Biographical Note - M. Neil McCrank, Q.C., P.Eng.

Mr. Neil McCrank is an experienced negotiator and lawyer who has extensive experience working in the public sector. As a senior Alberta Government official (Assistant Deputy Minister, Deputy Minister and Chairman) for over 20 years, he was involved in policy development and decision making at the provincial government level.

Mr. McCrank was Chairman of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board from 1998 – 2007. During that time he was often involved in very complex, high profile and politically sensitive regulatory issues. In the role of Chairman, he was responsible for negotiating settlements and regulatory issues. During his tenure, he established a committee of First Nations and Métis chiefs and established a Community and Aboriginal Relations office to address energy development near Treaty lands.

For nine years before moving to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, Mr. McCrank was Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General for the Alberta Department of Justice. In these roles, he was involved with negotiations on developing strategies to address Aboriginal Justice issues. Mr. McCrank assisted in setting up the first Aboriginal police force, Aboriginal Court and correctional facilities in Alberta.

Mr. McCrank graduated with a law degree from Queen’s University in 1969 and was called to the bar shortly after. He has a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering also from Queen’s. He is a member of several boards including the Canadian Energy Research Institute, the Centre for Applied Business Research into Energy and the Environment, and the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy.