PSPP Sponsor Board

Under joint governance, employee and employer sponsor organizations share control of PSPP design and funding. These organizations appoint members to the PSPP Sponsor Board (Sponsor Board) by giving notice to PSPP Corporation (the Corporation). There is equal representation of employee and employer groups on the Sponsor Board:

  • Four employee representatives
    • Three appointed by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE)
    • One appointed by the University of Alberta Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA)
  • Four employer representatives
    • Three appointed by the Government of Alberta (GoA)
    • One appointed by the University of Alberta (U of A) or the University of Calgary (U of C) based on a three-year rotation

The Sponsor Board’s roles and responsibilities are set out in the Joint Governance of Public Sector Pension Plans Act and include:

  • making and amending Plan rules;
  • setting contribution rates;
  • establishing a funding policy;
  • reviewing the Corporation’s annual budget;
  • establishing a code of conduct and conflict of interest policy governing its members; and
  • determining how much the Corporation’s directors are paid.

The Sponsor Board may delegate its responsibilities to the Corporation, but only if it is required in order to comply with the Employment Pension Plans Act or other applicable law.  

Employee Organization

Susan Slade, Chair

Susan is AUPE’s Vice President and was appointed to the PSPP Sponsor Board by AUPE. She chairs both the Women’s and Young Activists’ Committees and she is a Licensed Practical Nurse.

Mike Dempsey

Mike is an Environmental Protection Officer with the GoA’s Ministry of Environment and Parks now working out of the Lower Athabasca Region. He’s been a member of our Plan and AUPE since 1982 and was a member of the former PSP Board as an employee representative.

Mike has been active on the AUPE provincial executive and other committees, including those related to collective bargaining and political action. He has been an AUPE Vice President since 2013. Mike was appointed to the PSPP Sponsor Board by AUPE.

Jason Heistad

Jason is the Executive Secretary-Treasurer at AUPE. He previously served eight years as an AUPE Vice President and is active on various AUPE committees, including Chair of AUPE's pension committee. He was also a member of the Innisfail Town Council from 2004-2013 and served briefly as Innisfail's Deputy Mayor in 2004 and 2005.

Jason was a member of the former PSP Board as an employee representative and was appointed to the PSPP Sponsor Board by AUPE.

Alex Long

Alex is the chair for Membership Services on the NASA Executive Board. Previously, he ran a non-profit in Edmonton. Alex was appointed to the Sponsor Board by NASA.

Employer Organization

Dan Stadlwieser, Vice-Chair

Dan is a controller with the GoA’s Ministry of Treasury Board and Finance (TBF). Before that, he was Chief Internal Auditor with TBF. Dan was appointed to the PSPP Sponsor Board by the GoA.

Todd Gilchrist

Todd is the Vice President of Finance and Administration at the U of A. He was appointed to the PSPP Sponsor Board by the U of A.

Shannon Marchand

Shannon is Deputy Minister, Community and Social Services. He was appointed to the PSPP Sponsor Board by the GoA.

Vacant – GOA appointment pending

Sponsor Board Expense Disclosure

The Sponsor Board is committed to transparency, good governance and fiscal responsibility. As part of that commitment, the Sponsor Board discloses travel, meal and hospitality expenses of Sponsor Board members quarterly.

2020 Q3 Sponsor Board Expenses – There were no expenses during this period.

2020 Q2 Sponsor Board Expenses – There were no expenses during this period.

2020 Q1 Sponsor Board Expenses

2019 Q4 Sponsor Board Expenses