November 2014 saw B.C. citizens return to the ballot box to elect municipal representatives and school district trustees. Each person putting their name forward as a candidate for consideration did so with their community at heart, and the desire to make it a better place. Many of these candidates have been associated with the BC Winter and BC Summer Games in key leadership positions and have taken the passion and skills of that experience forward into the municipal world.
"We talk often and proudly of our athlete and coach alumni who have gone on from our BC Games to national and international success," said Kelly Mann, President and CEO of the BC Games Society. "With this past election, we can now point to a new stream of alumni; community leaders who proudly supported a BC Games and are now leading key decisions in their communities."
The BC Games Society congratulates the many past volunteers who were successful at the ballot box. We can readily identify six Mayors, five Councillors and three Trustees who are part of a distinguished BC Games volunteer alumni group including:
Sharon Gaetz, Mayor of Chilliwack – Protocol Director, Chilliwack 1993 BC Summer Games
Carol LeClerc, Mayor of Terrace, Registration & Results Director, Terrace 2010 BC Winter Games
Akbal Mund, Mayor of Vernon, President, Greater Vernon 2012 BC Winter Games
Jack Froese, Mayor of Township of Langley, Security Director, Township of Langley 2010 BC Summer Games
Randy Hawes, Mayor of Mission, Friends of the Games Chair, Mission 2014 BC Winter Games
Linda Hepner, Mayor of Surrey, Vice President, Surrey 2012 BC Summer Games
Brian Downie, Terrace Council, Friends of the Games Director, Terrace 2010 BC Winter Games
Raye McMeeken, Mackenzie Council, President, Mackenzie 2009 Northern BC Winter Games
Pam Alexis, Mission Council, Vice President, Mission 2014 BC Winter Games
Carol Hamilton, Mission Council, Sport Chair, Mission 2014 BC Winter Games
Danny Plecas, Mission Council, Director of Accommodation, Mission 2014 BC Winter Games
Ian Thorpe, Nanaimo Council, Protocol Chair, Nanaimo 2014 BC Summer Games
Bruce Johnson, Trustee, SD #67, Sport Director, Penticton 1995 BC Summer Games
Bill Robinson, Trustee, SD #68, Protocol Host, Nanaimo 2014 BC Summer Games
Frank Lento, Trustee, SD #5, Chair, BC Games Society