Today, the B.C. government announced the appointment of Walter Gray as the new chair for ICBC’s board of directors. He will begin his new role as chair on Nov. 30, 2014.

Gray is the outgoing Mayor of Kelowna, having served numerous terms totalling 16 years, as well as serving as a city councillor prior to serving as mayor.

Before his time at City Hall, he was the owner and operator of five radio stations in the Okanagan/Kootenay areas, including 96.3 FM Radio Station and Four Seasons Radio Ltd. He was a director of Sun Country Cablevision Ltd. which is based in Salmon Arm, Armstrong and Enderby as well as a director of FortisBC. He is a former director of BC Transit, Telefilm Canada, Hall and Gray Broadcasting and Sun Country Properties, and he is a past president of the BC Association of Broadcasters.

Active in his community, Gray was the founding director of the Kelowna Snowfest Committee, past president of the Okanagan Neurological Association, past president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Kelowna-Kasugai Sister City Association, past director of the Okanagan Film Commission, and a member of the Premier’s Task Force on Homelessness, Mental Illness and Addictions. He was recently the volunteer chair for a Capital Fundraiser to build a 24-suite Hospice in Kelowna.

This is the first time that a board chair has been appointed from the interior of B.C. Previous chairs have come from Metro Vancouver.

All board chair appointments are governed by the overriding principle of selection based on merit and are handled by the provincial Board Resourcing and Development Office (BRDO).

Jatinder Rai was appointed as interim chair of the board on Jan. 21, 2014. Rai will continue to serve until the new chair takes over.

Quotes:

Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure -

“I am delighted with this new appointment. Walter Gray brings experience, knowledge and commitment, and I know he is excited to roll up his sleeves and start in his new role. The chair of ICBC’s board of directors is an important and valuable role and I have every confidence that Walter Gray will do an excellent job serving ICBC and the citizens of B.C. I would also like to thank Jatinder Rai for his great work and valuable contributions serving as interim chair since January 2014.”

Walter Gray, chair of ICBC’s Board of Directors -

“This appointment as board chair is an incredible honour and I look forward to serving the citizens of B.C. in this capacity with the goal of keeping ICBC rates as low and as affordable as possible for all ICBC customers.”

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241