The nine members of Destination BC's inaugural board were announced today by Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Pat Bell.

The board will be charged with oversight and operations of Destination BC, the new provincial destination marketing organization (PDMO) in charge of tourism marketing for British Columbia. The new board members have a wide range of expertise in tourism, business and marketing.

The board members are:

Andrea Shaw (chair)
Susan Tamiko Doi
Gordon Fitzpatrick
Chief Gibby Jacob
Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia
Laird M. Miller
Loring Phinney
Robert Pratt
Alan Raine

The B.C. government ran an open and transparent board appointment process. Qualified members of the general public could apply to vacant board positions, which were posted online. As a result of a comprehensive search process, close to 130 applicants were identified. Applicants were then evaluated based on qualifications and experience, and a short list was derived.

The Minister's Council on Tourism and the Tourism Industry Association of BC Provincial Destination Marketing Organization Task Force were consulted. The final list of board members was chosen by these two industry-led groups based on key competencies and a board skills matrix.

Board members may serve a term of up to three years with a possible renewal of one additional term of up to three years, for a maximum of six years.

Quotes:

Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour -

"The appointment of this board is another step our government is taking to put tourism marketing back into the hands of industry. In the BC Jobs Plan, we made a commitment to create a marketing organization that would increase accountability to tourism operators and to taxpayers. I'm delighted that our industry partners have selected board members with the expertise and experience to make that goal a reality."

Andrea Shaw, chair, Destination BC board of directors -

"I am both honoured and excited to chair the board of Destination BC with this amazing group of selected individuals. With the exceptional level of industry and business experience represented, our goal will be to provide solid leadership, guidance and accountability to both the organization and its stakeholders in an effort to strengthen the British Columbia brand in Canada and around the globe."

Stuart McLaughlin, president, Grouse Mountain Resorts and chair, Minister's Council on Tourism -

"On behalf of the council, I am pleased to have participated in the board selection process. This board has the requisite skills, experience and expertise to undertake the important task of founding this vital tourism organization. The council looks forward to supporting it on those matters affecting tourism marketing in B.C."

James Terry, member, Tourism Industry Association of BC PDMO Task Force -

"Destination BC has been almost two years in its gestation. This new organization was built through direct involvement by our industry, and it was built on the basis of a set of fundamental principles we created with our industry colleagues. We are very pleased that the new board is a group of senior business leaders with the skills and experience necessary to lead this new provincial tourism marketing corporation to success."

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
250 387-2799

Andrea Shaw is the founder and managing partner of the TwentyTen Group and executive vice-president of Encompass International. Previously, Ms. Shaw was the vice-president of Sponsorship, Sales and Marketing for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Earlier, Ms. Shaw was the vice-president, Communication for the Vancouver Bid Organization. Active in her community, Ms. Shaw is a board member of BC Women's Hospital Foundation and of BC Cancer Foundation. Ms. Shaw is a registered nurse and holds a bachelor of education from McGill University.

Susan Tamiko Doi is general counsel and corporate secretary at Whistler Blackcomb. She studied law at the University of Ottawa prior to working at Goodmans LLP, then moved in house as counsel for Telus Communications and later Blast Radius. She participated in the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference in 2012. Ms. Doi has a history of volunteering in the community and is currently involved as a volunteer with the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Society. Ms. Doi holds a bachelor of social sciences and a bachelor of laws from the University of Ottawa.

Gordon Fitzpatrick is the president of CedarCreek Estate Winery. Previously, Mr. Fitzpatrick served as the chairman of the BC Wine Institute. He is currently a director of the Canadian Vintners Association, the British Columbia Estate Winery Association, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, and a member of the Minister's Council on Tourism. In addition, Mr. Fitzpatrick is a director of the Greata Ranch Holding Corporation. Prior to joining CedarCreek Estate Winery, Mr. Fitzpatrick spent ten years in the mining industry. Mr. Fitzpatrick holds a bachelor of arts from the University of British Columbia.

Chief Gibby Jacob, whose ancestral name is Kákeltn siyám, carries the title of hereditary Chief of the Squamish Nation. Chief Jacob has been an elected councillor since December 1981 and has served eight consecutive four-year terms. Chief Jacob is the primary media spokesperson for the Squamish Nation. He is the executive operating officer of Intergovernmental Relations Natural Resources & Revenue, the economic arm of the Squamish Nation. Chief Jacob is a former member of the board of directors for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games for both the Squamish Nation and the Lil'wat Nation. Chief Jacob is also the former chairman of the Coast Salish Gathering Committee and previously served as a founding director of the Environmental Aboriginal Guardianship through Law and Education.

Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia is the president of Absolute Spa Group and the executive vice-president of the Century Plaza Hotel and Spa. Ms. Lisogar-Cocchia currently serves as the immediate past chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade. Ms. Lisogar-Cocchia was the first woman elected to the Vancouver Police Board Foundation. She is the recipient of a number of awards and honours, including Women's Executive Network Canada's Most Powerful Women Top 100, Vancouver Sun's BC's Most Influential Women, Queen's Diamond Jubilee recipient, British Columbia Community Achievement Award, Business in Vancouver's Most Influential Women in Business Top 40 under 40, YWCA's Woman of Distinction: Entrepreneur and Innovator, Variety Club's International Corporate Fundraiser of the Year, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Industry Award from the Leading Spas of Canada. Ms. Lisogar-Cocchia holds her bachelor of arts in psychology and political science from the University of British Columbia and her doctorate of laws (Honoris Causa) from the Justice Institute of British Columbia. She is a fellow of Royal Roads University.

Laird M. Miller is the chief financial officer of London Drugs. He is also the chief financial officer of Sonora Resort, a B.C. luxury wilderness resort and London Air Services, an executive charter airline. Active in his community, Mr. Miller serves as a member on the Minister's Council on Tourism and is a past board member and member of the Audit Committee of Tourism British Columbia. He served as a volunteer mentor in the Leaders of Tomorrow program at the Vancouver Board of Trade. Mr. Miller received his chartered accountant designation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia. He holds a bachelor of science in forestry and a masters of business from the University of Toronto.

Loring Phinney is the vice-president of Corporate Marketing for Bell Canada. Previously, Mr. Phinney was executive vice-president, Cossette Communications Group. Active in his community, Mr Phinney is a cabinet co-chair of the United Way of the Lower Mainland, as well as leader/supporter of the Northshore Youth for Mental Health. He is a former chair of the Vancouver Whitecaps Business Advisory Committee. He is a recipient of Business in Vancouver's 40 under 40 recognition award.

Robert Pratt is the president of Coast Hotels & Resorts. Previously, Mr. Pratt was chief operating officer of Westmont Hospitality Group. Active in his community, Mr. Pratt has held senior volunteer positions with the United Way of Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton. He is a current board member of the Hotel Association of Canada, sits on the advisory committee of the University of Guelph and is an admissions field interviewer for the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Mr. Pratt holds a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

Al Raine is in his second term as mayor of Sun Peak Mountain Resort Municipality. Mr. Raine has managed successful resort lodge properties in both Sun Peaks and Whistler. Mr. Raine was the provincial co-ordinator of Ski Development in the late 1970s, authored the original provincial Commercial Alpine Ski Policy and conducted numerous ski resort assessments, including a review of the British Columbia Heli-ski industry. Earlier, Mr. Raine was the head coach and program director of the Canadian National Ski Team from 1968 to 1973. Active in the tourism community, Mr. Raine is a former chairman and director of both Tourism Sun Peaks and Tourism Whistler.

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
250 387-2799