Tina Gargan, Chairperson
Tina was raised in Fort Providence by her maternal grandparents. She spent a lot of her childhood out on the land, which instilled in her strong traditional values and respect for the land. While Dene Zhatie is her second language, she has developed some fluency in it and uses her traditional language as often as she can. Tina takes pride in living a clean, sober and spiritual lifestyle for over 20 years, and modeling healthy parenting for her children.
Tina graduated high school and earned a diploma in Aboriginal Addictions Counselling. She has spent many years in municipal leadership, and has served as President for both the Status of Women Council and the NWT Association of Communities, all of which have prepared her well for the position of Chairperson. Tina is currently employed by the GNWT in community corrections. She is grateful to the DLUPC for considering her for the role of Chairperson, and is looking forward to working with the other Committee members to complete the Dehcho Land Use Plan.
Allen Bouvier, Secretary Treasurer
Dehcho First Nations Representative
Allen Bouvier was born in Fort Providence and graduated from high school in Fort Smith. He loves the land and has made it his career. He was in the second graduating class from the Renewable Resource Technology program in Thebacha College. With this training, he was hired by Renewable Resources Department, GNWT and worked in habitat management and preparing for the transfer of the forest management program from Canada. In 1986, he transferred to Economic Development and Tourism Department, GNWT and took training in renewable resource development in Calgary and helped start various projects in the NWT and Nunavut. When Evergreen Forestry started in the 1990’s, he spent his summers as base manager and in winter, he helped set up and work for the Fort Providence Renewable Resource Management Board. From 2007 to 2015, he was the land and resources manager for Liidlii Kue First Nation. In his spare time, he tracks down historical stories and photographs about Dehcho people and the land.
Ramona Pearson, Vice-Chair
Dehcho First Nations Representative
Ramona was appointed to the Dehcho Land Use Planning Committee in April 2024, as one of the two members for Dehcho First Nations. She is Vice-Chair of the Committee. Ramona is also Assistant Negotiator for Dehcho First Nations. Her dual role gives her insights into the linkages and overlapping discussions between land use planning and negotiations on the Dehcho Process.
Michael Roesch, Director
Government of Canada Representative
Michael was appointed to the Dehcho Land Use Planning Committee in April 2024 as the Government of Canada Representative. He is a Senior Program Manager with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and lives in Yellowknife.
Gina Ridgely, Director
Government of the Northwest Territories Representative
Gina Ridgely was appointed as the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Representative on the Dehcho Land Use Planning Committee in 2021.
Gina has called the north ‘home’ since 2001 when she moved to Inuvik to begin her northern career as an Integrated Management Planner with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Gina spent three years providing support to the Beaufort Sea Integrated Management Planning Initiative. In 2004 Gina moved to Yellowknife and spent the majority of the following decade working for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada to advance and support the Protected Areas Strategy programme. During her time with the federal government Gina also had the opportunity to work on supporting the development and review of regional land use plans.
In April of 2014 Gina joined the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Lands where she was the Manager, Sustainability. Since 2019 Gina has been the Director, Land Use and Sustainability with the Department of Environment and Climate Change (formerly Department of Lands).
Outside of work Gina is an active participant in local community theatre. She also enjoys walking her dogs, kayaking and spending time at the family cabin relaxing with her family.