jason gordon, BOARD VICE CHAIR

Jason Gordon completed his studies in Civil Engineering Technology at St. Lawrence College in 1998. With 25 years of experience in Occupational Safety Jason has developed confidence in interpreting and implementing Health and Safety Legislation as well as developing and implementing Health & Safety Management Systems. From 2004 to 2014, Jason worked as an Inspector and Inspectorate Peer Trainer for the Ministry of Labour, where he received the prestigious GEM award for developing a provincial enforcement initiative.

In 2011, after investigating a serious incident in the Event Sector, Jason became a leader in promoting Safety in the Event Sector. During this time, Jason recognized that he could better serve the industry as a consultant, and, in 2014, he followed that dream. Today, as a Founder of ESP – The Event Safety Professionals Company, Jason continues to focus on fostering a safe work environment for all his clients and is proud to have an increased focus on growing Safety Culture in the Event Sector. Jason is proud to be a member of the Board of directors for the Event Safety Alliance Canada.

In his spare time, Jason enjoys spending time with (and BBQ’ing for) his family & Dogs as well as taking adventures on his motorcycle and ATV.

Scott pollard, BOARD Treasurer

Scott is the President of Palmer Audio Inc. located in Cambridge Ontario and has been since its inception in 1980.

Scott’s primary area of expertise is the technical design and implementation of large special events. His experiences include; Technical Director of World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, that hosted over 500,000 visitors to Toronto, as the Public Safety Planner & Manager for the Rolling Stones SARS Concert in Toronto in 2003 with 500,000 attendees.

In 2008 Scott took on the role of Director of Operations for the Inaugural Pemberton Festival and more recently became the Senior Site Director & Public Safety Planner of the 2014 & 2015 Squamish Valley Music Festivals.

Scott’s more recent interesting events were mounting the Opening Ceremonies on the One Young World Conference on Parliament Hill in September of 2016 and again working on Parliament Hill in 2017 Scott provided Technical consulting and execution of the Canada 150 Skating Rink.

Scott has numerous ongoing projects such as the RBC Ottawa Bluesfest, CityFolk Festival and numerous motorsport events across North America where he acts as Production Manager / Technical Director.

Scott’s experience in Production Management, worker and public safety planning provides him with a well-balanced view of all aspects of the special events industry.

Tina allmark, board secretary

Tina Allmark is a Senior Operations Manager with three decades of experience in live television and live production environments. At the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, she leads a team of media professionals with a focus on multi-camera television production. Tina manages the activities of crew and facilities for video production across multiple studio sound stages, control rooms, and digital spaces as well as supporting requirements for staging & lighting installations across the country.

Tina is the co-chair of the CBC Health and Safety Committee and is a current representative on the Environmental Lead Team Working Group, leading the organization in implementing and maintaining environmental practices. She makes a personal commitment to inclusive leadership by creating and fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace: one where all staff feel like they belong and their opinions matter.

Passionate about creating a culture of workplace safety, Tina challenges her teams to make safety everyone’s priority and work together to minimize risk. She has prioritized safety training within her department with the belief that knowledge and skills help to create a culture of trust.

Andrew Brodkin, director

Andrew is the Manger of Production Services at Exhibition Place, Canada's premier destination for conventions, exhibitions, events, and entertainment, providing oversight and management of the production services division and technical labour requirements for over 1700 events every year. With his passion for organizational growth and strategic planning, Andrew supports the organization with the development of specific procedures, systems, and reasonable practices with an emphasis on event and site specific health & safety. 

Working across Canada with over 20 years of experience in the live events industry, Andrew has held various technical and managerial positions that all lead back to event health and safety. Taking on additional roles as a health and safety representative and human resources administrator, Andrew is a leader in prioritizing health and safety standards and practices in the workplace.

A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Andrew started his career in technical theatre production primarily working on musicals, plays and operas before transitioning to managing all types of events and entertainment. His knowledge has been enhanced through experiences working indoors & outdoors in ‘found’ event spaces that required additional risk assessments and preparation for crowd management, emergency planning, and weather elements. He strives to educate and lead individuals and organizations in health and safety compliance and reasonable practices, as well as to be at the forefront of growth to the live events industry.

KERRIE BLIZARD, director

Kerrie Blizard is the Director, Public Safety and Environment with the Calgary Stampede. The Calgary Stampede is most famous for its community festival in July where it welcomes approximately 1.4 million guests over 10 days, but Stampede Park is a busy place all year hosting hundreds of third-party events including conventions, consumer shows, corporate and private events as well as agriculture and youth events.

With more than 25 years’ experience in tourism, hospitality and live events, Kerrie has had the opportunity to work in several roles including event management, guest experience, food and beverage, crowd, queue and traffic management and sustainability. It is this breadth of experience that has allowed her the opportunity to be a part of many high-profile events including Royal visits, government summits, conventions, and festivals. Her passion resides with events that engage the public and bring people together in celebration safely. Kerrie is committed to elevating safety practices and resources within the event industry and has recently joined the Event Safety Alliance Canada as a board member where she can continue to make a difference in this area.

DANIEL DOAN, director

Dan is an experienced leader with over 20 years of experience across public health systems, event safety, and disaster risk reduction. As the Director of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience team at BC Emergency Health Services, he leads initiatives focused on mitigating health system impacts, coordinating disaster response activities, and planning medical services for mass gathering events across British Columbia.

Dan holds a Master of Arts Degree in Disaster and Emergency Management and a Professional Diploma in Risk and Safety Management for Crowds and Events. He blends his academic knowledge with operational experience by integrating evidence-based practices to drive positive and meaningful change.

Recognized for his contributions to public safety through awards like the Chief Ambulance Officer’s Commendation and membership in the Order of St. John, Dan is dedicated to advancing event safety in his role on the Event Safety Alliance Canada board of directors.

He acknowledges that he works on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nations, and lives on the lands of the Katzie and Kwantlen Nations.

Shannon inniss, DIRECTOR

Shannon spent the first portion of her career gaining an extensive background in technical theatre production and corporate audio-visual. She specialized in technical systems design and onsite management until broadening into overall event technical direction/management. Throughout this journey, the consistent driving force was a desire to seek change and innovation in an industry with varying degrees of health and safety considerations. 

Shannon later transitioned into managing event operations for outdoor festivals which broadened her skill range and knowledge, from tents to propane and everything between. Writing extensive risk assessments, emergency safety management plans, contracts, and working alongside key authorities are some of the core job functions she provides events. She has also worked alongside professionals in the industry from around the world in an effort discover best practises and open dialogue for improvement in global standards. She has recently started a Master of Science degree at the University of Manchester Metropolitan in Crowd Safety and Risk Analysis.

kevin jones, director

Kevin is Odyssey Medical’s Executive Director of Event Operations nationally – call-sign Ops Kilo. Kevin is the ‘go-to’ Ops Man. His tenure with Odyssey goes back to the beginning. Kevin’s passions are in the tactical and operational event delivery. He is committed to crew, patients, and customer positive outcomes. 

“Working at Odyssey is a natural culmination of everything that I love to do – working with people, working outside and being the centre of chaos.” Kevin has extensive experience in risk management, emergency communication and event operations. Kevin’s experience spans from remote wilderness expeditions to large scale urban sporting events and multi-day, 24/7 music festivals. He has led event medical programs for many large obstacle course events. Building on a background in insurance and education, he is committed to evidence based decision-making and systems development.

Tony potestio, director

Having over twenty years of professional experience in the live entertainment industry, Tony is grateful that he has found success in an industry he loves.  He was fortunate that his grandfather, a traditional Italian folk singer, gave him the experience of live music from the technical side at an early age. After which Tony attended Humber College’s technical theatre program. 

Tony spent the formative part of his career at The Creative Reality Group Inc (CRGI). In which he was given the opportunity to hone his skills in all aspects of the event process from both the technical production and venue management side. Progressing from freelancer to principle, with years of onsite management at the Rogers Centre and supporting client events across Canada. Tony has been recognized for his preproduction in large scale events and festivals.

Currently, Tony is the Director of Live Production at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE). Having oversight over the technical production portfolio, managing the live technical production department and technical labour requirements at all MLSE venues. Including Scotiabank Arena, Canada’s premiere sports and entertainment venue that is consistently ranked in the top ten in North America, and globally, for live entertainment.  When not dealing with an event directly, Tony has been busy helping to develop site specific systems and practices with a focus on event safety and efficiency.

paul runnals, director

With a career spanning over three decades Paul is widely regarded as one of Canada’s premiere producers of major festivals, concerts, and celebrity events.

After starting out as a technical director for live events and festivals in Vancouver, he went on to manage production on numerous worldwide concert tours by Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, Dido, Prince, INXS, and many others. He is a founding partner of Vancouver based BRANDLIVE Management Group, where he led creation and delivery of the critically acclaimed Squamish Valley Music Festival from 2010-15.  

In 2012, he oversaw the creation and delivery of “Voices in the Park”; the first major ticketed concert event in Stanley Park which helped raise over $1 million for the Sarah McLachlan School of Music and laid the foundation for the multi-stage SKOOKUM festival that he produced there in 2018. Paul is the ongoing Executive Producer on the Honda Celebration of Light and leads all licensing and public safety / contingency planning for the event which draws 1.2m attendees annually.

He is a former board member of kids up front, and a member of the performing arts standing committee for Actsafe.

CINDY SYPHER, director

Cindy Sypher, M.Eng., P.Eng. is the President of Sypher & Associates Field Engineering Ltd. She is licensed to practice engineering in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Her consulting interests include: temporary structures, mechanical and structural design, fire and life safety, emergency preparedness, rigging, general public safety initiatives, amusement rides, risk management, machine guarding, and playground design and inspection. She has consulted to major fairs, parks and event promoters.

She is currently the Chair of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority’s (TSSA) Amusement Devices Industry Advisory Council and is the Vice-Chair of ASTM F24.80 Harmonization Sub-Committee. Ms. Sypher is a member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) North American Safety Committee. She is a member of the board of directors for the Event Safety Alliance Canada. She is the former vice chair of the CSA Z267 Amusement Rides Harmonization Technical Sub-Committee. She has developed and presented curriculum for the programs at the TSSA’s NAARSO Safety Seminar, AIMS, IAAPA and other industry associations. She has been a guest speaker at the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University and Humber College, Toronto, Canada.

Ms. Sypher also has 18 years experience in the nuclear industry. She has participated in standards development on the CSA N289 series of standards for seismic design and qualification of CANDU nuclear power plants. She is a former member of the board of directors for the Organization of CANDU Industries.

Ms. Sypher has been consulted to render opinions for amusement devices litigation as well as on general mechanical and structural engineering issues. Ms. Sypher is a member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, ASTM International, the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials, Amusement Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers International, Event Safety Alliance (Canada and the US) and the Canadian and International Associations of Fairs and Exhibitions.

Chris Kerr, FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER

Chris Kerr is the President and Co-Founder of XA, one of Alberta's most visible security and staffing companies specializing in live events. The XA Security division is a recognized leader in crowd management, mass gatherings, physical screening, and nonviolent de-escalation. The XA Live division supplies technical personnel, production management, and planning services to the live event industry.

He is a Live Event Producer and Festival Operations Director with global touring experience that has represented promoters, artists, venues, and service providers in nearly every aspect of live event production in locations around the world. He volunteers on the boards of several not-for-profit organizations and is the Treasurer of the Global Crowd Management Alliance (GMCA), the Learning Chair of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Calgary Chapter (EO), founding board member of the Event Safety Alliance Canada (ESAC),and board member of Kidzinc School Age Care Society of Alberta (Kidzinc).