Executive
Stephen Madsen, President
Stephen Madsen is a founding member of the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society. He has a BSc in civil engineering from the University of Alberta, and is currently employed as a technology management consultant. He has lived in the US and Canada and worked for both public and private organizations.
He and his wife of 34 years have five children, all of whom have left the nest; and are now spread across Canada and the US. Steve loves the outdoors, enjoys frequent trips to the mountains, and invests his time in the NSRVCS because of his desire to balance the use of the Edmonton River Valley with the need to preserve it for future generations.
Harvey Voogd, Vice President
Harvey has decades of experience, professionally and as a volunteer, working with government, business, unions, community organizations and nonprofit boards.
Harvey has been involved in the NSRVCS since January 2015 when he joined the Board of Directors. He has also served as the Society’s Executive Director.
Harvey loves Edmonton’s ribbon of green, spends time each week walking in the river valley with his dog and enjoys canoeing the river. Five years as an Executive Assistant to a City Councillor made him acutely aware of Edmontonians’ passion for the river valley.
David Ushko, Treasurer
David grew up on a farm northwest of Edmonton, which included some unspoiled forested land and was where he first developed an appreciation for the natural environment. He has lived in Edmonton since the 1980’s and over the years he has enjoyed mountain biking and walking in our wonderful river valley.
In the late 1990’s he started his own accounting firm, which he continues to operate currently and which primarily serves local businesses, individuals and a variety of not for profit organizations and charities. Over the years, he has also served on a variety of boards for Not for Profit organizations and Charities, including HIV Edmonton, the Alberta Entrepreneurs Association, the Edmonton Rainbow Business Association, the Central Edmonton Community Land Trust and Edmonton Exposure Festival Society.
Sheryl Savard, Secretary
Sheryl moved to Edmonton 25 years ago to attend the University of Alberta where she completed a Linguistics Degree and a Law Degree. During that time, she began to explore Edmonton's river valley, both as a way to decompress and also as an opportunity for her young family to enjoy time together in nature.
Sheryl has been an avid outdoors person since she could walk, taking vacations with her parents and brothers on long back-country canoe and camping trips while living along the Canadian Shield in Northern Manitoba and in the majestic mountains of south-eastern BC. During her time in Edmonton, Sheryl has been active year-round in trail running and hiking in the river valley as well as canoeing and swimming in the North Saskatchewan River during warm seasons. In 2014, she founded a trail community that organizes weekly trail activities while also advocating for river valley protection through responsible recreation.
Sheryl is an all-season bike commuter to her downtown office, taking advantage of the river valley to find safe active transportation routes from her family's west-end home. Edmonton's unique landscape has allowed Sheryl to pursue a rewarding career in a thriving urban centre while staying connected to nature every day.
Steve Donelon, Director
Steve was born in Edmonton and spent his childhood exploring the North Saskatchewan River Valley from his home in Parkallen. With conservation at the core of his values, Steve began a 37-year career with Alberta Parks in 1981 and fell in love with Kananaskis where he spent the next 30 years working, raising a family, earning a master’s degree in environmental science and eventually becoming the Regional Director for Kananaskis Country.
Steve returned to Edmonton in 2011 to lead Alberta Parks provincial operations and planning branch before retiring as Assistant Deputy Minister in 2018. This included the opportunity to co-lead, with Parks Canada, “Pathway to Canada Target 1”, a National initiative to develop a road map to meet Canada’s International commitments under Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Biodiversity. Steve is currently Chair of the Board for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - Northern Alberta Chapter.
Linda Duncan, Director
Linda has lived near, played in, and fought for protection of the North Saskatchewan River and its ravines her entire life. She holds University of Alberta arts and law degrees and LLM from Dalhousie Law School. In the 1970s, she led production of the Rossdale Living Heritage Park Plan and founded Alberta’s Environmental Law Center. Linda developed environmental and resource policy, law, and enforcement regimes within Canada and internationally, as a senior government official, consultant, and elected MP. She also served on Edmonton’s Natural Area Advisory Council developing the city’s Conservation Policy. Linda is a lifelong proponent for a community voice in development and environmental decision-making.
Raquel Feroe, Director
Raquel (Rocky) is a retired physician with an interest in fostering connections between healthy communities, healthy environments, and healthy people. In addition to serving on the board of the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society, she serves on the board of the Alberta Capital Airshed, Solar Power Investment Cooperative of Alberta, and participates in River Valley phenological study. She is involved with the NSRVCS because of the importance of protecting an area of Edmonton that offers so much health and happiness for all.
Alicia Howery, Director
Alicia was born and raised in Edmonton, obtaining two degrees at the University of Alberta. Her love and appreciation of natural areas started young as she was lucky to live near numerous green belts on the west end of Edmonton, many of which are sadly now gone. She and her father also run a strawberry u-pick farm on their family’s property located in southwest Edmonton. This agricultural land within the City of Edmonton is partially nestled within the Edmonton River Valley next to the North Saskatchewan River. Her family has owned land for half a century and Alicia grew up with an appreciation for its beauty and value. Watching the urban sprawl and development slowly erode essential wildlife areas and prime agricultural land spurred Alicia’s interest in getting more involved in helping protect areas vulnerable to being lost.
Robert (Bob) Priebe, Director
Bob is a semi-retired urban parks planner with 30+ years of experience in both river valley and table land parks in Edmonton, as well as a sessional lecturer at the School of Urban and Reginal Planning at the University of Alberta. He is the creator of the free video log on Substack called Parks are Like Icebergs (https://robertpriebe.substack.com/) where he provides commentary on contemporary park issues. His passion and interests are spreading park benefit research to influence land use planning decisions.
Bob went from planning technician to Parks Planning Director at the City of Edmonton and was the project lead on the 2006-2016 Urban Parks Management Plan. He was the city lead on a initiative documenting Edmonton’s natural areas called Conserving Edmonton’s Natural Areas (February 2001) with the Alberta Environmental Network, the Natural History Club, Kings University College and the Urban Development Institute. After retirement he returned to school to earn a PhD documenting park decision-making in Edmonton in the 1960-2010 period.
Tom Radford, Director
Tom was awarded the Order of Canada in 2020 for showcasing Alberta’ history and culture through film. He is also a winner of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Billington Award for lifetime contribution to the Alberta film industry. Radford's career spans forty-five years in the Canadian television and film industries as a Writer, Director, and Producer. Born in Edmonton to a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper family that came to Alberta in 1905, Tom has carried on a tradition of portraying the distinctive character of the west and north to Canada and the world.
PearlAnn Reichwein, Director
Pearl is a historian and associate professor at University of Alberta in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation. Dr. Reichwein grew up exploring Edmonton’s ravines and values the protection of the North Saskatchewan River and its headwaters. As a researcher and educator, she explores the significance of parks and enjoys nature outings of all kinds.
Her research studies Canada’s history of prairie west and mountain regions. Her book Climber’s Paradise: Making Canada’s Mountain Parks, 1906-1974 was awarded the Canadian Historical Association’s prestigious Clio Prize, became a finalist in the international Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival competition, and earned an INDIEFAB Book of the Year Honourable Mention for Ecology and Environment.
Her upcoming book Uplift: Visual Culture at the Banff School of Fine Arts, with Karen Wall, explores public education in public parks. She is also interested in governance, policy, and communications, and has worked in national parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Carol Slukynski, Director
Carol resides with her husband, daughter, and canine companion in Fort Saskatchewan, nestled by the North Saskatchewan River amidst the serene beauty of long-standing trees and abundant wildlife. Her global perspective is shaped by her extensive travels, encompassing 23 countries and islands, reflecting her enthusiasm for exploring diverse environments and embracing new experiences.
An avid nature enthusiast, Carol channels her passion into the conservation and preservation of the river valley, alongside pursuits such as cooking and gardening, shared with her family. She is a successful small business owner, embodying an entrepreneurial spirit. Possessing a wealth of professional experience in business management, Carol is a leader who values collaboration and believes in working collectively to achieve optimal outcomes for her community.
As the co-founder of Hosting Ukrainians in Fort Saskatchewan, Carol's contributions were acknowledged when she received an invitation from the Premier of Alberta to join the Premier's Advisory Task Force for Ukraine in 2022/2023. Her tireless efforts earned Carol prestigious accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2022 and Ukraine Crisis Hetman Humanitarian Aid award in 2023.
The Honourable Dennis R G Thomas KC, Director
Denny is a lifelong Edmontonian, educated at the UofA and the University of London (LSE). He practiced environmental and regulatory law for 37 years with the firm now known as Dentons LLP where he was managing partner until his appointment to the Alberta Court of King’s Bench in 2005. He served as a trial judge until 2019.
Since retirement spent more time outdoors at his long-time home adjacent to Groat Ravine and at the family cottage at Kapasiwin on the east end of Wabamun Lake. Denny and his wife Donna are enthusiastic gardeners with a developing interest in native plants and woodland gardens.
During his working life he was active in all levels of the political life of the city including involvement with the Urban Reform Group Edmonton (URGE) which supported the election of progressive candidates to City Council and played a key role in stopping the construction of a freeway in the MacKinnon Ravine, part of the METS plan to fill the river valley with major roadways.
Denny has spent much of his free time in the river valley and its ravine system. As a child playing, learning to ski, and free climbing on the High Level Bridge. Running out of the Kinsmen Fieldhouse, cycling as an adult, and walking as a senior. He is increasingly concerned about the trend to the privatization of public land and inappropriate development in the valley and wishes to renew his commitment to protecting and preserving it for future generations.
Doug Visser, Director
Doug has lived almost all his life on a farm next to the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton’s North East. He recently put a conservation easement on the Riverbend Gardens and Lady Flower Gardens properties with the Edmonton and Area Land Trust.
After 30 plus year of vegetable farming in the river valley, Doug has ‘retired’ to support Lady Flower Gardens, a land-based community development project which operates on a parcel of his land which includes 75 acres of wild lands nestled in an oxbow of the river.
Kevin Wirtanen, Director
Kevin grew up roaming and exploring the North Saskatchewan River valley near Rocky Mountain House. After university, he worked and lived in northern Alberta before moving back to Edmonton in 2000 with his young family.
After 23 years working in program coordination and management roles for the provincial government, including his last nine with Alberta Parks, he now works as a parks, trails, outdoor recreation, and visitor use management consultant.
A lifetime champion for low-impact, self-propelled transportation, exploration, and adventure, he has strolled, paddled, ridden, and floated tens of thousands of kilometres in the valley.