October 11, 2018 Ottawa, ON – For Immediate Release –
Our 2018 Board Elections have closed – and the results are in!
The members of Unmanned Systems Canada / Systémes Télécommandés Canada had three weeks to use our online voting system to cast their votes. At the close of this year’s election (October 9th, 2018), these eight (8) Directors were elected.
Mark Aruja, Chair of the Board of Systems Canada / Systémes Télécommandés Canada, welcomed the new Directors, saying;
On behalf of Unmanned Systems Canada, I am pleased to announce and welcome the new members to our 2018-19 Board of Directors.
We had an outstanding slate of 16 diverse, experienced candidates putting their names forward to stand for election.
Mark Aruja, Chairman of the Board, USC-STC
I want to thank all of the nominators, this year’s candidates and our USC-STC members who voted for the individuals whom you believe are best able to carry your voice and our unmanned systems industry forward.
On behalf of USC-STC’s other current Directors – Barrie Kirk, Jordan Cicoria, Kristin Kozuback, Michael Cohen, and Mike Campbell – please join me in welcoming these individuals to our Board of Directors:
| Anne-Sophie Riopel-Bouvier VP of Air Operations, EXO Tactik Air Support Inc. |
| Calvin Reich (re-elected) UAV/UAS/RPAS Commercial Insurance Industry Expert |
| Frédérique Pivot Assistant Professor, Athabasca University Faculty of Science & Technology |
| Kate Klassen Director of Operations, Coastal Drone Co. |
| Ken Whitehead Research Associate, Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS), SAIT |
| Philip Reece CEO, InDro Robotics Inc. |
| Robert Lefebvre Founder, NOVAerial Robotics Inc. and Maxxum Robotics Inc. |
| Trevor Bergmann CEO, AeroVison Canada Inc. |
Each nominee provided USC-STC with a short biography and aspirational statements for their candidate profile on the 2018 Board Elections page. Their profiles (copied below) were available to USC-STC members during a three-week voting period. Take a few minutes to scroll down to read their profiles – learn more about our newly-elected Directors who begin their term at the October 29th Board Meeting just prior to our 2018 AGM in Vancouver, BC.
Click here to view profiles of the current USC-STC 2017-2018 Board of Directors.
The Board of USC-STC is an operating Board, which means that all Directors are expected to actively:
- Engage in strategic planning to identify organizational objectives and set goals that align with the association’s mission statement.
- Develop and execute plans to attain those goals to support the association’s advocacy, education and marketing efforts.
- Lead or contribute to Committees that identify opportunities to leverage and issues to be addressed to move our industry forward.
- Contribute to membership, partnership and sponsorship drives to ensure USC-STC has financial, human and technical resources in place to support core operations, host events and lead initiatives or special projects that nurture industry growth.
- Strengthen relationships across the aerial, ground, and marine unmanned vehicle sector to provide value for our members.
Board participation places a considerable onus on these talented individuals as they balance association activities with their day-to-day work in the Unmanned Systems sector. We thank them in advance for stepping forward to help move our association and industry forward.
If you are not a member of Unmanned Systems Canada, please support our collective effort – join our association, become a sponsor, or support a Committee. Canada’s industry progress has been led by the association’s work to host national Competitions for UAV and UGV post-secondary students, pushing to develop the RPAS/UAS regulatory framework in place today, and advocating for work that yet needs to be done. Please lend your support to our efforts.
The current Board of Directors and I look forward to meeting with the new Board members at Unmanned Canada 2018 later this month in Vancouver, BC to plan for a challenging and rewarding year ahead.
Mark Aruja, Chairman of the Board
Unmanned Systems Canada/Systèmes Télécommandés Canada
1-613-882-3077
[email protected]
