2018 CPBI Regional Volunteer of the Year Award Recipients 

David Tutty

CPBI Atlantic Region 
GRS Client Relationship Executive, Manulife

In fourteen terms as a member of the Atlantic Regional Council, David Tutty has served in all Executive positions including Treasurer, Vice-Chair and Chair, along with program and conference committees. He is currently the National Board Representative for the Atlantic Region. As the Regional Conference Sponsorship Chair for the past 6 years, he has been an amazing and dedicated force working tirelessly to solicit sponsorship dollars. His efforts are a key component in the success of the Atlantic Conference, enabling conference committees to book first class speakers and keep registration costs down for delegates.

David is a GRS Client Relationship Executive with Manulife, based in the Halifax office. Prior to joining Manulife in June 2018, David spent more than 15 years as the Director of National Pension Programs & Services for a leading Canadian retailer. During this time, he completed the Pension Plan Administration Certificate (PPAC) program offered by Humber College and was invited by the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities (CAPSA) to participate in a number of Industry Working Groups. He also works with Junior Achievement Nova Scotia to promote financial literacy within junior and senior high school classrooms.

Teena Dawson

CPBI Ontario Region  
Senior Education Advisor, Group Retirement Savings, Desjardins Insurance

Teena has been in this role with Desjardins since 2009. In this role, Teena travels broadly to conduct education seminars on a wide variety of financial topics, including planning for retirement, investment review and retirement. Teena develops, designs and maintains a library of enrolment, pre-retirement and investment seminars. She is focused on ensuring that plan members have a clear understanding of fundamental principles of saving for retirement.

Teena is responsible for adapting and conducting seminars to a diverse public that varies in size and includes participants ranging from novices to skilled investors and she regularly meets with individual participants and provide them with the necessary tools to make informed and enlightened decisions.

Prior to her current role, Teena held a variety of communication and education or training roles in the pension and retirement industry. As the ultimate people person, Teena’s career has been focused on communicating with individuals, specifically regarding their pension and retirement income needs.

Teena has long been a stalwart of the Ontario Regional Council Conference Committee. It is impossible to try to remember a conference without Teena’s signature influences, particularly on the networking events and experiences. Teena has led the Entertainment sub-committee for the past several years and spends considerable time making sure conference delegates have a standout experience, such as the amazing winery tour and dinner at the 2017 Ontario Regional Conference. Teena works hard to make sure conference delegates are engaged and have a great time, such that they will not want to miss the next event.

In 2017, Teena became a member of the Ontario Regional Conference and in the first year of her term on Council has become co-chair of the 2018 Ontario Regional Conference, which she continues to lead with her always infectious attitude and spirit!

Timothy (Tim) McDowell

CPBI Manitoba Region 
Product Manager, Group, Wawanesa Life Insurance Company

Tim McDowell has been employed with the Wawanesa Life Insurance Company since 1999, spending the last 16 years workingin various positions within the Group Division.

Tim has been a member of CPBI Manitoba since 2006.  In an effort to become more involved with the organization, he joined the CPBI Manitoba Council in April 2012.  In April 2013, Tim assumed the role of Treasurer for CPBI Manitoba.  He has held this role until the present.

Alana Shearer-Kleefeld

CPBI Saskatchewan Region
Director, Employee Benefits, 3sHealth

Alana Shearer-Kleefeld joined Council in 2007, a short 11 years ago!!  She has become the “Kevin Glen” (he has quarterbacked every CFL team I believe)  of the Saskatchewan council as she has held every position on the executive at least once and chaired two conferences. She has been very instrumental in the quality of programs we havebeen able to provide in Saskatchewan because of her many contacts in the industry.  She is well liked and hard to say no to, so because of her we have had some amazing speakers both at conference and throughout our program years.  She always steps up when needed and offers to assist, even when her time is limited, in all events.  She has even been a speaker at one of our events (Benefits, Beyond the Basics course offered through CPBI Saskatchewan).  

Volunteer Activity:

• REGIONAL CHAIR 2015-2017
• 2 TERMS AS VICE CHAIR 2011-2013, 2013-2015
• 2014 CONFERENCE CHAIR
• 2012 CONFERENCE CHAIR
• EXECUTIVE SECRETARY 2009-2011
• SPONSORSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
• CURRENTLY PAST CHAIR AND TREASURER
• MC OF SEVERAL BREAKFAST AND LUNCHEON EVENTS
• FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
• CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
• SPONSORSHIP & MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
• NATIONAL FORUM COMMITTEE
• NATIONAL VISION COMMITTEE

Chris Archibald

CPBI Northern Alberta Region
Director, Benefits Management & Pensions, Alberta Public Service Commission

Chris Archibald has over 35 years of human resource management experience with the Government of Alberta. Her background encompasses various professional and leadership positions in recruitment, compensation, job evaluation, compensation and benefits functions. Most recently, she was the Director of Benefits Managements & Pensions for the Alberta Public Service Commission (formerly Alberta Corporate Human Resources) from 2004 until her retirement in 2018. She was appointed as a member of the Public Service Pension Board in 2008 and served on the Board until December 2017, including the role of chair of its Human Resources Committee. She was also a member of the Alberta Pension Services Corporation Board of Directors for six years.

Chris was a member of the CPBI Northern Alberta Regional Council for 15 years, and volunteered on its Executive Council in the positions of Secretary, Sponsorship and Treasurer. She also organized and moderated several breakfast seminars and basics series pension and benefits modules.

Luis Ramirez

CPBI Southern Alberta Region 
Principal, Mercer Canada 

Position and Responsibilities
Luis Ramirez is a Principal in the Investment Consulting team for Mercer Canada. He is responsible for providing pension and investment advice to clients and business development in the Canadian Prairie marketplace. Luis is based in Calgary, Alberta.

Areas of Specialization
Luis has over 25 years of experience in financial services working with both large and small companies in Canada and the United States. He has worked with some of Canada’s largest companies on defined contribution, retirement, investment and savings plans and has consulted to numerous pension and investment committees.

Luis helps clients with investment selection and monitoring, DC record keeper selection and review, asset allocation, fiduciary / governance best practices, company stock, Investment Policy Statements, charter documents for retirement and savings plans, and “all in” fee analysis.

Background
Prior to joining Mercer in 2015, Luis was in a similar role with Aon Hewitt, and has held previous roles including Regional Director for Sun Life Financials Western Canadian Group Retirement operations and 14 years with Fidelity Investments Group Pensions. Luis holds a Bachelor of Arts in Labour Management Relations from the University of Toronto and is Chair of the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute’s (CPBI) Southern Alberta Region.

Luis first joined CPBI in 2004 and volunteered on the Venue Committee for the Alberta Conference. He volunteered on a number of Committee’s after that, including subsequent conferences, Communications as well as Social, but really did most of his volunteering on Program. He evnetually joined Council in 2012 and chaired Program for the next four/five years and also served on Communication, and Marketing Committees (started this committee in 2015). Luis chaired the Program Committee for a couple more conferences, served as vice chair of the Region for two years before taking on Chair in 2016.