Board of Directors

ACA Board of Directors meets quarterly and consists of 11 member group representatives, one Provincial Government representative, four appointed Public at Large representatives, and the chairholder of the ACA/University of Alberta Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife.

Executive

Robert Gruszecki

Bob has been involved in conservation circles his entire life, more substantially in the education realm of conservation. He is currently Chair of the following organizations: The Conservation Education W.I.S.E. Foundation, The Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association (AHEIA), Hunting for Tomorrow, and the Conservation Education Wildlife Museum.

Sandra Mellon

Sandra joined ACA’s Board of Directors in December 2016 as the Northwest Alberta Public-At-Large (PAL) member. She held the position of Treasurer and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee for seven years (2017-2024) and is now Vice Chair of the Board since December 2024. With her commitment as the NW PAL completed in December 2022, she has now taken on the role of Business Representative on the board, which is also a Public At Large position. She has been in the banking profession for over 35 years and is currently a Wealth Advisor with Perry Securities Ltd in Grande Prairie.

Since meeting her husband, Richard, she has been immersed in the outdoor life, quickly taking to hunting and angling, and then, a few years later, adding trapping to her repertoire. She and Richard raised three children in the same outdoor traditions and are now grandparents to seven, all of whom are outdoors youngsters. Sandra is a passionate outdoors woman and keenly interested in ensuring hunting, angling and trapping pursuits continue to be available to her children and grandchildren as well as all Albertans.

Vince Aiello
Vince is a born and raised Albertan with a lifetime love of experiencing the outdoors; he is dedicated to preserving and protecting wild spaces and wildlife. He has 35 years of business management experience with 18 years of conservation and board volunteer work in the province.
Ken Bailey
Ken has spent his professional career in the wildlife conservation industry, including 24 years with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). He has also been an outdoors writer for more than 30 years, having published more than 1,200 magazine articles and an award-winning book, No Place Like Home. He currently provides business management support as a consultant to the nonprofit conservation sector, while continuing to write for outdoor publications.

Directors

Robin Barnes
Robin has been an active outdoor enthusiast surrounded by the beauty of the mighty Peace Country for most of her life. She grew up on a homestead in northwestern Alberta where hunting, fishing, and trapping were a way of life for her family and “running water” meant actually running for water! She is passionate about creating opportunities to engage young people and families to learn about, enjoy recreating in, and to protect and conserve our environment for future generations.
Rick Blakeley

Rick has always been interested in the outdoors and conservation from his very early days as a cub scout up to becoming a queen scout and a leader in scouting and the YMCA. He has served Lethbridge College as an instructor and as a leader for over 40 years. He is retired and has more time to dedicate to the work of several conservation organizations including Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) as the Alberta Fish & Game (AFGA) board representative. Rick has a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA), has served on several boards including the Local Authorities Pension Board of Trustees, is the President of the Lethbridge Fish and Game Association (LFGA), and is the Range Operator for their Shooting Sports Facility. Rick is passionate about making it so that future generations will be able to continue to appreciate natural places to hunt, fish, and enjoy all that the outdoors has to offer.

Dr. Mark Boyce
Mark is a Professor of Ecology and holds Alberta Conservation Association’s (ACA) Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Alberta. His research specialty is population ecology and currently he is supervising research on bighorn sheep, deer, marten, wild boar, wolves, and sandhill cranes.
Dr. Lu Carbyn
Dr. Lu Carbyn is an internationally recognized wildlife biologist, specializing in the ecology, conservation, and management of mammalian carnivores and their prey. He was President of Nature Alberta and Chairman of the Alberta Chapter of The Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists. Over the years, Carbyn has served on numerous Boards of Directors of academic institutions and conservation organizations.
Beau Cleland

Beau Cleland is a historian at the University of Calgary, as well as a combat veteran, and enjoys outdoor recreation of all sorts with his family. He is particularly concerned with wildlife habitat conservation and preserving access to hunting, fishing, and our shared public lands and waters. He represents the Alberta Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers on the ACA Board.

Randy Collins
Randy has been an energetic and vocal volunteer in Alberta’s conservation community for over 40 years. Originally from Stoney Creek, ON, and after a career transfer, Randy became active in the early 1980s with a local Alberta fish and game club in his community. That road has taken many turns over the years with him eventually becoming Alberta Fish and Game Association (AFGA) President from 2005–2007. In 2009, Randy was asked to represent the AFGA on Alberta Conservation Association’s (ACA) board and had been in that capacity for 14 years, and in 2022, Randy assumed the role of ACA Northern Board Liaison.
Silvia D'Amelio

As the Chief Executive Officer of Freshwater Conservation Canada, Silvia leads the organization’s mission to protect and preserve Canada’s freshwater ecosystems. With over 30 years of leadership experience in environmental conservation and nonprofit management, she is committed to driving innovative solutions to today’s most pressing water issues. Silvia holds a B.Sc. in biology and M.Sc. with the Ministry of Natural Resources in fisheries genetics & management and has worked with a variety of stakeholders, from government agencies to grassroots organizations, to promote sustainable water use and conservation practices. Under her stewardship, Freshwater Conservation Canada continues to grow its impact through cutting-edge research, advocacy, and public engagement.

Shawn Flynn

Shawn joined the ACA Board in 2025. Shawn grew up in Prince George, British Columbia, and during university he developed a great love for the outdoors. But it was not until a move to Alberta in 2017, where that love blended with conservation and hunting in the Alberta woods. Shawn comes from the growing demographic in Alberta who did not grow up with a hunting, fishing, and conservation background.

Shawn is currently the President of St. Joseph’s College, University of Alberta, an affiliate College with over 3000 enrolments and residences for 380 U of A students. He also sits on 3 other governance organizations in the post-secondary sector. Coming with ten years of executive leadership experience in post-secondaries, board of governance work, and government relations, Shawn is excited to support conservation and its benefits to wildlife and habitats in Alberta. He also holds a PhD in ancient history from the University of Toronto, and finds time for research and writing when he is not working or he and his spouse of 20 years are not chasing four kids and a dog.

Lisa Holdaway
Lisa grew up with a deep passion for being out in nature. Hiking and camping were a big part of her childhood. She earned her BA in Environmental Studies, deepening her connection with the outdoors. Hunting and fishing were not a large part of her upbringing, but her career brought her to a remote Hunting and Fishing community, where she learned the value and enjoyment of living off the land. She gained insight as to the impact of humans in nature, and the importance of protecting our environment. In just 5 years, the girl from the suburbs began her journey which would give her some of the most fantastic experiences she could ever share with her friends and family back home. She is most passionate about inspiring and helping people to get outdoors!
Chuck Priestley

Chuck serves on the ACA Board as the representative of the Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta. Chuck previously served as the Public At Large (PAL) Director for Alberta's northeast region (2018-2024). Chuck grew up in the outdoors enjoying fishing, family camping trips, and outdoor adventures with Scouts. As an adult-onset hunter (twelve years ago), Chuck has a deep and ever-growing passion for all things hunting, including conservation, eating well, and pursuing big and small game with family and friends.

Jeana Schuurman

Jeana Schuurman has been the Managing Director of the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS) since 2018. In this role, she enjoys identifying opportunities to better support members, the industry, and wildlife stewardship in Alberta. Prior to working for APOS, Jeana spent 4 years in policy and communications with the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia, and then several years for the Government of Alberta, support farmers and rural landowners with conflict resolution. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (Political Studies Major, Business Administration Minor) with Trinity Western University in 2008, and her Master of Arts (Integrated Studies) with Athabasca University in 2023. Outside of work, Jeana enjoys chasing after her two little boys, reading, and exercising.

Shane Shreiber

Shane Schreiber joined the ACA Board as the Minister’s Representative from Alberta Forestry and Parks. He is a veteran of 30 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, and over 10 years with the Government of Alberta, and looks forward to the opportunity to further the sustainable use and conservation of Alberta’s lands, fish and wildlife for the maximum enjoyment of all Albertans.

Dr. Colleen Cassady St. Clair

Colleen is a Professor of Ecology at the University of Alberta where she has been since 1998. She and her students focus on animal behaviour as a tool for understanding and reducing problems in wildlife conservation and management. Their studies address species ranging from mice and forest birds to grizzly bears and wolves. Colleen leads a long-term project to facilitate coexistence with urban coyotes, she is a novice hunter of white-tailed deer, and she loves to work, play, and think outdoors in natural areas.

Brent Watson
Brent is an avid bowhunter, hunter, and trapper for too many years to count. He has served on the Alberta Bowhunters Association Executive for over 20 years—past 18 as President, in addition to being involved in various government and stakeholder committees/meetings/processes. All with the goal to "give back" and make things "better" for future generations.

Board Committees & Taskforces

Executive Committee
Finance & Audit Committee
The ACA Program Grants Committee
Recruitment Committee
Governance Committee
PAL Member Committee