Priya Tandon, President
Priya leads all OMA activities and represents the association publicly. She is a member of OMA's Board of Directors and its Executive Committee and provides broad policy guidance to the OMA Chair. Priya joined the OMA following a distinguished career in the public sector. She embarked on public service in 2009 as a legislative assistant in the Minister's Office at the former Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, and soon became Chief of Staff to the Ministers of Natural Resources and Northern Development and Mines. She joined the Ontario Public Service as the Director of the Corporate Policy Secretariat at the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in 2015 and became Director of the Strategic and Indigenous Policy Branch at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in 2020. Priya brings a background in engineering and public policy to the organization. Contact Priya
Grant Karwacki, Director of Operations
Grant plays a key role in enhancing member relations and overseeing operational activities, including human resources, information technology, finance, and facilities management. With extensive legislative and regulatory expertise in Ontario's mining sector and natural resource management, he previously held significant positions in government, including Director of Policy at the Corporate Policy Secretariat and Senior Policy Advisor to the Government of Ontario. Known for his strategic and evidence-based decision-making, Grant is adept at building collaborative relationships with stakeholders and Indigenous partners. He holds a PhD (ABD) in Philosophy from the University of Toronto. Contact Grant
Kathy Downs, Manager, Labour and Safety
Kathy is responsible for industrial relations, focusing on key areas such as worker health, safety, training, and liaising with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. She collaborates with association members to advocate for policies and regulations that foster a healthy work environment. Additionally, Kathy serves as the Secretary for the OMA Board of Directors. Kathy has a B.A. in History from Trent University and a post graduate degree in Museum Management from Fleming College. Prior to the OMA, Kathy worked at the Ontario Museum Association, the Royal Ontario Museum, and Empire Life. Contact Kathy
Aynsley Foss, Manager, Issues and Policy
Aynsley oversees the Environment, Energy, and Innovation & Clean Technology committees. She also leads OMA’s economic research. Aynsley has a keen interest in Ontario’s critical minerals and how they can contribute to clean and emerging technologies. Aynsley originally began her career in mining at the OMA, and then spent some time working in industry for De Beers Managed Operations’ asset retirement department, before rejoining the association in 2020. During her time at De Beers, Aynsley managed stakeholder relations at three of their closure assets across Canada (Ontario and Northwest Territories) and South Africa. Aynsley holds an Honors B.A. in political science from the University of Western Ontario. In 2022, she graduated from the University of Western Ontario’s Mining Law, Finance and Sustainability graduate program, where she published two papers on the applications of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance standards within in the mining sector. She is a guest professor at Western Law, teaching Canadian Mining Law, Environmental Law, ESG and Critical Minerals. In her spare time, Aynsley competes in dressage, sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Sport Horse Association, and volunteers her time judging competitions and training young riders. Contact Aynsley
Adrianna Stech, Manager, Communications and CSR
Adrianna delivers a variety of communications projects at the OMA, including This Is Mine Life, which aims to encourage more young people to consider careers in the sector. Previously, she worked on developing and executing This is Mining, a public campaign to mark the association's centennial in 2020, the So You Think You Know Mining video contest, and other outreach initiatives. Adrianna facilitates alignment between members’ strategic objectives and OMA operations by crafting messaging related to the association’s vision, mission, strategy, goals and work plans. Adrianna brings a high level of international experience in strategic communications, government relations, public affairs, issues management, policy analysis, stakeholder engagement and corporate social responsibility to her position at the OMA. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Adrianna has worked for the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine, the New York-based Open Society Institute (George Soros network of foundations) and a financial consultancy firm in Hong Kong. Contact Adrianna
Kankshi Amin, Energy Policy Advisor
Kankshi Amin currently serves as the Energy Policy Advisor on the OMA team contributing to OMA deliverables and member objectives. She currently oversees the Energy Committee, co-leads the Innovation and Clean Technology Committee, and supports the Environment and Indigenous Relations Committees. Prior to joining the OMA, Kankshi completed a Master's in International Public Policy, specialising in International Environmental Policy and Human Security. She also completed an Honours B.A. from Queen's University in Sociology with a certificate in Law. Kankshi has a variety of prior policy experience through her work with several nonprofit organizations and through engaging in government discussions at a municipal and federal level. Contact Kankshi
Lily Segretier, Coordinator, Membership, Events and Operations
Lily Segretier is an administrative assistant at the OMA. She supports the Membership and Operations Manager, assisting with member relations, networking events, and operational activities. Lily’s role at the OMA is expanding to include support for the association’s industrial relations files, focusing on worker wellbeing and safety. She graduated in Interior Architecture, with a focus on sustainability and universal design, from Munster Technological University and brings six years of customer service experience to her position. Contact Lily