The NPAC Board

MICHELLE BERG: President

president@npac.ca

Michelle Berg is a photojournalist and busy mother of two. She has been a staffer at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix for over a decade.

During her time with Postmedia, Berg has received numerous nominations for her work and was recognized with multiple awards including a NPAC/APPC National Pictures of the Year award for her photo story on Indian relay racing and a National Newspaper Award for a team project titled Abandoned Saskatchewan.

Berg found her passion for journalism while working as photo editor and production manager at the University of Saskatchewan student paper The Sheaf in 2007.

In 2010 she graduated from the Loyalist College photojournalism program as a “triple threat” being able to write, photograph and produce video. She landed the Montreal Gazette internship where she excelled in shooting sporting events, like the Roger’s Cup and the F1 Grand Prix.

Berg has been resilient throughout the constant change of the news industry — known to bring a calm energy to a hectic newsroom. In 2023 she documented the loss of her city’s historical newsroom and printing press.

Passionate about photojournalism and its value in capturing both the story and emotion of our time, Berg remains steadfast in advocating for the continued legacy of this important role.

She is excited to be part of NPAC as it evolves with the changing times to help the next generation find creative ways to continue doing this important work.

MIKE DREW: Vice-President

vice-president@npac.ca

I started as a photojournalist at the Lethbridge Herald way back in 1978 and then moved on to the Calgary Sun in 1985.
Although I wasn’t born in Alberta – my parents had the good sense to move here from B.C. when I was less than a year old – this wonderful chunk of politically-defined real estate is my home and always will be.
For over three decades now, I’ve been producing weekly photo essays and writing long-winded stories about my forays around our neck of the woods – and quite a few places around the world, too – for my On The Road column in the Calgary Sun’s Sunday edition and the Calgary Herald online. I am truly grateful I get to share my love of our world with so many people.
Now in my eighth decade of riding this ball around the sun, I’m still discovering new things to photograph – and new ways to photograph them – all the time. We live in a golden age of photography, and I can’t believe my luck to be part of it.

DAVE CHIDLEY: Treasurer

treasurer@npac.ca

Dave Chidley has been shooting professionally for over thirty-five years, having worked at newspapers in Toronto, Calgary and London.

He is now a freelancer primarily for The Canadian Press but also for a wide range of editorial and commercial clients. Teaching, workshops and photography travel guiding has become a large part of Dave’s working world. He taught photography at both Conestoga and Lambton colleges. Winner of three National Newspaper Awards, Canada’s top journalism award and four-time winner of the Eastern / Western Canadian News Photographer of the Year awards.

Dave has served on several Board of Directors for various organizations including a stint as the WCNPA President.

CHRISTINA RYAN: Western Representative

west@npac.ca

Christina Ryan is an award-winning newspaper multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience in telling people’s stories in Calgary and surrounding areas. Watching a person’s eyes light up with understanding as they learn to master their camera and to chase the light is why Christina teaches in the Journalism Program at SAIT.
Recently, Christina went on a whirlwind journey to publish a travel guide called “111 Things You Must Not Miss in Calgary” with a colleague.
When not occupied with freelancing and teaching, Christina guides people in Alberta’s pristine backcountry, paddle boarding and silversmithing.
She lives with her incredibly understanding husband and has three beautiful daughters who have had to put up with midnight jaunts to fires and catastrophes as she covered the news.

CRYSTAL SCHICK: Honours and Recognitions Chair and Past President

Crystal is a born and raised prairie girl from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. After graduating from the University of Regina in 2012, she moved to Calgary to pursue her passion in story telling and photography.

Crystal graduated from the photojournalism program at SAIT Polytechnic in 2014.

She worked as a visual journalist with the Calgary Herald until 2016 when she began freelancing. Near the end of the 2017, Crystal accepted a staff photography position at the Yukon News in Whitehorse.

She planned to stay in the North for one year, but as happens with many, she fell in love (with the Yukon) and remains working/adventuring there today.

Crystal est une fille des Prairies née et élevée de Moose Jaw, en Saskatchewan. Après avoir obtenu son diplôme de l’Université de Regina en 2012, elle a déménagé à Calgary pour poursuivre sa passion dans la narration d’histoires et la photographie.

Crystal a obtenu son diplôme du programme de photojournalisme à SAIT Polytechnic en 2014.

Elle a travaillé comme journaliste visuelle avec le Calgary Herald jusqu’en 2016, année où elle a commencé à travailler à son compte. Vers la fin de 2017, Crystal a accepté un poste de photographe pour le personnel du Yukon News à Whitehorse.

Elle avait prévu de rester dans le Nord pendant un an, mais comme beaucoup d’entre elles, elle est tombée amoureuse du Yukon et continue de travailler et de s’y aventurer.