About Foothills

Board of Governors

The Foothills Academy is grateful to the Board of Governors for their volunteer commitment to the students, families and staff of the Academy.

The Board of Governors oversees the workings of the Foothills Academy Society. As the legal entity of the Society, the Board monitors programs, financial statements and policies as they relate to the Society and provides assistance and direction to the Executive Directors. There are also four active subcommittees of the Board:  governance, finance & audit; community advocacy; and strategic planning.

As of November 2023, the Foothills Academy Society Board of Governors are:

  • Ms. Kristin Smith , Chair

    Kristin Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University, and a degree in Law from the University of Manitoba. She is currently the Western Canada Senior Legal Consultant for a multi-national human resource consulting firm where she focuses a significant portion of her time on governance. She is currently the Chair of the FAS Board of Governors and Chair of the Governance Committee. She is also a member of the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute- Southern Alberta Regional Council where she Chairs the Governance Committee. Kristin is the proud mother of a Foothills student.

  • Mr. Harold Esche , Vice Chair

    Harold Esche is a Professional Engineer who holds a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the University of Calgary. He has taught at the Business School and Continuing Education Faculties at the University of Calgary. Harold served on several non-profit boards before joining the Foothills Academy Board in 2014.  He currently serves as Vice Chair.

  • ​​​​​​​Mr. Dennis Auger , Treasurer

    Mr. Dennis Auger holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University and is also a professional accountant (CA/CPA).  Mr. Auger is a tax partner with KPMG LLP Canada in their Calgary office and has been with the firm for over 30 years. He is also the parent of a former student of  Foothills Academy. He has served on numerous charitable boards and currently chairs the finance committee.

  • Ms. Angie Bishop , FAPA Representative

    Angie is a proud parent of two girls at Foothills Academy. Angie has sat on many different boards for the last 17 years but has a passion for supporting kids with learning disabilities. She is currently a Land Analyst with an oil and gas company and is the current Co-Chair for the Surface Education Development Committee for Capla. In her spare time she loves spending time with her family (Husband Lenard, three daughters Mattea, Callie and Isabelle and grandson Kaleb). She loves being a Mom and Grand Mom.

  • Ms. Carmella Steinke , Secretary

    Carmella Steinke has worked in healthcare for 25 years, first starting as a Respiratory Therapist. She has worked in leadership positions in Alberta Health Services, the University of Calgary and the Health Quality Council of Alberta. Currently, she is in a Senior Leadership position at Alberta Health Services, and also holds an adjunct lecturer position with the University of Calgary, Department of Medicine. Carmella received a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Victoria. She has a passion for quality and safety management, and recently co-authored a book on the topic of just culture. Carmella is also a parent of a current Foothills Academy student.

  • Mr. Leo Golden , Governor

    Leo was appointed Vice President, Line 3 Replacement Project in the Liquids Pipelines Business Unit at Enbridge effective June 2018. In this new role, Leo will focus on the successful delivery of the Line 3 Replacement project in Canada and the United States.  This safety and reliability driven project is the largest single undertaking in Enbridge’s history. Prior to this, Leo led the Major Projects group, with accountability for the Liquids Pipelines projects and as well as our Renewables and Power projects

    Leo joined Major Projects upon its inception in early 2007 as Director of the Alberta Clipper and Line 4 Extension projects. Combined, these projects represented the single largest expansion effort in our company’s history at that time. While there were many challenges throughout the approval and construction efforts, this program was eventually completed on time and under budget.

    Prior to joining the Major Projects group, Leo was the Director of Shipper Services in our Liquids Pipelines business unit, following eight years in our Business Development area. While in Business Development, Leo played a key role in Enbridge’s expansion efforts in the Oil Sands region of Alberta and the acquisition of the Spearhead Pipeline, Cushing terminal, and other related mid-Continent assets.

    Leo joined Interprovincial Pipelines Inc. in Edmonton in 1990 following the completion of his MBA at the University of British Columbia. He also holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Victoria.

    When not at work, Leo enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Heather, and two very active sons, Mark and Adam.

  • Ms. Leslie Archibald , Governor

    Ms. Archibald holds Bachelors of Science and Commerce degrees from the University of Alberta and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta. Her financial leadership experience includes over 30 years in the energy sector as the CFO, Treasurer or Controller of both public and private companies. She is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Western Ranchlands Corporation, a volunteer director of the Bowness Community Association and a director for several private businesses. Her longstanding volunteer commitment to Foothills Academy is rooted in a passion for supporting youth development.  

  • Ms. Elke Meyer , Governor

    Elke Meyer has worked in the federal public service for over 22 years in various roles of project and program management. Elke has experience leading initiatives, managing change and business process redesign, and designing risk and performance frameworks. Currently, she manages a funding program to facilitate participation in the Canada Energy Regulator’s adjudicative processes. Elke has Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Université de Sherbrooke and was certified Project Management Professional for over 10 years. Elke is also a parent of two former Foothills Academy students.

  • Dr. Karen MacMillan , Executive Co-Director

    Karen MacMillan has been a Registered Psychologist since 2003 with a PhD in Educational Psychology and she is an Adjunct Professor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary.  She began consulting at Foothills Academy in 2012 as the Clinical Supervisor for the Counselling Psychology team. Karen became an Executive Co-Director at Foothills Academy in 2015, and she is actively involved with a variety of external committees, including the Board of Directors for the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada (CADDAC) and the Professional Advisory Committee for the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC).  

  • Mr. Simon Williams , Executive Co-Director

    Simon Williams holds an MSEd in Educational Leadership, he graduated with his post-graduate teaching certification from Cambridge University; where he focused upon special education.  He has been an educator for over 20 years, and taught high-school and junior-high in the UK, Australia, the US and Canada.  Having been at Foothills Academy since 2006, Simon has built upon his special education focus, having been a teacher and School Program Coordinator before moving into his current role as Executive Co-Director.  He is involved in the wider LD community, as he sits on the Board of Directors for the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta (LDAA), and he is currently Board President.  Simon is also involved with educational leadership beyond Foothills Academy, and he is the current Board President for the Association of Independent Schools and Colleges in Alberta (AISCA).