Directors
Larry Cousineau - Chair
Aimee Matheson - Vice Chair
Jillian Keller - Secretary
Chad Avis - Director
Gary Cousineau - Director
Andrew Hallikas - Director & Mayor
Joerg Ruppenstein - President & CEO
Board of Directors
FFPC has five independent corporate board members. The FFPC Board conforms to the Affiliate Relationship Code (“ARC”) with one-third of its directors independent from Affiliates. FFPC’s policy with respect to the proportion of independent directors is to comply with the requirements of both the Affiliate Relationship Code and the Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA).
Joerg Ruppenstein – President & CEO
Joerg joined the Fort Frances Power Corporation in the capacity of President & CEO in September of 2007. With over seventeen years of executive experience, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business including Operations, Engineering, Regulatory, Finance, Human Resources, and Administration. Joerg currently serves on several industry related boards and committees including the Electrical Distributor Association’s and Cornerstone Hydro Electric Concepts’ Board of Directors. Joerg began his professional career working as an Electrical Engineer in the Pulp and Paper industry specializing in Automation, Process Controls, Metering Systems and Energy Management. He graduated with a Degree in Electrical Engineering as well as a Diploma in Electrical Engineering Technology from Lakehead University. He recently earned his Chartered Director (C.Dir) Designation from the Directors College at McMaster University. In his spare time Joerg enjoys playing guitar, piano and coaching youth soccer, as well as various activities that life in Northern Ontario offers such as boating, snowmobiling, hunting, and fishing.
Larry Cousineau – Board Chair
Larry Cousineau, of Fort Frances, was involved in municipal politics for over ten years serving as a Town Councilor/Deputy Mayor. He became an elected commissioner of the Fort Frances Public Utilities Commission (now Fort Frances Power Corporation) in 1992. During his time as commissioner, Larry served as a director of Northwest Energy. He also served on the executive of the Electrical Distributors Association (EDA) Northwestern District where he earned the EDA’s Long Term Service Award. Larry dedicated his entire career to managing the family-owned independent insurance brokerage, Cousineau Brokers Inc. He volunteered much of his time chairing the Riverside Foundation for Health Care, which was instrumental in bringing the first CT Scanner to the Fort Frances La Verendrye Hospital. Larry also played a major role representing the residents and small businesses of Fort Frances in the 1905 Historic Power Agreement dispute that was resolved at the Supreme Court of Canada. With an extensive background in business, Larry held the position of President of the Chamber of Commerce and served as a Charter Member of the Business Improvement Association of Fort Frances.
Aimee Matheson – Vice Chair
Aimee Matheson is the Vice-Chair of the Fort Frances Power Corporation. Aimee has deep roots in Fort Frances, having grown up and spent much of her life here. After graduating with a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Toronto in 2004, she returned home in 2009 to raise her family and further her career. Currently, Aimee works at the Rainy River District School Board, as Lead of Capital Projects. She is passionate about energy management, holding certifications as both a Professional Engineer (P.Eng) and a Certified Energy Manager (AEE). Outside of her professional pursuits, Aimee dedicates her time to empowering women and girls through her volunteer work with the Fort Frances Girls and Women's Hockey Association. With her deep connections to the community and commitment to service, Aimee brings invaluable insight and passion to our board.
Jillian Kellar – Secretary
Jillian Kellar is a new addition to the Fort Frances Power Corporation Board of Directors. Jillian was born and raised in Fort Frances. She attended Brock University to complete her Bachelor of Arts before attending the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University to obtain her Juris Doctor. Jillian was called to the bar in the fall of 2017 by the Law Society of Ontario. Jillian then returned home to Fort Frances to start her career as a lawyer in private practice. After six years in private practice Jillian joined the Northwest Community Legal Clinic as their Executive Director. In addition to FFPC, Jillian is currently serving on the Fort Frances Nursery School Board of Directors and the Community Living Fort Frances and District Board of Directors. Beyond her professional focus Jillian enjoys spending time with her family, travelling and adventuring on Rainy Lake.
Chad Avis – Director
Chad Avis was born and raised in Fort Frances. He attended the University of Windsor where he received his Honours Business Administration as well as Master of Business Administration. In 2004, Chad returned to Fort Frances to work with his father Roy, at West End Motors. As Roy began to focus his interests more on municipal politics, Chad took control of the automotive dealership and other business interests. Currently, Chad is the owner of West End Motors, a third generation Stellantis dealership that has served residents in Fort Frances and the Rainy River District for over 75 years.
Gary Cousineau – Director
Gary was born and raised in Fort Frances, within a bustling household of thirteen siblings. He completed both his primary and secondary education in his hometown. His professional journey began at the local Pulp and Paper Mill, where he dedicated 35.5 years. Starting his career as a power engineer, he managed a 110-megawatt cogeneration plant, eventually earning his First Class Power Engineer License. This achievement led to his promotion to Shift Superintendent, a position he held for 14 years. Upon retiring from the Fort Frances mill, Gary accepted a role as Shift Superintendent at a pulp mill in Hinton, Alberta, where he served for three years. In pursuit of opportunities closer to home, he then moved to Celanese Edmonton, a company specializing in the production of medical-grade plastics. Over three years, he progressed from Shift Superintendent to Chief Engineer. Later, Gary took on the role of Chief Engineer at the Calgary Airport, where he worked until his retirement in 2013. Now retired, he lives in Calgary, close to his two children and three grandchildren, who all reside in Fort Frances. With a lifetime of experience in power engineering, Gary is keen to give back to the Power Corporation in Fort Frances.
Andrew Hallikas – Director & Mayor
Andrew Hallikas was born and raised in Fort Frances. His family has lived here for three generations. Andrew is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and the University of Western Ontario. He is an educator having taught Physics, Science and Mathematics at Sandwich Secondary School in Windsor, St Clair College, Fort Frances High School and Confederation College. Andrew is married (45 years) to Debbie and has three children and six grandchildren. He is a union leader and proud member of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation having served as District President, Chief Negotiator, Regional Bargaining Coordinator, Provincial Bargainer and Provincial Councillor among other positions. Andrew retired as the Head of Science and Mathematics at Fort Frances High School. He has served three previous terms on Council and is the former deputy mayor, and has volunteered his time on a number of Boards and Committees. He is a firm believer in equality, equity, diversity, inclusiveness and social justice. Andrew strongly believes that everyone should give back to their community in some form.