OTTAWA, Nov.1, 2017 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is making investments that will help create good middle-class jobs, promote trade and productivity, and grow the economy. The Gordie Howe International Bridge will make the flow of people and goods faster, simpler and more secure at one of the busiest Canada-U.S. border crossings.
The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, today announced the appointment of the following five people to the Board of Directors of Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA):
- Karla Avis
- Marie Campagna (former interim member of the Board)
- Judi Cohen
- Shelly Cunningham
- Rish Malhotra
The WDBA's Board of Directors was expanded in August from five to nine members to provide the organization with additional expertise and oversight to support the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project as it moves towards completion of the procurement process and the start of construction on the major components of this complex international project.
The varied skills, expertise and knowledge of the new Board members will contribute vital direction and sound governance to WDBA and ensure that the Gordie Howe International Bridge project moves forward expeditiously and efficiently.
Quotes
"It is my pleasure to announce this esteemed group of professionals as members of the Board of Directors for WDBA. This is yet another important milestone in the advancement of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, which remains one of Canada's top infrastructure priorities."
The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
Quick facts:
- The new six-lane Gordie Howe International Bridge will provide the much-needed crossing capacity between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, as well as meet the long-term traffic requirements for the Windsor-Detroit trade corridor – the busiest trade corridor between Canada and the United States.
- WDBA is a not-for-profit Canadian Crown corporation that manages the procurement process for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. WDBA is also responsible for project oversight including the actual construction and operation of the new crossing.
- In November 2016, WDBA issued the Request for Proposals to three qualified Proponent teams for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project. It is also overseeing important preparatory works on both sides of the border.
- In October 2017 former interim Board member André Juneau was named new Chief Operating Officer of WDBA.
- These new members join the existing permanent Board members including Board Chair, Dwight Duncan.
Related products:
Backgrounder of biographies of all five directors.
Backgrounder
New members named to the Board of Directors of Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
Karla Avis
Ms. Avis has held the position of Director of Corridor Infrastructure - Off Corridor and Stouffville Corridor at Metrolinx since 2015. She is leading the construction of 12 new GO Stations across seven rail corridors, and is responsible of the overall design development as well as the delivery of several GO Station improvement projects. Prior to her roles at Metrolinx, she was a Senior Project Manager for GO Transit and a Construction Project Manager for Smart Centres.
With a Bachelor Civil Engineering from Ryerson University and a P.Eng certification, Ms. Avis currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the Women in Transportation Seminars (WTS) Toronto Chapter.
Marie Campagna (former interim member of the Board)
Ms. Campagna has over 30 years of progressive experience in the public and private sectors. Her career has been rooted in finance and operational support and spanned many sectors including healthcare, automotive, logistics and pharmaceuticals.
She joined Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in 2012 and currently serves as the Vice President Corporate Services, New Business Development and Chief Financial Officer.
Since February of this year Ms. Campagna has served on the Board of Directors for Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. In addition, she is the Board Chair of Utilismart Corporation, Chair of Transform Shared Services Organization and a Member of the Board of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Campagna has also held many Board and committee positions with Essex Power Corporation, CMA Ontario and CMA Canada over the past 20 years.
Ms. Campagna holds a CPA (CMA) designation, a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Windsor, and is a Fellow and life member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. In June 2015, she successfully completed the Directors Education Program and achieved her Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation.
Judi Cohen
Judi Cohen is an accomplished business leader with extensive operational and profit and loss experience in both the public and private sectors.
Mrs. Cohen has held senior positions at the Toronto Transit Commission, Hatch Associates, UMA/AECOM, SNC-Lavalin and Teranet. Cohen is currently a Director at Worldwide Quest, an experiential travel company located in Toronto.
Mrs. Cohen has extensive Board experience, lending her expertise and oversight as a member of the Budget Committee and Recruitment Committee for the Toronto Police Services Board. She has worked on numerous other subcommittees and task forces, such as the G20 Legal Review. She has also chaired the Governance and HR Committee as a member of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Board.
Mrs. Cohen holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and is an active member of the community, having supported organizations such as the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Homes First Foundation.
Shelly Cunningham
Ms. Cunningham brings her extensive experience as a senior leader in governance, capital portfolio and project management, as well as operational excellence to her role.
Ms. Cunningham retired from PowerStream Inc. in 2017, where she was the Senior Vice-President of Engineering Services and contributed to project management, process improvement, and information technology. During her 15 year tenure with PowerStream Inc., Ms. Cunningham excelled in various positions ranging from Systems Engineer, Manager to Senior Vice-President, Engineering Services.
Ms. Cunningham also has extensive Board experience, notably with Ontario One Call where she acted as Board Chair from 2015 to 2016. During this time she led the organization through the development of a strategic plan and implementation of strategy which significantly aided in the organization's transition from an outsourced call center to an in-house operation.
Further to her professional accomplishments, Ms. Cunningham holds a Bachelor of Engineering from McMaster University, and a Master of Business Administration from York University. She is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Professional Engineers in Ontario (P.Eng.).
Rish Malhotra
Mr. Malhotra is an accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in international sales, business development, technology management and strategic business planning. Mr. Malhotra is currently the Vice-President of International Business at International Road Dynamics Inc. (IRD) and is responsible for managing IRD's international business and relationships with partners, distributors and business associates in over 50 countries.
Prior to his role with IRD, Mr. Malhotra worked in commercial banking at the Bank of Montreal and other high technology industries. Mr. Malhotra has a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Mumbai, as well as a Master of Science and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Saskatchewan. He is a Professional Engineer registered in Saskatchewan (P. Eng.), and a lifetime member of Mensa International.
Associated links
Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority: https://www.wdbridge.com/en
Infrastructure Canada and Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/wdba-apwd-eng.html
Government of Canada's $180-billion+ infrastructure plan: http://www.budget.gc.ca/fes-eea/2016/docs/themes/infrastructure-en.html
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Web: Infrastructure Canada
SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
For further information: Brook Simpson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-219-0149, Brook.Simpson@canada.ca; Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, media@infc.gc.ca
Related Links
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/
https://www.canada.ca
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