Alex Boston
Executive Director, Renewable Cities
Fellow, Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University

Alex Boston has two decades of experience in climate and energy policy, planning and engagement serving local and senior governments, real estate developers, utilities, university research institutes, municipal associations and non-profits. Prior to his appointment as Fellow with Simon Fraser University’s Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue and Executive Director of the Centre’s Renewable Cities program, Alex led community climate and energy services for boutique urban planning and design firms, and global engineering consultancy, Golder Associates.His policy experience spans EV networks, district energy, renewables, building efficiency, and sustainable transportation. His passion, nevertheless, is smart land use with its significant untapped potential for driving GHG reductions in transportation and housing, and protecting terrestrial carbon. He has led multiple award-winning community energy plans recognized for innovative modeling and mapping, implementation success, and powerful multi-criteria analysis. Alex takes a systemic problem-solving approach, integrating climate action with other resonant community priorities: affordability, economic development, congestion management, farmland protection, public health, and civic infrastructure deficit management.

Fiona Famulak
President and CEO, BC Chamber of Commerce

Ron Klopfer
CEO, Etalim

Ron Klopfer is an experienced technology entrepreneur and manager, having co-founded, financed and managed four technology startups over the past 15 years, three of which have attained exits with strong returns to investors. Ron has also consulted to various technology companies on market strategy, sales, mergers and operations. Ron’s technology sales and business development background originates in the Silicon Valley, where his sales team doubled a large sales region and key Fortune-500 account revenues for a hardware manufacturer. Ron holds an MBA in technology marketing from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Electrical (Computer) Engineering from the University of B.C.

Raymond Lings
President & CEO, Powertech Labs Inc.

Raymond Lings is the CEO of Powertech Laboratories, a subsidiary of BC Hydro. Prior to joining Powertech, Raymond was Vice President of Energy at Tetra Tech and General Manager of T&D at Kinectrics (Toronto). Raymond also worked at EPRI leading the portfolio of programs covering Transmission and Distribution. While at EPRI, Raymond was the led the crafting of the globally recognized Transmission Line reference book known as the “Redbook” which is recognized and used around the world by the transmission industry for designing lines above 200kV. Before EPRI Raymond had 10 years of power utility experience. Raymond is a senior member of the IEEE and Cigre. He is the author or co-author of more than 20 publications in the field of transmission and distribution, with the majority of his publications covering electronic residential (smart) metering. Raymond has represented the US on IEC Working Groups dealing with Smart Meters as well as the long-term reliability of solid state electronic residential metering. Raymond holds a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, an MBA and a Bachelors in Economics & Econometrics.

Ged McLean
Associate Director, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)

Ged McLean PhD, PEng has over 30 years experience moving new ideas into practice. He was professor of Mechanical Engineering at UVic from 1989-2002, where, at the end of this period, he served as Director of the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems. He has spun two companies out of UVic, the latest being Angstrom Power which he founded in 2002 and led until it was acquired in 2015. His work has been focused on design and innovation in general, with a specific focus on hydrogen fuel cell and energy systems, embedded data acquisition and digital image processing. He is currently Associate Director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions where he is working to develop engaged research programs that link academic excellence with real world implementation. He earned a PhD in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He is a keen sailor.

Jason Owen
Manager, Sustainability and Energy Services, City of Surrey

Jason Owen, P.Eng., M.Sc, is the manager of the Sustainability and Energy Services Division at the City of Surrey.  He is a professional engineer and urban planner with a background in municipal infrastructure, green buildings, community energy planning and renewable energy systems.  Jason has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from McGill University and a graduate degree in urban planning from the University of British Columbia.  Before entering the public sector, Jason worked as a consulting engineer in the fields of municipal infrastructure and building science.

Mark Warren
Director, Business Innovation, FortisBC Inc

Mark Warren is Director, Business Innovation for FortisBC.  In his current role, he leads corporate data analytics, electric vehicle charging and a variety of corporate and employee innovative initiatives, including the Clean Growth Innovation Fund.  He was previously in various operational and customer service roles within FortisBC.  Mr. Warren is a registered professional engineer in British Columbia.  He received a B.A.Sc. in Engineering Physics from the University of British Columbia and a Master’s in Business Administration from Queen’s University.