CNA staff

Denise Carpenter was appointed President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association effective November 23, 2009. Prior to this, Ms. Carpenter was Senior Vice President, Public and Government Affairs, with EPCOR Utilities Inc. While at EPCOR, she was responsible for the organization’s positioning, reputation strategy and communications that paved the way for the company’s transformation into a North American power and water company. She was also responsible for influencing public policy in areas such as climate change/clean air, investment in power transmission infrastructure, the development of near-zero emission power generation from coal, and various public/private partnerships. Before joining EPCOR in 2003, Ms. Carpenter was Executive Vice President and General Manager of Western Canada operations for Weber Shandwick Worldwide. She has made major contributions to Canadian companies seeking to launch, grow, protect and re-position their brands over more than 20 years. Ms. Carpenter has extensive experience in the governance of post-secondary institutions and community organizations, as a member and organization leader. She has been honoured by Global TV as a Woman of Vision; by the YWCA with a Woman of Distinction Award; and has twice been named one of Alberta’s 50 most influential people by Alberta Venture magazine.

Marie-danielle joined the CNA in January 2010 as the Executive Assistant to the President and CEO and Corporate Secretary for the Association. She is responsible for managing the President’s agenda and office, providing support to the Board of Directors and senior management team, organizing and coordinating office operations and procedures to ensure organizational effectiveness and efficiency. She also oversees the operation of the association’s annual nuclear conference. Prior to joining the CNA, she was the National Affairs Coordinator for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

Steve is currently on a part-time secondment to the Canadian Nuclear Association from Bruce Power where he serves as Senior Advisor, Regulatory Affairs for Bruce Power and is the company’s representative in Ottawa. At the CNA, Mr. Coupland serves as Director, Environmental Affairs where he has responsibility for assisting members of the nuclear industry to continue to improve their environmental performance and receive recognition for nuclear’s role as a clean, reliable source of electricity. Prior to joining Bruce Power, Mr. Coupland worked as a management consultant for SCG Research Inc. and held a number of senior federal government policy and public affairs positions in Ottawa including working as a Director in the Prime Minister’s Office, Industry Canada and Government Services. Mr. Coupland holds an Honours B.A. in History and Political Studies from Queens University and an M.A. in History from the University of Western Ontario.

George is seconded to the Canadian Nuclear Association from Ontario Power Generation. George brings over 15 years of experience in dealing with governments at the federal, provincial, and international level. He has worked in the federal Government as a senior advisor to Ministers, Senior Policy Analyst at Western Diversification before working in the private sector as Director of Government Affairs at the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association and Vice President in a senior government relations firms in Ottawa working on a number of sectors including energy and environment. George speaks English, French, Spanish and Greek. He enjoys fitness, music and spending time with family. George volunteers at the Hellenic Community of Ottawa where he is presently a board member responsible for communications.

John has worked in U.S.-Canada energy relations since 1990. He leads the development of policy and research products to support the CNA’s mission. John drafted the Energy Council of Canada’s 2010 report to the World Energy Congress. He previously spent eighteen years as the senior economic and energy staffer of the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, and two years as the Supervisor of the Embassy’s Financial Management Center. John was a member of a Climate Outreach Team that in 2006 received a Superior Honor Award for effectively communicating U.S. foreign policy on the environment and climate change. In 2003 he received the Department of State’s Meritorious Honor Award for sustained, superior analysis, reporting, advocacy and public diplomacy on behalf of U.S. energy security interests with Canada. John serves as President of the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization(OCISO), a multi-program not-for-profit organization that has been embracing diversity and building community since 1979.

Kathleen joined the CNA in May, 2010 after spending almost 15 years with the Government of Canada working in Communications and Issues Management. In addition to her role as Senior Analyst at the Privy Council Office, Kathleen served as the Director of Communications to the Minister of Natural Resources in 2006-07, and also held management positions at Natural Resources Canada, Environment Canada, and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. Kathleen has been very active with CNA’s membership to develop and implement the CNA’s five-year Communications Strategy, Focusing the Dialogue. The Strategy incorporates social media, strategic partnerships, and other innovative vehicles to engage Canadians in a conversation about nuclear technology.

Heather is a senior Environmental Scientist with a Master of Science in Ecology and 17 years of experience working on multi-million dollar projects supporting a variety of industries. Heather has held a number of positions at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, including Manager, Regulatory Affairs, for the cleanup and long-term management of historic low-level radioactive waste in Port Hope and Clarington, Ontario. Prior to joining AECL, Heather worked as an environmental consultant, monitoring Luscar Limited’s coal mines and conducting environmental assessments of Weyerhaeuser’s Forest Management Plans. Heather has also worked overseas. As an employee of Anglo American she provided environmental assessment, environmental monitoring and management services to AMCOAL, De Beers, and AngloGold while in South Africa, Botswana and Mali. Because of her varied experience, Heather has complied with government and other agencies ranging from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to the International Finance Corporation.

Laura is the CNA’s Social Media and Communications Coordinator and Chair of the CNA Social Media Task Force. Laura has particular expertise in social media, including social media monitoring and reporting. Prior to joining the CNA, Laura worked with Fleishman-Hillard Canada as an Associate Consultant where she worked on communications and outreach for a national mental health awareness-raising campaign. She also worked on files related to nuclear energy, and worked as a key player in community and online outreach for the Community of Federal Regulators. Laura has an Honours B.A. in Mass Communications from Carleton University in Ottawa.

Kaitlin joined the CNA in October 2010 as the Administrative Assistant. She performs a wide range of administrative and office support activities for the Executive Assistant and CNA staff to facilitate the efficient operation of the association. She is also responsible for sending out CNA member communication updates and for the association’s annual conference registration system. Kaitlin is a recent graduate from Algonquin College where she obtained diplomas in Business Management and Legal Administration.