Organizational Leadership

A team excited to lead the organization into the future.

EDA has a dedicated team that works hard to ensure the needs of the members and the association can continue to be met.

Leann Hackman-Carty (Ec.D., PEcD), CEO

Leann brings a diverse background across the public, private and non-profit sectors, with economic development as the through-line of her career. She spent over a decade as Executive Assistant for Community & Economic Development in the Office of the Mayor at The City of Calgary, where she developed a deep appreciation for the role elected officials can and should play in advancing economic development. Since 2009, she has served as CEO of Economic Developers Alberta (EDA), leading the province's economic development network and launching initiatives including the EDA Institute and the Invest in Alberta / Xperience Alberta publication.

Leann is also widely recognized as a leader in business and economic recovery. In 2014, she completed an Economic Disaster Recovery Project with 10 southern Alberta communities and Treaty 7 Community Futures (Siksika/Stoney), and spearheaded a community toolkit to help municipalities prepare for future economic disruptions. In 2016, she began working with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on post-wildfire recovery, including running the Wood Buffalo Business Recovery Hotline. Through her consulting firm, MYD Global, she released the Master Your Disaster series of guidebooks to help individuals, businesses and communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.

A Certified and Professional Economic Developer, Leann is committed to advancing the economic development profession throughout Alberta and beyond, and enjoys working with EDA members, stakeholders and supporters to do so.

Email: leann@edaalberta.ca

Nancy Toombs, Director, Marketing & Communications

Nancy Toombs is a successful professional with more than 25 years of diverse experience and expertise in corporate communications and the broadcast media. Her career has spanned a wide range of industries, including economic development, not-for-profit, high-tech, small business, broadcast media and the arts, bringing depth across strategic communications, public and media relations, project and event management, journalism, and media training. Earlier in her career, she worked as a broadcast journalist with Global Television in Regina, and has since held communications and consulting roles with Promoting Calgary Inc. (now Calgary Economic Development), Wi-LAN Inc., and her own practice, NTH Consulting. She holds a degree from the University of Regina.

A proven team builder, Nancy is recognized as a strong leader and independent self-starter with outstanding creativity. She efficiently handles multiple priorities, possesses superb organizational skills and exceptional writing ability, and values maximum productivity and ongoing professional development.

Nancy has worked in the economic development field for over a decade and understands both the current needs of, and future direction for, the profession. At EDA, she leads marketing and communications for the organization's flagship initiatives, including the Invest in Alberta / Xperience Alberta magazine, the annual conference and Ministry Dinner, and member engagement across the province.

Email:  nancy.toombs@edaalberta.ca

Janice Grant, Director, Administration & Member Development

Janice has a proven ability to manage shifting priorities in fast-paced and changing environments, which are skills she developed over a successful career in the automotive industry. She holds a BA from Queen's University, along with a Marketing Diploma specializing in Automotive Marketing from Georgian College, and prior to joining EDA she held roles such as Pricing and Margin Manager at PartSource, where she developed and managed pricing strategies to drive profitable sales results and identify performance gaps. She also spent time with Calgary Meals on Wheels as a contract specialist supporting marketing, sponsorship recruitment, and the development and execution of strategic plans.

Janice offers a broad spectrum of strengths in people management, driving growth and developing strategies. She is experienced in building strong working relationships with management and in fostering a positive work environment for team members. A creative individual who enjoys learning new things, including welding, glass blowing, and woodworking among them. Janice brings that same curiosity and attention to detail to her work.

As part of her role at EDA, she manages the organization's professional development initiatives, including the EDA Institute course offerings, and member services that support nearly 400 economic development professionals across the province.

Email: janice@edaalberta.ca

Irene Huisman, Director, Finance

Irene has been leading the finance function at EDA since 2019, bringing a steady hand and a deep familiarity with the books that the organization relies on for accurate reporting, budgeting, and accountability to its members, board, funders, and partners.

Over the course of her career, Irene has provided bookkeeping and financial administration services to a wide range of corporate and non-profit clients across Alberta. This experience has given her a strong appreciation for the financial discipline required to support mission-focused organizations and the people they serve.

Detail-oriented and quietly meticulous, Irene values accuracy, efficiency and clear communication with the team. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with family.