Karen McCrimmon
Opening Ceremonies Keynote Speaker

Ms. McCrimmon is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Kanata-Carleton. She was previously the Associate Minister of National Defence and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs.

A Canadian Forces pioneer, Ms. McCrimmon honed her leadership and team-building abilities in the service of her country. She joined the Canadian Forces as a reservist. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Windsor, Ms. McCrimmon transferred to the Regular Forces where she quickly rose through the ranks. In 1981, she became an air navigator—the first woman to earn the qualification. In 1998, Ms. McCrimmon was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of 429 Transport Squadron in Trenton, becoming the first woman to command a Canadian Forces flying squadron.

After retiring from the Canadian Forces in 2006, Ms. McCrimmon started her own business offering mediation services to both public and private institutions. She has been an active member of the Canadian Federation of University Women, the Royal Canadian Legion, and Canadian Women in Aviation – an organization focused on encouraging more women to become involved in the aviation industry.

In 2015, she was elected as the Member of Parliament for Kanata — Carleton bringing her years of experience in the Canadian Forces with her.

Dr. Rob McRae
Luncheon Keynote Speaker

Dr. Robert McRae served as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for Intelligence Assessment in the Privy Council Office from 2011 to 2014. He was Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to NATO from 2007 to 2011. From 2014 to 2016 he was Director of the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.

During his diplomatic career, he has served overseas at Canadian embassies in Belgrade (1982-84), Prague (1988-91), and London (1993-95), and as Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada at NATO HQ in Brussels (1998-2002). At headquarters, he served as Director General of the International Security Bureau, Director General of the Policy Planning Bureau, and Director General of the Central, East and South Europe Bureau. He received the Foreign Minister’s Award for Foreign Policy Excellence in 1997 and in 2000.

His most recent book is Human Security and the New Diplomacy (McGill-Queen’s University Press). His other books include Resistance and Revolution: Vaclav Havel’s Czechoslovakia; The Matter with Truth; and Philosophy and the Absolute. His most recent article is “International Policy Reviews in Perspective”, (Canada Among Nations, 2004).

Dr. McRae studied at Queen’s University (Honours BA), the University of Toronto (MA), and has a PhD in Political Philosophy from Laval University. He taught at McGill University, Queen’s University, Laval University and Charles University (in Prague).

Rachel Harder
Closing Ceremony Speaker

Rachel Harder is Member of Parliament for Lethbridge and our official host while at the Parliament of Canada. We are extremely grateful for Ms. Harder’s support for Carleton Model NATO.