Honorary Co-chairs

> Alan Latourelle

Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada

Since joining the federal government in 1983, Mr. Latourelle has occupied positions of increasing responsibility in the fields of corporate services, strategic planning, portfolio affairs, policy and operational program delivery.

In 1999, Mr. Latourelle became the Agency's Chief Administrative Officer. There, he directed development of policies that resulted in limits to growth being established for commercial operations and ski resorts in the national parks. He also led federal-provincial negotiations that resulted in the Town of Jasper assuming responsibility for municipal services.

In 2002, Mr. Latourelle was appointed Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, three new national parks were established-the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, the Torngat Mountains in Labrador and Ukkusiksalik in Nunavut. As well, Tuktut Nogait and St. Lawrence Islands national parks have been expanded and the establishment of the proposed national marine conservation area in western Lake Superior has been significantly advanced. In addition, Mr. Latourelle has spearheaded such new initiatives as the Action Plan to Protect Canada's Natural Heritage, which also addresses the improvement of ecological integrity in Canada's national parks.

Mr. Latourelle has guided a long-term financing strategy for Parks Canada culminating in significant new funding allocations in Budgets 2003 and 2005 targeted at establishing new national parks and national marine conservation areas, restoring ecological integrity in national parks, recapitalising the Agency's $7.1 billion in capital assets in parks and national historic sites, and creating new built heritage conservation tools. This strategy included preparation of a comprehensive, multi-year fee proposal, the first such proposal to be reviewed under the User Fee Act.

Mr. Latourelle has set the direction under which Parks Canada has become a recognized leader in information management and technology, leading to an invitation from Microsoft to join its advanced technology network. Under his leadership, Parks Canada has developed an Internet-based reservations service, amalgamated toll-free information and trip planning centres, and enhanced one of the most frequently visited federal government Web sites.

Mr. Latourelle has also provided executive leadership for the Historic Places Initiative (HPI), including introduction of the Canadian Register of Historic Places, the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada, the Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive Fund and a collaborative governance framework for HPI that engages all provinces and territories in the development of a culture of conservation.

His recognized skills have also led to Mr. Latourelle being invited to become a member of the boards of Directors of The Banff Centre and of the Montréal Harbourfront Corporation.

Mr. Latourelle's educational background includes a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Université du Québec and a Master of Business Administration from Queen's University.
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> Michael D. Snyder

Intermountain Regional Director, United States National Parks Service

Michael Snyder has been Intermountain Regional Director for the National Parks Service (NPS) since February 2005. Snyder has served as Deputy Regional Director of the Intermountain Region since 1998.

As Intermountain Regional Director, Snyder oversees the largest region in the NPS, which encompasses 90 diverse park units dispersed throughout an eight-state region that includes Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. This region is home to some of the Nation's oldest and best-known natural national parks including Yellowstone (WY, ID, MT) and Grand Canyon (AZ), and cultural treasures such as Mesa Verde National Park (CO). It employs a quarter of the total NPS workforce and has a budget of more than $550 million.

Largely through Snyder's initiatives, the region has emphasized the need to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of park and program operations, with a focus on human and financial resources and policy decisions. To advance this goal, Snyder developed the Core Operations Process to help parks better understand and manage the financial and human resources they control and to tie their decisions to the core needs of the park.

Mr. Snyder has applied the principles of effectiveness and efficiency to the regional office. The result has been a significantly streamlined regional office staff and a balanced regional office budget.

As Deputy Regional Director, Mr. Snyder was responsible for policy development and interpretation; park oversight; strategy development and park advocacy; fiscal and human resource allocations; and selection and growth of park and regional leadership. During his tenure as deputy, he traveled to every park in the Intermountain Region. In addition, he served a four-month detail as Deputy Director of the National Park Service and a four-month detail as superintendent of Glacier National Park.

Prior to his service as Deputy Regional Director, Mr. Snyder was Superintendent of the regional support office, 1995 to 1998; Associate Regional Director for Professional Services, 1991 to 1995; and Chief of Planning and Compliance, 1987 to 1991. Following his graduation from Kansas State University in 1976, he began his career in public service as a landscape architect, and worked in that capacity for both the Kansas Park and Resources Authority and for the U.S. Forest Service. Mr. Snyder has been in federal service for 27 years, which includes 21 years with the National Park Service.

He is married to Nancy Ann, a first grade teacher, and they have three sons, Jonathan, Zachary and Travis, graduates of the University of Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines. His late parents, Ronald W. and Kimiko Kida Snyder, resided in Ogden, Kansas.
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