• Highlights of the Legislative Leadership Academy

• Highlights of the Economic Leadership Forum

• Keynote speakers

• Featured speakers and presenters

• Legislators in attendance

• Accommodations and available tours

• News from the PNWER Region

• About PNWER

For the first time ever, the PNWER Legislative Leadership Academy is open to members of private industry, non-profit workers and members of government staff who are eager to learn more about governance in the U.S. and Canada. The Sunday and Monday sessions included in the price of registration. 

Donald K. Alper
Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former Director of the Center for Canadian-American Studies and the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University.

Alper holds a Ph.D. in political science from The University of British Columbia. His research interests focus on Canadian politics and British Columbia-U.S. transboundary issues. He was a founding member of the Pacific Northwest Canadian Studies Consortium and was elected president of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) for a two-year term, 1999-2001. Alper was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the International Council of Canadian Studies and the Donner Medal by the Association for Canadian Studies.

Michael Treleaven, PhD
Associate Professor, Chair, Political Science department, Gonzaga University

Michael Treleaven is an associate professor and the current chair of Political Science, at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Toronto, in 1993. His earlier master's degrees, in Political Science, Divinity, and Theology were also awarded by the University of Toronto. His areas of teaching are in the political economy of the modern welfare state, in Canadian politics and government, in environmental policy and politics, and in state and local government in America, including the Pacific Northwest region. He also teaches on the political economy of development in Africa. For ten years he served as the executive director of the Pacific Northwest Canadian Studies Consortium, and in that role often collaborated with some of the projects of PNWER. He is a citizen of Canada and was born in Vancouver, B.C.

Hon. Bob McLeod
Premier, Northwest Territories
Minister of Executive; Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations; Minister Responsible for Women;
Minister Responsible for New Energy Initiatives
 
Bob McLeod was elected to the 17th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories on October 3, 2011. This is Mr. McLeod's second consecutive term representing the constituents of Yellowknife South. He has over 28 years of service in the public service with both the Governments of the Northwest Territories and Canada in various senior management roles including Deputy Minister, and Secretary to Cabinet during the 15th Legislative Assembly.

Brendan Bell
Chief Executive Officer, Dominion Diamond Corporation

Brendan Bell is the Chief Executive Officer of Dominion Diamond Corporation. He joined the company in July 2013, became acting CEO in November 2014, and was appointed CEO in July 2015. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Bell served eight years in the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, including terms as Minister Responsible for Energy and Mines, Minister Responsible for the Environment and Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Ken Coates
Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and co-Director (Research) for the International Centre of Northern Governance and Development, University of Saskatchewan.

Coates was raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, and has long-standing professional and personal interests in Aboriginal rights, northern development, northern Canadian history, science, technology and society, and Japan Studies. Coates has written extensively on Aboriginal history, Indigenous-newcomer relations and post-secondary education. His first major work, Best Left as Indians, examined the history of the Yukon through the lens of Aboriginal-European contact. His subsequent work includes The Marshall Decision and Aboriginal Rights in the Maritimes, Land of the Midnight Sun: A History of the Yukon and shortly, a co-authored book called Treaty Peoples: Aboriginal People and the Future of Canada.  He has published more than a dozen books with his regular co-author, Dr. W.R. Morrison.

Colin Robertson
Vice President and Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and Executive Fellow at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy

Colin Robertson is an expert on US-Canada government relations, focusing on policy issues that involve perspectives from both sides of the border. Mr. Robertson was recognized as one of the "Top 80 Influencing Canada Foreign Policy" by The Hill Times Embassy Newspaper in 2012 and 2013.

Robertson was a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. He is a former president of the National Capital Branch of the Canadian International Council and is currently a Vice President and Senior Research Fellow at the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute. He was part of the team that negotiated the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and the NAFTA

In 2012, Robertson was recognized by the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region with our "Hot Potato Award" for his work in increasing collaboration between the U.S. and Canadian organizations and stakeholders.

Sen. Curt McKenzie
Idaho State Senate, PNWER President

Sen. Curt McKenzie is now serving his seventh term on the Idaho State Senate. He is chair of the State Affairs committee and a member of the Local Government and Taxation committee

Member of the Legislative Assembly, British Columbia

Assistant Majority Leader, Idaho State Senate

Make your own souvenir from recycled glass at Old Town Glassworks. 

Colin Robertson is addressing the new Canadian cabinet and its implications for the PNWER Region at our Winter Meeting!

Cryopolitics.com

The National Post

CBC News North

PBS Newshour