Organizational Structure

President and CEO

Jennifer C. Hubbard

Jennifer C. Hubbard was appointed President & CEO of Polar Knowledge Canada for a term of five years.

Ms. Hubbard has a social sciences background that will bring a new perspective to the organization and, with 19 years of experience in leadership positions in the public service, possesses the executive leadership skills to lead the organization in advancing knowledge of the Canadian Arctic. She served recently as Chair of the Board of the NATO Support and Procurement Organization, and as Director General, Labour Relations and Workplace Management at Correctional Service Canada.

Ms. Hubbard’s knowledge of government decision-making processes is an asset for the role of President. She has demonstrated strong executive leadership skills, motivating and promoting engagement and relationship-building amongst colleagues. Moreover, she is committed to building diversity and fighting unconscious bias and supports evidence-based decision-making.

The President of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (Polar Knowledge Canada) is the Chief Executive Officer and is accountable for the day-to-day management and direction of the organization in accordance with the Canadian High Arctic Research Station Act. The President is appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during pleasure on a full-time basis for a term of up to five years. She reports to Parliament through the Minister of Northern Affairs.

Board of Directors

The nine-member Board of Directors is responsible for the organization's strategic direction. They are selected through a Governor in Council process and appointed by the Prime Minister based on their experience and knowledge and how it best supports POLAR’s mandate.

Chairperson - Dr. Janet King

Dr. Janet King has extensive experience relevant to Canada's North, acquired over the course of her career with the Canadian public service. Her northern focus began as a research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada and bedrock geological mapping of the Precambrian rocks of the Northwest Territories. Later, as Assistant Deputy Minister of the Northern Affairs Organization (CIRNA) she provided leadership in northern science, natural resource management, contaminated site remediation, devolution of federal powers to territorial governments and contributed to Canada's participation in the Arctic Council. As President of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Organization, she led partnerships and programs to help build diversified and sustainable economies across Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon.

Janet held other senior executive positions in various departments, including Health Canada, Industry Canada and Western Economic Diversification and served as Associate Deputy Minister for Laboratories Canada, an initiative to revitalize federal science laboratories, in Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Janet holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Toronto, and a Masters of Science Degree and a PhD from Queen's University, all in the field of geological sciences. She currently serves on the Boards for NSERC PermafrostNet, the Canadian Light Source, the Canadian Science Policy Centre.

Vice-chairperson David R. Moore, P.Eng.

David Moore is an Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) with the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Department of Infrastructure based in Yellowknife. An experienced leader, David is Metis and holds a Masters degree (M.Sc) in Civil Engineering as well as a B.Sc in Geological Engineering and is a graduate of the Canadian Public Service Direxion leadership program and the Ivey School of Business Environment Canada Business Development Program.

A registered professional engineer, David has over 25 years' experience in a broad range of public service management roles including his current GNWT Infrastructure role as well as with the Government of Canada at Indigenous Services Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada and the Treasury Board Secretariat. Prior to joining the Federal public service, David worked in the private sector in both Canada and internationally, including as an engineering consultant and as a senior project manager.

As ADM, David leads a team of professionals; promotes organizational wellness; provides financial budgetary oversight of a capital program consisting of hundreds of distinct projects at over $350M/yr; ensures occupational health and safety; instills a culture of performance management and continuous learning; and oversees both work planning and strategic planning. David also represents the Government of the Northwest Territories on Boards of Directors and National forums such as the National Science & Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Permafrost Net and with the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) as NWT Chief Engineer and ensures the Northwest Territories Government is represented at the federal/provincial/territorial level in the development of Northern codes and standards for public infrastructure.

David and his wife Tari have two boys Matthew and Michael and the family cat, Thor.

Member - Dr. Karen Barnes

Dr. Karen Barnes was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of Polar Knowledge Canada for a term of five years.

Dr. Barnes has a strong background and focus in the educational domain. She has held high level roles at Yukon College (now Yukon University), has chaired and participated in various northern institutes and the Yukon Research Centre Governing Council, and currently provides leadership and direction as the President Emerita of Yukon University.

Dr. Barnes is highly committed to the inclusion of Indigenous people in territorial education and engaging northern peoples in the organization's endeavors, and supporting the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge into the governance structure.

Member - Kimberly Fairman

Ms. Kimberly Fairman was appointed member of the Board of Directors of Polar Knowledge Canada for a term of five years.

Ms. Fairman has a background in Public Health and Governance. She has held senior positions in both the Federal and Territorial Governments, recently working as the Director General of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency in Iqaluit, previously serving as a member of the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board and currently working as the Executive Director for the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research in Yellowknife.

Given her strong background in institutions across the Canadian North Ms. Fairman offers an important perspective that will benefit the Board as it advances the priorities of Polar Knowledge Canada.

Member - Dr. Maribeth S. Murray

Dr. Murray is transdisciplinary scholar with expertise in both the social and natural sciences. Trained as environmental archaeologist, she transitioned to focus on contemporary climate change and impacts on people and the environment in the Arctic. In 2016 she initiated the development of the Canadian Consortium for Arctic Data Interoperability (CCADI), a national coalition of universities, Indigenous organizations, federal departments, not-for profit and private-sector partners. The CCADI is engaged in the development of an Arctic Research Data Infrastructure for Canada to improve access to data, data interoperability and data analytics in support of decision-making across scales and organizations, and for research. Maribeth's personal research is now focused in three areas: the integration of climate, historic, oceanographic and ecological data to better understand how the Arctic functions as a system; mobilizing genomics and genomics tools for Arctic biodiversity conservation and wildlife management; and research and strategic planning for the ongoing development and implementation of an internationally supported Arctic Observing System. She is the Executive Director of the Arctic Institute of North America at the University of Calgary, a member of the Canadian Mountain Network Board of Directors, a past member of the Board of Directors of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, and a past faculty member of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Member - Jacqueline Pepper-Journal

Ms. Jacqueline Pepper-Journal was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of Polar Knowledge Canada for a term of five years.

Ms. Pepper-Journal has over 25 years of senior level leadership and management experience in both the military and in senior positions within the Government of Nunavut, most recently the Assistant Deputy Minister of Programs and Standards of the Department of Health. She has a strong background in administration, education, health, and the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves.

Ms. Pepper-Journal has a wide breadth of experience with Indigenous communities and northern partners. She has experience consulting with communities and her background in health will be an asset to the Board as health is a priority for both the Government of Canada and for northern communities.

Member - Clive Tesar

Clive Tesar grew up and worked in the Northwest Territories and has worked all over the Canadian and circumpolar north. He was a journalist, radio host, and editor for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for twelve years. He has led communications for Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (Canada's national Inuit organization), and the Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat of the Arctic Council. He was also Head of Communications and External Relations for World Wildlife Fund's Global Arctic Program for nine years. Clive is an educator, lecturing in the Northern Studies graduate program at Carleton University and continues to consult for a variety of Indigenous, government, and NGO clients in policy and communications. He has a Master of Arts in Environmental Education and Communication, and has published in several journals and Arctic Council reports. He also co-edited a book on Canadian Northern Policy, Lines in the Snow.

Member - Dr. David H. Turpin

One of Canada's most experienced post-secondary leaders, Dr. Turpin has served 18 years as a university president, stewarding both the University of Alberta and the University of Victoria. Prior to this he was a department head at the University of British Columbia, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen's University and then Vice-Principal Academic at Queen's. He is a distinguished scholar who has received the Steacie Fellowship and is recognized as a Thomson ISI highly cited researcher.

Dr. Turpin has been Chair of the World University Service of Canada, Chair of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network, Vice-Chair of the U15 Executive Heads and has served on the Executive of both the Worldwide University Network and Universities Canada. He is currently President of the Western Canadian Universities Marine Sciences Society and is on the Board of CARE Canada.

For his service to the community Dr. Turpin has been recognized as a member of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and is the recipient of both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals.

Member - Dr. John Nightingale

A professional marine biologist, Dr. Nightingale retired in 2019 as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Aquarium and its parent conservation organization, OceanWise. Since his retirement, Dr. Nightingale remains active sitting on several Boards of Directors (of POLAR, and several NGOs/non-profit organizations), and continues to consult with a variety of agencies and organizations working in the general field of public engagement in nature and the environment.

Dr. Nightingale has worked in the Arctic for many years. His work in the region began with ocean ecological survey research, where he helped develop the first plastic and microplastic sampling programs, and continues with his involvement with POLAR and a variety of other programs.

Dr. Nightingale is passionate about fostering public interest in nature. This passion has inspired work with organizations, governmental and non-governmental, to expand public engagement with the environment. While at the Vancouver Aquarium, he co-founded the Canada-wide Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup and the OceanWise Sustainable Seafood programs. In 1995, he co-founded The Ocean Project, which led to the recognition of Oceans' Day by the United Nations, and continues to support expanded public ocean awareness in a variety of ways.

Speaking to international audiences on conservation and ocean topics is something Dr. Nightingale does regularly. He also works with the Oceanogràfic aquarium in Valencia, Spain, and the new Aquarium/Ocean Centre under construction in Mazatlán Mexico, and aquariums in China.

John Nightingale has a BA in biology from Eastern Oregon University, and an MS in Fisheries Biology and Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Washington. He is a former Board member of the Canadian Polar Commission, which merged into Polar Knowledge Canada at its inception in 2015.