Assistant Deputy Minister

Prairies Economic Development Canada, Alberta Region

Michele Evans provides leadership to PrairiesCan, the federal government’s regional economic development agency in Alberta. Michele has been a public servant for nearly 20 years, holding senior leadership positions with the

Government of Alberta in sectors like immigration, workforce, tourism, economic development and health.

Before entering public service, Michele worked in the private sector in the pharmaceutical industry.

Michele holds a Masters of Health Science from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan.

Callie Lissinna co-founded Wyvern, the first company to sell hyperspectral imagery from space. She graduated from the Y Combinator startup accelerator with her co-founders in 2022 and from Creative Destruction Lab (Toronto, space stream) in 2019. She has held various roles in business operations, leadership, engineering, and sales, and has helped the company raise over $24MM in funding to date. Previously she managed the AlbertaSat student satellite program at the University of Alberta. This included leading in-orbit operations of Ex-Alta 1—the first satellite ever made in Alberta—for the last 12 of its 18 months in orbit. Callie holds a BSc. Mechanical Engineering with a mathematics minor from the University of Alberta. In the evenings she teaches dance classes to kids and teens.  

Associate VP (Research) at UCalgary, co-leading the SD Tech MIF in Alberta, holding significant funding from the Canadian Space Agency, running a start up company under the prestigious NATO DIANA accelerator program, serving in the Royal Canadian Navy

Justin Wright serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Cypress-Medicine Hat in Alberta.
With over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, business management, and public service, he has established himself as a multifaceted leader.
As the founder of Fryer Tuck's Food Truck Inc., Wright successfully scaled the business to eight locations in just 18 months. After his election as MLA for Cypress Medicine Hat in spring of 2023 he handed the running to his business partners. He was recently appointed Parliamentary Secretary of Rural Health-South, Chief Caucus Whip and also serves as the Alberta Government Military Liaison. Wright is actively involved in his constituency, supporting healthcare funding, education, and flood/drought protection projects, and has demonstrated a strong commitment to community mentorship through board service and coaching youth hockey.

Alberta AAD Chair | Air Traffic Controller | Director, Writer, Producer, Only Up | Founder, Elevate Aviation

With 26 years as an air traffic controller, Kendra founded Elevate Aviation, creating national programs that empower women and underrepresented groups, and produced Only Up, a documentary sharing resilience and hope. As Chair of the Alberta AAD she champions investment, collaboration, and workforce development across the sector. Recognized nationally and internationally with awards including the King Charles III Coronation Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, she leads with a commitment to building opportunity for the next generation.

Max Schramm is an accomplished aerospace executive with over 15 years of experience in leading strategy, operations, and commercial growth within the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector.

As the President and CEO of Lufthansa Technik Canada, he has successfully founded and scaled a high-growth Canadian subsidiary, overseeing all aspects of strategy, governance, operations, finance, and culture. Max has been instrumental in securing over CAD 243M in investments, establishing Lufthansa Technik’s largest North American engine test cell and repair facility, and building a high-performing team of over 180 employees across three Canadian locations with a quarterly growth rate of 30 highly qualified jobs. His leadership is characterized by a strong focus on creating a people-first culture grounded in transparency, fairness, and trust.

Max's career trajectory includes pivotal roles such as Director of Sales Canada and Sales Manager Component Services at Lufthansa Technik AG, where he managed significant MRO contracts and drove commercial turnaround strategies. His academic credentials include an MBA in International Project Management from the University of Applied Sciences Wildau and a Bachelor of Arts in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the European University of Applied Sciences. Max is multilingual, proficient in German, English, and French, and brings a wealth of expertise in public-private partnerships, corporate governance, and global stakeholder alignment. Passionate about innovation and sustainability in the aviation industry, Max continues to inspire resilience and lasting impact through his authentic, hands-on leadership approach.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Edmonton Airports

Myron’s 30 years of experience working in the private and public sectors in North and South America, Asia, and Europe help him to see and implement new and effective approaches to airport developments and operations.

In Myron’s 17 years at Edmonton Airports, he has driven the development of YEG's Airport City Sustainability Campus - an ecosystem of companies driving innovation in e-commerce, cargo/logistics, advanced manufacturing, and pharma. His vision and tenacity have attracted over $1.2B USD of private investment to YEG. Myron’s mission is to recast the roles that airports play, evolving beyond utilities into economic engines for cities, regions and countries. 

Prior to YEG, Myron built a career focusing on how to drive economic potential of private and government-owned assets to maximize returns for countries by driving national investment and commercial plans. 

Myron is an active Director on governing boards across a range of sectors including real estate, healthcare, private industry, and philanthropy.

Lieutenant-Colonel Tristan McKee was born in Whitby, Ontario, and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering (Software). He completed the Canadian Forces pilot training program, flying the Slingsby Firefly, CT-156 Harvard II, and CT-155 Hawk. He earned his pilot wings in 2004.

In 2005, he was posted to Cold Lake, Alberta, where he completed Fighter Lead-in Training at 419 Squadron and subsequently the CF-18 Operational Training Unit at 410 Squadron. Upon graduating from the Fighter Pilot Course, he was posted to 425 Squadron in Bagotville, Quebec, where he served for three years and achieved Section Lead qualification.

In 2010, LCol McKee returned to 419 Squadron in Cold Lake as an Instructor Pilot on the CT-155 Hawk for the Fighter Lead-in Training program, earning an A Category Canadian Forces instructional rating. In 2013, he was posted to 410 Squadron as an Instructor Pilot on the CF-18 Hornet at the Operational Training Unit.

Promoted to Major in 2014, he joined 409 Squadron as Training Officer. In 2015, he was posted to 401 Squadron as part of the initial cadre establishing the newly formed unit, serving as Operations Officer for two years.

In 2017, LCol McKee was posted to NORAD Headquarters in Colorado Springs as an Aerospace Defense Planner, contributing to NORAD’s CONPLAN 3310-21 for the air defense of North America. In 2021, he joined the Commander’s Action Group, working directly for General VanHerck, Commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM, as a strategic engagement lead.

After completing the Joint Command and Staff Program (Course 49) in Toronto in 2023, he earned a Master of Defence Studies degree and returned to Cold Lake as Commanding Officer of 4 Operational Support Squadron. He has since assumed his current role as Commanding Officer of 401 Squadron.

LCol McKee deployed twice to Operation IMPACT in Iraq, in 2014 and 2015. During his first rotation, he served as Fighter Detachment Flight Safety Officer, and during his second, as Fighter Detachment Operations Officer. He accumulated over 200 combat flight hours over Iraq and Syria.

Major “Eddie” Brown was born in Shrewsbury, England and joined the British Army in 1987 as a Blacksmith in the Royal Engineers. On completion of his apprenticeship, ‘Sapper Brown’ posted to 21 Engineer Regiment in Germany and as a Combat Engineer fought in the First Gulf War as part of 7 (UK) Armoured Brigade, followed by two deployments to Bosnia as part of the United Nations Protection Force. He passed the Army Pilots Course in 1999 and as a Lynx helicopter pilot had postings to 5 Regiment Army Air Corps (AAC) in Northern Ireland; 1 Regiment AAC in Germany; and 2 (Training) Regiment AAC in the United Kingdom. He amassed 3500 hours f lying on the Lynx primarily on multiple deployments to Iraq, Northern Ireland, Europe, North Africa and Afghanistan. He was promoted through the ranks to Warrant Officer 2, commissioned and took up a post as a Military Advisor to QinetiQ at RAF Boscombe Down. His final posting in the British Army was as Second-inCommand of 671 Squadron AAC at Middle Wallop as an A2 Qualified Helicopter Instructor.

In 2014 he resigned from the British Army, emigrated to Canada and enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces as a pilot in 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron. Remaining there and promoting he saw further deployments both domestic and overseas and held various operational and supervisory flying roles whilst accumulating a further 1500 flying hours on the Griffon Helicopter. Maj Brown took command of 417 Domestic Response Squadron on posting to Cold Lake in 2023.  

He has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physics, a Master's in International Security and Cooperation and is a graduate of the Aerosystems Course at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell with a Master's in Aerosystems. Interests include snowboarding, running ultramarathons and he advocates for academic life-long learning.

Maj Brown is married to Britta and has two children, Kim-Michelle and Thomas. 

Brigadier-General, OMM, MSC, MSM, CD

Fighter Pilot, RCAF

Assistant Deputy Minister

Prairies Economic Development Canada, Alberta Region

Michele Evans provides leadership to PrairiesCan, the federal government’s regional economic development agency in Alberta. Michele has been a public servant for nearly 20 years, holding senior leadership positions with the

Government of Alberta in sectors like immigration, workforce, tourism, economic development and health.

Before entering public service, Michele worked in the private sector in the pharmaceutical industry.

Michele holds a Masters of Health Science from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan.

 Lockheed Martin, Business Development Lead

Calian, Inc., President Defence & Space

Guardian Chemicals, Managing Director

Dr. James Hogan is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta. He holds the George Ford Chair in Materials Engineering and the Engineering Research Chair in Development and Advanced Manufacturing of Next-Generation Materials. He is also the founding Director of the Centre for Applied Research in Defence and Dual-Use Technologies (CARDD-Tech), where he leads national initiatives to advance sovereign innovation in defence, space, aerospace, and energy. Through CARDD-Tech, he has partnered with more than 30 Alberta-based businesses to drive technology development and commercialization.

Dr. Hogan’s research focuses on advanced manufacturing of materials designed for high-temperature and oxidation-resistant environments. His work emphasizes laser–material interactions, sintering processes, and microstructural control to link processing pathways with performance. He also develops generative AI approaches for multi-functional materials and structural design, and studies how materials behave in extreme conditions such as high-velocity impact, thermal shock, and aero-ablation. Since 2015, he has trained more than 100 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and published over 100 peer-reviewed papers.

His leadership is positioning Alberta as a national hub for sovereign innovation and future-ready talent development while strengthening collaborations across industry, government, and academia.

Ian Smith is a key contributor to Canada’s defence innovation landscape, building meaningful connections between academic research and national security priorities. As the Director of Business Development in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Engineering and a founding member of the Centre for Applied Research in Defence and Dual Use Technologies (CARDD Tech), Ian is helping position the University of Alberta as a national leader in defence and dual-use technology development.

Through his vision and leadership, Ian has secured over $28 million in partnerships and manages over $100 million in active proposals, helping to translate research excellence into real-world defence capability. His work is transforming how universities engage with the defence sector, shifting perceptions and establishing academia as a vital engine for Canada’s innovation and security priorities.

Under Ian’s leadership, the University of Alberta has become an active contributor to key national programs. He played a central role in the University’s successful bid to join NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and continues to shape engagement with critical programs such as Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS), and numerous industrial collaborations across the dual-use technology sector.

Dedicated to advancing both regional economic growth and national security objectives, Ian Smith has become a key connector within Alberta’s growing defence technology landscape. His leadership exemplifies the spirit of collaboration, service, and strategic impact that defines Canada’s next generation of defence leaders.

Co-Founder and CEO at Alta ML

Chief Information Security Officer at CyberAlberta and Assistant Deputy Minister,
Cybersecurity Division at the Ministry of Technology and Innovation

National Security Council of Ukraine

Co-Founder and CEO of Wyvern, a Canadian satellite company operating a commercial hyperspectral constellation. Under his leadership, Wyvern has moved hyperspectral imaging from research into real-world deployment, delivering material-level Earth intelligence to commercial, environmental, and security customers worldwide. Chris focuses on building capital-efficient space infrastructure and unlocking new applications in agriculture, climate monitoring, and maritime domain awareness.