Mark Tewksbury first came to prominence as a record-breaking backstroke swimmer.  His sixteen-year athletic career included 21 national titles, 7 world records, Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals, and a cover appearance on TIME magazine.   

When he publicly came out in 1998, Mark was one of the first openly gay Olympic Champions in the world and has been a leader with the global 2SLGBTQ+ movement ever since.   

In 2019, he was awarded a Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for his work in gender inclusion and sexual diversity.  In 2020, Mark was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation’s highest civilian honor.  In 2022, Mark represented Canada as part of the Honours Procession at Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral.  Mark is Vice President of the Canadian Olympic Committee.  

Recently, Mark is studying in the culinary department at SAIT and is registered as an apprentice cook with the Alberta government. 

Russell Broom is a Calgary based musical polymath, with a successful career spanning over 30 years as a guitarist, producer, engineer, composer and songwriter. His accolades include winning the JUNO Songwriter of the Year Award with Jann Arden, JUNO nominaFons for Producer of the Year and Recording Engineer of the Year, 6x WCMA Award Winner, 2X AMPIA Award Winner, SOCAN Award Winner, CSA Nominee and most recently CCMA Award for AlternaFve Album of the Year and CMAB Award for Album of the Year for his producFon work with MeFs arFst Kyle 
McKearney.

He has worked extensively with Jann Arden as a producer/engineer/co-writer and musician, including work on the mulF-plaFnum records Happy?, Blood Red Cherry, Greatest Hurts, Love Is The Only Soldier, Jann Arden, Uncover Me and most recently, the JUNO nominated Descendant, as well as composing the music for the CTV series JANN, and working with arFsts such as Michael Buble, Keisha Chante, Elena Juatco and Zoe Palmer on songs used on the show. He has also produced songs for Heartland and Joe Picke[, and has worked with arFsts such as Ian Tyson, Art Bergmann, Robbie Williams, Josh Groban, Mariel Buckley, Kue Varo, Chixdiggit, Jason McCoy, Lindsay Ell, The Hello Darlin’s, Sykamore, Bre[ Kissel, Chip Taylor, MarFn Page, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, Corb Lund, Amy Helm, Johnny Reid, Tom Cochrane, Colin James, The Rankins, Terri Clark and many more.

Amber Marshall is a rare find in the busy world of today. A strong role model for many, she captivates audiences across the globe in her leading role as Amy Fleming on Heartland. This popular television drama set on an Alberta ranch has been in the homes of millions for well over a decade. Not only does Marshall play a horse lover on television; she lives the cowgirl lifestyle. Hardworking, independent and talented, Amber has been pursuing her life goals since she was old enough to voice them.

Born and raised in London, Ontario, Amber grew up with a blend of big-city smarts and down-home groundedness that has enabled her to accomplish success in each of her many passions. She was introduced to horses shortly after saying goodbye to her toddler years and it was a match made in heaven. Amber also engaged with her other love, acting, at an equally young age. Joining The Original Kids Theatre Company she performed in many productions and attended Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts for her elementary teachings. Developing rapidly as an artistic presence, Amber obtained an agent in Toronto by the age of 11, and within the year was cast as a young Lorna Luft in her first major production, a mini-series called Me and My Shadows: The Life of Judy Garland. Soon after she was cast as Ally on the YTV Network’s Super Rupert. This was her first opportunity to play a principal character, and she quickly demonstrated that her combination of talent, charisma and passion for her work enabled her to carry a grand production on her young shoulders.

When she was 14, Amber was cast in the title role in The Elizabeth Smart Story, a movie-of-the-week based on the true story of the 2002 abduction of a Utah teenager. Amber’s unique combination of strength and vulnerability shone through this role. People took notice and rewarded her performance with a nomination for the Los Angeles-based Young Artist Award for Best Actress in a Movie. At this point, Amber could clearly see the career path that lay before her and she pursued it with all her being. She made the most of her opportunities to show her range as an actor, appearing is such varied productions as Resident Evil, Doc, Power Strikers and Dark Oracle. It was at this time that the hand of fate brought together her two great passions, horses and acting in her role on Heartland.

For over 15 years Amber has starred as a cowgirl who uses her intuition to help heal troubled horses. Marshall plays a role who rings true with the show’s millions of fans around the world. At 20 years old Amber left behind the rolling hills of southwestern Ontario to make her home in the same beautiful terrain of southern Alberta that is depicted on Heartland. Horses are as big a part of her home life as they are of her workday. Amber and her husband, Shawn currently have several horse companions on their ranch as well as cattle, dogs, cats and a variety of other critters.

Never one to become involved in organized sports, Amber has nevertheless always led a very active life. Whether it is daily farm chores around her ranch or riding her beloved horses, Amber is a living example of the old adage that an active life is a healthy life and a healthy life is a happy life.

Marshall has always been deeply gratified by her one-to-one connections with her fans, making multiple personal appearances each year. She has her own jewelry and merchandise line, and is also the proud publisher and principle writer of her own magazine, Amber Marshall Life & Style in which she details her many interests and highlights her bond with her fans around the world.

Alexis began his role as Chief Executive Officer, WestJet in February of 2022.

Responsible for the overall leadership of the WestJet Group of Companies, Alexis harnesses the power of WestJet’s people, fleet and technology to strategically position the airline for long-term profitable success.

Prior to joining WestJet, Alexis spent 16 years at the Lufthansa Group, his last role being the CEO and CFO of Austrian Airlines where, during his three-and-a-half-year tenure, he restructured the airline and its network to compete with ultra-low-cost-carrier (ULCC) competition in Austria. In addition, Alexis was instrumental in successfully leading the company through the COVID-19 crisis. Previous roles within the Lufthansa Group included Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa Cargo AG, head of commercial at the airline's biggest hub in Frankfurt, and head of strategy and investment management for the Lufthansa airline.

Born in Cologne, Germany, Alexis attended the University of Bonn, where he received his Physics diploma in 1995 and later, completed his PhD at Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in 1999. Alexis spent his early career at The Boston Consulting Group, working out of their Munich and Tokyo offices, with a strong focus on clients from the aviation industry.

Alexis moved to Calgary with his wife and five kids and is excited to explore Canada across WestJet’s ever-expanding network.

Brad Parry was appointed President and CEO of Calgary Economic Development (CED) in 2022, following two years as Vice-President of Marketing and Communications.

With over two decades of leadership roles across industries that span public, private, startup and not-for-profit organizations, Brad has a strong track record of driving high performing teams by leading with integrity and compassion, and creating a culture of accountability, teamwork and collaboration.

Previous to his leadership roles at CED, Brad held executive positions for companies, including CEO and Founder of Atlarge Consulting, a consultancy focused on marketing, communications, operations, strategy, commercialization, and revenue generation

for technology, media and venture capital companies; Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Intertainment Media; and Vice President of Marketing at E! Television Network.

With a strong foundation in marketing, communications, labour, investor, stakeholder and government relations, Brad has built a reputation for being a strategic and analytical leader known for building inclusive organizational cultures that are data-centric and focused on growing revenue, spearheading digital and technology transformation and driving innovation.

A passionate, strategic and analytical thinker with a penchant for getting things done, Brad has led and acted as a key advisor to small, medium and large-scale operations.

In addition to leading the team at CED and serving on the Board of Directors, Brad is also the CEO of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund and Board member of the Calgary Film Centre Ltd.. He is also a former Board member and advisor to Data for Good, a national volunteer organization that focuses on supporting their communities through the use of data.  

In January 2023, Brad was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee medal in recognition of his track record of leadership and contributions to the province.

Jyoti Gondek was sworn in as Calgary's 37th mayor and the first woman to be elected to this role on October 25, 2021.

Prior to being elected as mayor, she served as city councillor for Ward 3 from 2017 to 2021. She holds a Ph.D. in urban sociology, and an M.A. in organizational sociology.

Throughout her career, Mayor Gondek has taken a big picture approach to pressing challenges. Often, she has found processes and policies exist simply because they have never been questioned. She has come to understand that by probing and chipping away at issues, we move forward with improvements that have meaning in our everyday lives.

Mayor Gondek’s professional background includes leading the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business where she examined the challenges facing Calgary’s commercial sector as property values in the core plummeted. She knew then that this issue would be a big one for Calgary. She also ran a successful consulting practice for 12 years helping clients in the energy and city-building sectors evolve their business models to fit a changing regulatory and economic environment.

Megan is a born and raised Calgarian and passionate champion for the city. Recognized as part of the Avenue Calgary, Top 40 Under 40 class, she is proud to be part of a community helping to shape Calgary’s diverse, prosperous, and inclusive future.

Megan and her team position Calgary for long term economic success through the expansion, retention and acquisition of companies, capital and talent. She has worked in economic development for 16 years and during her tenure has held roles in both marketing and business development; sharing the unique Calgary value proposition across the world including Colombia, China, the US, the UK and Japan.

Geraldine (Geri) Anderson is the Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Strategy & Strategic Alliances | Calgary Economic Development.

Over her 15-year career, Geri has earned a reputation for excellence in communications and policy advocacy in both the private and public sector. Most recently, she was with the Government of Canada as Director, Communications for the Office of the Minister and Special Representative for the Prairies, where she advocated for Alberta and ensured its perspective had a seat at the national table.

Geri was Director, Policy & Communications for the Calgary Chamber from 2019 to 2021. Prior to the Chamber, she held senior roles in communications, government and stakeholder relations and public affairs with TD Bank Group, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Navigator Ltd.

Geri earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Master of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).

After growing up in the Middle East and Toronto, Geri chose to make Calgary home in 2010. She is passionate about championing women in both the workplace and politics and wants to ensure her city is the kind of place that welcomes new perspectives and the people who bring them to the table.