|
|
2007 -
2008 BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
|
|
 |
CHAIR
ROBERT J. STEWART
Vancouver, B.C.
Bob Stewart's
distinguished career
in community
service, legal
education and the
development of
public policy led to
a 1999 invitation
from motor dealer
industry
organizations to
help them work with
government to create
an independent
regulatory agency.
His leadership was
instrumental in
establishing the
Motor Dealer
Standards
Association of B.C.
and in negotiating
with the provincial
government for the
development of a new
organizational and
legislative
foundation. In 2003
he was appointed
founding Chair of
the Motor Dealer
Council of B.C.
A former Chief of
the Vancouver Police
Department and a
director of national
and international
justice agencies,
Stewart's first
exposure to higher
education was as a
consultant to the
then-young Simon
Fraser University in
program development
during the 1960s.
That exposure would
later prove valuable
in the
conceptualization of
the respected
Justice Institute of
British Columbia,
where he became
founding Chair in
1978, and continued
to pilot its
development for 17
years. The Institute
trains both
government and
private sector
individuals for
police, security and
public safety
positions -
including
international
clients - as well as
a broad range of
professionals who
deal on the front
lines of social and
human development.
Stewart has been a
part-time member of
the National Parole
Board for the past
nine years.
He has served on
countless numbers of
charity and
community service
boards, including
"Variety - The
Children's Charity"
(Chair, 1996-2003),
B.C. Special
Olympics and
Vancouver College.
He is an Honorary
Director of the
Boy's and Girl's
Club of Greater
Vancouver, and
advisor on substance
abuse issues. He was
the 1993
Man-of-the-Year of
the Brotherhood
Interfaith Society
of B.C., among the
long list of
prestigious honors
and awards he has
received. The
resulting network of
friends and
associates in
business, the
professions,
government and the
community is a
legacy that enriches
each of his
pursuits.
|
|
|
|
VICE CHAIR
GEORGE L. MORFITT,
FCA
Victoria, B.C.
George Morfitt is a
graduate of the
University of
British Columbia and
a Chartered
Accountant. After a
20-year career as a
Chief Financial
Officer, he served
two terms as Auditor
General of British
Columbia. Mr.
Morfitt has held
senior executive
positions in a
number of
organizations,
including:
President, B.C.
Institute of
Chartered
Accountants; Chair,
Universities Council
of B.C. and Chair,
UBC Board of
Governors. He is a
former municipal
alderman and is a
past President of
both the Canadian
and B.C. Squash
Racquets
Associations.
George is a Fellow
of the B.C.
Institute of
Chartered
Accountants and a
Queen's Silver and
Golden Jubilee
Medalist. He is an
inducted member of
the B.C. Sports Hall
of Fame and is a
director of
PacificSport
Victoria. He is an
adjunct professor at
the University of
Victoria and is a
Principal with the
Capacity Development
Network.
|
|
 |
DIRECTOR
KEN BESSASON
Kelowna, B.C.
Ken has worked in
the financial
services industry
for 36 years - the
last 32 at TD Canada
Trust. During his
career he held
positions in
Toronto, Montreal,
Calgary, Vancouver
and Swift Current as
well as in
communities
throughout B.C.
Since retiring to
Kelowna, Ken has
remained active in
the business
community. He
recently joined a
partnership of
strategic management
consultants -
McNair, Baker, Hurd
- and is their
Okanagan
representative.
Ken has been
involved in local
community affairs
and while he lived
in Vancouver was on
the Board of the
Coast Mental Health
Foundation and the
Stanley Theatre
Renovation Project.
He was also on the
Board of the
Whistler Health
Foundation. In
Kelowna his
involvement included
Board memberships on
the Downtown Kelowna
Association and the
United Way. He was
2004 President of
the Kelowna Chamber
of Commerce and is
on the Advisory
Board of the
Okanagan Kids Care
Fund Society.
|
|
 |
DIRECTOR
HENNING BRASSO
West Vancouver, B.C.
Among British
Columbia's most
notable business
personalities for more than a generation, Henning Brasso and partners own Richmond
Honda, the largest Honda dealer in Canada. He grew up in the car business, a grandson of Calgary's largest used car dealer during the 1950's, and went on to establish the largest and most prominent Nissan dealership in B.C., Brasso Datsun and subsequently, with partners, purchased the luxury car dealership MCL Motors. This interest was sold prior to the Richmond Honda acquisition in 1990. |
|
 |
DIRECTOR
JAMES CARTER
Vancouver, B.C.
James Carter grew up
working at the
dealerships owned by
his father, Howard
Carter. He moved
through the parts
department, service
department and into
sales. James earned
a degree in Music,
specializing in
voice, from the
University of
Victoria. After
graduating he
attended the
National Automotive
Dealers Association
"Dealers Academy" in
the U.S. He's worked
as Sales Manager and
Business Manager for
Carter Dodge
Chrysler, Sales
Manager for Carter
Honda and General
Manager for Carter
Dodge. He is now
Vice President and
CEO of the Carter
Auto Group.
James sings in the
Chor Leone Men's
Chorus and is Chair
of the North Shore
Branch of St. John
Ambulance.
|
 |
DIRECTOR
EDD CROOKS
Chilliwack, B.C.
Edd Crooks has been
in the automotive
industry nearly all
his life. As a young
man he worked at his
father's Sunoco
Service station in
Ontario - a position
that included
selling used cars.
He apprenticed as a
tool and die maker
and made dies used
to manufacture parts
for Ford and General
Motors. He left the
tool trade due to
back problems and
spent four years
with London Life
Insurance Co. as a
Sales
Representative.
He then returned to
work for his father
and was granted his
Automotive Mechanics
License in one year
instead of the
customary five. He
taught evening
classes in Motor
Vehicle repair and
maintenance at a
college in Toronto.
Edd has held a
variety of positions
in the industry
including Mechanic,
Service Manager and
Business, Sales and
Lease Manager. Since
2000 he has owned
and operated his own
used car sales
business. He sits on
the board of
directors of the
Independent Auto
Dealers and is on
the Education
Committee of the
M.D.S.A.
representing the
Independent Auto
Dealers.
|
 |
DIRECTOR
SHELL HARVEY
Victoria, B.C.
Shell Harvey is an
educator with 30
years experience as
faculty member,
administrator and
senior public
servant. Shell
served as Assistant
Deputy Minister from
1989 to 2001, in
both the Ministry of
Advanced Education
and the Ministry of
Education. Prior to
joining the
provincial
government, he had a
successful career
with community
colleges in Manitoba
and British
Columbia.
Shell has served on
the Board of
numerous
organizations
including: The
Commonwealth of
Learning, B.C.
Centre for
International
Education, Centre
for Applied
Academics and the
National SchoolNet
Advisory Board.
Currently Shell
heads an educational
consulting company
and has an active
sailing, squash and
travel schedule.
|
 |
DIRECTOR
NEIL KALAWSKY
Castlegar, B.C.
Neil began his
working life doing
accounting for a car
dealership in
Alberta. He moved in
to increasingly
senior positions
within various
dealerships and now
owns and operates
Kalawsky Pontiac
Buick GMC in
Castlegar, B.C.
where his family
also holds the
Toyota franchise.
Over the years he's
held a variety of
volunteer positions
in the automotive
industry including
serving as Chair of
the B.C. Auto
Dealers Association
Revenue Generation
Committee and as
President of the
B.C.A.D.A. Board. He
is currently on the
Board of the
Canadian Auto
Dealers Association
and recently
completed a term as
National Chairman of
the General Motors
Communications Team.
He received the
Maclean's Magazine
Dealer of Excellence
Award in 1998. Neil
also serves as a
community volunteer.
|
 |
DIRECTOR
GORD VALENTE
West Vancouver,
B.C.
Gord Valente, the proprietor of West Vancouver's Auto Depot Ltd., is Chair of the Auto Dealers Division of the Automotive Retailers Association. A Montreal native who grew up in Saint John, N.B., he completed his formal education at Vancouver College and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He spent 20 years in the new car business working with prestigious industry names such as Wolfe and Carter, including several years as dealer principal of Carter Dodge Chrysler in New Westminster, at one time the third highest volume Dodge Chrysler dealer in Canada.
Gord was owner - operator of Westminster Chev-Geo-Olds. Ltd. from 1992 until 1997, when the dealership was sold back to General Motors. Auto Depot Ltd. was founded in New Westminster in 1997 specializing in the sale and lease of preowned import vehicles. In 2004, the dealership relocated to West Vancouver. During his many years in the Royal City, Gord Valente became active in numerous community pursuits, including directorships of the Westminster Club, the New Westminster Salmonbellies Senior Lacrosse Club and the St. John Ambulance Society.
|
 |
DIRECTOR
JOHN H RĀTEL
Victoria, B.C.
Since arriving in
Canada in 1964, John
has enjoyed a career
spanning almost
forty years in
marketing,
advertising and
public relations. A
majority of that
time was with the
British Columbia
Automobile
Association where he
held a series of
increasingly
responsible
managerial
positions, including
Vice President
Marketing and Public
Affairs. Latterly he
served as Director,
Government Affairs
and acted as chief
spokesperson and
public advocate for
the auto club.
Following his
official retirement
in 2002, John acted
as a consultant to
BCAA and helped
establish the BCAA
Traffic Safety
Foundation.
|
 |
DIRECTOR
ANNE SALOMON
Langley, B.C.
Anne is co-owner of
the Candan Group of
Companies. The Group
operates RV
Dealerships in
Langley B.C. (Candan
RV Center) and
Calgary, Alberta
(Candan RV Center
(Alberta) Ltd),
employing
approximately 55
people. Both
dealerships offer a
full range of
services including
new and used RV
sales, parts and
accessories sales,
service and repairs
as well as an RV
Rental fleet of over
180 motorhome and
vans. A significant
portion of Candan's
rental clientele is
European tourists.
Candan RV Center was
founded in 1983.
Anne is Past
President, former
Chair and current
member of the
Government Affairs
Committee of the
Recreation Vehicle
Dealers Association
of B.C. where she
has held several
positions. She was a
Director, Recreation
Vehicle Dealers
Association of
Canada, a national
organization. She is
now a Director and
founding member,
Recreation Vehicle
Rental Association
of Canada, a
national
organization.
|
More Board
Information...
Terms of Reference for the Board of Directors (pdf)
Board of Directors Guidelines (pdf)
Top |
|
|
|
|
|
