AGM 2025

Amir Ali

Amir Ali is a seasoned public sector leader and community advocate with over 15 years of experience in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and governance across municipal, provincial, and international platforms. Currently serving as an Adjudicator on the Citizens’ Appeal Panel for the Government of Alberta, Amir brings a deep understanding of policy, transparency, and fair decision-making to every role he undertakes. 

His career spans impactful leadership positions including Director Communication, Media Advisor to District Governor and public safety initiatives. Amir has led cross-sector collaborations, facilitated trauma-informed community engagement, and contributed to environmental safety audits such as the CPTED review at SAIT. 

A Certified Protection Officer (CPO) and ICS 100/200 certified emergency response professional, Amir is passionate about building resilient, inclusive communities. His multilingual fluency in English, Italian, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, and emerging French enables him to connect meaningfully across cultures and sectors. 

Amir’s global perspective, shaped by international roles in Italy and Switzerland, complements his local commitment to Alberta’s sustainability goals. He is deeply aligned with RCA’s mission to advance the circular economy and envisions a future where waste reduction, innovation, and equity go hand in hand. 

As a Director, Amir will champion collaboration, amplify underrepresented voices, and help drive systemic change toward a waste-free Alberta. 

Don Allan

Mr. Allan leads Waste To Fuels Inc. Mr. Allan has more than three decades of executive leadership experience, 21 years in the waste industry, and a thorough understanding of corporate issues including; debt and equity capital markets, strategy and planning, risk management and investor relations. Mr. Allan was the founder of Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. Cielo was the first company to take MSW, plastics, wood products and agricultural wastes and convert them into highway-grade diesel. Mr. Allan took Cielo public in 2013. Before Mr. Allan retirement in December 2021, he was instrumental in driving Cielo’s valuation to $1 Billion. Mr. Allan has sat on numerous boards, including the Government of Alberta’s Hydrocarbon Upgrading Task Force, Alberta Winter Games as President, the Northern Alberta Forestry Trade Show for 7 years as President. Mr. Allan has earned numerous manufacturing awards and was runner-up for the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur Of The Year” award. Cielo has decided to change its business model, presenting an opportunity for Mr. Allan to complete what he spent over 16 years building and prove the commercial viability of the technology that will be a game changer in the advancement of the Circular Economy in Alberta.

Mortimer Capriles

Mortimer Capriles has been the Director of Sustainability and Innovation at Goodwill Industries of Alberta since January 2018. His responsibility includes leadership of all sustainability projects, including sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement and partnerships.

In his previous role as the Regional Director of Sustainability at Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, his responsibilities included leadership of the sustainability program for the four resort properties that form Fairmont’s Canadian Western Mountain Region. 

Capriles holds an Executive MBA, a Bachelor’s degree in Geography, and several postgraduate certificates related to sustainability, environmental planning, and leadership. He also holds the Environmental Professional Certification awarded by Eco Canada and the Global Sustainability Practitioner certification (CSR-P).

Capriles is fully committed to diverting as much as possible from the landfill and educating the community about the positive environmental and social impact of reusing and shopping second-hand.

Sukhwinder (Sukh) Johal

Sukh Johal is CEO of Alberta-based Sapphira Developments, a decades-strong family business known for owning and operating five of the Edmonton region’s most well-run and community-trusted bottle depot locations. Under Sukh’s leadership, Sapphira is expanding on that success, continually innovating in their depot operations, scaling up their community impact, and establishing a growing presence in the commercial real estate sector across the province. Equal parts entrepreneur and advocate, Sukh has been instrumental in strengthening depots’ role in Alberta’s beverage container collection system, ensuring clean, high-quality material streams for recycling, and exploring a growing role for Alberta’s 220 depots in reuse and the advancement of Alberta’s circular economy.

Politically active and an engaged member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, the Igniters at the University Hospital Foundation, and the Alberta Bottle Depot Association Boards of Directors, Sukh is eager to use his influence, interests, and experience to support the RCA’s mission to advance the circular economy In Alberta. He brings a unique perspective — from frontline experience in depot operations to system-shaping governance and advocacy — that positions him to help the RCA advocate for system reforms, increase recognition of circular economy principles, and strengthen its ability to influence key decision-makers.

Sukh is a natural innovator and collaborator, and is committed to advancing sustainable enterprise in Alberta. He is a graduate of NAIT’s Finance program and lives in Edmonton with his wife and young family.

Clayton Miller

I was born in Edmonton and raised in Calgary and I have been reusing and recycling electronics for over 25 years – creating circular solutions before it was cool. I bring a passion for policy, sustainability, and business – with a particular focus on the intersection where each drive value for the other. Having had progressively senior roles at a variety of companies, I love by current employer, Quantum Lifecycle and I’m proud to work for an amazing company that creates value for customers and the planet. 

I was so happy last year to be elected to the RCA Board, an organization I’ve been involved in for as long as I can remember. However, due to board restructuring my initial term was only 1 year. It’s been a great year! But I still have more to contribute and I would value the opportunity to continue guiding this amazing organization for another term. I appreciate your support.

Mehr Nikoo

Mehr is a Senior Manager of the Sustainable Materials Program at Alberta Innovates. Her work primarily focuses on utilizing agricultural and forestry residues, as well as diverting plastics and municipal solid waste from landfills. Mehr has two master’s degrees in Engineering and over the past 20 years, she has leveraged her engineering and project management skills to advance renewable fuels and waste diversion technologies. She has commercialized sustainable products and has extensive experience as a process engineer with Stantec and Rally Engineering. Mehr has also worked as a research engineer and project manager for InnoTech Alberta and various start-up companies. At Alberta Innovates, Mehr’s expertise in developing, managing, and commercializing clean technologies benefits the province. Her connection with the innovation system and support for projects through scale-up provide her with a perspective on commercialization challenges and the practicalities of bringing ideas to life.

Kyle Plante

Kyle is an operations and sustainability leader with over a decade of experience advancing recycling systems and circular economy practices in Alberta. As Recycling Operations Manager at Vecova’s award-winning depot, recognized for leadership and customer service, Kyle scaled container processing, expanded diversion streams, and led a diverse team in delivering efficient, high-quality recycling services.

Currently completing an MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management with the Australian Institute of Business and certified as a Circular Economy Specialist through the Circular Economy Institute, Kyle combines practical expertise with advanced training to bring strategic insight and supply chain perspective to the boardroom.

His leadership is shaped by strengths honed both professionally and personally. With a Strategic and Futuristic mindset, Kyle sees opportunities to build new pathways for resource recovery. His Analytical approach ensures these ideas are grounded in evidence, while his curiosity and Ideation have fueled operational innovations. Expeditions across the Amazon, Llanganates, Red Desert, and Rockies have deepened his resilience, perspective, and creativity, qualities he also channels into adventure photography and his pursuit of Hiking Guide Certification with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.

Together, these experiences define Kyle’s brand as an operations and sustainability leader—bringing creativity, resilience, and systems-level vision to help advance a waste-free Alberta.

Jay Sanderson

Jay Sanderson is the founder of Backroads Reclamation and a national leader in developing circular infrastructure for Canada’s built environment. With over 20 years of experience in heavy transport, logistics, and materials handling—including roles at Halliburton, Mammoet, Bantrel and ConocoPhillips—Jay brings a systems-driven, operations-first lens to solving complex waste and recovery challenges. 

In 2020, as COVID slowed industrial projects and shifted priorities across the country, Jay turned to hands-on work to stay active—dismantling a family barn that was slated to be burned. What began as a practical project quickly became a professional turning point. Board by board, he saw what was about to be lost: old-growth lumber with decades of life left. That experience exposed a national blind spot: Canada is demolishing thousands of buildings annually—each full of recoverable wood and materials—with no scalable system to preserve them. 

Jay founded Backroads to change that. His company is developing the missing business infrastructure to make reclaimed lumber viable at scale: from grading standards and certified deconstruction crews to processing systems and market-aligned supply chains. His goal is to make reuse predictable, profitable, and integrated into the way cities grow. 

Jay brings operational insight to advance material recovery, circular supply chains, and long-term industry resilience. 

Shawn Samborsky

As the President of CORE Environmental and Recycling I lead an organization that delivers environmental solutions for various clients and sectors. With 29 years of experience in the environmental industry, I have developed a deep expertise in recycling industrial materials and waste management. I bring a focus on the manufacturing, energy, petrochemical industries. Our company develops valorization and recycling pathways that are are sound, responsible and beneficial. 

My mission is to perform high-quality, cost-effective, and sustainable environmental work that meets the needs and expectations of stakeholders. I am also passionate about mentoring and empowering our team of professionals and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence. I am a dad, a musician, and a travel enthusiast.

Andrew Telfer

Andrew Telfer is a Canadian leader in circular economy and business sustainability. For over 20 years, he has advanced programs and partnerships that connect companies, governments, and communities to practical solutions. 

He is a Director at the Circular Innovation Council, where he leads national initiatives to scale circular business models and build markets for reuse, repair, and resource recovery. The team is responsible for major projects, such as Circular Economy Month and the Canadian Circular Economy Summit series, as well as multi-year pilots that engage small- and medium-sized enterprises in circular innovation. 

Andrew previously served as Executive Director (Acting) of the Smart Cities Office in Guelph, guiding the conclusion of the Our Food Future and Circular Opportunity Innovation Launchpad (COIL) initiatives. His leadership secured over $1.5M in additional program funding, created lasting systems for circular innovation, and established COIL as a national platform.

Ernest Ugwa

My name is Ernest Ugwa, and I currently work as a Senior Engagement Specialist with the Government of Alberta. I want to begin by expressing my appreciation for the work Alberta Recycling does in advancing sustainability, environmental stewardship, and circular economy solutions across the province. 

I am here today to share my interest in joining the Board of Directors. I bring with me over seven years of experience in policy, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory work, where I have successfully led province-wide consultations, developed strategic policies, and built collaborative relationships with a wide range of partners. I believe these skills would contribute meaningfully to the Board’s governance and strategic direction. 

I also want to be transparent in acknowledging my employment with the Government of Alberta. I recognize the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity and avoiding any conflict of interest. Should I be considered for this role, I am fully committed to disclosing, managing, and recusing myself from any matters that may overlap with my professional responsibilities. 

It would be an honour to contribute my knowledge, experience, and passion for sustainable development to support Alberta Recycling’s continued success.