Three appointed to Alberta's Workers' Compensation Board

Three new appointments have been made to the Board of Directors of the Workers’ Compensation Board - Alberta (WCB). The appointment of Philip Hughes, Erna Ference, and Grace Thostenson took effect on October 3 and each appointee will serve a 3 year term.

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Edmonton - October 5, 2012 - Three new appointments have been made to the Board of Directors of the Workers’ Compensation Board - Alberta (WCB). The appointment of Philip Hughes, Erna Ference, and Grace Thostenson took effect on October 3 and each appointee will serve a three-year term.

The three individuals bring a combination of skills and experience that will be an asset to the WCB Board of Directors and its mandate to administer a system of workplace insurance for workers and employers of the province of Alberta. Under the Ministry of Human Services, Frank Oberle, the Associate Minister of Services for Persons with Disabilities, has responsibility for the WCB.

"The members of the WCB Board of Directors bring a wide variety of skills and experience to the table and I’m confident our new appointees will help the Board in its crucial role in reducing the impact of workplace illness and injury on Albertans," said Oberle. "It is vital that we have the right Albertans, like Philip, Erna and Grace, serving on the Board of Directors to ensure that the WCB continues to achieve positive results and follows a strategic direction that allows for long-term stability.”

Philip Hughes has served as President and CEO of five companies across Canada, most recently with Fortis Inc. He has extensive corporate, public sector and not-for-profit board and governance experience and is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta.

Erna Ference is the owner of two poultry farms in Black Diamond. As a farm owner, she created and implemented programs and guidelines to ensure safety and effective management of her employees. Ms. Ference holds a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation and a designation with the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Grace Thostenson has over 20 years of labour relations experience in the telecommunications and electrical power industries, holds a designation as a Certified Human Resource Professional, and has served as a Public Member of the Certified General Accountants Appeal Tribunal from 2002-2012.

The WCB is a statutory corporation created by government under the Workers’ Compensation Act to administer a system of workplace insurance for the workers and employers of Alberta. Through the payment of premiums, 146,000 employers fund this no-fault system to provide compensation for workplace injuries and occupational diseases to over 1.8 million workers.