Sean O'Gorman, 1st Vice President

Sean O’Gorman was born and raised in Victoria, where he went to the University of Victoria and majored in visual and performing arts and minored in education. Sean moved to the Comox valley in 1976 with his wife Chris and raised their family here. Sean went to work for Glenn's Small Car in 1977 and consequentially bought the business changing its name to Glenn's Import & Domestic Parts & Repair. Sean has been active in industry associations helping to promote an ethical and healthy business environment in the automotive trade through discussion, lobbying and education. Sean feels that the Comox Valley is a diverse and wonderful area to live in and promotes a sustainable, healthy business environment to ensure that this community can grow responsibly and flourish in the coming years.

Jeff Lucas, 2nd Vice President

Jeff Lucas was born and raised in Ontario, but upon visiting the West during his honeymoon, he and his wife Sheri chose to move out here permanently.  They have been living in the Comox Valley since 1994, where they are proud to be raising their 3 home-schooled children. He has been the local Territory Manager for Labatt Breweries since 1997.  He is responsible for beer sales from Union Bay to Port Hardy, inland to Tahsis and Zeballos, Powell River as well as all of the Northern Gulf islands. Labatt Breweries has been a member of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce since 2002. Jeff is excited to be working with such a talented board of directors and is looking forward to contributing much more to the community in his role of 2nd Vice President.

Website:

www.labatt.com

Linda Oprica, Past President

Linda Oprica is a Business & Executive Coach with clients in Canada, the US, Asia and Australia. She works with individuals, teams & businesses in achieving more of what they want with clarity & focus and with less effort. Leadership is a key element in her coaching as well as in her speaking engagements, seminars and retreats.  Since choosing to move to the Valley in 1996, with her husband David Muir, Linda has established herself both in business and in the community. She is a member of Toastmasters, a founding member and director of the Home Based Business Association, a past President (two terms) of The Women's Business Network, the 2001 recipient of the Woman of the Year award and is an active member and President-elect of Cumberland Centennial Rotary Club.  A more recent venture of Linda and David’s is the Village Hideaway, a beautiful vacation rental at the edge of the forest, perfect for the business traveler or vacationer.

Website: www.villagehideaway.com

Eric Dawson, Treasurer

Eric Dawson is the Treasurer of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce. Eric has worked as a Chartered Accountant at Presley & Partners since 1995 gradually moving up the ranks from Accountant to Manager to Principal. Eric grew up in North Vancouver, and received a Bachelor of Commerce from UBC in 1991. After university, Eric articled with a downtown Vancouver accounting firm, receiving his CA designation in 1995. Eric enjoys working with many Valley businesses at Presley & Partners and likes to spend his free time with his family enjoying our Valley life.

Website:

www.presleyandpartners.com

Sean Doran, Director

Sean was born and raised in the province of Quebec.  After High School he attended John Abbott College and then the University of Alberta in Edmonton, graduating in 1985. After a short period working for the Alberta Government he joined Dare Foods, a consumer goods company. With Dare he was transferred to Calgary and then to Vancouver. While working in Vancouver he was approached with an opportunity to be responsible for sales in Western Canada for Teleflora Canada.
In 1985 he moved to the Valley to join his wife and has been employed at the Comox Valley Echo for over 10 years, the last 7 ½ as Advertising Manager.
Being a director of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce is exciting.  Having been fortunate enough to be part of the local business community, Sean’s desire is to take a more active role in helping to ensure the Valley remains a wonderful place to live and work. The nature of his job has enabled him to acquire a broad knowledge of our diverse local business community. It is this knowledge he hopes will be a benefit to the Board and general membership. For the past six years, Sean has been on the board of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation.

Kelly Gesner, Director

Paul Krismer, Director

Paul Krismer, Client Services Manager, oversees the staff and operations of the Courtenay office of WorkSafeBC (formerly called the WCB). WorkSafeBC pays $50 Million into the North Island economy every year and directly employs more than 50 local people. Prior to his current role, he was the Director of Assessments with WorkSafeBC. That department of over 100 employees is responsible for industrial classification of all BC employers and generates more than $1 Billion annually in revenue from approximately 170,000 customers. WorkSafeBC has been a member of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce for over 15 years. Paul, his wife, and two sons chose to come to the Comox Valley 5 years ago. Paul has great enthusiasm for the community's growth and prosperity.

Website:

www.worksafebc.com

Lynn Larsen

Since 1997, Lynn’s career in tourism has taken her traveling throughout the province as Regional Sales Manager for the Canadian-owned hotel chain Sandman Inns & Suites. Lynn served as General Manager of the Sandman Hotel & Suites in Victoria for 5 years, before her move to the Valley. She is now the Accommodation Manager at the Valley’s premiere destination Golf Resort - Crown Isle.  Lynn also has a background in law, having worked as a Para-Legal and completed her training to become a Notary. She has served on various boards including as Vice President of the Provincial Board of the Business & Professional Women’s Organization and currently serves on the boards of Comox Valley Tourism and the Vancouver Island Mountain Sports Society.

Keith Pistell

Keith was born and raised on Vancouver Island and moved from Victoria to the Comox Valley in 1992.  He started working at Canadian Tire in August of that year as a clerk in the automotive department and gradually worked his way through various supervisory and management positions in the business.  In March of 1995 Bert Heeringa purchased the store and with Bert came a terrific new energy into the business and its’ employees. In 1999, to meet the demands of the growing community a new store was built.  In 2002 Keith took on the role of General Manager and has continued to learn and evolve as the market and the business has grown.  As a large retailer, Keith can offer an informed perspective and vast experience to the Chamber membership.  Keith is committed to exploring solutions towards sustainable growth and preparing for the labour shortages now being faced in the Comox Valley.

Steve Power

Steve was born into a Military Family in New Brunswick. Moving often as a child, he grew up with his siblings becoming his best friends. That is still true to this day. Steve moved to the Comox Valley in December of 2000.  He was employed briefly with the Coast Radio Group, but currently is the host of the Morning Show;  “The Power Breakfast” on 97-3 The Eagle. Steve also is the Program Director for CKLR ( 97-3 The Eagle),  operated by Islandradio, a division of The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, a position he’s held since 2000. Steve has a background in small business and has over 20 years experience in Marketing, Sales, Promotions and Networking.  “The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce has come a long way since conception and I look forward to being a part of its continued growth, success and support of the business community and its operators into the coming years”.

Robert Scales, Director

Bob grew up in Cobble Hill where his family owned a bakeshop and has been a career banker, mostly as a commercial lender,  since 1965.  Bob recently retired from  BMO - Bank of Montreal but has returned to BMO on a part time basis.  Bob and his wife Shelley (along with their son Robert who works for VIHA) have lived in the Comox Valley February 1994. Bob has served on many volunteer boards since 1970 including Sechelt & District Chamber of Commerce,  Dawson Creek Crime Stoppers, Scouting Movement, participated on the business advisory panels  for both Northern Lights and Cariboo Colleges,  Williams Lake Homemakers Society and  Williams Lake Hospital Board. In addition he has been a member of Lions Clubs International since 1971 and was District Governor while living in Dawson Creek.  Currently Bob is the chair of the Comox Valley Family History Research Group, Director for Glacier View Lodge  and Treasurer of the Comox Valley Monarch Lions Club.  He has been researching the possibility of setting up a Junior Chamber of Commerce group for the Comox Valley thus encouraging young entrepreneurs. Bob and Shelley plan to stay in the Comox Valley "which is a great place to live" where he will continue his hobbies including family history, ham radio (VE7DHF) and gardening.

Website:

www.bmo.com

Keith Tatton, Director

Keith was born on his father’s farm in Saskatchewan in the 1950’s.  In 1965 his family moved to the Parksville/Qualicum area.  He married in 1975 and has two daughters, one is pursuing her Masters degree at Dalhousie and the youngest works as a scale person at Cumberland Sand & Gravel.  Keith has worked in the concrete industry on Vancouver Island for since 1967.  Currently, he and his wife operate two companies:  Cumberland Ready Mix Ltd., which they started in 1998 and Cumberland Sand & Gravel Ltd., which was acquired in 2005.  Cumberland Ready Mix Ltd. was recently awarded the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce "Business of the Year Award". Keith is actively involved in the Cumberland Centennial Rotary Club as a Charter Member and President Elect.

Website:

www.cumberlandreadymix.ca

Board Calendar