Voting FAQ

Who is elegible to vote?

Only members in good standing are eligible to vote in Board of Directors elections. Each eligible member is entitled to one vote.

No. Honorary members do not have voting rights and are not eligible to vote or hold office.

No. Voting may only occur at the AGM by members personally present, as required by the by-laws.

No. The bylaws do not authorize proxy, mail-in, electronic or advance voting. 

Voting is conducted by show of hands.
Any member may request a secret ballot, which must be seconded. If approved, voting will proceed by secret ballot.

Each eligible voting member has one vote.

If there is a tie, the Chair of the meeting has a deciding (casting) vote.

Yes. A quorum of three (3) members personally present is required to conduct business and to hold valid votes.

Candidates are listed alphabetically by last name as an administrative practice to ensure fairness and neutrality.

By-Law Reference

These voting procedures are governed by the MPDA By-Laws, including Articles III (Election of Directors), IX (Officers), XI (Members), XII (Meetings of Members), and XXI (Nominating Committee).

2026 Board Candidates

President Candidates

Terry Brown Principal & CEO Okimaw Community and HR
Terry Brown, B.Comm (Hons), is a senior executive and board director with experience supporting early-stage exploration, project development, and land-based initiatives in complex regulatory and stakeholder environments. He is the Principal and CEO of Okimaw Community and HR Solutions, a professional advisory firm providing strategic, workforce, and organizational support to governments and private sector proponents. Terry has worked extensively on front-end project development, helping advance opportunities from concept through feasibility by aligning land access, community interests, regulatory requirements, and commercial structures. His experience includes collaboration with federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous governments, and Fortune 100 and 500 companies across energy, infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, and other resource-adjacent industries. He has supported hundreds of transactions contributing to more than $500 million in cumulative economic activity. Terry currently chairs BUILD Inc., serves as Board Secretary of the National Aboriginal Trust Officers Association, and is a member of the Business Council of Manitoba, where he champions inclusive growth and economic reconciliation.
Cole Stocki, P.Geo District Exploration Geologist at First Mining Gold Corp.
Cole Stocki, P. Geo is the District Exploration Geologist at First Mining Gold, an exploration and development company located in northwest Ontario. Cole has boots on the ground experience supporting early-stage mineral exploration projects in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Cole knows first hand what it is like to have to relocate out of province to find work in his field, and hopes he can one day return to work in his home province. His leadership and energy carry his motivation to work with communities, industry and government to make Manitoba a top-tier jurisdiction to support mineral exploration and development moving forward.

Vice-President Candidates

MaryAnn Mihychuk, P.Geo MPDA President 2021 - Present
Active in the mineral sector and public service spanning 48 years. My geoscience career in the field includes work in Manitoba, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador. My experience includes project manager, co-author of a 43-101, mineral policy specialist, Manitoba Mines minister, president of the MPDA, company board director, and exploration company director and chair.

Secretary Candidates

Dennis Ballard Independent Consultant
Dennis Ballard is an Indigenous policy and economic development professional with extensive experience working at the intersection of resource development, Indigenous governance, and regulatory frameworks in Manitoba. He has led and advised on mining, forestry, energy, and critical minerals initiatives, supporting First Nations in developing mining policies, impact benefit frameworks, environmental monitoring programs, and community-owned enterprises aligned with provincial and federal requirements. Dennis brings a strong understanding of Manitoba’s mineral development landscape, Indigenous rights and title, and collaborative approaches to responsible exploration and development. His work emphasizes practical partnership models that advance industry certainty while supporting Indigenous participation, stewardship, and long-term economic outcomes. He offers the MPDA Board a perspective grounded in policy, community engagement, and sustainable resource development.
Jesse Steckley Business Council Manitoba
Director, Indigenous Education Award (IEA) & Work-Integrated Learning, Business Council of Manitoba. Key role as Program Coordinator launching one of Canada’s first Indigenous procurement programs at CCIB, supporting the federal 5% Indigenous procurement commitment. At BCM, launched one of Manitoba’s first Indigenous employment programs and grew the IEA from 100 to 533 awards—the province’s largest. IEA funnels talent from the largest expected workforce in Manitoba over the next 10–15 years: the Indigenous workforce. Focused on economic reconciliation per TRC Call to Action 92, connecting Indigenous education and employment with Manitoba’s corporate and resource sectors.

Treasurer Candidates

Kevin Gamble, CPA Tax Manager
Kevin Gamble has served on the board of MPDA as Treasurer for the last three years. A CPA and tax specialist, Kevin has worked in industry and public practice for over 25 years advising business owners on tax-efficient strategies.

Director Candidates

James C. Campbell Prospector
Past Officer and Director of MPDA.
Sean Campbell, P.Eng Business Development Manager at Sigfusson Northern Ltd.
With a wide variety of skills through my experience in site operations, estimating, project management and Indigenous Engagement I take great pride in being a Professional Engineer in the Construction Industry. My experience has given me a unique perspective and drive to do the best that I can for our organization and the communities that we work in throughout Canada. I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by a dynamic and robust team of like minded individuals and look forward to what the next challenge brings!
Cameron Holmstrom Founder and Principal Nipaawi Strategies
Cam Holmstrom is the Founder and Principal of Niipaawi Strategies. He has over a decade of experience in Parliamentary procedure and regulatory development. He has extensive experience working in the Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, and Indigenous Rights portfolios. Among his achievements was being involved with the development and drafting of the UNDRIP legislation brought forward by former MP Romeo Saganash, which ultimately became the UNDRIP Act (Bill C-15).He has provided in-depth federal, provincial, and Indigenous government relations services to his clients, including in the mining sector, helping them navigate and work with governments. Cam is proudly Red River Métis and is a graduate of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and a minor in History, and a Bachelor of Education. He is married to his better half, Allison, and is father to their daughter Lorraine.
Keith Peskoonas Lands Manager, Gods First Nation
My name is Keith Peskoonas, Lands Manager from Gods Lake First Nation. My community is located remotely in NE Manitoba. I began my journey in the Lands Department of my First Nation when I got hired in 1997 to work on TLE. I eventually took the Lands Managers training provided by NALMA (National Aboriginal Land Managers Association) which I graduated. From then on, I was tasked to deal with land issues within our traditional use territory which includes MELs, claims, etc. Manitoba provided an in-community prospecting training where I got my prospecting certification. Throughout the years, after Consultation, many junior companies have come and gone. To date, our First Nation has completed a traditional use area plan, a community plan and currently drafting an "Indigenous Led Conservation Plan." Gods lake First Nation has executed a Mining Consultation Protocol with Manitoba in 2025. Gods Lake First Nation is in a process of completing an Exploration Agreement. This agreement to the provided to each mining exploration companies. All these activities with our territory I have been involved in working with my Leadership, and will continue working on our Lands Department. I look forward to working with MPDA. EKOSI
Bob Southern Southern Au79
My name is Bob Southern, I live in Thompson and have been involved in mining, exploration, geology and prospecting for 45 years in Manitoba. I have my own company Southern Au79. The north has been built on mining and needs prospecting and exploration to continue doing so. The current systems in place for project advancement are broken and need to be fixed. I'd like to be part of helping to try and fix them.