Education
Craig Toews has been appointed vice-president, external, at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). Toews has 29 years of experience at UFV, an accredited university enrolling approximately 15,000 students per year and with campuses and centres in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Hope and Chandigarh, India. Toews will be responsible for fostering the UFV brand and heading key areas including government, community and corporate relations.
Finance
Dave Nickel, founder, Snap Financial Group, has joined Progressa’s board of directors and invested in the company. Nickel has been in the North American banking and specialty finance industry for more than 26 years.
Hospitality/Tourism/Convention
Howard Soon has been appointed master winemaker at Vanessa Vineyard in the Similkameen Valley. Soon has more than 30 years of experience in B.C.’s wine industry and has won numerous awards for his wines. He has been working with Vanessa Vineyard’s viticulture team since 2006, when he oversaw the planting of the vineyard and purchased the majority of the vineyard’s grapes for his acclaimed Sandhill Vanessa Vineyard wines.
Legal
David Gordon has joined the tax group at Clark Wilson LLP. Gordon will provide tax-efficient solutions for the firm’s clients’ complete corporate circumstance, from technology and sales to operation and management.
Elizabeth Holden has joined Miller Thomson’s Vancouver office as an associate in the capital markets and securities group. Holden has experience with public offerings, reverse takeover transactions, private placements, property acquisitions and dispositions, joint venture agreements and a variety of corporate transactions.
Christine D. Lowe has joined Richards Buell Sutton LLP as an associate in the firm’s estate and wealth advisory group. Her practice is focused on personal estate and incapacity planning, as well as business and estate administration and succession.
Manufacturing
Mazza Innovation Ltd. has raised $3 million from existing and new shareholders to fund an expansion of operations at its PhytoClean extraction facility in Delta. The firm has appointed Jim Pratt as president while Andry Tjahyana and Chris Tower have been appointed vice-president, business development, and vice-president, sales, respectively. Pratt has held various executive positions including the titles of CFO and CEO. Prior to joining Mazza Innovation, Pratt was co-owner of Prosnack Natural Foods, makers of healthy snack foods. Tjahyana has more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business development, and was president and CEO of Canadian Stevia Corp., a public company and early leader in the natural sweetener industry. Tower has more than two decades of sales and operations experience in the U.S. and global ingredients market. Prior to joining Mazza, Tower was founding CEO of Layn USA, a subsidiary of Guilin Layn Natural Ingredients Corp. of Shanghai.
Non-profit
Tamara Bonn, portfolio manager, TD Wealth Private Investment Counsel, has been appointed chair of the newly launched Victoria chapter of Women in Capital Markets (WCM), a non-profit advocacy organization promoting the entry and advancement of women in the financial industry. With this expansion, WCM now has active chapters in five Canadian cities: Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria, with a membership base of more than 1,500.
Technology
Luis Parra has been appointed chief operating officer, with special responsibility to oversee the build-to-suit operations in South America, at Tower One Wireless Corp. Parra has more than 18 years of experience and has participated in the construction and adaptation of more than 3,000 telecommunication sites. Parra was a partner and co-founder of Ingeant S.A. and has worked throughout South America and managed operations in the Dominican Republic, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia.
Hats Off
The Association of Canadian Port Authorities (ACPA) recently recognized the late Capt. Norman Stark and Seaspan with the ACPA Medal of Merit Award, which recognizes outstanding works or service on a national platform by an individual, institution or organization in the port, shipping or maritime fields. Stark was a master mariner by training whose career in Canadian ports spanned the country’s coasts from east to west. Stark retired in 2008 and passed away last December at age 69.
Seaspan history goes back to the late 19th century. The company has built a reputation for service to the marine industry as well as communities up and down the B.C. coast; it was the first company to join Green Marine on the west coast to have its activities third-party certified.
Rotary Club of West Vancouver Sunrise’s annual Rotary Ride for Rescue Tim Jones Memorial raises money for North Shore Rescue and a number of other projects. This year, the club donated $62,400 to North Shore Rescue. The funds will go toward growing the North Shore Rescue Legacy Fund with the West Vancouver Community Foundation, with the goal of growing the fund to $6 million to provide long-term sustainability.
The second annual Big Yoga for Big Sisters fundraiser raised $36,500 to support Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland’s mentoring programs for girls. Participants took part despite the rain on the day of the event – September 9 – which was sponsored by Inner Fire, Merchant Advance Capital, Dunbar Dental and Neptune Bulk Terminals. •
