The Management Board is made up of six members. Two members are selected by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), two are selected by the oil and gas industry and two are selected as members-at-large representing the public interest. Members are appointed by the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. The Chair is selected by members of the Board.
 

Chair - Dr Ryan Connon (GNWT)

Ryan Connon is the Senior Knowledge Advisor for the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), where he serves as the GNWT’s lead advisor on research, scholarship, and evidence‑informed decision‑making. In this role, he provides strategic advice to senior management and Ministers, leads the development of territorial knowledge policy, and advances major research initiatives relevant to the Northwest Territories and the NWT. He works closely with territorial and federal departments, Indigenous governments and organizations, academic institutions, and industry to promote collaborative research projects to support the integration of scientific, Indigenous, and other knowledge systems into government priorities.

Ryan completed his Ph.D. at Wilfrid Laurier University, where his research focused on the impacts of permafrost thaw on hydrology and streamflow in the Dehcho region of the NWT. He subsequently worked with the GNWT’s Water Monitoring and Stewardship Division as a hydrologist, hydrological modeller, and senior hydrologist.

Outside of work, Ryan enjoys spending time on the land with his wife, Cassandra, and their northern husky, Willow, camping, hunting, and fishing. He is also active in the squash community, coaching junior athletes and serving as a Board member with NWT Squash.
 

Chad Grummett (Industry)

Chad Grummett has worked with Imperial Oil for over 20 years, joining the company straight from the University of Calgary where he received a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Marketing.  Early in his time with Imperial, he held a variety of roles across a number of business lines within the Fuels Marketing organization throughout Alberta.

In 2011, Chad joined Imperial’s Environmental & Property Solutions organization as a Regional Commercial Manager focused on supporting the remediation, reclamation and redevelopment of Imperial’s former operating properties in Alberta, Manitoba and the NWT.  During this time, he successfully returned over 100 properties back to productive use through a number of innovative partnerships combining commercial and environmental best practices. 

Between 2019 -2022, Chad took the unique opportunity  to head up Imperial’s review of renewable power initiatives and played a key part in enhancing Imperial’s ESG strategy, negotiating Imperial’s first Renewable Power Purchase Agreements and advancing plans for future development of renewable facilities on brownfield properties.  In 2022, Chad returned to E&PS as the Senior Advocacy Advisor and is focused on many projects nationally including key projects in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and the Sahtu Region.  Chad lives in Okotoks, Alberta with his wife and two kids and enjoys countless hours with them at hockey rinks, lacrosse fields and golf courses.
 

Viktor Terlaky (GNWT)

Dr. Viktor Terlaky is Manager of Energy Geosciences at the Northwest Territories Geological Survey (NTGS), Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT). He started his career at the NTGS in 2016 as Senior Energy Geologist and moved into the Manager of Energy Geoscience position in 2021. During his tenure at the NTGS Dr. Terlaky has worked on various energy geoscience projects, including unconventional hydrocarbon reservoir characterization in the Central Makenzie Valley and geothermal reservoir characterization in the Liard Basin.

Dr. Terlaky is an Associate Editor for the journal Bulletin of Canadian Energy Geoscience published by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, member of the Board of Directors – Director of Northern Canada of Geothermal Canada, and member of the Steering Committee for the Atlas 2027 project (successor to the Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin).

Dr. Terlaky has a doctorate in Geology from the University of Ottawa. His thesis work focused on the deep-marine turbidite systems of the Windermere Supergroup, BC, Canada. He also completed a M.Sc. in Geology and B.Sc. with Honours in Earth and Environmental Science at McMaster University. Dr. Terlaky’s scientific interests include siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentology and stratigraphy.

Alan MacDonald (Industry)

Alan MacDonald is a veteran of the arctic oil and gas industry with history including the Beaufort Sea offshore exploration era, the DEW Line Cleanup Project, the Mackenzie Gas Project, numerous arctic site cleanups and assessments for Shell, Imperial Oil, Petro-Canada and others. Alan also has international energy and mining and experience in the Middle East, Australia, Africa, Ecuador, Mexico and the Caribbean, and across Canada. 

Alan has spent much of his career as a consultant and has assisted a wide variety of industry, government, academic, and Indigenous organizations. His experience in consulting includes Environmental, Social and Socio-Economic Impact Assessments; sustainability in design; indigenous training and capacity building; development and implementation of safety and environmental management systems; and contaminated site assessments, cleanup technology evaluation, hazmat, decommissioning and reclamation. 

From 2008 to 2015, Alan was a Global Technical Director for WorleyParsons. He worked on nearly 20 mega projects helping with sustainable design, environmental management, and local engagement. Projects included Total Josyln Creek Oil Sands Mine, ExxonMobil Hebron Offshore Topsides, Nanisivik Naval Facility, Baffin Island, New Quito Airport, Ecuador, Jamaica Bauxite Mine, Railroad and Port Development; SaSOL Mozambique Gas Pipeline and the LNG Canada project in Kitimat BC. 

As a key person in the Inuvialuit Energy Security Project (IESP) since 2017, Alan has intimate knowledge of regulatory, community, safety, emergency, environmental and logistical issues relating to development and production in the Northwest Territories. Alan is currently the Director for Regulatory Compliance and Health, Safety, Security and Environment for IESP.  

Alan is also a fellow at the University of Calgary School of Public Policy and a member of the ISR Sump Technical Working Group. Alan is most proud of his wife Melody and their seven children and seven grandchildren who never cease to provide humour, challenge, and amazement with their active lives.