December 22, 2025
City Council has made five appointments to the Edmonton Police Commission for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2027.
“City Council has supported an open recruitment process which attracted more than 100 qualified applicants,” said Mayor Andrew Knack. “We are pleased that so many capable candidates applied to lend their expertise to the Commission, and welcome the successful appointees. Council looks forward to strengthening its relationship with the Commission and the Edmonton Police Service in our collaborative effort to build an even safer city for all Edmontonians.”
The appointed members are:
Karen Leibovici
Karen Leibovici is an accomplished municipal, provincial and national leader with extensive experience in public policy, governance and community development. A former Edmonton City Councillor and Alberta MLA, she has served in influential roles including President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Chair of the Green Municipal Fund. She has held appointments with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP and the Municipal Government Board. Recognized for her collaborative leadership and dedication to public service, Karen brings decades of expertise in strategic planning, labour relations and community-focused decision-making.
Barry McNabb
Barry is a CPA and CA who holds a BComm. from the University of Alberta and completed the Ivey School of Business Executive Program. He brings extensive public and private sector experience in corporate strategy, business planning, budgeting and financial reporting, performance measurement, enterprise risk management, information technology and facility services. Over his 35-year professional career, Barry has served as the Vice President, Finance for Alberta Innovates and Vice President, Regulatory & Controller for ATCO Electric. A lifelong Edmontonian, Barry sits on the board of CASA Mental Health and has previously served on several community boards, including Edmonton’s Food Bank, Wheelchair Sports Alberta, the Boyle McCauley Health Centre and the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Peter Obiefuna
Peter Obiefuna is the Managing Counsel at Arizen Law in Edmonton, where he advises on wills, estates and strategic long-range planning. He holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of London, an NCA Certification from the University of Alberta—where he received the Dean Wilbur Bowker Prize—a PhD in Human Physiology, a BSc in Biochemistry and an MS in Computer Science. His earlier career included software architecture and enterprise systems work for several Alberta ministries and private-sector partners. He has a strong record of community service, governance and public-sector oversight. Peter has served as a Board Member with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta and remains active in several cultural and community organizations across Edmonton. He brings formal decision-making experience from serving as an adjudicator with the Land and Property Rights Tribunal, alongside previous service as a Police Community Liaison and a member of the EPS Chief of Police Consultative Council. He offers a multidisciplinary perspective and a commitment to accountability, trust and collaborative community safety.
Shazia Amiri
Born and raised in Edmonton, Shazia holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Manitoba and is a Registered Social Worker with the Alberta College of Social Workers. She brings extensive non-profit experience through her work with E4C, the Boyle McCauley Health Centre and Boyle Street Community Services, as well as her collaboration with the Edmonton Police Service on the Heavy Users of Service (HUoS) project. She has worked across several Government of Alberta ministries, including Community and Social Services, Children and Family Services and Public Safety and Emergency Services. Her roles have included case management for high-risk youth, community assessments, placement investigations, leading an intervention team and managing staff wellness within Correctional Services. She now works in Youth Addiction and Forensic Mental Health at Alberta Health Services, serving both inpatient and outpatient care. Shazia’s expertise includes addressing racism, gender equity, poverty, homelessness, addictions, mental health, trauma, justice and supporting vulnerable populations such as Indigenous and refugee communities.
Ben Henderson
Ben Henderson served on Edmonton City Council for Ward 8 in the central southside from 2007 to 2021. While on City Council, he led initiatives that created the City of Edmonton’s Poverty Elimination Strategy, WinterCity Strategy, Public Engagement Strategy and Energy Transition Strategy. After stepping down as City Councillor, he started his own consulting company, specializing in public engagement, governance, government relations and Winter Cities. He is co-chair of EndPovertyEdmonton and serves on the national board of the Tamarack Institute. Ben served on the board for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM), and chaired the FCM Green Municipal Fund for seven years. He also served as Chair of the Inter City Forum on Social Policy and on the Canada Council on the Social Determinants of Health.
The Edmonton Police Commission is an independent governance board dedicated to making Edmonton a safe and vibrant city today and in the future. The commission oversees strategic policing directions and upholds professional and ethical standards within Edmonton. It ensures effective oversight and accountability while respecting the operational independence of the police.
As of January 1, 2026, the Police Commission includes two City Councillors—Coun. Karen Principe and Coun. Anne Stevenson—as well as seven members appointed by City Council and five members appointed by the Government of Alberta.
