Board of Directors | Travel-ING On Co-op

Board of Directors
Travel-ING On Tourism Cooperative

Meet our dynamic team! This is the first Board, elected in December, 2025.

Katarina Hugo - President

With a lifelong respect for Alberta’s rich, often overlooked heritage—instilled by her grandfather’s passion for northern Alberta stories—Katarina brings a strong foundation in culture and community development.

Early involvement on a political youth board and service as a campaign manager honed her skills in governance, strategic thinking, leadership, stakeholder engagement, and organizational management.

Katarina's career in public and nonprofit sectors has centered on advancing people, culture, and community initiatives across Alberta.

She has collaborated with elected officials, community organizations, nonprofits, and local businesses to drive province-wide efforts that bolster community identity, cultural participation, and place-based storytelling.

Professionally, Katarina has supported boards and committees with key governance skills: development of terms of reference and bylaws, ensuring fiduciary oversight, delivering strategic and financial reporting, and managing enterprise risk. She has organized and contributed to the building of annual business plans and multi-year strategic plans, emphasizing clear vision, mission, and values to ensure long-term financial sustainability—always balancing strong strategic oversight with respect for operational boundaries. This blend of governance expertise, public-sector leadership, collaborative board experience, and passion for Alberta’s cultural heritage positions our President to contribute meaningfully, and to direct, to the Travel-ING On Tourism Cooperative board.

Linda J. Pedley - Vice President

In 2000, Linda decided to focus her creative energy into writing. Pursuing online certification courses, attending in-person workshops and conferences, engaging in the local writer's community by attending the Writer's Circle and then as co-founder of an award-winning writer's foundation (Writers Foundation of Strathcona County), she channeled skills and learning into her craft. She has since published 9 of her own books and 100+ others for mostly Alberta authors who have a similar dream. She founded her publishing company, Dream Write Publishing Ltd. in 2019, and recharges her own creative spirit by helping and supporting others. It took 25 years since that focus began to finally retire from a 17-year "9-to5-er", where she can again focus 100% on her own journey. Other interests include drawing, painting, photography, sewing and designing, and Alberta road trips in her escape vehicle, Sunshine, a bright yellow Toyota FJ Cruiser. Side-kicks include Sparky the Chihuahua and Tiny the mini-Yorkie—the reasons to get up early every morning!

Applicable experience for my board nomination / application:

25 years on Writers Foundation of Strathcona County Board
- Co-founder of Society
- Hold position of Director / Treasurer
17 years with Alberta Federation of REAs Ltd. (retired September 2025)
- Business Management Coordinator
- Board support with reports, governance, policy development, procedures, etc.
- Cooperative association / Alberta umbrella / rural-based in electrification
15 years Dream Write Publishing Ltd.
- Registered corporation in Alberta
- President / owner / operational manager
Under development Alberta Authors Cooperative
- Established and registered in Alberta in 2021
- All preliminary paperwork filed
- Was tabled due to work schedule, but will continue in future

Joyce Aulenback - Secretary
(Founding Member)

Founding Member , Joyce Aulenback, is pictured on the right with Sheila Willis, our founder after receiving the Emerging Co-op award through the Alberta Community & Co-operatives Association, Nov. 4, 2025.

Joyce thinks that Alberta is an amazing province and since her sister (Sheila Willis) developed the former History Check App she enjoyed exploring with the information it gave.

One of her highlight trips using the app was going to Big Icons from the west to the east one summer and visiting museums and coffee shops listed along the way.

After working as virtual assistant for over 30 years Joyce is excited to work with the Travel-ing On Tourism Cooperative in its early days.

Vernelle Halisheff - Treasurer
(Founding Member)

Founding Member, Vernelle Halisheff, is pictured on the right with Sheila Willis, our founder after receiving the Emerging Co-op award through the Alberta Community & Co-operatives Association, Nov. 4, 2025.

Vernelle is a Metis woman that has worked in retail sales, management, and with special needs clients over her career.

She is an avid crafter and reader who has been seweing since she was a small child. She is currently retired and partcipates with several senior's groups.

As a founding members, Vernelle is excited to continue a a director, seeing the value in exploring small, rural communities and sharing their history.

Larry Chiasson - Director

Larry Chiasson has spent most of his professional life immersed in the world of broadcasting. A graduate of the Radio and Television Arts program at NAIT—earning Honours in 1985—Larry has built a career that spans multiple markets, roles, and countries. His experience covers every major department in radio, including Music and Programming, Marketing and Promotions, On-Air, and Sales.

Larry launched his career in Edmonton before heading to Los Angeles, where he continued to expand his skills and industry insight. After several years in the United States, he returned to Edmonton and later joined the same radio group in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His journey then brought him back west, where he worked in both Fort McMurray and Edmonton.

extensively over the years, he recognized just how much the province has to offer. This inspired his vision for a Tourism and Travel-focused FM radio station (106.5) dedicated to showcasing Edmonton and Alberta, spotlighting the people, places, and experiences that make the region exceptional.

Beyond broadcasting, Larry’s passion for travel—particularly to off-the-beaten-path destinations—sparked a desire to share the beauty, stories, and hidden gems he discovered along the way. Having explored Alberta extensively over the years, he recognized just how much the province has to offer. This inspired his vision for a Tourism and Travel-focused FM radio station (106.5) dedicated to showcasing Edmonton and Alberta, spotlighting the people, places, and experiences that make the region exceptional.

Mark Collings - Director

Mark Collings is television producer, director and an interactive media specialist. As a project manager, television producer and online learning developer he has had the privilege of working on a diverse portfolio of media projects. This work has taken him across Canada and overseas.

He is a graduate of the Algonquin College Film Program and the Centennial College Interactive Media Program.

Mark has worked with leading private companies, broadcasters, not for profits, government and educational institutions to create dynamic and innovative media products. Examples include the creation of Canada's first online language assessment tool, a television series for aboriginal youth, an innovative online course

for foreign students at U of T and interactive online tutorials to help newcomers settle in Canada.

One common element in his work is video, a medium that has become ubiquitous in the digital world. Whether shot on location or in studio to be keyed into a virtual environment, Mark has produced video for every application. He has also worked on the development of numerous software applications for interactive media. Many of these products have been for the e-learning market - K-12, university and professional development.

His broadcast credits include producing The Awakeners (AMI), Lacrosse Goals (APTN, 24 X 30 min, English and French), Le Petit Chicago (Radio Nord, 1 X 60 min, French), The Third Sex (CBC/Radio Canada, 1 X 60 min, English and French), Mere a Boire (Radio Nord, 1 X 60 min, French).

He recently wrote twenty scripts for a historic community series for Sylvan Lake. Past writing credits include Hometown Asylum (60 minutes documentary) and One Billion Barrels (45 minute documentary).

Mark is the Vice-President of the Historical Society of Alberta, and past President of the Central Alberta Historical Society.

Jacquie Fenske - Director

Jacquie Fenske is an educator, entrepreneur, rural advocate, a lover of food and people.. She calls herself an Entrepreneurial Strategist, interested in helping others turn dreams into successful ventures. She is a living example to others of what taking risks and following your passion can lead to - a life people dream of living.

Trained as a teacher, she taught junior and senior high school, mainly with Edmonton Public Schools but, does love to say, she ‘did time’ in the Drumheller Penitentiary…. as a substitute teacher.

She has served on the Strathcona County Council and as the MLA for Fort Saskatchewan Vergreville and served her province as acting Leader of the Alberta Party.

Jacquie currently serves as the chair for Elk Island Community Futures and is on the board of Silverskate Festival. Past board positions include the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions as well as local Ag society and sports boards.

Her passion in working with people, especially people who want to create a dynamic and thriving rural Alberta, and, because of that, a little business, Experience Alberta was created. She is a managing partner for her family’s business Fifendekel, a business that started over wanting to serve people a great milkshake to one that has evolved over the past 35 years to a point where milkshakes are not even on the menu. A new partnership and venture is the created on ThreeSixty Alberta, a media company that introduces the world to rural Alberta entrepreneurs and shares their stories.An instigator, a firebrand, and a motivator; Jacquie Is a valuable addition to the Travel-ING On Board of Directors.

Danielle Geddes - Director

Founding Member, Danielle Geddes has experience as a board member and volunteer with numerous non-profits focused on horses, community events and agriculture in the Hamlet of Smith and surrounding areas.

She is also an licensed Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) faciilator with a focus on community groups and corporated events through her business Hidden Harmony.

Trudy Smith - Director

Trudy is formally retired, but not retired, as her interests keep her too busy. She has spent 20 years on the road in sales and marketing; some of it selling advertising and some in photography. Her work on the road gave her the opportunity to travel across Canada and visit 40 US states, and at one point, she was able to spend four years living in her motorhome, with her dogs as her companions.

When COVID struck, she thought she would settle down. However, the pandemic brought on the need for fire fighters so, as a previous volunteer Fire Chief, she came out of retirement and joined the local fire department.

She thinks that if people figured she could put out a fire she could do anything and in 2021 she was talked into running for council in the Village of Chipman. For Trudy, being a councilor was a challenging learning curve, especially as working slowly is not her mode of doing things.

Where she found her niche was in economic development. Meeting interesting people, identifying new opportunities, and not being afraid to try new things was a great challenge - and fun - challenge for her. Having a great CAO enhanced the adventure.

When asked why she would like to be on the Travel-ING On Board of Directors, Trudy defined herself as a flexible, out-of-the-box thinker who sees opportunities all around her and she loves a challenge. Combined with her personal passions for history, learning and seeing new places and things she sees herself a solid candidate.