Meet the Board

Art Exner

Art Exner is Chair of the SRNET Board of Directors. Art is also a Board member of CANARIE and of the Canadian University Council of CIOs (CUCCIO). Art is CIO liaison to the CUCCIO Information Security Special Interest Group, and a contributor to the CUCCIO Leadership Development Program. As Associate Vice-President (Information Services) at the University of Regina, Art is responsible for charting the strategic information technology plans for the University to achieve improved business outcomes in an increasingly client-centric service model. Art brings a wealth of experience to the SRNET Board through his long-time presence in the Canadian University IT and networking communities.

Michael Barr

Michael Barr is the Associate Vice-President of Information and Communications Technology at the University of Saskatchewan. Michael has a long history of leadership and collaboration on both sides of the education sector. He has previously served as AVP ICT at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, as CIO at Mount Royal University, and as Director of IT at the Calgary Catholic School District. Michael is a board member of both CUCCIO and the CIO Association of Canada and has served on many advisory committees, including with CICAN and CANARIE. A committed lifelong learner, Michael is currently completing his Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) through the Bath School of Management, adding to his BComm (UCalgary) and MBA (Athabasca University).

Gwen Borque

Gwen Borque is Associate Vice President of Information Technology Services at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, where she’s served in a variety of progressively responsible roles over the past 22 years from programming to project management to Director of IT Operations. Gwen is a proud Saskatchewan Polytechnic Computer Systems Technology graduate who completed her Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies at Royal Roads University, focused on Leadership and Digital Transformation at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. She is also a Brigadier General in the military part-time as the 3rd Canadian Division Deputy Commander, with responsibilities of soldiers from British Columbia to Northern Ontario. Gwen has recently received the Order of Military Merit.

Jason Dunk

Jason Dunk is the Chief Technology Officer at Saskatoon Public Schools, where he leads the strategy and delivery of technology services supporting 29,000 students and 3,300 staff in Saskatchewan’s largest school division.
With more than 25 years of experience in information technology, Jason began his career as an Enterprise IT Architect with IBM Canada specializing in K-12 education before moving into senior leadership roles in public education.
He oversees cybersecurity, network architecture, and cloud services, leading major initiatives to modernize infrastructure and improve system reliability in support of teaching and learning. He is a founding member of the Saskatoon Internet Exchange and has contributed to provincial and national technology initiatives, bringing a K-12 perspective grounded in practical governance,
long-term sustainability, and equitable access to digital services across Saskatchewan.

Keith Fortowsky

Keith Fortowsky is the Director of the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) at the University of Regina. OIR gathers information and provides research, statistical and analytical expertise to support decision-making and policy development at the University. Keith has been at the University of Regina since 2004. Prior to that, he was a freight transportation economist at the Saskatchewan Department of Highways and Transportation. Keith has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan (1985) and an M.Sc. in Agricultural & Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota (2004), where his studies focused on innovation and supply chains.

Jason Hlady

Jason Hlady is the Director of Research, Library and Data Centre Technologies within Information and Communications Technology at the University of Saskatchewan. He has over 20 years of experience in information technology, and has spent his career enabling research success at USask. Jason is actively involved with regional and national advanced research computing service delivery with WestGrid, CARL/Portage and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. Jason plays a leading role in advancing tools for research data management in Canada.

Ian Perry

Ian Perry is the Director of Information Technology at Innovation Saskatchewan, where his role involves overseeing the implementation and management of cutting-edge technologies, ensuring seamless connectivity, and maintaining reliable network infrastructure at Saskatchewan’s Research and Technology Parks. Ian is also a co-founder and current Chair of the Saskatoon Internet Exchange (YXEIX) Board of Directors. Prior to taking on leadership roles, Ian held senior technical roles focusing on creating robust, scalable, and secure network architectures for international organizations, improving productivity and safety along the way. Ian is deeply committed to improving connectivity in Saskatchewan. Recognizing the transformative impact of high-speed network access, he actively advocates for initiatives that bridge the digital divide.

Cheryl Schmitz

Cheryl Schmitz is an established and collaborative executive leader with extensive financial and administrative experience. Her practical and thoughtful approach to planning, problem-solving, operations and team-building are among many reasons she is respected and valued as a senior administrator, project leader and strategic advisor to organizational leaders, policy makers and boards of directors. Executive-level professional development, in a range of relevant disciplines, complements her CPA/CMA designation and business degree (with distinction) from the University of Saskatchewan.

Cheryl joined SIAST in 1995 as the manager of payroll systems and services. In 1996, she was appointed as SIAST’s director of financial planning and in 2005, Cheryl assumed the role of acting chief financial officer. She was appointed permanently to this position in 2006, along with a title change to AVP, Financial Services. Cheryl made significant contributions to transforming and positioning SIAST to become a first-choice polytechnic in Canada, and she currently holds the position of CFO and VP, Administrative Services.

David J Smith

David Smith is the Chief Cybersecurity Officer for ORION, Ontario’s partner in Canada’s NREN. At ORION, David is responsible for cybersecurity strategy including Ontario’s Cybersecurity Higher Education Consortium (ON-CHEC) and ORION’s Shared Security Operations Centre (ON-SSOC). Prior to joining ORION, David held a variety of senior roles in the technology and networking space. He has developed telecom infrastructure for data and wireless communications, smartphone technologies, and strategies for connected and autonomous vehicles. David holds both an MASc and BASc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo. He is a Chartered Director (C.Dir), and has board experience in both publicly traded and private sector corporations. He has also completed training in the financial management of non-profits. In 2023 David was co-author of a university/college textbook entitled “Cybersecurity in Canada: Operations, Investigations and Protection”.

Chad Coller

Chad Coller is the President & CEO of SRNet. Chad’s career in IT spans over twenty-five years, with twelve spent in higher education at the University of Saskatchewan. Prior to SRNet, Chad served USask as the Director of Academic and Research Technologies, developing and executing technology strategies to support the teaching and research missions of the university. Chad served on the SRNET board from 2013 until his appointment as President & CEO, and was the board chair from 2015 – 2019. Chad has an MSc in Information Security from the University of London, and a BSc in Computer Science (Hon) from the University of Saskatchewan.