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Erica Samms Hurley is a Mi’kmaq woman from Mount Moriah located on the west coast of Newfoundland. She was raised within a community connected family; her grandfather (Samms) being a proud L’nu from the community of Flat Bay. Erica obtained her Bachelor of Nursing degree from Memorial University in 2004. Upon graduating she worked in a variety of hospital settings; cardiac care, orthopedics, long term care, intensive care, emergency and a variety of other areas. She began working in nursing education at the Western Regional School of Nursng in 2008 where she worked within the laboratory and clinical setting. In 2014 Erica obtained her Masters of Nursing (thesis route) from Athabasca University and began teaching within the classroom setting. She obtained her PhD of Nursing from the University of Alberta in 2023 and entered a tenure track appointment through an Indigenous cluster hire as an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Nursing, Memorial University with a cross appointment in the School of Arts and Social Science Interdisciplinary Humanities Department, Grenfell Campus. Her research focus and passion has been focused on Indigenous health issues with her Phd work in the area of Mi’kmaq methodological approaches grounded in community. Being involved in community all of her life she has continued to advocate for Indigenous issues and is a recipient of the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Person’s Case and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award. Having worked in nursing for 20 years in she demonstrates a love for education with the aim of improving Indigenous health.

Dr. Hilding Neilson
Department of Physics & Physical Oceanography
Memorial University

Hilding Neilson is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics & Physical Oceanography at Memorial University. His research includes numerical and observational studies of stars and exoplanets.

As a Mi’kmaw person, he works to learn, integrate, and share Indigenous knowledges in astronomy and astrophysics while also actively championing anti-colonialism and inclusion in the field of astrophysics.

He earned his BSc in 2003 from St. Mary’s University and PhD in 2009 from the University of Toronto. He has written many scholarly and popular articles and has been featured in the popular media such as the CBC, New Yorker, Science Magazine and others.

Karen Gillam (MSc), co-founder of Workforce Warriors, has decades of experience in project management, research, and development, especially in climate change research/environmental permitting, and innovating transformative advances in Indigenous capacity development. First in Science and Engineering where she managed large Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) projects across Canada, in all sectors, especially green energy projects; from sitting on hearings for Site C hydroelectric project, managing/writing multiple renewable project EIAs, countless upgrade projects with utilities, to developing the carbon modelling and assessing effects of the environment on the project, for Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Generation Project.  Having managed and authored countless EIAs/projects for utilities, including NB Power, Karen has a deep understanding of energy sector projects from generation, transmission to distribution/construction to operation. As part of this work, Karen has developed and led many successful Indigenous capacity building programs tied to employment and participation in environmental permitting/science and engineering.

In recent years, dedicating her career to building Indigenous capacity, and increasing diversity and inclusion in the skilled trades, where she was responsible for successfully launching NBs first non-profit with the unionized trades, through UTIP, for Indigenous inclusion. Karen laid a solid foundation for First in Trades (FIT) Program to succeed for the New Brunswick Building Trades Unions; in fact, she was pivotal in NB Power hiring their first electrician apprentice, an Indigenous apprentice from Neqotkuk First Nation, through FIT and the Internation Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

Contributing to the processes and strategies which break through change resistance, Karen’s greatest strengths are her ability to bring growth through collaboration; her understanding of future trends and needs; and most importantly her ability to inspire and motivate essential change.

A dynamic ambassador committed to personal values of purpose, inclusion and respect, Karen founded Workforce Warriors, along with retired Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Roger Augustine (now Keptin Roger Augustine), to build capacity and leadership in Canada’s Indigenous communities. Using a holistic, Two-Eyed Seeing approach to development, Workforce Warriors undertakes projects that brings innovative Indigenous solutions to fulfill the needs of Canadian industry and society at large. Karen believes that by bridging the gap between Indigenous and mainstream mindsets, will allow Canadians to better understand the ongoing and valued contribution of our nations Indigenous Peoples, and to finally allow all people to benefit from the Indigenous ways of knowing.

Aimee’s career has been focused in the areas of communications, employee engagement, and community investment. Her focus has always been on creating an environment where people can and want to do their best work and that led to learning more about diversity, equity and inclusion.  In her current role, she works with people inside and outside Cenovus to build a more inclusive industry and community. She has served as a member of the organization’s Diversity and Respectful Workplace Council, Occupational Health and Safety Committee, Purpose and Values Culture Team and serves as co-chair of the Stronger Together with Women@CVE inclusion network. Externally, she is a member of Energy NL’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and the advisory council for the Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science at Memorial University.  In 2022, she received Energy NL’s inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Award.

She holds a Bachelor of Public Relations (Co-op) from Mount Saint Vincent University and a Master of Business Administration from Memorial. Outside of work she enjoys exploring close to home, in restaurants or on the East Coast Trail, or abroad and has travelled to more than 70 countries.

Susan Wilkins is the Executive Director of Renewable Energy with the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology at the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Passionate about economic development and mitigating climate change while positioning Newfoundland and Labrador as a Clean Energy Centre of Excellence, Susan is leading the development of a renewable energy industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to her 25+ years of consulting, project management, policy development, and information technology experience, Susan holds a Masters Certificate in Project Management from Schulich School of Business York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science, Applied Mathematics from Memorial University.

Victoria Gatehouse is an Inuk woman of Labrador- a beneficiary of the Nunatsiavut Government. She has over 10 years in the mining industry working as a consultant for Pinchin Ltd. and for Rio Tinto IOC. She has held various positions including environmental monitoring, occupational hygiene, and most recently the role of Indigenous Relations Advisor. In May she joined the second cohort in the Arctic and Subarctic Futures masters program at the Labrador Campus of Memorial University in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. She has a passion for helping the people around her and giving back to the communities whose land we operate on. Being a part of the journey to truth and reconciliation is an important part of her life professionally and personally.

Brian Pottle is a professional engineer, with a background in electrical engineering and physics. A passionate advocate for indigenous representation in technical fields, Brian nowadays works to create makerspaces, which are tech-based learning hubs, in communities across Nunavut in his role as Executive Director of the Katinnganiq Makerspace Network.

Michelle became the Senior Project Manager for Project Toqlukuti’k in January 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a passion for innovation to ABO Energy Canada. In her previous role as Innovation Lead for the Net Zero Project at Energy NL, she made significant contributions by identifying strategies to lower Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore petroleum industry. Her forward-thinking approach included exploring the potential of offshore wind for electrification, as well as advancing carbon capture and storage, and carbon offset solutions.

Michelle’s journey in the energy sector began as a geophysicist with BP Canada Energy Corporation in Calgary, where she contributed to key exploration and development projects across Western Canada. In 2010, driven by a desire to make an impact in her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, she joined Suncor Energy in St. John’s. There, she quickly rose through the ranks from geophysicist to Manager of Geoscience for Terra Nova, and later became the Director of Geology and Geophysics for Global Exploration and Production.

As a distinguished graduate of Memorial University, Michelle earned both her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Earth Sciences. Her commitment to excellence in her field is further demonstrated by her designation as a registered P.Geo. She is also a dedicated leader in her professional community, serving as a Board Director (Elect) for the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador, and contributing her expertise as a member of the NL Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Advisory Council. With a career marked by innovation, leadership, and a deep connection to her roots, Michelle continues to drive impactful change in the energy landscape.

Andrew is a Corner Brook area native and an 18-year veteran of the forest sector. He holds a B.Sc. in Forestry degree from the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton Campus), a Diploma in Forest Technology from the College of the North Atlantic (Corner Brook Campus) and is a practicing Registered Professional Forester (RPF) in NL. His career started in British Columbia, where he managed projects in the forestry, environmental and oil and gas sectors. Upon returning to Newfoundland in 2011, he assumed the role of Division Manager (Natural Resources) at a local consulting firm. Here he headed large forest inventory projects, led forest planning processes for industry partners and implemented many multi-disciplinary, resource-based projects across Canada.

More recently, he worked for the NL Dept. of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture in Corner Brook as a Timber Supply Forester. In 2022, Andrew found himself in the position of Forestry Officer at Natural Resource Canada’s (Canadian Forest Service) forest research facility in Corner Brook where he remains to this day. Andrew, his wife and two kids are proud members of the Qalipu First Nation. They can frequently be found enjoying all things outdoors and exploring the many nooks and crannies of NL.