Patrick La Forge, BIO

As President of the EDMONTON OILERS HOCKEY CLUB & COO of OILERS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, I was fortunate to be part of an awesome leadership team that accomplished great things. Over 16 years together we invented and hosted the 1st NHL OUTDOOR GAME, in front of 57,000 fans at Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton and we led the charge to build ROGERS PLACE, in the center of the City of Edmonton. Working with our loyal fans, we also created the EDMONTON OILERS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION which has gifted $40Million+ since launch and we resurrected the EDMONTON OIL KINGS WHL franchise, winning the 2014 Memorial Cup and we returned professional baseball to our City with the launch of EDMONTON CAPITALS BASEBALL CLUB. During that time, I was fortunate to be a Governor/ Alternate of 4 hockey world-known hockey leagues including the NHL, AHL, WHL and ECHL and leading a business development program that was tops of its class in North America, as we sold out more than 400 consecutive Oilers games during some of the most challenging years for the fans.

During my years with MOLSON COORS BREWERIES, I rose to VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL while working in sales regions that included Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto/ London, UK while launching COORS BEER in Canada and MOLSON BEERS in the UK, Cuba and Taiwan and overseeing the importation of global brands such as HEINEKEN and CORONA beers into Canada. As the business grew, I had a leading role in developing the 1ST MOLSON INDY, Toronto; the CANADIAN FINALS RODEO, Edmonton; and MOLSON CONCERTS INTERNATIONAL, (which eventually became Live Nation) and on behalf of Molson Breweries; while in Alberta, I led special relationships for Molson with the EDMONTON OILERS, EDMONTON DRILLERS (NASL) AND CALGARY FLAMES.

In my development years, I was President of ALPINE CANADA ALPINE where we launched FIS WORLD CUP ALPINE RACES at Whistler and Lake Louise and launched the Canadian Pacific HOLIDAY TRAIN in support of Food Banks across Canada on behalf of CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY.

In business today, I am Managing Partner of LAFORGE Management Corp., a boutique advisory that provides custom made business development solutions for organizations who value experience and connections.

In the community I am very proud to have been a DIRECTOR AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD, EDMONTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (2003-09); Capital Campaign volunteer for NORTHERN ALBERTA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (2005) and NORQUEST COLLEGE, Workforce Advisory Board Member, NORQUEST COLLEGE; Fund Development Volunteer (2015-19) HOPE HAVEN WOMEN’S SHELTER Fund Development Volunteer (2000-15); PILGRIMS HOSPICE SOCIETY, Edmonton; Capital Campaign Volunteer and Board Director (2018 to present) and ROTARY INTERNATIONAL volunteer (2000- present)

Above all, I am proud to be an Albertan and very happy to be living in Edmonton with my wife and near our children.

George Brookman

George Brookman is well known in Calgary’s business and volunteer community.  He is a third-generation Albertan and was born in Calgary. Most of his early career was spent in the Real Estate Development Industry; initially with Manulife Financial and then later as Vice-President of Development for ATCO Ltd.   Most of this time was in the development and operation of high rise commercial and residential buildings.

In 1984, he acquired West Canadian Industries Group, Canada’s leading digital print and document management organization.   The company operates as West Canadian Digital Imaging in Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray.  In addition to his own company, Mr. Brookman serves on the Board of Directors of The Field of Crosses.   He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Calgary Flames Foundation and Castle Avery Hospitality Ventures.

As a volunteer, Mr. Brookman is the Past President and Chairman of the Board of the Calgary Stampede; Past Chairman of Tourism Calgary, past Director of Travel Alberta and Past President of the Downtown Rotary Club of Calgary which has presented him with a Paul Harris Fellowship.

Mr. Brookman has been awarded the Pinnacle Award for Business; the Distinguished Business Leader Award from the Haskayne School of Business and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Calgary Board of Education. He has also received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, the Province of Alberta Centennial Medal and the Senate of Canada 150 Medal. In 2014, George received an Honorary Degree in Applied Technology from S.A.I.T. Polytechnic.