IGC 2012 Bid Committee

President - Bill Mercer Geological Consulting Ltd

Dr. Mercer has been VP, Exploration with Avalon since 2007. He enjoyed a 32-year career with the Noranda/Falconbridge group, ultimately serving as Director-Geology and Geochemistry.

Dr. Mercer’s exploration career spans over 30 countries and a variety of commodities including base metals, gold, bauxite and rare metals. Dr. Mercer was also a “Champion of Six Sigma,” with training to Black Belt level, and responsible for the supervision of Six Sigma efficiency methods in exploration and closed mine sites. As corporate Director of Geology and Geochemistry, he had dual reporting responsibilities to the SVP-Exploration and SVP-Business Development and was a team member in assessment of major projects and mines for acquisition.

Dr. Mercer served as the President of the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences (CFES) from 2008 to 2010, and as President of the Prospectors and Developers Association (PDAC) from 2002 to 2004.

He currently chairs the PDAC Health and Safety Committee. Dr. Mercer is the recipient of the David Barr Award from the Association for Mineral Exploration in British Columbia for excellence in leadership and innovation in mineral exploration health and safety; the PDAC Distinguished Service Award; and the Award for Environmental Excellence of the NWT Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists. In 2013 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to the Canadian mining industry.

Dr. Mercer earned his BSc. in geology from Edinburgh University (1968) and a PhD from McMaster University (1975).

University of Calgary - Professor, Faculty of Science, Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment

cmhender@ucalgary.ca

(403) 975-9011

Charles Henderson has a BSc and MSc from the University of British Columbia and PhD from the University of Calgary.

He worked for Esso Resources following his MSc and is currently a Professor at the University of Calgary since 1989. He was head of the department from 2012 to 2015.

His research focuses primarily on refinement of the International Time Scale for the Permian System and the Permian-Triassic boundary interval. He has conducted this research on six continents, but especially in Arctic Canada, western Canada, western USA and South China. Recognition of his research career on conodont biostratigraphy, evolution and paleobiology culminated with the award of the Pander Medal in 2024.

Previously he chaired the XIV International Congress on Carboniferous and Permian (ICCP) in 1999 and the 2nd International Conodont Symposium (ICOS) in 2009 at the University of Calgary. He is a past-Chair of the Subcommission on Permian Stratigraphy (SPS) and incoming Secretary-General of the International Commission on Stratigraphy. He is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Geological Society of America.

Christopher Collom earned his doctorate in geology from the University of Calgary in 2001.

Since then he has taught at Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary, worked in the oil & gas industry, and continued field work projects in Western Canada.

He and his partner live in Calgary.

APEGA liaison to Geoscientists Canada

Darcie holds a B.Sc. Hons. Biology from Queen’s University, an M.Sc. and Ph.D. both in Geology from The University of Calgary. Her research interests focus on the effects and application of reactivating basement tectonics on the overlying sedimentary rock cover, and the deformation features (natural fractures, seismites, anomalous mineralization) resulting from that reactivation.

Her geological career has covered everything from conventional oil and gas to oil sands and Alberta Deep Basin tight gas, even gold and gravel. In 2021, she retired from the position of Chief Geologist at Husky Energy, where she worked in various positions from 2010-2021. Prior to Husky she was at Shell (2006-2010) working on their Deep Basin tight gas play; this was preceded by positions with Canada-Cities Service and Robertson Research. Darcie also has considerable teaching experience: she taught Geology at the undergraduate, graduate and Continuing Education levels, as well as in-house courses for Shell and Husky.

Darcie has volunteered extensively for both APEGA and CSPG including serving on APEGGA Council 2003-2006 and as co-chair of the CSPG Structure Division for about 10 years. She is a past-Chair of the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation and a member of the CSPG and APEGA. Currently she is a Geoscientists Canada Director (APEGA).

Endowed Chair for Geology of the Solid Earth

Interim Department Chair

Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Michigan State University

Dr. Freymueller’s research focuses on the measurement and modeling of solid earth deformation caused by a variety of sources, including active tectonics and earthquakes, volcanism, and hydrological and cryospheric mass variations. Many of these processes also present hazards to society, and the study and characterization of these hazards is a basic step toward hazard and risk mitigation. In parallel, he works on improving the measurements themselves, and the more accurate definition of reference systems for the measurement of these motions.

Research Scientist, Geological Survey of Canada

Vice President, Geothermal Canada

Steve is a geochemist whose research focuses of geothermal energy as a source of clean an renewable energy to meet demands in Canada. He also works on extreme environments from the modern through to ancient earth history. His work includes study of drivers of mass extinctions and other hyperthermal events throughout the Phanerozoic.