Shareholder/Employee Bios

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1. David Dorward CMA CA (President)

David Dorward founded the GO Centre, which soon will provide much-needed space for Edmonton youth to engage in basketball, gymnastics, volleyball and numerous other sports. He also is the principal owner of Dorward & Company Chartered Accountants. Father of four, grandfather of eight, graduate of Nait and the University of Alberta, the Energy President is a former basketball coach and referee, past president of the Edmonton Crippled Children’s Fund and a former candidate for the provincial Conservatives in the Edmonton constituency of Gold Bar. David, Paul Sir and their friend founded the Edmonton Grads Youth Basketball Club, Edmonton’s first club basketball program.

"Youth in the city of Edmonton need to be given a vision of what their opportunities might be after they play basketball at the school level," he says. "The success of our Energy players in reaching for dreams helps show all youngsters that their future is as big as they choose to make it."

2. Paul Sir (Head Coach)

Paul Sir’s first year as head coach and general manager of Edmonton’s International Basketball League franchise (2008) was a major success on the floor. He led an expansion team to 13 wins and nine losses, then they created an upset and moved all the way to the league semi-finals before being eliminated. Those familiar with Sir’s record were not surprised.

Paul showed great promise at high school in Iowa, being named to the all-state team. He was also recognized as a Catholic High School All-America. Before embarking on a lengthy professional career overseas, he earned a berth in the Winona State University Hall of Fame as a player. While starring in Belgium, he was named league MVP on one occasion.

Now the executive director of Basketball Alberta, Sir has spent more than 20 years as a coach in North America. Provincial and state titles occupy a lot of space on his record.

As head coach of the Concordia Thunder of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, Sir has them ranked among the top 10 in Canada with about half a season to go. Two sons, Sam and Ethan, are part of the team. Another son, Steve, set several NCAA three-point shooting records before graduating from Northern Arizona University. Steve plays in Switzerland and hopes to return for at least part of the upcoming season here with the Energy.

"We were good last year," the coach recalls. "We learned a lot about the quality of the IBL and we think those lessons will help us to be better this season. "Our goal is to win the title -- nothing less -- and it’s certainly within our capacity as a group."

3. Chad Butler (Business Manager)

Basketball and at least four other sports dot the personal history of Energy business manager Chad Butler, a graduate of Bev Facey High School in Sherwood Park.

Chad played one year of college volleyball at MacEwan in Edmonton before completing Phys Ed and Education degrees at University of Alberta. From there, he accepted a two-year teaching stint at Kinuso, near Slave Lake, Alta., followed by three years as athletic director at a Whitecourt, Alta., high school, where he coached volleyball and basketball.

In addition to his duties with the Energy, Chad spends time with his wife and four children and operates a home renovation business while coaching a community soccer team for children under eight years old. "Many of the things that I’ve done seemed to lead me to the Energy," he says. "We have a chance to do good things for the young people, and I’m glad we’re moving forward with it."

4. Brent MacIntosh

This hard-working ownership partner is a fulltime realtor with Re/Max Advantage in the Edmonton area and an active supporter of the MS Society of Canada. An avid amateur hockey player and golfer, Brent was born in Toronto and lives in Sherwood Park with wife Sabrina. Brent says he failed to lift his basketball skills to the desired level, but he loves the sport and is absolutely overjoyed to be part of the new Edmonton Energy adventure. "If something is good for the area, I’m in favour of it," he said, "and having the Energy as an example for our young people is entirely good for the area."

5. Jack Payne

A Harry Ainlay High School grad and holder of a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Alberta, Jack Payne has operated Classic Landscapes, now on the southern edge of Edmonton, for 29 years. While creating his successful business, he found time to be the Basketball Director for the Yellowbird Community League for eight years. Now he coaches a midget girls basketball team in Ermineskin. Much of Jack’s spare time has been dedicated to working with youth. "It can only be good for basketball to be elevated in our community," he said. "Sport, to me, has always been society’s biggest weapon against adolescent troubles for our citizens."

6. Nathan Baldry

Nathan Baldry, a partner in the Edmonton based Liberty Security Systems, is the youngest member of the Energy ownership group. Along with his business, Nathan has attended Grant MacEwan College and the U of A where he is a few classes shy of a History Degree. A cousin of former Alberta Golden Bears star Ryan Baldry, Nathan has played basketball all his life and still participates in the Edmonton men’s basketball league. For him, one highlight was his solid three-year career at W. R. Myers High School in Taber. He considered playing competitively after high school but other decisions -- important ones -- interfered. "Basketball is a terrific game," he said. "Having this team and this league operating in Edmonton will have a positive effect in Edmonton and throughout Alberta for basketball fans and players at all levels."

7. Paul Keefe

Sport has always been important to Paul Keefe -- so important that he moved from Halifax to Edmonton in 1984 "because it was the best way for me to see Wayne Gretzky play hockey." Ever since his arrival in Edmonton, Paul has done his best to make sure that other sports get attention as well. He is a partner in soccer’s Edmonton Drillers and has contributed in a major way to numerous other sports ventures, including boxing. As a key part of Centum Elite Mortgage Corp., it’s beneficial that Paul has been involved in sales for most of his life. Among the major beneficiaries of his activity are Ronald MacDonald House and the YMCA.

8. Doug Peterson

Doug Peterson brings his skills and experience as a lawyer to the Energy ownership. Doug currently teaches at the U of A Business School. He also brings a long and strong connection to sports and the community. As a student at Brigham Young University in Utah, he was coached by Lavelle Edwards and played on the same field as former NFL quarterbacking star Steve Young. Three years later, Peterson lined up at defensive back for the University of Calgary Dinosaurs.

Brothers Brent and Greg Peterson also had great athletic backgrounds, Brent as a National Hockey League regular for many years and Greg as a defensive back with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. Doug remains active as a hoops coach at McNally High School and Vernon Barford Junior High and does the same job with a bantam girls team in Edmonton’s southwest zone.

"In my own life, sport has been so valuable that I don’t hesitate to help wherever I can," he said. ""I think what we’re trying to do with this team will make it important to youngsters in Edmonton and all across Alberta."

9. John Short

A long-standing commitment to Edmonton, both as a great city and an outstanding sports centre, brought Short into the Energy ownership group. He played basketball at Runnymede Collegiate in Toronto and left school early to become a reporter. The media journey has carried him to every province in Canada and many other parts of the world, enabled him to cover most major sports events more than once and to develop a firm belief that every community needs a vital sports presence to fulfill the wishes and requirements of its citizens.

When Jack Donahue was the head coach of Canada’s national basketball program, he said the same thing to his players in every pre-season, Short recalled. "He used to say ’If all we learn from each other is basketball, we’re wasting our time.’ This league and these players are not a waste of time. They’re valuable for a lot of reasons. "We all know how important winning has become, but I believe the lessons the Energy can pass on to Edmonton citizens -- especially young citizens -- means much more than any single game result."

10. Deb Crowfoot

The dental skills of Dr. Deb Crowfoot were extremely valuable last year and so were his contributions to the comfort of an Edmonton player. He stepped aboard the Energy bandwagon this year as soon as other members of the ownership group made their plans clear. "I can’t imagine being part of a better group," said Dr. Crowfoot, a longtime Hobbema dental surgeon, " it’s impossible to overlook the value that youth in the area will gain as this team succeeds and gains momentum. Everybody needs a dream and we’re hopeful that the Energy will help show everyone that fact."

11. Daryll Duplessis

Through his 29-year reign with Design Marketing, Daryll Duplessis has done -- very quietly -- a remarkable service for Canadian youth. He was in on the ground floor 15 years ago when DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Program) was introduced. His company produced educational materials for Canada that are presented to about 85,000 students per year. He sees the Edmonton Energy as "another avenue to encourage young people to live a dream and to see all the bright possibilities in their future."