New members add energy, experience to CMC Research Institutes’ board

CMC Research Institutes is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to the company’s board of directors, effective August 2020.

Joining the board are Kate Chisholm, Senior Vice President, Planning and Chief Sustainability Officer at Capital Power, Darlene Halwas, a Chartered Financial Analyst and Board Director, and Darcy Ell, Chartered Professional Accountant at ILF Consultants Inc. These appointments bring CMCRI’s total board membership to nine.

“We are pleased to welcome Kate, Darlene and Darcy to the board and look forward to the energy and advice they’ll bring to our discussions,” said Dan Zilnik, chair of the board. “In these challenging times, companies are looking for board members who can provide sound guidance. With their experience in finance, in carbon storage and conversion and in the power sector, Kate, Darlene and Darcy – along with the rest of the board – will do exactly that.”

“Over the last year, CMC Research has added new clients from companies of all sizes. I expect that forward momentum to continue given the combined expertise of our new and current board members,” he added.

Kate Chisholm

Kate Chisholm has been a member of Capital Power’s senior executive team since July 2009 and played an instrumental role in Capital Power’s restructuring and Initial Public Offering that led to the company’s creation. Prior to Capital Power, Kate served as EPCOR’s Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary from 2004 to 2009, and Vice President, Legal and Commercial for Alberta’s Transmission Administrator (now the Alberta Electric System Operator) from 1999 to 2003.

Kate currently serves on several boards and governing bodies. She created the MORE mentoring program for high potential young professional women in Edmonton and was one of the founding members of Legal Leaders for Diversity, an association of Canadian general counsel who support and promote diversity and inclusion within the legal profession.

Darlene Halwas

Darlene Halwas has almost 30 years of work experience, with 15 years focused on leading risk management functions for companies. She currently serves on the board of a federal crown corporation, a national non-profit corporation, and a water education charity. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) from the University of Manitoba, and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designations as well as certification in tribunal administrative justice. Since 1995, she has been an active volunteer with the CFA Institute, and she completed a four-year term on the global Disciplinary Review Committee.

Darlene says she is excited to join the board because she sees the future in moving new ideas and technologies into the commercial realm.

“Not a lot of companies in and of themselves have the willingness or wherewithal to invest in and keep a research institute going on their own. But as academia, government, and industry continue to harmonize then innovation and research will persist,” she says.

She is impressed by the collaboration involved in CMCRI’s operations. “When you have people getting together and talking that’s when great things happen.”

Darcy Ell

Darcy Ell has spent his entire career in Calgary in a wide variety of financial and management roles. He recently joined ILF Consulting Engineers, an international engineering consulting firm specializing in complex industrial and infrastructure projects. Prior to that he was the Chief Financial Officer for both Brickburn Asset Management Inc., a private investment and portfolio management firm and Brickburn Funds Inc., a public mutual fund corporation. He is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan and obtained his CA with KPMG, where he worked in the insolvency, private business and audit groups.

Darcy is eager to join CMCRI’s board, and he says that he brings a pragmatic and balanced approach to the table, as well as genuine curiosity and readiness to learn. “Learning is a lifelong process,” he says.

Darcy expects to expand his knowledge-base even more as a member of the board. “I have a certain manner that will hopefully be useful, so that there will be an even better interchange of information and progress about what CMCRI does.”

About CMC Research Institutes

CMC Research Institutes is a not-for-profit corporation advancing technologies and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in industry. Through CMCRI’s two research facilities, our experts provide planning and technical advice on testing and developing of carbon capture, utilization, storage and monitoring technologies. We help clients plan commercial carbon capture and storage operations, offer technology evaluations, and market studies, and provide access into the CCUS innovation ecosystem.