Energizing the future of governance

Kaella-Marie Earle still remembers the slideshow presentations her father, an electrical engineer who works in the energy sector, would bring home from work. Young Kaella may not have understood all the intricacies of the nuts, bolts and wires, but sharing those moments with her father made a significant impact. Today, Earle is an emissions engineer at Enbridge Gas and vice-chair of the Indigenous Advisory Committee of the Canada Energy Regulator, which advises the Board of Directors on building strategy for the inclusion of Indigenous people in energy.

She is also the recipient of The Directors College Chartered Director (C.Dir.) program’s 2023 Alectra Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Scholarship.

“I really am fortunate to have exceptionally inspiring parents who worked hard to get ahead, be involved in the engineering community and take care of Indigenous people,” says Earle of her father, who is Anishinaabe from Wiikwemkoong, and her mother, who is Anishinaabe from Aroland First Nation.

Championing Indigenous voices

Before Earle completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree, she was already defining her future career. While completing a co-op placement at Enbridge Gas, Earle hosted numerous cultural events and led National Indigenous Day celebrations. It made sense to weave her Anishinaabe cultural values into engineering in a way that would lead the oil and gas industry to a lower carbon energy future.

Earle’s commitment is evident in her roles on various boards and committees, including as a founding member of the Indigenous Advisory Committee, former co-chair of the Indigenous Inclusion Committee for the Young Pipeliners Association of Canada and former member of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s Indigenous Council of Youth and Elders.

“Indigenous nations are also winning legal cases against governments for not including them, not honouring treaties or going forward on projects without their consent. Organizations have a significant opportunity to reduce this risk and cost-avoid themselves out of these harmful legal scenarios by building relationships with Indigenous people.”

Advancing governance participation and advocacy through education

Now, Earle is formalizing her contribution to governance participation and advocacy through the C.Dir. program, which helps develop corporate governance expertise. As she completes the modules, Earle says the inclusion of relevant topics such as high-performing board dynamics, ethical leadership and strategic insight is not only practical but also helps her better guide Indigenous board members.

Brian Bentz is the president and CEO of Alectra Inc., the organization that funds the annual Alectra ED&I Scholarship. It offers Ontario-based racialized individuals the opportunity to attain governance education and certification by completing the reputable C.Dir. program.

“At Alectra, we are deeply committed to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion across the energy sector,” he says.

Earle, meanwhile, says the ED&I Scholarship proves that the energy industry, specifically, is beginning to understand the importance of including Indigenous peoples in top governance. This gives her hope as she views energy as one of the ideal sectors for Indigenous youth to launch their careers.

“The inclusion of Indigenous people and young people in leadership, because of the requirement for innovation, risk mitigation and respecting the rights of First Nation people in Canada, is so important,” she says. “The fact that I was able to get this exceptional privilege to be in the program shows me that’s the direction energy is moving in, and that’s important for people to recognize.