The Commission
Photo by Felix Willie
Meet the the Commissioners
Billy Dan May
Chairperson – Nominated by NMRPC
Billy Dan was nominated by his peers on the Commission to be the NMRPC Chairperson. He’s held this position for over 3 years now. Billy Dan grew up in Kuujjuaq and moved to Tasiujaq in 2012.
Billy Dan has had training in heavy equipment maintenance and diagnostics, rescue boat and small vessel operation; has his restricted radio license and is a certified Nunavik Arctic guide. He is also the president of the LNUK (Local Nunavimmi Umajulirijiit Katingajingi), the local hunters and trappers’ association. He currently works at the school 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 Nunavik Marine Region Planning Commission. He has held this position since December 16, 2009. Lorne was born and raised on a farm on the Saskatchewan prairies. His 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 fifteen 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 NWT 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 with his wife Julie. Their combined family of seven children and ten 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 Board of the NMRPC as a commissioner. He has held this position for 8 years. 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 Board of the NMRPC to be able to share his knowledge and abilities.
Susan Dean
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 is excited to join the Nunavik Marine Region Planning Commission in a role that promotes the wellbeing of people and communities in the NMR. She is excited to connect with Nunavimmiut and work together to create a meaningful and effective Marine Use Plan.
Janelle Kennedy
Executive Director
Janelle has travelled and worked extensively across the Canadian Arctic and currently resides in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Over the last 20 years 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 and 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 looking forward to being a part of the development of a Marine Use Plan for the Nunavik Marine Region, a plan that will represent the values and desires of Nunavimmiut and ensure the NMR is developed in a way that respects what the communities want.