Management/Directors
John A. Tapics
President & C.E.O.
John A. Tapics graduated in 1975 with a B.Sc. Honours in Mining Engineering from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. Mr. Tapics has over 30 years of mining and electricity industry experience including four years as President and CEO of the Alberta Electric System Operator responsible for operating Alberta’s electricity market, transmission planning and system operations; eleven as an Officer of TransAlta Corporation, in charge of the Generation, and the Transmission and Distribution Business units. While at TransAlta Mr. Tapics was responsible for the operation of 4500 Megawatts of power capacity (3700 Megawatts of coal fired thermal capacity, and 800 Megawatts of hydro). He directed the planning and economic delivery of 16 million tonnes of coal annually from two mine sites to three power plants totaling 3300 megawatts. In addition, he was responsible for TransAlta’s share of the 50/50 joint venture 800 Megawatt Sheerness power Plant operated by ATCO Power.
Mr. Tapics has served as a Director of the Coal Association of Canada, the Alberta Chamber of Resources, and the Western Electric Power Institute. He has been active with the Canadian Electricity Association, serving on the Generation and the Transmission Strategic Issues working groups; and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy serving as the Calgary Branch Chairman.
J.C. (Jim) O'Rourke, P.Eng.
Chairman
Mr. O'Rourke graduated from the University of British Columbia with a B.A.Sc. in Mining Engineering. Over the next 14 years, Mr. O'Rourke was involved in the start–up of a number of major mines including Gilbralter, Marcopper, and Endako while working with Placer Development Limited.
He has over 30 years of hands–on experience in mine evaluation, financing, development, operations and marketing in Canada, the United States, South American and the Philippines. Prior to his retirement, Mr. O'Rourke was responsible for the acquisition, evaluation, financing and development of the $140 million Huckleberry open pit copper mine in Northern British Columbia.
Jim Defer, CA., CBV
Chief Financial Officer
Jim Defer graduated in 1987 from the University of Manitoba with B. Comm. (Honours). Mr. Defer is a CA & a CBV and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators. He joined the Company as Chief Financial Officer effective March 01, 2010. Mr. Defer has significant experience in investment banking, capital markets, corporate finance, as well as accounting, valuation and financial advisory services. Most recently, he was head of investment banking for a Vancouver based firm and has held senior managerial roles with two major accounting and auditing firms.
Rodney A. Shier, B.Comm., CA.
Director
Rod Shier graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and earned his Chartered Accountant designation in 1989. He has extensive experience in all aspects of corporate finance including equity and debt financings, merger and acquisition structuring, negotiation of joint ventures, and hedging. Rod has over 15 years experience with regulatory corporate finance obligations and has participated in the listing of companies in Canada and the United States.
Currently, Rod is also the Chief Financial Officer of Copper Mountain Mining Corporation. He has worked for publicly traded companies and obtained his CA designation while working at the international firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Rod is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia.
Jamieson Merritt, B.Comm., LLB
Director
Jamieson Merritt graduated in 1990 with a L.L.B. (Law) degree from the University of British Columbia and was called to the bar in 1991. Mr. Merritt has over 10 years of experience in business and financial management across a number of industries including; technology, law, and construction/development. Mr. Merritt has gained invaluable business experience while operating his own development company and prior to that as a key member of a software development firm. Mr. Merritt is currently President of Arbutus Point Development Ltd.
Paul Willis
Director
Paul Willis is President of Willis Energy Services and brings with him 30 years of energy–related experience encompassing energy management, marketing, research and development, project management, detailed and conceptual design, and commissioning and acceptance. From 1989 to 1996, he was heavily involved in B.C. Hydro’s Industrial Power Smart initiative, for which he helped design, implement, and manage many of the programs. More recently, Paul has designed and helped implement a number of other industrial energy efficiency projects, as well as numerous potential and approved cogeneration projects. He has worked on efficiency programs for a number of utilities such as Portland General Electric, Seattle City Light, Northern States Power, and BC Gas. His technical expertise lies in the areas of heat transfer, combustion, industrial process systems, and the optimization of large power and heating systems.