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Overview Sucker Creek First Nation: Business Development Corporation

Sucker Creek First Nation: Business Development Corp. (SCFN-BDC) is the economic development and investment arm of Sucker Creek First Nation (SCFN), a Cree Treaty 8 Nation located on the southwestern shore of Lesser Slave Lake near Enilda, Alberta. SCFN-BDC is wholly owned by SCFN and operates at arm’s length from Chief and Council to generate sustainable, long-term economic prosperity for Members.

SCFN-BDC manages and develops a diversified portfolio across key sectors, including:

- Energy and natural resources
- Infrastructure and utilities
- Real estate and commercial development
- Agriculture and environmental services
- Retail and community-based enterprises The organization is focused on:
- Building own-source revenue streams
- Create meaningful employment and employment opportunities for Nation members
- Advancing economic sovereignty and self-determination
- Establishing strategic partnerships with industry leaders
- Delivering intergenerational wealth creation for SCFN Members

Responsibilities

- Governance and Fiduciary Oversight
- Fiduciary duty - Uphold duties of care, loyalty, and good faith in the best interests of SCFN:A-BDC and its shareholder, Sucker Creek First Nation.
- FMB-aligned governance - Ensure adherence to the Company’s governance framework, including policies modelled on FMB, FAL and FMS Standards covering financial administration, internal controls, procurement, capital project oversight, information management, and human resources.
- Risk and controls - Maintain oversight of enterprise risk management, internal controls, and the audit cycle, consistent with FMB-recognized frameworks.
- Independence - Maintain the independence required of directors under the Company’s by-laws and governance policies, including disclosure and management of conflicts of interest.
- Strategic Leadership
- Long-term planning - Approve and periodically review the Company’s long-term strategic plan, business objectives, and annual operating plan.
- Capital allocation - Provide guidance on capital allocation across the portfolio, ensuring decisions are evaluated on commercial merit and community benefit.
- Major transactions - Evaluate and approve major investments, joint ventures, acquisitions, divestitures, and financings consistent with delegated authority limits.
- Alignment - Ensure alignment between commercial objectives and SCFN community priorities, including employment, training, and revenue distribution.
- Financial Stewardship
- Budgets and statements - Review and approve annual budgets, multi-year financial plans, capital plans, and audited annual financial statements.




- Financial monitoring - Monitor financial performance, liquidity, solvency, debt service, and return on investment against approved benchmarks.
- Lender relations - Oversee compliance with lender covenants and reporting requirements (FNFA, FNBC, BDC, EDC, and commercial banks), and prudent oversight of debt structures, financing arrangements, and partnership economics.
- Audit oversight - Recommend the appointment of the external auditor; review the annual audit plan and management letter; ensure timely remediation of any findings.
- Investment and Project Oversight
- Investment discipline - Assess business cases, feasibility studies, and investment proposals against documented investment criteria.
- Sector insight - Provide insight on infrastructure, energy, agriculture, real estate, and industrial development opportunities relevant to the SCFN:A-BDC portfolio.
- Execution risk - Oversee execution risks related to large-scale capital projects, including procurement, contracting, and major project delivery.
- CEO and Management Oversight
- Executive selection - Recruit, appoint, evaluate, and - when necessary - replace the Chief Executive Officer.
- Performance and compensation - Set annual performance objectives for the CEO, conduct a formal annual review, and oversee executive compensation.
- Mentorship - Provide strategic counsel and mentorship to the executive leadership team without engaging in day-to-day operations.
- Succession- Ensure succession plans are in place for the CEO and other senior leadership positions.
- Stakeholder and Community Alignment
- SCFN values - Respect and integrate Sucker Creek First Nation values, traditions, governance protocols, and Treaty 8 rights in Board decision-making.
- Transparency - Ensure transparent and accountable reporting to Chief and Council and, where appropriate, to Members.
- Community benefit - Support economic initiatives that deliver measurable community benefit, including employment, training, procurement opportunities, and revenue distribution.
- External relations - Support constructive relationships with industry partners, government, lenders, and Indigenous institutions - without compromising the Company’s arm’s-length independence.

Experience

SCFN-BDC is seeking Directors with expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Energy and Natural Resources (oil and gas, power generation,



renewables)
- Infrastructure and major projects
- Private equity and investment management
- Corporate finance, accounting, and/or capital markets
- Indigenous economic development
- Legal, regulatory, and governance
- Real estate development
- Industrial or manufacturing operations
- Agriculture and environmental services

Qualifications

Required

- Minimum 10-15 years of senior leadership experience (C-suite, Partner, or equivalent).
- Demonstrated experience in capital allocation and strategic decision-making.
- Solid understanding of financial statements, valuation, and investment structuring.
- Sound judgment, financial literacy, and the ability to interpret financial statements at a level consistent with FMB Finance and Audit Committee expectations.
- High personal and professional integrity, with no record that would bring the Company or Nation into disrepute.
- Willingness to undergo a criminal record check and to sign the Company’s confidentiality, conflict-of-interest, and code-of-conduct declarations.
- Ability to commit the time required, including preparation, attendance, and travel for in-person meetings.

Preferred

- Prior Board or governance experience, particularly with Indigenous-owned enterprises, economic development corporations, or comparable entities.
- Sector expertise relevant to the SCFNBDC portfolio (energy, infrastructure, agriculture, real estate, finance).
- Experience structuring or managing joint ventures, impact-benefit agreements, or major commercial contracts.
- Experience working with FNFA, FNBC, BDC, EDC, commercial lenders, or institutional investors.
- ICD.D, GCB.D, CPA, or equivalent governance or financial designation, or a willingness to obtain governance training within 12 months of appointment.
- High degree of cultural awareness; experience working with Indigenous organizations or governments is a strong asset.

Board Compensation

Time Commitment

- Quarterly Board meetings (in-person and/or virtual), plus an annual strategic planning retreat.
- Committee participation (Audit and Finance, Governance and HR, Investment, or Risk and Safety).
- Ad-hoc meetings for major transactions, financings, or strategic initiatives.
- Estimated commitment: 50-75 hours annually, including preparation.
- Hybrid format: most meetings held virtually; in-person meetings held in Enilda or High Prairie, Alberta.

Compensation

- Annual honorarium benchmarked to comparable Indigenous economic development corporations.
- Committee and Chair stipends, where applicable.
- Reimbursement of travel and related expenses in accordance with Company policy.

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Enilda, AB

📌 Board of Directors for SCFN's Economic Development Corporation (Calgary)
🏢 Sucker Creek First Nation
📍 Calgary