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Energy expert to step down

Terrence McEachern
Northern News Services
Published Friday, August 27, 2010

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After six years with the Arctic Energy Alliance, the last three as executive director, Andrew Robinson is leaving the organization at the end of September.

NNSL photo/graphic

After six years with the Arctic Energy Alliance, the last three as executive director, Andrew Robinson will be leaving the organization in September. - Terrence McEachern/NNSL photo

Robinson isn't quite sure what he wants to do next, but he is planning on staying in Yellowknife. He said he's going to take some time off and "see what opportunities are out there." One opportunity he's considering is working as an environmental consultant.

"If you like living here, which I do, and if you have something that you know about, which I do now, you can do OK working part-time as a consultant. That's what I want to do," he said.

"I feel like I've been busy rushing around working very hard keeping this whole place going. And I'd like to relax for a bit, and then get involved again on the energy and climate change (issues), but maybe not full-time."

Robinson, 37, originally from Makkovik, Labrador, attended the University of Waterloo and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in mechanical engineering in 1996 .

He later completed a Master's Degree in Environmental Studies from York University in 2004. After graduation, he considered heading back home to Labrador, but decided instead to accept a job offer from the AEA. He said his choice to come to Yellowknife was easy, especially given that his master's thesis involved community energy planning for the North.

Robinson said when he accepted the executive director position in 2007, he already had in mind to only stay in the position for three years. He's officially done with the AEA on Sept. 30, but he said he's willing to stay on longer to help with the transition until another executive director has been hired.

Robinson said he's most pleased with the city's adoption - under the Community Energy Plan - the use of pellet-based furnaces to heat buildings as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Mayor Gord Van Tighem, who is also a board member for the AEA, said the city currently uses pellet-based furnaces to heat the community arena, the swimming pool and the curling rink, among other buildings.

He said working with Robinson for the past three years has been "excellent."

"It was really interesting working with Andrew because as a bright and intelligent person, to see him grow in his people management skills was very rewarding," Van Tighem said.

"When you come with a project management background and then you take on the whole organization, there's a growth period, and his was fast. It was really neat to watch him develop."

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