Board of Directors

Mike Parker has been a first responder since 1992, volunteering in his local community of Coaldale, Alberta. He went on to work in the private ambulance industry in Andrew, Lamont, Morinville and Athabasca, before moving to Edmonton in 1996. He graduated as a paramedic in 1999.

He has been involved in the labour movement for many years, serving as a steward and as vice-president of his local with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). He became a member of HSAA in 2009 and served on the board before being elected as Vice-President in 2015. The following year, he became President. Mike has always been a strong proponent of the role of unions in protecting the rights of citizens and of the public sector in providing vital services.

Mike has also served as a volunteer with Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT), providing emergency assistance after disasters in the Philippines, Pakistan and Nepal. He has been recognized by the Governor General of Canada with the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers for embodying the caring country we hope to build, and the Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal for his more than 20 years of setting a high level of conduct while providing pre-hospital emergency aide.

As HSAA’s President, Mike is committed to helping Local Units create the conditions to ensure greater member engagement, knowing that we are all stronger when we work together.

Trudy Thomson has been a laboratory technologist for 40 years and has been a member of HSAA for nearly all of that time. She has worked in a variety of lab departments including hematology, chemistry, transfusion medicine and microbiology, with most of her career spent in Red Deer. Originally from Saskatchewan, she has strong social-justice roots. She has been an elected board member of HSAA for 10 years and has served on several committees. She is currently the elected vice-president. She also acted as project co-ordinator for the construction of HSAA’s new Edmonton headquarters, which was completed in January 2016. She’s married to Doug, has three children and one grandchild and likes to travel, walk and run – she completed her fifth half-marathon the day before taking office as VP.