Gary Merasty. Photo courtesy of desnedhe.com
A former northern Saskatchewan Member of Parliament is stepping down as CEO of the English River First Nation’s economic development entity.
Gary Merasty has been the president and CEO of Des Nedhe Development for the past four years. Former Cameco executive Sean Willy is taking over both roles.
Merasty will continue to serve as a special advisor to the CEO through the transition. He is being credited with initiating an independent board governance model to improve English River’s business practices.
“We are grateful to Gary for his vision and for bringing strong, stable management to Des Nedhe,” said Chief Lawrence (Labada) McIntyre in a release. “He put our businesses on the right path and prepared Des Nedhe for the future.”
Merasty says now is the time to leave.
“My goal was to strengthen Des Nedhe’s foundation,” said Merasty in a release. “I know we have the governance model, business structure and people in place for long-term success for English River.”
Willy has most recently been Des Nedhe’s vice president, having joined the company in July of last year. He has 20 years of experience in the mining industry with Cameco and Rio Tinto.
Willy is also a co-chair of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, chair of Northern Career Quest and serves on the board of the Global Indigenous Trust.