Director: Bruce Rutley, PhD

Having
drunk the waters of the Peace River soon after he first
arrived in 1976 with his BSc (Agr), Bruce was naturally
predisposed to return to the Peace.
He left the Peace Country In 1978 for the family farm
and then his MSc from McGill University. In 1985, he
returned to the Peace where he spent the next 20 years
raising his family and working at Peace Country
colleges. He started as the Coordinator for the
Agriculture Program at Northern Lights College. During
that time he obtained his PhD in Renewable Resources -
energetics of plains bison - from the University of
Alberta and then contributed to the research &
development of the diversified livestock industry (bison
and reindeer). He then worked as Dean,
Agricultural Technologies at Fairview College before
becoming involved in the development of The Innovation
Network for PREDA.
He left the Peace in 2005 for Victoria where he
created a new R&D practice on Vancouver Island with his
son. Back in the Peace Country for the third time in
September 2008, he is currently the Director of the
Centre for Research & Innovation - a GPRC - PREDA
Partnership. |
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Manager – Innovation Services: Richard Beeson
BSc, MBA

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Adjunct Staff CRI: Jim Smith PEng
A
registered professional engineer experienced in
leadership, management, manufacturing and consulting
roles. He has extensive background in as a senior
manager with skills in organization development,
business mentoring, strategic planning and project
management.
During his career with Procter & Gamble and
Weyerhaeuser he held leadership roles in engineering,
manufacturing, project management, business, capital and
technology management, strategic planning and customer
relations.
Since 2003 he has provided consulting, management and
training services to companies engaged in innovation and
optimization. He was a leader in the development of the
partnership model for regional innovation services model
and for its implementation
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Adjunct Staff CRI: Gary Christopherson MPA BA
As
the founder of seven start-up businesses, four of which
involved substantial innovation in the areas of
communications, aviation, manufacturing and consulting,
Gary Christopherson is no stranger to entrepreneurial
risk.
Along with a BA (Honours) History with International
Relations, from the University of British Columbia and
an MPA from Queens University at Kingston, Ontario, Gary
brings to the CRI a broad field of knowledge and
extensive experience with what it takes to do business
in the North.
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Adjunct Staff CRI: Jim
Letersky BA BSW
(Picture and biography to follow.)
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Adjunct Staff CRI – Patent Lawyer: Doug
Thompson
(Picture and biography to follow.)
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Adjunct Staff CRI – Peace River Office:
Berry T. Heinen
(Picture and bio to come)
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Administrative Assistant: Leann Kleininger

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Office Assistant: Jenn Vos
Born and raised in Millbrook, ON, Jenn received her diploma in Office Administration – Executive from Durham College in Oshawa, ON. After working for three and a half years as an Operations Assistant in Property Management, Jenn moved to Grande Prairie in February 2009 and began her position as Office Assistant at the CRI in the spring of that same year.
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Awareness Coordinator: Bernice Ouellette

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