Meet Our Leadership Team

Todd Gilchrist is a skilled executive with more than 30 years of experience in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Todd’s current role as Vice-President, University Services, Operations, and Finance at the University of Alberta encompasses virtually all of the non-academic elements of a world class (top 100 worldwide) research-intensive university. Specific accountabilities include all aspects of institution-wide finance, campus infrastructure, human resources, information technology, and enterprise risk management along with an expansive shared services delivery network.

Todd is a graduate of the Rotman School of Management and the Institute of Corporate Directors (Directors Education Program). He holds a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resources Management and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching, both from Royal Roads University. He is designated as an ICD.D by the Institute of Corporate Directors and accredited as a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP).

As an engaged visionary leader, Todd inspires his team to realize their abilities and greatness which moves organizations forward. He believes in doing things right and doing the right thing — even if and especially when it is difficult. He leads with a remarkable balance of compassion and accountability, knowing that when staff can bring their whole self to work they can achieve the heights of success — both personally and professionally.

After completing his training and certifications to embark on a career as a commercial pilot, Gordon instead developed a passion for the public sector. For 20 years, he worked for the Government of Alberta in ministries responsible for Alberta’s health care system, employment and training programs, and, finally, labour standards legislation and compliance.

He holds an MBA specializing in Executive Management and Management Consulting. Gordon joined the university in 2017.

James brings a depth of leadership and strategic planning experience from his previous 24 years of service in the Canadian Army and as a current senior officer in the Army Reserve. He has also managed a number of dynamic issues and complex portfolios for 5 years with the Government of Alberta in several senior executive positions.

James has a BBA from College Militaire Royale de Saint-Jean and a Masters in Military Arts and Science from the U.S Army School of Advanced Military Studies. He currently co-chairs the U of A's Safety and Security Committee.

Katherine Huising has served as the Associate Vice President, Campus Services at the University of Alberta since 2017. She is proud to lead a diverse group of service units with a team that shapes exceptional campus experiences. The breadth of Campus Services has evolved to include services on all five campuses. This department includes the services that serve students, staff, and visitors by providing campus credentials, parking, recreation facilities, dining services, horticultural tourism, fleet vehicles and residences.

Prior to her appointment, Katherine worked with the Government of Alberta in various leadership positions including serving as Chief of Protocol with the Executive Council. She earned a BA degree in History from the University of Alberta.

Darrell joined us from the Government of Alberta where he worked for 22 years providing financial and corporate service expertise. He has held leadership positions in various ministries, including Assistant Deputy Minister and Senior Financial Officer with Agriculture and Irrigation, Environment, and Forestry, Parks and Tourism.

Darrell is a Chartered Professional Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.

Marcie has over 25 years of experience leading all aspects of human resources, as well as health, safety, and environment, communications, supply chain management, and corporate services. Prior to joining the university, Marcie was the Vice President, People & Culture at the Alberta Teachers' Retirement Fund. Marcie is a Certified Executive Coach, holds a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation and a Bachelor of Commerce in Management of Organizations and Human Resources from the University of Calgary. She has also completed The Executive Program (Executive Education) at the U of A among other related certifications and designations.

Prior to joining the university in June 2023, Shari spent 19 years at the University of Saskatchewan in a number of IT roles, culminating as the CIO & AVP of Information & Communications Technology from 2015 to 2023. Earlier in her career, she held IT leadership and business analyst roles at the City of Saskatoon, LGS Consulting, CP Rail and SHL Consulting. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Operations Research from the University of Manitoba and an MBA in Information Technology Management from Athabasca University. She has also completed The Berkeley Executive Leadership Program and the Leadership Program from Leadership Saskatoon.

Ashley is a collaborative leader with a background in capital development related to strategic funding partnerships and policy. Ashley has experience in the public and private sector, most recently in the Government of Alberta in a number of senior leadership roles. At the U of A, she leads a team of strategic thinkers and technical experts, who through planning and partnerships, improve the viability and utility of the physical spaces on U of A campuses.

Ashley has a Masters in International Trade from the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, a BA from the University of Alberta, and a BA from the Université de Saint-Boniface (University of Manitoba). She also has a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University.

Nokuthula brings over 25 years of audit and risk management experience. She spent over a decade in public practice within Big 4 firms Ernst and Young and Deloitte Canada. Prior to joining the university she spent 12 years in leadership roles in Internal controls and Internal audit within Alberta Health Services. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Durham Business School and has designations as a Certified Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. Nokuthula has a robust skill set that includes internal controls, internal audit, external audit, financial reporting, process improvement, project management, system implementation, accounting, fraud investigations, and risk management.

Nokuthula’s leadership style focuses on aligning with the organization’s vision by providing value-added advice and insights as it relates to a strong risk-based internal control environment. She is known for her commitment to leading her team with a people focus, continuous learning and professional development, for herself and her team, her collaborative approach to everything she does, and being held accountable to a high standard.

Ria Ames is an accomplished leader with more than 25 years of experience working with large, complex organizations undergoing significant transformational change. Her passion for optimizing organizational effectiveness, while fostering meaningful relationships and building safe, healthy and inclusive work spaces has been her key success to moving change forward. With the mantra of “progress over perfection”, along with her Service Launch model, has allowed her teams to establish quickly and stay flexible and agile to changing and growing environments. She is a firm believer in the administrative operating model and the value the Shared Services team continues to bring to the university.

Ria is a U of A alumna and holds her Prosci designation in change management, her CPHR (Certified Professional Human Resources) designation, SHRM-SCP (Certified Senior Practitioner, Society Human Resources Management) and CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant).

For over 20 years, prior to joining the University of Alberta, Rob worked in the chemical processing industry in a variety of roles including product development, operations management, procurement, logistics, quality management and health and safety.

He began working with the university’s Risk Management Services in 2009 and was Acting Associate Vice President for the unit for over 15 months starting in 2018. Rob was the Executive Lead of the Services Excellence Transformation project and provided steady leadership during the period of administrative restructuring.

In April 2022, the new University Initiatives Office was formed and Rob accepted the role of its inaugural Executive Director.

Rob earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Alberta and holds a professional engineering (P.Eng) designation.

Mike's team operates one of the largest campus district energy systems in North America. He has worked in leadership roles in many different areas across both the private and public sectors. He has experience in the oil and gas industry, utility management, project management and engineering.

He has a BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from U of S as well as a MSc in Process Control from U of A.