Geoscience BC Welcomes Doug Donaldson to Board; Thanks Parting Directors
Vancouver, BC – September 27, 2022 – Geoscience BC welcomed former BC cabinet minister Doug Donaldson to the Board of Directors at its 17th Annual General Meeting on September 22nd, 2022, and Board Chair Stephanie Killam stepped down from her position after four three-year terms as a Director.
Donna Phillips becomes Chair of the Board, having previously served as Vice Chair of the Board. Director Lana Eagle is now Vice Chair of the Board.
Commenting on the news, Board Chair Donna Phillips said: “We are delighted to welcome Doug to the Geoscience BC ‘s volunteer Board of Directors. His experience as a minister and Member of the BC Legislative Assembly together with a dedication to combining economic development with community engagement will help Geoscience BC to build a shared funding model that meets rapidly changing needs for independent and public geoscience.”
She added: “Everyone at Geoscience BC thanks our departing Directors for their passion and commitment. I would particularly like to thank Stephanie for her support and guidance as I take on the role of Board Chair.”
Alan Winter stepped down from his volunteer Director position at the Annual General Meeting. Former Chief Scientific Officer Carlos Salas and Nalaine Morin also stepped down from the Board as a Directors prior to the meeting. In addition, Geoscience BC President & CEO Gavin C. Dirom was reappointed for a one-year term per the Society’s bylaws and by position.
View Geoscience BC Board of Directors including full biographies
About Doug Donaldson
Doug Donaldson served as an elected 3-term Member of the BC Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing the remote-rural constituency of Stikine, home of BC’s mining Golden Triangle, for 11 years. As the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (2017-2020) he oversaw major reforms in forestry legislation, revitalized land use planning, renewed old forest management, and the rebuilding efforts for ecosystems and communities after record-breaking wildfire seasons. His Official Opposition portfolio’s included mining, energy, Indigenous relations, and for 3 years he was the vice-chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. He has also held public office at the municipal government level serving as a Village of Hazelton councillor from 1999-2009.
Doug lives on the territories of the Gitxsan First Nation in northwest British Columbia. He worked supporting the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs on the successful Delgamuukw-Gisdaywa aboriginal title case to the Supreme Court of Canada as communications director with the Gitxsan Chiefs Office. He was a co-founder of Storytellers’ Foundation, a Hazelton-based NGO focused on community economic development and reconciliation.
Doug is an associate fellow with the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies and holds a MA in journalism and a BSc in wildlife biology. He and his wife Anne live on Wilp Nikate’en territory in the Regional District of Kitimat Stikine, in Two Mile, just outside of Hazelton.
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Geoscience BC generates independent, public geoscience research and data about British Columbia’s minerals, energy and water resources. This advances knowledge, informs responsible development, encourages investment and stimulates innovation.
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For more information, please contact
Richard Truman
Geoscience BC
604-662-4147 / 778-929-1662