Board Member, OHS:

Brent Chopping
B.Sc., CIH, CRSP

ASHSP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Vice President:
Jason Dent, CHSC, CRSP, P.Ag., CRSP, ROH, CIH

Secretary:
Lacy Thurman,
CRST

Treasurer:
Catherine Jevic, CHSC

BIOS

Mike Fedun,
CRSP, RPFT

Currently the OHS Advisor to the Alberta Government’s Wildfire Management Branch, Mike Fedun is also one of the ASHSP founding members. 

Mike is a member of the Association of Alberta Forest Management Professionals and was a member/volunteer with this organization through its transition to a Professional Regulatory Organization.

Over 20 years in the forestry sector Mike became increasingly involved and interested in OHS, eventually leaving forestry to pursue OHS as a career. Mike became the OHS Advisor for Alberta Justice with clients that included Alberta’s Courts, Crown Prosecution Services, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the Human Rights Commission. After five years with Justice, Mike returned to his roots in forestry to take on his current role.

Mike is a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) in addition to being a Registered Professional Forest Technologist (RPFT). Mike strongly believes that true professional regulation can positively affect the health and safety of Albertans, and is very much in the public interest.

Jason Dent,
CHSC, CRSP, P.Ag., CRSP, ROH, CIH

Jason Dent is an experienced Health, Safety and Environmental Professional with over 25 years in the profession. Jason is knowledgeable in the areas of occupational safety, occupational hygiene, and environmental consulting.

As a consultant Jason has a wide variety of experience in a multitude of industries, including Commercial, Educational, Manufacturing, Transportation, Oil & Gas Processing, Mining, Construction, Health Care and Hospitality. Jason has worked with and consulted for companies ranging in size from those with under ten employees to national and international brands that operate in multiple countries

With this wide range of experience Jason has gained a unique view of how organizations see and treat safety, and the struggles organizations experience as their safety programs influenced by changing industry trends, socio economic values and worker ideologies grow and evolve.

As a member of the Alberta Society of Health and Safety Professionals, Jason was part of the practice review committee that influenced the development of guidelines for standardizing and regulating the hygiene profession in Alberta. Jason looks forward to the evolution of the ASHSP and is excited to continue working on the regulation of the profession in the Province.

Lacy Thurman,
CRST, NCSO

When it comes to occupational health and safety, Lacy Thurman, CRST, NCSO, believes that connections are key. Thurman values creating meaningful and organic connections with those around her to help make profound changes in the way we look at occupational health and safety. As a Senior COR Audit Analyst with the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA), she enjoys connecting with auditors on a human level to understand their health and safety management systems and to provide advice and insight to help them.

Thurman has been practicing occupational health and safety for the better part of seven years and is always excited to learn new concepts and ideas, as well as to engage in conversation with her peers. Currently, she is a Co-Chair on the Engagement Committee for the Alberta Society of Health and Safety Professionals (ASHSP) and is also a volunteer with the Education Committee for the Edmonton Chapter of the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE). Thurman enjoys traveling the world and laughing with others, especially her daughters.

Catherine Jevic,
CHSC

With 15 years of experience in industries ranging from health care to industrial construction Catherine has developed a well-rounded, pragmatic approach to Health and Safety application. A passion for understanding and communicating the ‘why’ behind what we do as well as a desire to work with organizations seeking not only legislative compliance by managerial excellence drives Catherine to seek diverse and interesting clientele to create the most efficient and effective Health and Safety systems available.

Catherine looks forward to continuing work with ASHSP for scope and title protection for health and safety professionals in the Province of Alberta to further the Health and Safety profession and serve Albertans in supporting a safe and healthy future for all.

Rory Gibson,
CRSP

Rory Gibson is an independent health and safety professional based in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Rory holds a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation and is a certified external auditor through Energy Safety Canada. Rory is a former safety professional with the Government of Alberta and has a broad professional experience implementing health and safety programs in a number of industries including upstream oil and gas, mining and transportation. Rory has held the position of ASHSP Board Secretary since the 2017.

Jennifer Abrantes,
CRSP

As an OHS Professional Jennifer Abrantes has close to fifteen years of direct safety experience in many industries. Ms. Abrantes has thorough knowledge and expertise in ensuring compliance with OH&S Legislation, industry best practices, auditing, and safety management program

development/implementation. Ms. Abrantes is committed to professional development; certified by the Board of Registered Safety Professionals (CRSP), has a Gold Seal Certification by the Canadian Construction Association, and is a National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO).

With four children and her son working within the Alberta Trades, she is passionate about ensuring health and safety at the job site and home. Ms. Abrantes believes in developing a positive safety culture; her beliefs and values are active in our community. She is the presiding Chairperson of the Threads of Life – Edmonton Steps for Life and the Edmonton Regional Safety Committee (ERSC).

Dan Trottier,
B.Sc., P.Ag., NCSO, CHSC, CRSP

Dan is currently the Managing Partner with Tatonga Consulting Inc. Dan graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Saskatchewan (1989).  As a Professional Agrologist (P.Ag.), Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP), and Certified Health and Safety Consultant (CHSC), Dan is committed to promoting risk management strategies for many different industries.  Since 2009, and now as a business consultant with Tatonga, Dan shares his passion for safety excellence and strategic development with clients across Canada and North America.  

Dan has supported the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) and has served as the Canadian National Communication Committee Chair & Chapter Chair for the Central Alberta Chapter and is currently residing on the CSSE Board as the Regional Vice President AB/NT/NU for the national organization.  In addition to roles within the CSSE, Dan actively participates on other industry boards including the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA). Dan also believes in supporting the local community, and he is currently an active member of the Red Deer Steps for Life Committee (Threads of Life), Young Farm Workers Safety Workshop committee (Parachute Canada), and the Alberta Occupational Safety Auditors Association (AOSAA).

Christopher Spasoff

Christopher Spasoff is one of only a handful of lawyers with experience on both sides of the OH&S regulatory regime, having spent time as both an OH&S Crown Prosecutor and OH&S Defence Lawyer.

Often sought out for his practical, easy-to-understand advice and common-sense approach to problem solving, Christopher left the Crown in May 2014 to establish F2 Legal Counsel, the first and only law firm in Alberta exclusively dedicated to the practice of occupational health and safety law.

As an advisor to both employers and workers on a variety of OHS issues including stop work orders, workplace investigations, and the defence of OHS charges, Christopher is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience whenever possible.

Spencer Matthes

Spencer Matthes is a Senior Industrial Hygienist with EHS Partnerships with over 10 years of occupational health and safety experience. Mr. Matthes’ educational background includes a Bachelor of Management (B.Mgt) degree in Human Resource Management and Labour Relations and a Master of Science (M.S) degree in Occupational Health and Safety, specializing in Environmental Management. He is also a Registered Occupational Hygienist (ROH), a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), and an Environmental Professional (EP). Mr. Matthes is also in the process of completing his second Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Risk and Safety Management.

Over his 20-year working career, Mr. Matthes has gained extensive experience and expertise in loss control, exposure assessment, risk management, and work process overview. He has completed work in a variety of industries and sectors including industrial and heavy civil construction, manufacturing, renewable energy, mining, oil and gas, residential and commercial building industry, and institutional settings in Western Canada.