Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı
Sahtú Renewable Resources Board

Gordon Zealand

GordonZealandGordon Zealand recently retired from the position of Area Director for Yukon and Northern British Columbia with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.  As the designated senior officer in the area, Gordon provided leadership for the direction, design, implementation and integration of area-based programs. In collaboration with regional management, Gordon led the development and negotiation of working arrangements with other levels of government, agencies, and aboriginal communities and groups. As a member of the region’s management committee, Mr. Zealand has contributed to the articulation of the strategic direction of the region and developed the business plans for the area.

Mr. Zealand was Co-Chair of the Yukon Panel in conjunction with counterparts from Alaska. Together, they lead the joint management process of Yukon River fish stocks. Mr. Zealand also co-chaired the creation of the Trans-boundary Panel for the management of salmon resources in trans-boundary rivers which involved Northern British Columbia, Alaska and the Yukon.

Gordon has been active with the Yukon Fish and Game association since retirement. Numerous fish and wildlife issues cross over between the Yukon and NWT.

Gordon was an alternate on the Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı during 2008-2013.

Leonard Kenny

LeonardKenny1Leonard Kenny is currently serving as Chief of the Délı̨nę First Nation. His educational background is in community administration and accounting. His professional experience includes positions as Director and President of Déline Lands and Financial Corporations, Band Manager with the Déline Dene Band and Acting General Manager with Fort Franklin Dene Development Corporation Limited. Leonard is the father of four children. He enjoys hunting, fishing, reading and traveling.

Jeff Walker

JeffWalker1Jeff Walker is the Regional  Superintendent for Environment and Natural Resources-Sahtú Region. He is a resident of Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, and has worked extensively in the natural resources sector in both the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan. He has an Integrated Resource Management Diploma from the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology. He has completed several Government of the Northwest Territories' training programs including , fire management, spill response, emergency management and leadership courses.

Jeff has worked with the Government of the Northwest Territories in the environmental and natural resources field since 1996 in  the areas of Forestry, Wildfire Management, Wildlife Management  Environmental Protection, Compliance Enforcement  and  also is a representative to the Regional  Emergency Measures Organization. Jeff served as a Board member from 2010-2019.

Patrick Bobinski

PatBobinskiPatrick Bobinski was born in Winnipegosis, Manitoba and has lived in Hay River, Northwest Territories (NWT), for the past 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Manitoba.

Throughout his career with the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Pat was stationed in Winnipeg and Hay River. Most recently, as an officer in charge of the Inspection Branch of the NWT office in Hay River, Pat oversaw the health and safety of fish and fish products exported from the Northwest Territories. In this position, Pat traveled throughout the NWT, working with all levels of government, private industry, and the general public.

Since his retirement from DFO, Pat has been employed on a seasonal basis with an NWT adventure company working in hunting, fishing, survey, ecotourism and exploration camps. He is a Justice of the Peace, a firearms instructor, and a volunteer coach and coordinator for a variety of outdoor sports.

Michael Neyelle

MikeNeyelle1Michael Neyelle’s education was what influenced him the most to become a researcher. He went to Grollier Hall residential school for six years, from 1968-1974.  Michael started working for Imperial Oil in 1972 during the summers in Norman Wells, and continued working there after he graduated. Returning to Délı̨nę, he worked in various administrative jobs. He gained experience in radio broadcasting with CBC North, and continues to offer Dene language programming on the CBQO community radio in Délı̨nę.

During 1988-1990, Michael studied Public and Business Administration at Arctic College (the precursor to Aurora College). There he learned about the federal, territorial, municipal, and First Nations governments, accounting, economics. During the 1990s, Michael was sought after as an experienced and knowledgeable community researcher and interpreter. He was a fieldworker for the Sahtú Renewable Resources Board’s Harvest Survey and the Sahtú Land Use Planning Board’s land use mapping project, and assisted numerous academic researchers with their projects. In addition to his duties with the Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı, Michael is a member of the Délı̨nę Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę, and a research collaborator with the Délı̨nę Language and Stories of the Land program in partnership with University of Toronto and University of Cologne. Michael served as Board member from 2011-2019.