Board of Director Bios

Bob Ackles is the National private sector representative – Entertainment/Attractions on the CTC Board of Directors.  He is a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee.

Mr. Ackles is the President and CEO of the BC Lions Football Club and a Governor of the Canadian Football League.  He has held various positions with the BC Lions, the Dallas Cowboys, the Phoenix Cardinals, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Las Vegas Outlaws.  Mr. Ackles was inducted in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Builder, into the BC Sports Hall of Fame and is a Schenley Award of Excellence winner.  He also serves on the board of directors of the Vancouver YMCA and the Burnaby Mountain Sport and Medical.

Montie Brewer is the National Private Sector- Air representative on the CTC Board of Directors. He is a member of the Audit Committee.

Mr. Brewer is the President and CEO of Air Canada.  At Air Canada, he was the chief architect of Air Canada’s new business model, including the successful simplified fare structure.  An airline industry veteran, he has gained experience at United Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Republic Airlines, Braniff, Trans World Airlines and Air Canada since 2002.

Mr. Brewer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

Chris Cahill is the National private sector- Upscale Hotels representative on the CTC Board of Directors.  He is the Vice- Chair of the Board, Chair of the Human Resources Committee, a member of the Executive Committee.

Mr. Cahill is the President & Chief Operating Officer for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (formerly Canadian Pacific Hotels).  He is Executive Vice President and trustee of Legacy Hotels Real Estate Investment Trust (“Legacy”) as well as a member of the Board of Directors of Delta Hotels. Before becoming President and COO, Mr. Cahill held the positions of Executive Vice President and Vice President of Sales, Canadian Pacific Hotels. Mr. Cahill has extensive experience in all facets of the hospitality industry, having held positions of increasing responsibility with Delta Hotels over a 15 year period. Prior to joining Canadian Pacific Hotels, he held the position of Vice President, Operations, Eastern Canada, Delta Hotels.

Mr. Cahill holds Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto.

Kelliann Dean is the Regional Public Sector representative for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. She is a member of the Human Resources Committee.

A native Nova Scotian, Ms. Dean was appointed Nova Scotia’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage in January, 2004.  She has extensive experience in strategic business communications and business development.  From 2001 to 2004 she was Vice President, Business Development for Nova Scotia Business Incorporated, the province’s business development agency. 

For 13 years, she worked at the Business Development Bank of Canada, holding various positions in communications, public relations, human resources, marketing and business development.

Ms. Dean holds a bachelor of public relations degree from Mount Saint Vincent University and a master’s degree in business administration from Saint Mary’s University.

Richard Dicerni is the Deputy Minister of Industry Canada and an ex-officio member of the CTC Board of Directors.

Biographical information to follow.

Jean-Marc Eustache is the national private sector representative for non-scheduled airlines on the CTC Board of Directors and a member of the Executive Committee.

Mr. Eustache is Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat A.T. Inc., of Montréal. He began his career in tourism with the tourism youth and student association, Tourbec, in 1997. He then moved on to Trafic Voyages, which was founded in 1982 and served as a springboard for the launch of Transat.

Christiane Germain is the national private sector member - at large, on the CTC Board of Directors. She is a member of the Human Resources Committee.

Ms. Germain is the President of the Germain Group company, in Montréal, which converts office buildings into hotels and manages them. She also participates in the development, creation and management of restaurants. Ms. Germain has been a member of various Boards of Directors, and Chair of the Association of Restaurateurs du Québec and the Festival d’été de Québec. She is involved in the foundation of the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ).

Ms. Germain obtained a Diploma of Hospitality and Restaurant Management from Humber College, in Toronto.

Shaun Harbottle is the Regional private sector representative for Manitoba and Saskatchewan on the Board of Directors.  He is a member of the ad hoc Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Committee.

Mr. Harbottle is the owner/manager of the Crescent Beach Cottages at West Hawk Lake, Manitoba.  For the past two years, he has been the President of the local Chamber of Commerce.

He studied at the University of Manitoba and received a Bachelor of Education.

Gina Hodge-Noordhof is the regional private sector representative for Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia on the CTC Board of Directors.  She is a member of the ad hoc Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Committee.

Ms. Hodge-Noordhof is the President and Manager of the Norseman Restaurant and Gaiia Art Gallery in L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland and Labrador. She serves on the boards of Norstead Village Inc., the Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Viking Trail Tourism Association. In 2004, she was the recipient of the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs of the year award.  She has also worked at Aliant Telecommunications and the Town of Happy Valley Goose Bay Economic Development Department.

She holds a Masters in Environmental Science from Memorial University in St. John’s as well as a Bachelor of Science, Economic Development and Resource Management, and Geography.

Liette Lacroix Kenniff is the National private sector transportation representative on the CTC Board of Directors. She is a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee .

Ms. Lacroix Kenniff was Canada’s Air Travel Complaints Commissioner from 2002 to 2004.  Prior to her appointment, she worked at Air Canada in numerous managerial positions; she was also General Manager of the International In-Flight Service Management Organization; and, Manager of Corporate Travel at the International Air Transport Association.

Ms. Lacroix Kenniff received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Montreal.

The Honourable Charles Lapointe is the Chairperson of the CTC Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. He is an ex officio member of the Audit Committee, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, the Human Resources Committee, and the ad hoc Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises Committee. 

Mr. Lapointe is President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal. Previously, he served as President of IACO (International Aeroplane Co, Ireland) and as Vice-President at Lavalin Ltd in Montréal.

Mr. Lapointe was the Member of Parliament for the region of Charlevoix (Quebec) from 1974-1984. During his career, he was appointed to the Privy Council and served as Minister of Supply and Services, Minister of Public Works as well as Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism, and External Relations and sat on numerous Standing Committees. He served on the Canadian Tourism Commission Board from 1995 to 1998. Mr. Lapointe is a Director on numerous Boards including: the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, the Gérald Delage Foundation, the Montréal High Lights Festival.

Mr. Lapointe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Collège Classique de Hauterive (Québec) and a Bachelor of History degree from Laval University.

David Lindsay is the Regional public sector representative for Ontario on the CTC Board of Directors.  He is the Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.

Mr. Lindsay is the Deputy Minister of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation.  Prior to his appointment as Deputy Minister, he was President and CEO of the Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario; founding President and CEO of the Ontario SuperBuild Corporation; President and CEO of Ontario Jobs and Investment Board.

Mr Lindsay is a Fellow of the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University.  He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (1981) from Queen’s University.

Gordon MacInnis is the Regional private sector representative for New Brunswick/ Prince Edward Island on the CTC Board of Directors.  He is a member of the ad hoc Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Committee.

Mr. MacInnis is the President of both Cavendish Management & Consulting Inc. and Cavendish Maples Cottages Inc. His political career includes positions as an Elected member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, Minister of Education, Sports, Recreation and Culture, Chairman of the Council of Minister of Education as well as Minister of Transportation and Public Works. 

Mr. MacInnis obtained his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Prince Edward Island.

Michele McKenzie was appointed President & CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission in January 2004.  She is a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.

Prior to this appointment, Ms. McKenzie was the Newfoundland/Nova Scotia public sector representative on the CTC Board of Directors. She also served as the Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Executive and Human Resources Committees.

Ms. McKenzie began her career as an independent event planning consultant, working for a number of national and international associations holding events and conferences in Nova Scotia. In 1985, she joined the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture as Manager of Market Development and since that time she has held a number of positions in the tourism portfolio including, most recently, Executive Director of Tourism and Executive Director of Marketing and the former Deputy Minister of the Department of Tourism and Culture for Nova Scotia.

Ms. McKenzie has a degree from Dalhousie University.

Bruce Okabe is the Regional public sector representative for British Columbia and Yukon on the Board of Directors.  He is a member of the Executive Committee.

Mr. Okabe has been the Deputy Minister of the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts since May, 2006.  Before his appointment, he was Vice President of Business Solutions at Telus where he has held numerous executive level positions.  He also holds several directorships, including the 2009 World Police and Fire Games, the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation and the Vancouver Community Foundation.

Mr. Okabe is a graduate of the Ivey Business School’s Executive Development Program and the British Columbia Institute of Technology Marketing Management Program.

Fay Orr is the regional public sector representative for Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut on the CTC Board of Directors.  She is a member of the Human Resources Committee.
She is Deputy Minister of the Alberta Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Recreation & Culture since December, 2006. From 1987 to 1997 she held a number of strategic planning and senior management positions with the Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs and the Office of the Premier, serving as the Premier’s Director of Communications from 1998 to 2000.  In June 2000, she became the managing director of the Public Affairs Bureau, a position she held until her appointment as Deputy Minister of Government Services in October 2003, followed by an appointment as Deputy Minister of Community Development in 2004.

Ms. Orr attended Queen’s University in Kingston, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science.  She received a degree in Journalism from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in 1981.

Louise Pagé is the Regional public sector representative for Québec on the CTC Board of Directors.  She is a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee.

Ms. Pagé is the Deputy Minister at the ministère du Tourisme du Québec.  She began her career in the public service in 1974. She participated in the implementation of the French Language Charter, held a position as the General Director of Communications for the government of Quebec. Ms. Pagé also worked for the Treasury Board Secretariat, and was the Associate Deputy Minister at the Departments of Public Safety, Justice and Family and Childhood. She was the first female civilian member of the Senior Management of the Sûreté du Québec.

Bhagwant Parmar is the Regional private sector representative for the province of Ontario.  He is a member of the ad hoc Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Committee.

Mr. Parmar is the owner and operator of the Travelodge Hotel, Days Inn Hotel and Quality Hotel & Conference Centre in Brockville, Ontario.  In February 2006, Mr. Parmar received the Hotel Association of Canada’s Humanitarian Award recognizing his 17 years of hospitality, accommodation and business development services.

He received his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees in India and studied Business Administration at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Alexander Reford is the Private sector representative for the province of Québec.  He is the Chair of the ad hoc Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, a member of the Audit and Executive Committee.

He is the owner/operator of Les Jardins de Métis in Grand-Métis, Quebec.  Under his stewardship, Reford Gardens and its historic buildings were completely restored.  Before leaving to run Reford Gardens, he held the position of Dean of College at St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto.  In addition, he is the co-founder of the International Garden Festival, first held in 2000 and acclaimed by international critics and garden writers.

Mr. Reford holds a master’s degree in history from the University of Toronto and Oxford University and has written numerous articles in the field of Canadian history.

Rod Seiling is a National private sector member- at large on the CTC Board of Directors.  Mr. Seiling is the Chair of the Governance and Nominating committee, and a member of the Executive committee.

Mr. Seiling was appointed Chair of the Ontario Racing Commission in November 2006.  From 1994 to 2006, he was President of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association.  Previously he served as Vice-President of Executive Consultants and as Executive Director of Racetracks of Canada. Among his professional accomplishments, Mr. Seiling was Chair of Team Canada, a Director for Tourism Ontario and a Director for the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation.

Mr. Seiling holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Boyd Warner is the Regional private sector representative for the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Alberta on the CTC Board of Directors.

Mr. Warner is the owner and operator of the Bathurst Inlet Lodge and Bathurst Arctic Services as well as Adventure Northwest Outfitting, Bathurst Arctic Services Canoe Adventures and Bathurst Inlet Development Expediting.  He is the vice-chair of Northwest Territories Tourism, and vice-president of the Northwest Territories Outfitters Association.  He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Nunavut Tourism in 1999.

Mr. Warner completed four years of post-secondary education in political science and marketing.

Sandra White is the national private sector Aboriginal representative on the Board.  Ms. White is a member of the Governance and Nominating and ad hoc Small and Medium- Sized Enterprises Committees.

Ms. White is a member of the Siksika Nation and has specialized in many facets of Aboriginal tourism throughout Canada for over fifteen years.  She is the past president of the Aboriginal Tourism Association of B.C. and the immediate past Chair of the Aboriginal Tourism Team Canada.  She is currently manager of FirstHost, a one day hospitality and customer service training workshop.

Ms. White has a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Administration (Tourism) from the University of Alberta.