John (Jack) R. Crawford, P. Eng., MBA

Chairman

Mr. Crawford has brought his 30 years of experience in marketing, projects and linear infrastructure to our project, from the Oil & Gas industry. He has worked in many areas of North America taking on increased responsibility with each appointment. The skills and knowledge he has gained in all areas of pipeline construction, from initial regulatory and public hearings to financing large projects, are being brought to High-Speed Rail, which is a similar linear project. His involvement with AHSR has also opened up discussions with companies and individuals who will be essential to AHSR’s understanding of the many issues involved in moving the project forward. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree and a Masters of Business Administration.

Norman H. Haines

Director

Mr. Haines, the former President of CFCN Communications Radio Division, established Haines Elliott Communications Limited in 1983 following a 25 year career in Canadian broadcasting. In 1987, the Communications company became Haines Elliott Marketing Services Inc. Mr. Haines is heavily involved in the Calgary community and has served on the National Council, Boy Scouts of Canada, the Calgary Economic Development Authority, the United Way, the Chancellor’s Club, University of Calgary, Rotary Club of Calgary, and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce among others.

The Honourable Jake Epp

Director

Mr. Epp served as Member of Parliament for the riding of Provencher, Manitoba from 1972 to 1993. During that time he held three cabinet posts: Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1979 – 1980), Minister of National Health and Welfare (1984 – 1989) and Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources. In 1993 he joined TransCanada PipeLines as Senior Vice President and President of TransCanada International. In May 2003, Mr. Epp was appointed by the Ontario Government to lead a panel to review the delays and cost overruns at the Pickering A nuclear generating station. The findings of the report were released in December 2003 at which time he was appointed interim Chairman and then Chairman of Ontario Power Generation Inc. Mr. Epp holds degrees in Arts and Education. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Trinity Western University. He is currently Chancellor of Tyndale University College.

Bernard M. Theissen

Director

Mr. Thiessen has gained extensive transportation experience over 26 years in Western Canada in the capacities of President & CEO and Director of various Laidlaw Inc. and Laidlaw Transit companies and their subsidiaries. Since 1993 he has served in executive capacities with Manitoba Telecom Service and Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation. Mr. Thiessen holds degrees in Philosophy and Theology and is now a business consultant and a founding shareholder of AHSR.

Shane Guiltner, MBA

Director

Mr. Guiltner is President of NGC Compression Solutions, a Calgary based company specializing in serving the oil & gas industry in Western Canada. Mr. Guiltner has over 20 years of experience in the service side of the oil & gas industry. In 2003 he founded his NGC and under his leadership the company has established a strong sales team and now employs 60 people. Mr. Guiltner has been a Director since June 2008.

James C. Fields, B.A. (Economics and History)

Director

Mr. Fields is a longterm resident of Winnipeg who has owned a number of successful businesses. One of his companies was a retailer of construction equipment and a wholesale distributor of motorized recreational products (Bombardier). The Bombardier distribution area covered Manitoba and Saskatchewan at first, and later, all of westerrn Canada and the western Arctic. Mr. Fields and his management team maintained and developed an extensive retail dealer network throughout this territory. The Bombardier wholesale distribution business was sold to Bombardier in 1993.

Following the sale of the distributorship Mr. Fields sold and brokered machinery to Russia for six years. He was also a partner in Voice Tel, an inter-city voice messaging business which he sold in 1997 to U.S. interests. His holding company has interests in a number of companies including Alberta High-Speed Rail (AHSR).

Mr. Fields has volunteered his time for numerous organizations, including as a board member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Nature Conservatory of Canada. He has also volunteered with a Winnipeg children’s rehabilitation foundation. He joined the AHSR board in 2010.

William R. Cruickshanks, F.I.C.B.

President & CEO

Mr. Cruickshanks, F.I.C.B. (Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers) has been a resident of Calgary for 29 years. During his career with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, he specialized in Commercial Lending to a wide range of medium and large Alberta- and Canadian-based companies. Mr. Cruickshanks broad interest and understanding of the railway industry stems from his experience managing a book publishing company, which over 25 years, has produced more than 80 volumes on the History of Canadian Railways. Mr. Cruickshanks, who has been with AHSR for 10 years, also serves as a Director of AHSR.

Ralph L. Garrett, P. Eng., MBA

VP Infrastructure

Mr. Garrett, has over 25 years of experience in the railway industry including the construction of a 265 mile mining railroad in Australia and maintenance work on the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railroad. As a project engineer for the City of Calgary, he supervised LRT construction and later served as supervising engineer responsible for the ongoing maintenance of Calgary Transit’s fixed infrastructure including the LRT system. He was founder, owner, and Chief Engineer for Central Western Railway / Railink, Canada’s first modern shortline railroad. With ATCO, Mr. Garrett originally managed the construction of work-force housing, and later became Vice President of ATCO International. Mr. Garrett’s career experience also includes management of a high-technology company. He holds a Civil Engineering degree and a Masters of Business Administration. He has been with AHSR for 10 years.

John H. Chaput, P. Eng.

VP Operations

Mr. Chaput, gained early experience maintaining mining equipment in Labrador City, Nfld., with the Iron Ore Company of Canada. He entered the transit industry with Halifax Transit Corporation as supervisor of Operations and Maintenance and later joined the City of Calgary in 1978. Over the next 26 years he took on a series of increasingly responsible positions becoming Manager of LRT (Light Rail Transit) Construction, Superintendant of Transit Engineering and Maintenance, and then General Manager of Transportation Infrastructure Construction. In the latter position he was responsible for developing the proposal for purchase of the second generation of LRT cars as well as managing Infrastructure construction in LRT and roadwork projects. He was Project Manager for the 2002 International G8 Conference. His final position with the City was as Chief of Staff, working with the CEO on all aspects of the City’s business. Mr. Chaput holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has been with AHSR for 6 years.

Frank L. Der, P. Eng.

Consulting Electrical Engineer

Mr. Der, P.Eng, began his career in the oil and gas industry at gas and chemical plants. In 1986 he joined the City of Calgary Electric System as project engineer for Calgary’s North West LRT project. Mr. Der continued with the Electric System as a design engineer where he managed various projects including the Brentwood LRT Extension, LRT traction power maintenance, and various street lighting projects. Mr. Der was recruited to ENMAX to create a new business unit responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of the Traction Power, Signal and Communication Systems for the LRT System in Calgary. He was involved in all areas of management, engineering, construction, maintenance and customer service. Mr. Der left Enmax in late 2005 to establish a private consulting company, Platinum Engineering Ltd. Mr. Der holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and has been with AHSR for 5 years.

Alf J. Bennett

Consulting Electrical Engineer

Mr. Bennett began his 47 years in the railway signal business with Canadian National Railways. Here he gained experience in construction, maintenance and design of signal systems. As a Training Supervisor he worked in western Canada, set up a training centre in Edmonton and ultimately moved to the CN headquarters in Montreal. Here, as Training Officer Advanced Systems, he was responsible for the electronic and special system training of CN signal personnel across Canada, a staff in excess of 1000.

He left this position with CN after 16 years, to become the Canadian Manager of Safetran Systems Corporation, a North American signal equipment supplier. Here he learned the supply side of the industry, and became familiar with the operation and requirements of the other major railroad in Canada, CP Rail, and the short line railroads.

In 1978 he returned to British Columbia to set up his own company, Systems Design & Development, to become an independent consultant in railroad signalling. Under contract to Canadian Pacific Consulting Services he performed signal system design work in Algeria, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Mexico, the U.S.A. and Canada. His major work in Canada was during the eighties, where he was Project Manager for all aspects of signalling on the Calgary Light Rail Transit system. This work also involved the design, procurement, installation and commissioning into service of all systems, including a train identification and tracking system, an operations control centre, and digital signage along seventh avenue.

During his 12 year association with the consulting firm Hatch Mott MacDonald until his retirement in 2005, he designed the cab signalling system block layouts for numerous major projects in the U.S.A. utilizing the computer simulation program he developed.

He is a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association (AREMA); Railway Systems Suppliers Inc. (RSSI); and The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA).