The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners

The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners is made up of the Mayor of the City of Saskatoon, two members of Saskatoon City Council and four volunteer members of the Public.

Board Roles and Responsibilities

Under The Police Act, 1990, the Board is responsible for:

• the delivery of policing services within the municipality of Saskatoon; 

• providing general direction, policy, and priorities; and

• developing long-term plans for the Police Service and monitoring their implementation

COMMISSIONER BRENT PENNER - Vice Chair

Commissioner Brent Penner was appointed to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners in January 2021.

Mr. Penner is the Executive Director of the Downtown Saskatoon Business Improvement District (BID), a role he has held since 2013. Prior to joining the BID, he spent 19 years as a member of the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS), leaving as a Staff Sergeant in 2012. During his career with the SPS, he worked in many different areas including Patrol, Community Services (Schools, Cultural Resource and Crime Stoppers), Human Resources, Professional Standards, and eight years as a board member of the Saskatoon Police Association.

Commissioner Penner is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan and played four years of hockey with the Huskies from 1988-1992. He is a member of numerous civic committees, some of which deal with community safety. He has extensive volunteer involvement in Saskatoon Minor Hockey, still serving on the Board of Directors for the Saskatoon Contacts U18 Hockey Team. He has volunteered on fundraisers for the Leslie and Irene Dube Centre for Urology at St. Paul’s Hospital, and is a past board member of The Saskatoon Club.

Commissioner Penner’s top priorities are to ensure the goals identified in the Strategic Plan are implemented while continually listening to the diverse viewpoints found across our community, and also to ensure the Commission is accountable to the residents of Saskatoon. Additionally, he would like to work on integrated approaches with other organizations that address safety in our community in order to create efficiencies within the organization.

COMMISSIONER / MAYOR CHARLIE CLARK

Mayor Charlie Clark became a member of the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners in January 2012 and has been appointed to the Commission by City Council each year since that time.

First elected to Saskatoon City Council in 2006, then-Councillor Clark represented Ward 6 until 2016 when he successfully contested the Mayor’s position in the October 2016 civic election.  

Mayor Clark holds a Bachelor of Arts in Conflict Resolution from University of Winnipeg and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution from the Justice Institute of British Columbia. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts in Environmental Studies from York University in addition to extensive training in the fields of planning, local government, and community capacity building.

Commissioner / Mayor Clark has previously served on the Boards of Directors of the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority, Downtown Saskatoon Business Improvement District and the Broadway Business Improvement District and was recently recognized for his contribution as a Board member with the Canadian Association of Police Governance. Currently, he serves as a Board member with the Meewasin Valley Authority, Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan and with the City of Saskatoon’s Standing Policy Committee on Transportation as well as its Governance and Priorities Committee.

Commissioner Clark’s top priorities as a member of the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners are the establishment of an integrated multi-party system that effectively addresses street stabilization issues and ensures the Police Commission connects with Saskatoon residents in its conduit role with the community. 

COMMISSIONER HILARY GOUGH

Councillor Hilary Gough was appointed to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners in January 2022.

She was first elected to Saskatoon City Council in 2016 and subsequently re-elected in the October 2020 civic election.

Born and raised in Saskatoon, Commissioner Gough studied at the University of Saskatchewan and later the University of Manitoba. She and her partner, Arlin call Caswell Hill home.

Commissioner Gough is passionate about health and equity and strives to support collective action for healthy community development. Prior to her election to City Council, she was the Operations Manager at a not-for-profit agency promoting action on the social and economic roots of health inequities. She is a dedicated volunteer, most recently engaging in the development and work of the Saskatoon Interagency Response to COVID-19. 

As a City Councillor, Councillor Gough is leading Council’s strategic priority area of Community Wellbeing and Safety with a focus on affordable housing and rental property issues, poverty alleviation, and crime prevention. She also maintains an attentive focus on progress towards a safe and convenient mix of transportation options as well as sustainable and balanced residential development.

Councillor Gough also sits on several City of Saskatoon Boards & Committees including the Governance and Priorities Committee, Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities & Corporate Services, Vice-Chair, and Standing Policy Committee on Transportation. 

Outside of her civic duties, Councillor Gough serves on the Saskatoon Public Library Board, 33rd Street Business Improvement District Board of Directors, South Saskatchewan River Watershed Stewards Inc., Tourism Saskatoon Board of Directors, and the Wanuskewin Heritage Park Board of Directors.

Commissioner Jenelyn Santos Ong

Born in the Philippines and raised on the Prairies, Jenelyn is thankful to call Saskatoon home.  She is a dedicated community builder, avid volunteer and proud immigrant who believes in strengthening our city through collaboration and cooperation.

As the Manager of Opus - the University of Saskatchewan’s startup incubator for academic founders - Jenelyn oversees operations, programming, partnerships and initiatives to build a robust culture of entrepreneurial thinking on campus.  Prior to joining USask, Jenelyn was the Director of Entrepreneurship at the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority where she led initiatives to champion new and aspiring small business owners and drive economic growth.  She is also a seasoned business professional having worked in several sectors such as oil and gas, health and nutrition and non-profits.  With expertise in marketing, communications, economic development and an entrepreneur herself, Jenelyn is passionate about fostering innovation and empowering people with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Jenelyn is deeply committed to community service. She has served on the boards and committees of several organizations, most recently as President of the Filipino-Canadian Association of Saskatchewan Inc. where she plays a pivotal role in promoting intercultural exchange, cultural unity and community enrichment to Saskatchewan’s 44,000+ Filipinos.  She aspires to boost civic engagement and support in our youth through innovative bridge-building initiatives across cultures and sectors helping to ensure public safety, trust and accountability for the police services in the community.