Meet the Board

Kenneth Norman Johnson – Chair (2017-2019)

Kenneth Johnson’s early career as a Music Educator and Administrator in Winnipeg evolved into a full time career as a composer, lyricist, writer, producer, director, performer and recording artist. His catalogue of musical work includes stage productions, choral music, orchestral works, documentary film scores, children’s music, songs, and piano music.  

Kenneth has a lifelong passion for the wonders of our natural surroundings and many of his compositions are nature inspired. "The Natural Piano," one of five original solo piano recordings in the Woodland Series, achieved Canadian Platinum status in 1994. His composition “Starlight Theme” was nominated in 2012 at the Western Canadian Music Awards as Classical Composition of The Year. In 2014 he premiered two of his latest musicals “The Quest” and “Castles in the Snow” to rave reviews and standing ovations in Pender Harbour, B.C.

Kenneth is very enthused about the PODS project and is particularly looking forward to the synergy and learning that will be the result of uniting the arts and nature at this new facility. He is working on a sea-and-nature-inspired original orchestra, choral, and dance production for the outdoor stage. 

Beverley Saunders - Vice-Chair (2013 - 2019)

An expat from the US, Beverly has been a resident of the Sunshine Coast since 1998. Beverly is editor of Sustainable Coast BC Magazine, an online publication on the environment and sustainability. Beverly and her husband Jim are owners of King Fish Trading Ltd., seafood buyers and brokers. As a journalist, she has also worked in the corporate and non-profit sectors in public relations, been a columnist for local newspapers, contributed to web-based publications and volunteers her skills to non-profit organizations on the Coast. Beverly and Jim live off-grid at the head of Jervis Inlet. In addition to writing, Beverly loves music, film, photography, gardening, hiking and boating.

Bill Henwood - Treasurer (2018-2019)

Bill retired from the Parks Canada Agency (PCA) in June, 2011 following a 28-year career with the PCA, completing a total of 36 years of employment in the field of conservation, recreation, protected areas planning and project management. Throughout his career, Bill was active in park system, park establishment and park management planning in both terrestrial and marine environments and in a number of regional land use planning processes. These projects involved organizing many public consultation processes at regional, provincial and national levels.  Since retirement, Bill has been engaged in an active consulting practice and in volunteer work in Caribbean small island states. Bill has also been a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 1990. In 1996, he founded and led a WCPA Specialist Group on the conservation and protection of the world’s temperate grasslands until his retirement from the leadership in 2015. 

Robert Hynd - Director (2016 - 2019)

A graduate in Agricultural Biology from the University of Saskatchewan, Rob went on to receive his Doctorate of Medical Dentistry there in 2005. Following his graduation, he moved to the Sunshine Coast where he has established a booming dental practice. Robert is a swimming coach for the Sunshine Coast Chinooks and he loves fishing, walking on the beach and pillow-fighting with his four kids. Robert and his family have been great supporters of the Lagoon Society since they moved here and they love to bring their children up to the IGC to expand their knowledge of the natural world around us. He is passionate about PODS and is determined to help bring the project to fruition for the good of generations to come.

Jim Cameron - Director (2016 - 2019)

Jim Cameron was born in Garden Bay in July 1958. He graduated from Pender Harbour Secondary in 1976 and received his BSc from Simon Fraser University in 1984. Jim started fishing on Sakinaw Lake with his parents at only 4 years old. He has since fished for salmon, as well as dogfish, halibut, cod, and prawn. He joined his father as a commercial fisherman on their 34’ gillnetter, and subsequently bought his own boat and license in 1985. Jim has been a member of the Pender Harbour Volunteer Fire Department since 1988 and is currently the Assistant Fire Chief. Jim is also a highly experienced professional biologist and has been helping to secure the survival of the unique Sakinaw Lake Sockeye populations for many years.

Rob Haines - Director (2018-2019)

Bio Coming Soon

Patrick Kleine DrSc., CPM - Director (2019)

Patrick Kleine is highly accomplished executive with domestic experience in operations, P&L management, multi channel corporate management, strategic positioning, technology development and innovations with both start-up and growth organizations.

Patrick is one of the founding partners of Estoras Corporate Acquisition Group and is responsible for creating annual operating plans that support strategic direction set by the board and correlating it with annual operating budgets, developing and monitoring strategies for ensuring the long-term financial viability of the organization, developing annual budgets that support operating plans and submits budgets for board approval, and overseeing design, delivery and quality of programs and services.

Prior to Estoras Group Patrick was the founder and managing partner of AfexPM Inc., & Fresh Innovations Group before the merger with Alianz in 2014. Patrick served as CEO and board member of Alianz until the buyout in September 2016. During his tenure as a CEO, Patrick was responsible for 800% growth in revenues.

Patrick is also a founding partner of Opus Venture Fund, Gearbox Digital Marketing, Second Gear Automation Marketing & PM61 Enterprise Consulting; board member of Painted Boat Resort, board member of Pender Harbour Ocean Discovery Station, founding member of Fortuna Club,  past bridge training officer for Canadian Power Squadron, past vice commodore of GYC, flight officer (ret.) of NATO flight training squadron, and founding member of Canadian Oceanic Research and Exploration dive team.

Patrick is an avid technical diver, alpine snowmobiler, car enthusiast, boat skipper, and airplane pilot. Patrick also enjoys helping organizations with technology challenges.

Janine Snell - Director (2019)

Janine is a third generation resident who has lived in Pender Harbour almost her entire life. She spent six years in Vancouver obtaining an education in counselling with a focus on family and community, and volunteering with multiple community based non-profit organizations. After experiencing city living for long enough, she recently moved back home with even more appreciation for her hometown!

Janine grew up swimming, fishing, boating and benefiting from all that Pender Harbour has to offer, and she is dedicated to the conservation of this oceanside community and its long-term sustainability. Seeing all that the Lagoon Society has already brought to the community and the potential for the PODS project, she was motivated to join the board and to combine her deep love of this place with her passion for the promoting the protection of the environment.

Liz Haines - Director (2019)

Bio Coming Soon

George Connell - Director (2019)

George Connell lives on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Since retiring from teaching, he has occupied himself with portrait painting, novel and poetry writing, and songwriting. He has a deep and abiding passion for the environment and encouraging the adoption of alternate energy production and distribution; living beneath 48 solar panels and driving an electric car. His current projects reflect his love of songwriting. His age does not concern him as much as it may others, for he is continuously looking for new challenges. He makes a wicked paella and Tallegio Cheese.

Randene Neill Director - (2019)

Randene Neill is a communications consultant and an award winning journalist with more than two decades of experience. A part time transplant to the Sunshine Coast, she and her husband, a fisheries biologist, care deeply about being responsible citizens and doing their part to help preserve, protect and enhance the environment and BC’s rich biodiversity.

"It's amazing what you can do
if you don't ask for the credit!"

FORMER DIRECTORS

Douglas Dunn - Secretary (2016 - 2019)

Douglas studied at BCIT in Business Marketing and Communications in the late 1980’s and received an MBA in Business from Simon Fraser University in 2000. Douglas has a wealth of business management experience and has worked for dozens of non-profits organizing fundraising and marketing campaigns. He is also an expert in green energy and in solar power generation. He lives with his family in Vancouver, but comes to the Coast most weekends to stay at his cottage in Halfmoon Bay.

Billy Griffith - Director (2004 - 2018)

Billy was born in the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, arrived in Egmont when he was two weeks old, and has been living there ever since. He went to school in Egmont and studied vocational courses at UBC, but has otherwise been a commercial fisherman for most of his life, fishing for ling cod, black cod, halibut, herring, prawns, and salmon. He married Iris in 1963 and they had three children. The entire family helped bring in the catch each year. Billy was one of the founding members of the Egmont Lions Club which opened its doors over thirty years ago. He was president of the Pender Harbour Health Centre Society for three years, president of the Pender Harbour Wildlife Society for several years, and sat on the Provincial Renewable Fisheries Board. He is now the chair of the Egmont Heritage Society which oversees the operations of the Egmont Heritage Centre which was built in 2005. He brings a wealth of knowledge about our local ecosystems and wildlife, and is dedicated to preserving our natural resources for future generations. There are few people who know more about the local characters and golden times of Pender Harbour than Billy.

Andy Teal – Chair (2018)

Andrew and Betty have three adult sons and four grandchildren. The couple recently moved to Madeira Park from Bragg Creek Alberta after retiring from Imperial Oil, drawn to settling in Pender Harbour because of its natural beauty, quiet lifestyle and small town feel. A biologist graduating from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon in 1978, Andrew held a number of positions with Imperial Oil Most recently, he was the Safety Security Health and Environment Department Manager and leadership Team member. In 1989 he was asked to support Exxon in response to the Valdez Oil spill and spent three years in Alaska as the Shoreline Cleanup Advisory Team Manager. In 2005 moved to Angola Africa for three years with Esso Angola as a member of their Management team developing a large offshore oilfield.

Dr. John Field - Director (2002 - 2017)

John is a founding member of the Ruby Lake Lagoon Society. He was born in Guatemala, became interested in natural history from an early age, and has since spent most of his life studying biology. He moved with his family to the Sunshine Coast in 1984 and they took over as caretakers of the Lions Park in Pender Harbour two years later. He helped run the salmon hatchery at the Lions Park with Billy Griffith and others which operated for the next ten years. In 1993, he gained his PhD in Zoology from the University of Queensland (Australia). He then spent 21 years teaching at Capilano University in Sechelt, primarily in the Adult Basic Education Department, until he retired in 2012. John is particularly proficient at course design, programming and field instruction. John, his wife June and their two sons, Jordan and Joel live in an amazing cord-wood house which they designed and constructed themselves. John enjoys fishing for trout in the local lakes and dancing the West Coast Swing.

Anne Clemence - Director (2012 - 2017)

Anne trained as a Registered Nurse in London U.K. before coming to Canada in 1961, where she originally settled in Ottawa and then moved to the Lions Gate hospital in Vancouver. Not long after, she relocated to Pender Harbour and became a General Nurse at the Garden Bay Hospital. She left her nursing career to join her new partner, Sam, in their beachcombing and log salvaging business which they operated for 32 years. During that time they built their own house in 1969 in which Anne still resides to this day. Anne was a founding member of GRIPS (Garbage Recycling In Pender Society) and has served as a director for over ten years. Anne loves exploring the BC Coast in her beautiful sailboat, Kivak, and she is always planning her next adventure on the high seas. She also has a passion for gardening, likes to bake extraordinary cakes, and has a “general curiosity about her local surroundings.” She was President of the Pender Harbour Wildlife Society for several years, and has very fond memories of her times out in the wilderness and would like to see many more protected areas.

Charlie Park - Director (2013 - 2017)

Charlie Park trained as a professional engineer in the United Kingdom and immigrated to British Columbia in 1965. He spent most of his working life designing and constructing facilities for the transmission and distribution of natural gas in BC. Since retirement, Charlie has volunteered for many organizations in the Pender Harbour area, including the Garden Bay Waterworks District, Power Squadron, Lions Club, Music Society, Garden Bay Sailing Club, and the Pipe Band. Charlie’s engineering background has proven invaluable in the completion of numerous projects undertaken by the Society. Charlie is also an avid yachtsman and has sailed around the world at least once! He still races solo each year to Nanaimo and around the San Juan Islands in his beloved sailboat.

Walter Kohli - Director (2016 - 2017)

Walter is the Manager of the Painted Boat Resort in Madeira Park and has been responsible for numerous environmental initiatives at other resorts around the globe, including the establishment of the Gunung Mulu National Park in Borneo. Walter was raised on a farm in the beautiful mountains of Switzerland and has had a lifelong connection with the outdoors ever since. Walter is committed to the environment and believes that businesses are well-placed to make a major contribution to sustainable living. He is also rumored to be a master yodeler.

Ian Gladman - President (2016 - 2017)

Ian obtained his Master’s degree in Leadership and Education Administration at the University of Victoria in 1985. He became principal of the Abbotsford and Township of Langley School Districts where he worked for over thirty years. He was also chairman of the board of the Langley Child Development Centre, and was a member of the Fort Langley Lions Club for 20 years, acting as president in 2003. In his retirement, Ian is keen to provide additional educational experiences for children and adults on the Sunshine Coast. He also has an avid interest in ensuring our next generation inherits a sustainable, healthy and vibrant natural legacy. Ian lives in Secret Cove with his wife Jane, where they enjoy boating, cooking and hiking in the woods with Tessa, their border collie. Ian is an avid follower of all sports and is a big supporter of the Vancouver Canucks and the BC Lions.

Diana Rae - Treasury (2016-2017)

Bio Coming Soon