Board of Directors

Markham District Energy’s Board of Directors has representation from Markham City Council in addition to the appointment of independent Directors from the community who bring specific industry and governance expertise.

(1) Member Finance and Audit Committee
(2) Member Human Resources and Governance Committee

Keith Irish (1) (2)
Board Chair
Councillor, City of Markham
Michael Chan (2)
Deputy Mayor, City of Markham.
Andrew Keyes (1)
Councillor, City of Markham.
xJack HeathJack Heath (1) (2)
Board Chair
Regional Councillor, City of Markham

Jack Heath has served on Markham Council for over 20 years. He was elected as Councillor for Ward 5 in 1997. In 2003, he stepped up to be Regional Councillor and continues in that capacity. From 2008 to 2018, he also served as Markham’s Deputy Mayor.

He serves on several boards including Vice Chair of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority, the National Zero Waste Council, Co-Chair of the Human Services Planning Board of York Region, and since 2007, Chair of Markham District Energy Inc.

Prior to serving on Markham Council, he owned a legal bookstore in Markham for many years.

xLouie ShoukasLouie Shoukas (1) (2)
Board Vice-Chair
Chief Nuclear Officer, PCL Industrial Constructors Inc.

Louie Shoukas is Chief Nuclear Officer at PCL Industrial Constructors. Prior to this position, he worked in the power industry for over 22 years holding various positions in engineering, operations and finance.

Louie is a graduate from Toronto University earning a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration. He is also a member of Professional Engineers of Ontario.

Louie lives in Markham with his wife and two children.

xFrank ScarpittiFrank Scarpitti
Mayor, City of Markham

Mayor Frank Scarpitti was elected as Mayor of Markham in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, and is Markham’s second longest serving Mayor.

He was first elected to Markham Council in 1985, as a Regional Councillor. In total, the people of Markham have elected him nine times. He has served on both the Councils of the City of Markham and York Region for 30 years.

Mayor Scarpitti serves on York Regional Council and is the current Chair of York Region Rapid Transit Corporation (VIVA Transit). He is also Vice-Chair of Transportation Services for York Region and sits on the Board of Directors for York Telecom Network. He serves as a member on the Alectra board, one of the largest municipally-owned electrical utilities in North America.

He gives his time to a number of non-profit organizations related to health, social programs, arts and culture. As Co-Chair of Markham Stouffville Hospital’s Capital Campaign, his efforts contributed to surpassing the hospital’s $50 million fundraising goal.

xMary Ellen RichardsonMary Ellen Richardson (1)
Independent Energy Consultant

Mary Ellen Richardson’s career in the oil, natural gas and electricity industries spans 30 years.

Mary Ellen has held executive positions with the Canadian District Energy Association, the Ontario Power Authority and the Association of Major Power Consumers in Ontario.

Recently, Mary Ellen contributed as a lead author in the Mowat Centre’s report on energy planning. She has also served on numerous boards including the Ontario Centre of Excellence in Energy and Eco Canada, as well as municipal task force groups, such as the City of Vancouver’s Community Energy Advisory Committee.

Ms. Richardson holds an Honours degree in Economics, graduating with First Class Distinction. She also holds the ICD.D designation for corporate directors from the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management.

xLou ColangeloLou Colangelo (1)
General Manager, Toromont Energy

Lou Colangelo is the General Manager of Toromont Energy Ltd. and has worked in the power industry for over 30 years.

His expertise in combined heat and power and district energy comes from the various leadership positions held with Toromont CAT Power Systems since 1985 and general management of Toromont’s district energy systems and cogeneration plants.

He is a graduate from Ryerson University’s Mechanical Engineering program and a member of Professional Engineers of Ontario. He is currently a member of the International District Energy Association and Association of Power Producers of Ontario serving on the APPrO Board of Directors.

Lou is an active member of the Markham community of which he has been a resident for the past 30 years and volunteers his time with Markham sports organizations and heritage initiatives.

xAmanda CollucciAmanda Yeung Collucci
Councillor, City of Markham

Amanda Yeung Collucci, is the first Chinese female elected to City of Markham Council and is now serving her second term as Ward 6 Councillor. She is an award-wining entrepreneur with over 20 years of business experience at IBM and is a recipient of RBC’s 2015 Top 25 Immigrant Award.

Councillor Collucci has served as the Vice President of the Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs (ACCE), and is a frequent speaker at Centennial and Seneca Colleges promoting entrepreneurship, as well as at various forums where she shares her personal success, business experience, and immigration story.

She is active in giving back to the community she serves, which includes fundraising for Markham Stouffville Hospital’s Breast Cancer and Cancer Clinic and years of continuous support for the Markham Jazz Festival. As Markham Ward 6 Councillor, she has helped different organizations raise over $300,000.

Councilor Collucci is honoured to have the opportunity to represent local residents in the City and Ward her family has resided in for more than 17 years.

xLarry DoranLarry Doran (1)
President & CEO, Imperium Energy Inc.

Larry Doran is President & CEO of Imperium Energy Inc.

From 2006 to 2011 he served as President & CEO of the Peterborough Utilities Group.

In 2010, Electric Light & Power Magazine named him North American Utility CEO of the Year.

Prior to Peterborough Utilities Group, Larry spent 30 years with Ontario Hydro and Ontario Power Generation.

He has a BASc in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University, a MBA from the University of Toronto, as well as executive training from Harvard, MIT, Stanford and the University of Chicago. He also has his ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

xMichael LioMichael Lio (2)
Principal, Lio & Associates

Michael Lio is a nationally recognized building expert. He is currently President of buildABILITY Corporation, a firm specializing in improving buildings across Canada.

He has served on the boards of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance, the TSSA, the Electrical Safety Authority, and Tarion Warranty Corporation. For 27 years, Michael taught in the architecture programs at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University.

Michael is a member of Professional Engineers of Ontario. He earned his Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Engineering degrees from the University of Toronto and received his ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management.

Michael lives in Markham with his wife and three children.

xKaren ReaKaren Rea
Councillor, City of Markham

Karen Rea immigrated to Canada with her family in 1978 with Markham chosen as their home.

Karen spent her career in the financial sector until she became a real estate agent in 2007. She was elected as the Ward 4 Councillor in October 2014 and is proud to represent all Markham residents.

Her contributions to the various boards and committees she sits on have brought forward innovative and new ideas making positive changes for the wider community.

Karen continues to be a school mentor with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of York and recently joined the board of 360°kids.