Staff Members

Executive

Stephanie Autut
Executive Director

Stephanie Autut is the Executive Director of the Nunavut Water Board. She received her B.A from Wilfrid Laurier University and her Environmental Protection Technology certification from Centennial College, both in Ontario. Stephanie moved north in 1997 after accepting a 6 month teaching position with Nunavut Arctic College and that is when she was bit by the northern bug. After fulfilling short term contracts with the Nunavut Impact Review Board, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Stephanie accepted the position of Executive Director with the NIRB in 2000, a position she held for 11 years. Stephanie left Nunavut in 2011 to pursue new opportunities related to water management directly within the mining industry and regulatory affairs. Stephanie moved back to Nunavut in August 2015.

Ben Kogvik
Director of Board Administration and Communications

Ben Kogvik has been with the Nunavut Water Board (NWB) since its inception in the mid 1990's and is currently the Secretary to the Board and doubles as in-house interpreter/translator where he is fluent in both Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun. Ben holds management certificates from the Banff Centre for Management Studies and the Nunavut Sivuliuqtit Program with Nunavut Arctic College/Canadian Centre for Management Development (1999). Ben is a former teacher, vice-principal and teacher consultant and has served as vice-president and president of the Inuit Teachers Specialist Council for the Northwest Territory.

Wilfrid Bagley
Manager of Special Projects and Information Services

Sylvia Ekelik
Administrative Coordinator

Technical

Karén Kharatyan
Director of Technical Services

Karén Kharatyan joined the Nunavut Water Board in August, 2010. He has 10 years of water resources management and environmental inspection experience. Prior to joining the NWB, Karén was employed as a Water Resources Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Eastern Region. He holds a PhD degree in hydrogeology from the University of Avignon, a Master’s degree in Water Sciences from the University of Montpellier and other degrees in geology.

Mohammad Ali Shaikh
Technical Advisor

Mohammad Ali Shaikh joined the Nunavut Water Board as a Technical Advisor in May 2019. Ali completed his M.Sc. in Environment, Health Safety from the University of Sunderland, U.K. in 2015 and a B.Eng. in Biotechnology from India in 2011. Previously he has worked in the environmental sector in the U.K. (Arcus FM) and India (Arcadis), and more recently in the Environmental Department at the City of Guelph, ON. Ali's experience includes groundwater, surface water and wastewater monitoring, environmental assessments and reporting.

Licensing

Richard Dwyer
Manager of Licensing

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Corporate

Edna Porter
Finance Officer

Born and raised in Gjoa Haven, Edna has also lived in Yellowknife, Cambridge Bay and Taloyoak. Previously employed with the Hamlet of Gjoa Haven starting in 1996, Edna joined the NWB in October 2011 as a Finance Officer. She also previously worked with the Kikitak Housing association as Tenant Relation Officer and Clerk Receptionist.

Edna completed her schooling in Cambridge Bay and Yellowknife. She has also completed several courses in Office management, Financial management (Accpac software), and also the Nunavut Sivuliuqtit Program in Rankin Inlet and Ottawa.