"To me, it's critical that the aspirations of a people, of a city, of a province are set at the highest possible level so that people are really shooting for the moon. There’s nothing we can’t accomplish if we have a shared vision we care passionately about and want to achieve."
Doug Goss is a highly regarded member of the legal and business sectors who has made significant contributions to the quality of life of his fellow Albertans and Canadians. His longstanding work as a community leader has ranged from programs for children, to health and post-secondary education, to amateur and professional sport.
Douglas Owen Goss was born on April 3, 1958 to Ray and Maxine Goss, and raised in the Glenora area of Edmonton with his three siblings: Barry, Don and Randy. Doug’s natural energy and outgoing spirit led to a busy schedule of school, sports, community activities and part-time jobs that kept him in a virtual state of perpetual motion. He grew up a passionate supporter of his hometown teams and played every sport he could join, including hockey where he learned the value of teamwork and caring for everyone in the group from his father and coach.
When it came time to attend the University of Alberta, Doug had a clear career path in mind. In 1980, he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and then went on to study law with the intention of specializing in the corporate side of the industry. On his first day of law school, Doug met his future wife, Joanne Verschuren, at the Dean’s start-of-term barbeque. The couple married in 1985 and raised a family of three children: Amanda, Michael and Julia.
After receiving his Law degree in 1984, Doug joined the Edmonton firm of Bryan and Company LLP and established a leading practice specializing in securities, corporate finance, counsel to public boards and venture capital. He became a Partner in 1988 and then moved to duties as Counsel for the firm beginning in 1997. Doug has also earned a reputation as one of the city’s preeminent business leaders. He has served as a director or officer of numerous corporations, including Premium Brands, Translational Research In Oncology (""TRIO""), Mountain Park Lodges, VOXCOM, Rocky Mountain Skiing Inc. and Steeplejack Industrial Group.
Throughout his career, Doug Goss has maintained an extraordinary commitment to community leadership and volunteerism that has led to a long resume of service. While the list is extensive and varied, there are certain themes that emerge from his work as a community leader. For example, Doug’s lifelong love of sports has allowed him to see how teams can bring people and societies together to generate a sense of civic pride. Doug has made real contributions on that front through his service as director and chair of the Edmonton Eskimo Football Club, as a member of the Canadian Football League Board of Governors and as former chair of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation. Doug also served as a key figure behind two highly successful events that allowed Albertans to share their love of sports with the nation. In 2003, he was the inaugural chair of the Molson Canadian Heritage Hockey Classic, a memorable event that made Edmonton home to the first regular season outdoor game in NHL history. In 2010, he co-chaired the successful Edmonton Grey Cup Game and Festival. Doug has also offered innovative support to amateur sport through his work as a founder and director of B2ten, which invests in the development of Canada's elite athletes and coaches. He further supported Canada’s teams as former chair of the 2010 Hockey Canada Gala in Edmonton and various Gold Medal Plates dinners to raise funds for the nation’s Olympic hopefuls. He also serves on the Board of the Hockey Canada Foundation.
Another passion that emerges from Doug’s long resume of volunteer work is his desire to foster an enhanced quality of life for all citizens, particularly children. Doug’s many contributions to the overall vibrancy of life in Edmonton can be seen in his longstanding service to Fort Edmonton Park through his service as director, chairman and past-president of the Fort Edmonton Foundation, and as chairman of the board of the Fort Edmonton Management Co. Doug has long worked to bring the city’s history to life through this beloved community facility and was particularly instrumental in developing the park’s Hotel Selkirk and Blatchford Field Air Hangar. Doug also works to build a stronger city as director and chairman of the TELUS Edmonton Community Board. He has further contributed to a better future for Alberta’s youngest citizens and their families through the vision and energy shared with organizations such as the Alberta Centre for Child, Family & Community Research, Kids’ Kottage, Alberta’s Promise, Kids with Cancer Society of Northern Alberta, the Minerva Foundation and the United Way. In the area of health, Doug has fostered the success of organizations such as the Stollery Children’s Hospital, the Capital Health Authority and the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute.
One further theme that is readily evident in Doug’s community leadership is his ardent desire to ensure that current and future generations enjoy the educational opportunities and economic conditions they need to build on the province’s success. Doug has offered guidance to his alma mater as chair of the U of A Board of Governors. He has also played a role in the development of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, through duties as former chair of the Board of Governors and chair of a very successful capital campaign that helped build numerous cutting-edge training centres for the school. Other work to foster a climate of opportunity in the province includes membership on the Alberta Economic Development Authority, the Alberta Financial Management Commission and Alberta’s Securities Advisory Council. Doug has been a longstanding and active member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, with duties including Vice President of Finance for Northern Alberta and co-chair of the party’s 2008 election campaign.
Doug holds many honours for his remarkable service. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals, the Edmonton Outstanding Volunteer Fundraising Award, the Alumni Honour Award from the U of A and the Stars of Alberta Award. He was made a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International and named one of the province’s “50 Most Influential People” for 2004 by Venture Magazine.
Doug Goss has always worn his love for his hometown and province on his sleeve, but he has been equally driven by the belief that Alberta’s greatest time is yet to come. He has pushed himself to serve to the fullest extent of his abilities and inspired others to join him in making the province all that it can be.