Merry Turtiak, MSc, CPHI(C)

Board Chair

Executive Director, Regional and Northern Economic Development, Government of Alberta

Merry is currently the Executive Director of Regional and Northern Economic Development within the Alberta Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Trade. Previous to this role, she spent over 20 years working in public health as a public health inspector, the Director of Environmental Public Health Science with Alberta Health as well as playing key leadership and management roles in emergency management, communicable disease and immunization and continuing care. Her knowledge and skills rest in the connection between the natural or man-made environment and humans, and how this intersection point may lead to health impacts for individuals, communities, the province and nation. Her education has focused on environmental assessment, law, risk communication and management and addressing scientific uncertainty and providing opportunities for engagement with all types of stakeholders to enable them to protect their health and quality of life.  Merry’s current portfolio includes strengthening a key determinant of health, namely economic status for all Albertans yet still maintaining a leadership and supporting role to the province’s emergency management agency, teaching and/or mentoring incoming public health inspectors as well as advising on how to strengthen community health via the University of Alberta’s Centre for Healthy Communities. 

Outside of the office, she tries to dash off to dive the deep blue sea as often as she can, and spend summers camping with her four fur-babies and family throughout the western provinces.