Paul Donald is a member of the Simpcw First Nation and is the chair of ETSI-BC and the Dean’s advisory committee for the School of Business and Economics at Thompson Rivers University.

Paul has more than a decade of experience in senior leadership positions. His previous roles included CEO of Simpcw Resources Group, an award-winning, resource-based, business focused on construction, forestry, pipeline maintenance and environmental monitoring.  Paul was previously the Executive Director at the Skwlāx te Secwepemcúlecw (Little Shuswap Lake Band) and has more than 30 years of banking and finance experience including 6 years as the CEO of All Nations Trust Company.

Paul’s previous board experience includes 7 years on the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) Board of Governors and eight years on the Simpcw Resources Group board. Board experience also includes the Kamloops Native Housing Society (11 years), the Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society (2 years) and the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO), where he served three years as National President.

Alan is a longtime resident of the community, having graduated from Salmon Arm Senior Secondary in 1977. He attended both Okanagan University College and UBC, graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. Alan’s teaching career began in Tumbler Ridge in 1983 where, at a young age, he was elected to the Tumbler Ridge Council as a Councillor from 1985 to 1987. Alan returned to Salmon Arm in 1988 and was elected as a Councillor from 1990 to 1996. He was re-elected in 2005 and served as Councillor through 2018. Alan retired after a 29 year career as a school principal. This is his second term as Mayor.  Click here to read more about Al.

Peggy is a Financial Advior with Edward Jones. Previously Ms. DeVries was Bank Manager and Account Manager at CIBC as well as Bank Manager, Human Resources Office and Recruitment and Training Officer for Bank of Nova Scotia. She has worked in the financial services industry for over thirty years. Active in her community, Ms. DeVries is a Member of the Rotary. Previously she was a Director with Osprey Community Foundation and McDougall House in Edmonton. Ms. DeVries is a Certified Financial Planner with FP Canada. Click here to see a profile we posted about Peggy on the ETSI-BC LinkedIn page.

Sue has enjoyed her roles as Mayor since 2014 and Director of the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, Okanagan Basin Water Board and the International Oosyoos Lake Board of Control. Sue holds a Bachelor of Education degree and worked as a primary teacher at Osoyoos Elementary School for 34 years. Click here to see a profile we posted about Sue on the ETSI-BC LinkedIn page.

Diana was born in Trail and raised in Salmo. Diana was first elected to Council in 2015, becoming Mayor in 2018. She has always been an active volunteer and is very passionate about volunteerism. She is a proud member of Salmo Lion`s International. She has been in nursing for the last twenty years and loves her line of work.  Click here to see a profile we posted about Diana on the ETSI-BC LinkedIn page.

Roberta serves as the Electoral Area G Director for the Regional District East Kootenay, representing communities north of Radium Hot Springs as well as Wilmer and Dry Gulch. With over a decade of public service experience, she began her leadership career in education by leading the District’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC) and serving 10 years on School District 6 Board and ultimately as Board Chair. Her commitment to regional development extends through various leadership roles, including Vice Chair of the Columbia Valley Economic Development Commission and board positions with the Columbia Valley Community Foundation, Steamboat Mountain Music Society, and Edgewater Recreation Society. Currently, she serves on the board of directors of Kootenay Savings Credit Union, where has served as vice chair and as well as chairing three committees. Based in Edgewater, a small East Kootenay community, Roberta brings a valuable regional perspective to her work. Her approach to community service emphasizes broad, regional thinking and collaborative development. She is particularly focused on contributing to economic growth initiatives in the Columbia Valley region.

Julie is a Councillor in her first term at Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality. She was first introduced to ETSI-BC in her role at CF Thompson Country, where she was a Rural Business & Community Recovery Program Advisor, Julie says, “The better I got to know the organization and those involved behind the scenes, the more I was inspired by their work.”  For Julie, being involved in community leadership is very important. Being from a region comprised of many smaller rural and semi-rural communities, she looks forward to providing a voice for the region and is dedicated to assisting communities within her region to grow in a positive, and sustainable, way. Click here to read more about Julie.

Sue is passionate about Kimberley’s small mountain town community and natural environment. Sue worked for 25 years with B.C. natural resource agencies and with Indigenous governments and brings extensive experience in collaboration, relationship building, problem solving, policy, planning, administration, public service and natural resource stewardship. Sue was a Registered Professional Forester for 27 years and holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from UBC.  She dedicates her energy now to constructive community dialogue with climate resilience and equity as the foundation.

Wayne is dedicated to social and economic development through incubating new aboriginal businesses and offering ISO 9000 management system services and electronic business solutions. Wayne has over 25 years experience in aspects Quality Management, Project Management, and Technical Management, in both the private and public sector.  Click here to see a profile we posted about Wayne on the ETSI-BC LinkedIn page.

Gladys is deeply involved in the Okanagan community, serving on various boards and committees. Her roles include Secretary of the Community Foundation of North Okanagan and member of the provincial Basketball Advisory Committee for ISPARC. She has held leadership positions with the Okanagan College Foundation, SD22 District Parent Advisory Committee, and Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. Gladys has also been involved in organizing sports events and fundraising campaigns. Her community efforts have been recognized with several awards, including the BCCPAC DPAC Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award and SD22 DPAC Honorary Lifetime Member. Click here to see a profile we posted about Gladys on our ETSI-BC LinkedIn page.

Kevin is a 5 term Mayor for the Village of Lumby and has been Chair of the RDNO for 4 consecutive years. Kevin has been a small Business owner for most of his working life and for the past 22 years has been a partner of a wellness centre in Lumby BC.  Kevin has a strong background in local government with a Level 3 Certificate of Excellence in Local Government Leadership from the LGLA (Local Government Leadership Academy) and has an Executive Certificate in local government from Dalhousie University. Click here to read more about Kevin.

Lincoln is an experienced leader in research partnerships and innovation initiatives and is currently the Director of Research Partnerships and Compliance at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, British Columbia. With over 15 years at TRU, he has been critical in fostering research collaborations, supporting entrepreneurship, and ensuring compliance in research activities.

Lincoln was also the Founding Executive Director of Kamloops Innovation. In this regional technology business accelerator, he led initiatives to support tech startups and won national recognition for fostering community entrepreneurship. His background includes experience in software engineering, academic research in computer science, artificial intelligence, and biological sciences.  Click here to read more about Lincoln.

Frank was elected to Mayor of Warfield in October 2022, his first time on a municipal council. He and his wife Betty Anne have lived in Warfield for 23 years and raised their three children in the community. He enjoys remaining active through hockey, golf, CrossFit, and anything that brings him outdoors. Frank completed his Bachelor of Education and MBA at UBC. He offers deep practical knowledge in Human Resources and Administration having worked in senior positions at Interior Health, Golden Life Management and Columbia Power. Frank values service in community life, and has served on many boards, most recently as a Director on the RDKB and Chair of Community Futures plus several committees of the Lower Columbia Community Development Team – Health & Hospital Committee, Executive Committee, Community Health Centre team. He also volunteers for Sanctuary and KidSport.