Fraser Basin Council Board of Directors – A Unique Partnership
The FBC Board of Directors is a unique partnership of people who have come together to ensure that the decisions about how we live, work and play in the Fraser River Basin will protect the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the entire Basin for generations.
The diversity of the FBC's 36 member Board of Directors has been a key factor in the success of the Fraser Basin Council. Directors come from all walks of life, live in all regions of the Fraser Basin, and represent the economic, social, and environmental sectors. They work on fishing boats, farms and ranches, in corporate offices and small businesses. Past and current Directors include environmental advocates, mayors and regional district directors, senior federal and provincial government officials, First Nations leaders, senior executives from the forest, mining and transportation industries, entrepreneurs, farmers, ranchers, doctors, lawyers and scientists.
Of the 36 Directors, 22 are appointed by the four orders of government: three by the federal government, three by the provincial government, one by each of the eight regional districts in the Basin, and one by each of the Basin's eight First Nations language groups. The remaining 14 Directors are non-governmental representatives appointed by the FBC. These 14 include two representatives from each of the Basin's five geographic regions, one Basin-wide representative for each of the three dimensions of sustainability (economic, social and environmental), and an impartial Chair.
Given the size of the Board of Directors, it is natural to question how such a large group can be effective at making decisions. The Board undertakes all of its business through both standing and task committees and makes all of its decisions by consensus. This requires a commitment among Directors to not only learn the facts of any one issue, but also to learn and understand how different experiences, beliefs and values can influence the interpretation of a given set of "facts." When consensus cannot be reached, the FBC's constitution has a clause that provides for mediation and, if mediation fails, a vote in situations where consensus cannot be reached on a given issue. Since the formation of the FBC, there has never been a need to invoke this clause.
The FBC's governance model is the first of its kind in Canada and has served as an example for other organizations in the Basin, throughout the province, nationally and internationally. For example, the FBC has been called upon to assist other nations to develop similar governance models for the Angara River in southern Siberia, the Santo Andre watershed in Brazil, and in Cebu and Davao in the Philippines.
View the Fraser Basin Council Organizational Chart.
Fraser Basin Council Board of Directors
Charles Jago (Dr.)
Chair, Fraser Basin Council and
Past President, University of Northern BC, Prince George
Deborah Abbott
Executive Director, Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council, Lytton
Ian Campbell
Hereditary Chief, Squamish First Nation
David Barratt
Harbour Master, Harbour & Ports, Mission
Ervin Charleyboy
Chief, Alexis Creek First Nation
Rose Charlie (Dr.)
Grand Chief, De-lix-hwia, Agassiz
Michael Clague
Past President, Canadian Council on Social Development, Vancouver
Linda Coady
Vice President, Sustainability
Vancouver
Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games
(VANOC) , Vancouver
Sheilagh Foster
Artist,
McBride
Dan George
President, Four Directions Management Services Ltd, Prince George
Herman Halvorson
Grindrod
John Gary
Former Chief, Seton Lake Indian Band, Shalath
Emily Jubenvill
Co-founder, Small Feet Incorporated
Paul Kluckner
A/Regional Director General, Pacific & Yukon Region, Environment Canada, Vancouver
Doug Konkin
Deputy Minister, BC Ministry of Environment
John Massier
Director, Cariboo Regional District
Ken Melamed
Director,
Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
Marie Mervyn
Retired rancher, Alkali Lake
Debora Munoz
Director, Fraser-Fort George Regional District
Michael O'Brien
Vice President, Strategic Planning and Legal Services, Vancouver International Airport Authority, Richmond
Alan Osborne
Executive Director, Intergovernmental Relations and Planning Division,
Ministry of Community Services
Kristy Palmantier
Natural Resources Director, Williams Lake Indian Band
Bob Patterson
Manager, Government & Environmental Affairs, Taseko Mines, 150 Mile House
Bob Peart
Executive Director, The Nexus Learning Group, Sidney
Jerry Petersen
Director, Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako
Patricia Ross
Chair, Fraser Valley Regional District
Doug Routledge
Vice President, Council of Forest Industries
George Saddleman
Representative, Okanagan Nation Alliance
Gerry Salembier
Assistant Deputy Minister, Western Economic Diversification
Bob Smillie (Dr.)
Retired Physician, Kamloops
Paul Sprout
Regional Director General, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Vancouver
Rene Talbot
Director, Columbia Shuswap Regional District
John Taylor
Director, Thompson-Nicola Regional District
Bev Van Ruyven
Executive Vice-President, BC Hydro
David Van Seters
President, Small Potatoes Urban Delivery, Vancouver
Rita Walker
Former Account Manager, Agriculture, Royal Bank of Canada, Abbotsford
Richard Walton
Director, Greater Vancouver Regional District (Metro Vancouver)