Board of Directors

President: Jenni Bruce, Midwest Property Management

Jenni has worked in accommodation and hospitality for over 25 years and has called the north her home for more than 20years. She enjoys outdoor activities and travel.

Jenni has extensive board experience in the north. She chaired the Northern Frontier Visitor’s Association for 9 years and NWT Tourism for 5 years and was a founding member of the Yellowknife Hotel Association. Jenni has also sat or sits on other committees and boards such as Aboriginal Tourism Champions Advisory Committee, Yellowknife Golf Club and the Northern Safety Association.

Jenni Values being on the NWT Chamber as it helps unify business into one voice to make sure that our economy is protected and thrives in the north.

1st Vice President, Bill Kellett, Kellett Communications Inc

Bill is the President at Kellett Communications, a consultancy with offices in Yellowknife and Whitehorse (established in 1998). KC provides clients with strategic marketing communications and focuses on helping northern businesses thrive. The team of writers, designers, developers and planners bring experience gained from all around the world to the North, resulting in a truly unique team of creative explorers.

Bill is also the chief strategist responsible for the top-level marketing direction and providing clients with general consultation on topics ranging from branding to corporate philosophy. William has built a network of partners and clients across Canada that work with and for each other. He’s had first hand experience guiding contracts for northern businesses, governments and organizations of all sizes.

As agency president, Bill is involved with every client, including the North’s leading NGOs, regulatory boards, crown corporations, private businesses and governments at all levels. William’s project experience is extremely diverse, with strategic planning, branding, marketing campaigns and building websites representing the tip of the iceberg.  This immense experience affords him the ability to listen to a client’s challenges and help steer them toward the best solution efficiently and effectively.

Bill has a BA with a Major in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.  As well as Master Advertising Practitioner – Trans-Canada Advertising Agency Network.  In addition to being on the NWT Chamber of Commerce Bill is a director with the Stanton Territorial Foundation and is a Director for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce

2nd Vice President, Jason Coakwell, Aurora Freightliner and Aurora Manufacturing

Jason has worked for Aurora Group for the past 20 years and is currently the General Manager of Aurora Freightliner and Aurora Manufacturing.  Over the years he’s been involved in several volunteer groups and community boards and coached minor hockey. Most recently he was president of the Hay River Golf Club, sat two terms on Hay River Town Council, chaired the committee for the build of the new rec center, and sat on the executive for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games Host Society. Jason is also currently the president of the NWT Manufactures Association.  

Secretary, Newton Grey, Northview REIT

Newton M. Grey holds a master of Science Degree in Hotel and Tourism Management. This sports enthusiast has devoted most of his life to the Hotel Industry which has taken him to several Cities throughout the Caribbean and Canada, He has been involved with the Chamber of Commerce Movement in most of the city’s he has lived in. Newton now lives in Yellowknife from where he manages the Capital Suites Hotels.

In the Northwest Territories Newton has served two terms as the President of the Inuvik Chamber of Commerce and a Director of the NWT Chamber of Commerce.

Treasurer, 

 Liang Chen, Northern Gateway Consulting

Liang is a lifelong entrepreneur and a Regulated Certified Immigration Consultant.  He has a Certificate of Immigration Law Policies and Procedures from UBC, a Bsc in Mathematics from Carleton University and a Diploma in Computer Science and Engineering from Algonquin College.

He is currently Managing Director of Northern Gateway Consulting Services, COO of Northwest Investment and Capital Enterprises, Managing Director of Pacific Immigration Consulting and operator of two Yellowknife-based tourism business, Arctic Fishing Discovery and Northern Frontier Adventures.

He is tapped into the burgeoning interest in Canada and specifically the Northwest Territories of Chinese investors and tourists.

Past President, Trevor Wever, Air Tindi Ltd.

Trevor has been with Air Tindi Ltd. & Group of Companies for over 6 years and has a professional aviation career of 23 years; all of which has been in the NWT.  He has worked as a Line Captain, Training Captain, apprentice Engineer, Chief Pilot, Director of Flight Operations and General Manager and various Executive positions for regional, air taxi, fire suppression and executive flight departments with domestic and international service.  Trevor was a partner of a medium sized air taxi operation for several years with over 13 aircraft at bases in the NWT and Northern Quebec.  He serves at the executive level on various Boards of Directors for the Northern Air Transport Association and the NWT Chamber of Commerce and has been invited by various Government departments and Industry to participate on several special focus groups.

Trevor’s current business activities span all 3 northern territories, western provinces and Ontario.  He is passionate about Aboriginal business and holds Board positions on several Aboriginal and Inuit owned enterprises.

Trevor’s participation in ongoing education consists of industry related courses in operations, economics, Business Development, Quality Assurance, Safety Management Systems, Board Governance and Conflict Resolution as well as management training through Royal Roads University and Cornel University

Director at Large, Caroline Wawzonek, Dragon Toner Law Office

Caroline Wawzonek is the recipient of a 2017 national Lexpert Award celebrating Women in the Law and the 2015 Law Society of the NWT and Canadian Bar Association NWT’s joint President’s Award. She has served as President and Vice President of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories, is a former Chair of the Legal Aid Commission of the Northwest Territories and volunteers with a variety of other local community organizations including the YWCA. A litigator for over 12 years, Caroline appears at all levels of court in the Northwest Territories as well as in various administrative and regulatory forums.

Director at Large, Mark Brajer, Tlicho Investment Corporation and Group of Companies 

Mark is currently Chief Operating Officer with the Tlicho Investment Corporation and Group of Companies. He has been with TIC since late 2017.

TIC has wholly owned businesses entities in construction, engineering & environmental, trucking, site services & labour management, retail & hotel operations, and joint ventures across several other industries.

Previously he had worked for private and public companies; Unilever (Toronto and New York), Alberto Culver (Toronto and Chicago), Epicure (Victoria) and E.D. Smith (Ontario and Mississippi).

He has experience and held various roles across operations, supply chain, finance, human resources, business development and engineering.  

Mark has undergraduate degrees in B. Eng Chemical Engineering, and B.Sc. Chemistry both from McMaster University in Ontario. He also has an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, and have been studying to achieve a doctorate of Management in Organizational Development.

Mark is a licensed engineer in Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Ontario and British Columbia and he lives in Victoria, BC and Yellowknife, NT.

Director at Large, Sean Crowell, Canarctic Graphics

Sean holds the position of General Manager and has been an employee of Canarctic Graphics for over 16 years. With a degree in Graphic Design and over 30 years’ experience in the print industry, he is able to provide his clientele with various and inventive solutions to all their printing needs.

He currently holds the position of Vice President of the NWT Manufacturing Association and Secretary of the Somba K’e Paddling Club. When he’s not working Sean spends as much time as he can in his kayak, exploring as many lakes as possible in the Northwest Territories.

Director at Large, Yanik D’Aigle, Royal Bank of Canada

Before joining RBC 13 years ago, Yanik was in IT, Telecom and Call center management, sales & consulting for 14 years for various Fortune 500 companies and government agencies at the municipal, provincial & federal level. At RBC, he’s had roles as an Account Manager, Regional Sales Coach, Branch Manager & Community Manager which currently includes the Yellowknife & Hay River branches. Yanik has recently served on various boards such as Vice President for 3 years for the Chamber of Commerce in High Prairie AB, 2 years as a Director for the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce. Yanik is currently the Treasurer for the NWT Chamber of Commerce, Technical Chair for the Skills Canada public speaking competition and is also incoming President for the Yellowknife Rotary club. Yanik recently completed his MBA in Innovation Leadership with the University of Fredericton in March 2016, holds a Personal Financial Planning (PFP) designation and is fully bilingual in French and English. Yanik, his spouse Tammy and his 4 children have now made Yellowknife home for the past 6 years and love every moment of being in the North.