole Edge currently works at City of Calgary in Finance and focuses on budgeting. Her former roles included teaching accounting in the business school at Mount Royal University where she sought to support learners in understanding how the application of their skills and knowledge has an effect on their community (more than "just" technical accounting outcomes) and how they can choose to have a positive effect. Dr. Edge brings both technical skills (>25 years as a CPA-CA) and a range of experience in the nonprofit sector where she has fulfilled finance/accounting board roles and has been involved in consulting/ advising/ business case building in the past. The work CPAWS is doing in our communities resonates with her values and personal actions (she and her partner are currently working toward building a regenerative market garden in Sundre) and her motivation for becoming involved is to find ways to share her skills that may be useful in supporting CPAWS initiatives and goals.

Phil is a partner in the Advocacy Department of the law firm Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP in Calgary. He has practiced law for over 25 years and has resided in Calgary since 1993. Phil was an active volunteer with CPAWS in its campaigns to protect the Whaleback and Spray Valley in Kananaskis. He regards CPAWS Southern Alberta as an important and effective voice for the many Albertans who wish to protect and preserve our wild landscapes and the species that inhabit them. Phil welcomes the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors and help ensure that his children and grandchildren have the same opportunity to experience the wonders of nature in our province. Phil enjoys hiking, cycling, jogging, bird watching and nature photography. He and his family are frequent visitors to Alberta’s National and Provincial Parks.

Sarita is a Management Consultant with over 25 years of business and consulting experience. She specializes in strategy development, risk management, audits and assessments of major programs for business units within large organizations. She has managed and led teams for large, major transformational programs for organizations including merger and acquisitions, disaster recovery and incident response planning, cyber security strategy, regulatory, governance and operational compliance. Sarita believes in giving back to the community and in sharing her vast experience to empower others, inspire and help pave the way for future generations. She currently sits on the Assessment Review Board (chaired multiple hearings) for Rocky View County. Her other board tenures have included Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth (CBFY), Family and Community Support Services (Chair, Vice chair), Helping Hands Society of Cochrane, as well as the Immigrant Services Committee at Rocky View County. Sarita holds a Bachelor of Science degree and has completed the Administrative Law and Assessment Training.