Meet the NMRPC Commissioners and Staff
Billy Dan May
Chairperson – Nominated by NMRPC
Billy Dan was nominated by his peers on the NMRPC to be the NMRPC Chairperson. He has held this position since 2018. Billy Dan grew up in Kuujjuaq and moved to Tasiujaq in 2012.
Billy Dan has had training in heavy equipment maintenance and diagnostics as well as rescue boat and small vessel operation. He has his restricted radio license and is a certified Nunavik Arctic guide. He is Executive Secretary for the Anguvigaq, Nunavik’s hunters and trappers association, and currently works as a Culture and Land Survival teacher. Billy and his wife, Lucina, have a blended family with four children. Together, they’re raising a dog team, and they enjoy spending as much time as possible on the land doing traditional activities. Billy Dan’s hobbies are really a lifestyle, and he goes as often as he can to harvest, hunt, and fish to feed his family and his community.
Billy Dan has traveled extensively throughout the Nunavik Marine Region. He cares deeply for the marine environment and Nunavik, a respect and love for the land and marine region that inspired him to become part of the NMRPC.
Lorne McNeice
Commissioner – Nominated by the Government of Canada
Lorne McNeice was appointed by the federal government to sit on the NMRPC. He has held his position since 2009. Lorne was born and raised on a farm on the Saskatchewan prairies.
Lorne’s first career was with the Hudson’s Bay Company. He went on to take Engineering at the University of Saskatoon and became a Commissioned Land Surveyor for Alberta and a Commissioned Canada Lands Surveyor. He spent 15 years surveying in the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Nunavut. In 1984 he joined the Surveyor General’s office in Yellowknife. He went on to become the Regional Surveyor for the Northwest Territories and later the Deputy Surveyor General for the North. Lorne retired from the federal public service in 2008 and now resides in southern Manitoba on a small farm. His combined family of 7 children and 10 grandchildren live in western and northern Canada.
Lorne is an avid hunter and continues to enjoy hunting deer, antelope, and upland birds in the adjoining provinces and states.
Joannie Ikkidluak
Commissioner – Nominated by the Government of Nunavut
Joannie Ikkidluak was appointed by the Government of Nunavut to sit on the NMRPC as a Commissioner. A lifelong Nunavut resident, he was born in Tatchitu and moved to Kimmirut when he was young.
Though he’s now retired, Joannie brings years of Board and political experience to the NMRPC. He was a member of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and was both a council member and Deputy Mayor in Kimmirut.
Joannie loves to hunt, fish, and carve, and was interested in joining the NMRPC to be able to share his knowledge and abilities.
Lucassie Kudlu
Commissioner
Information to come.
Sarah Lisa Kasudluak
Commissioner
Information to come.
Janelle Kennedy
Staff – Executive Director
Janelle has travelled and worked extensively across the Canadian Arctic and currently resides in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Since the early 2000s, she has been immersed in the research and development of the fisheries, sealing, and fur sectors in the North. She has worked extensively in aquatic and marine science, training, management, and policy development. Her education is in the environmental sciences. She has a Master’s in Marine Management, which was focused on ocean and coastal issues facing communities across the Arctic. She joined the NMRPC in November 2020 and thoroughly enjoys working with the Commissioners and the communities in Nunavik.
She is happy to be working on the Marine Use Plan for the Nunavik Marine Region, a plan that will represent the values and desires of Nunavimmiut and ensure the Nunavik Marine Region is developed in a way that respects what the communities want.
Susan Dean
Staff – Senior Marine Planner
Susan values the outdoors and strong communities. These two passions led her to complete a Master’s in Animal Science, involving research on salmon and sea lice, and a Master’s in Planning, focusing on the coordination of marine activities off Canada’s west coast. Her career has included marine research, environmental impact assessment, policy development, as well as marine and community planning. In addition, Susan was a Tactical Weather Specialist with the Canadian Forces. This role took her across Canada, including to the Arctic where she worked with Canadian Rangers during an arctic sovereignty exercise.
Susan joined the NMRPC in 2024 and is excited to be in a role that promotes the wellbeing of people and communities in the Nunavik Marine Region. She enjoys connecting with the NMRPC’s planning partners, including Nunavimmiut, and is happy to be working together to create a meaningful and effective Marine Use Plan.