Board of Directors
Ken Holland
PRESIDENT
Pinnacle Home Designs
Ken Holland was born and raised in British Columbia. He is the owner of Pinnacle Home Designs Ltd. located in Maple Ridge. He has been designing homes for 26 years, with 16 of those years being concentrated on the Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows area. He is active in the communities with different organizations, notably the Rotary Club of Haney, and the Advisor Design Panel in Pitt Meadows. He has been on the chamber board for over 3 years, and is looking forward to building positive relationships within the business community.
Warren Dale Vice President
Canamix Processing Systems
Warren has been living in Maple Ridge since 2010 after moving to Canada, from South Africa, with his wife Adrienne.
Warren is Managing Director of CANAMIX Processing Systems Ltd, a company specializing in the manufacture of Agitation and Pumping Systems, supplied to all industries but particularly Mining. CANAMIX has offices in Maple Ridge and a factory in Pitt Meadows so the company supports both communities. Since commencing operations in 2009 the company has completed numerous large projects, notably for export to Mexico. It has also supplied large equipment to companies in the Lower Mainland and on the Island and is currently completing projects in Labrador, Mexico and Canada. The company’s success has far exceeded his original expectations. Warren remains Chairman of the South African company which is the largest of it’s kind in Africa.
On the community side, Warren’s commitment has spanned many years. He was previously President of the 8th largest Chamber in South Africa, is a Rotary International Paul Harris fellow, and was active for many years in the Preservation of endangered Wildlife. Warren loves living in Maple Ridge and wants to be a part of the exciting growth which he believes is coming to the area.
He has 2 grown children- a son still living in South Africa and a daughter, married and living in Connecticut.
Noel IsbergTREASURER
Meyers Norris Penny (MNP)
Noel has lived in the Tri-City area his entire life and has worked in Maple Ridge for the last four and half years. He is a Chartered Accountant that has worked for MNP for over four years providing assurance services to their clients. He is the Treasurer and has been on the Board of Directors for over one year and is looking forward to adding value and adding additional client services to Chamber members as well as ensuring the Chamber’s resources are being used efficiently and effectively.
Terry BeckerDIRECTOR
Becker & Company Lawyers
Terry is a paralegal/legal administrator at the law offices of Becker & Company in Pitt Meadows. Her mandate includes overseeing everything from marketing and human resources to information technology. She has been in the legal field for over 20 years. Terry is involved in the political scene locally, provincially and nationally, believing that the economic development of the region is tied to the economic policies of all levels of government. She is keenly aware of local issues and is currently President of the Meadowridge Rotary Club, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Pitt Meadows Economic Development Corporation, Director of the Pitt Meadows Community Foundation and an Ambassador to the Vancouver Canucks Hockey Team and the Canucks For Kids Foundation. Terry and her husband John have lived and worked locally since 1981 and have raised their two university aged children in Pitt Meadows.
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Suzanne Blakey-Oaks Suzanne is a Business Advisor with the Fraser Valley Self Employment Program for Abbotsford Community Futures South Fraser. She advises, coordinates and mentors business clients to become self employed, facilitates monthly Networking Breakfasts and Exploring Self Employment workshops as well as manages the workshops and Video Conferencing for Community Futures. |
Suzanne has owned her own business, sold real estate for 10 years and developed community outreach programs utilizing government funding.
Robert KlausDIRECTOR
Lava Dining & Lounge
Robert has lived in Maple Ridge since he moved to Canada in 2003. Originally from Salzburg, Austria, he graduated from the Hotel academy in his Hometown, and went on to study Sports science and History. While working on Cruise ships, he met his wife Lindsay. Together they have a 5 year old son, and are expecting another child in February of 2012. Robert is the owner and operator of Lava Dining and lounge in Maple Ridge, as well as the Marketing director and co-owner of Coastal Edge Dance center in Port Coquitlam. Together with his business Partner Christopher Roper, who is the executive Chef of Lava Dining, they went on to become the best Restaurant outside of Vancouver, 2 years in a row, voted so by the Georgia straight newspaper. Robert believes in developing business for the Down town core of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. His biggest concerns are Safety and Security, both for Business owners, as well as for shoppers. He strongly believes that it is important to find a balance between residential and commercial development.“It does not make sense to build new housing and bring a lot of people into Maple Ridge, if we do not have the infra structure in place to support the growing population. That includes shopping, entertainment and schools”. Robert joined the chamber as a director in 2010.
Lorne HavistoDIRECTOR
Globe Printers
Lorne is currently an Account Manager with Globe Printers. Lorne has over 30 years of print and direct marketing experience with a number of key roles in customer service, sales and operations. In addition to printing, Lorne is a sound technician, very active in Social media and has worked in IT as a network administrator. He is involved in various volunteer pursuits in the Maple Ridge community as well. A Maple Ridge resident since 2001, he is married and he and his wife Kolleen have four children aged 15,18,26,29.
Wendy WhitterDIRECTOR
Notary Public
( Bio to come )
Jeff KnutsonDIRECTOR
Envision Financial
Jeff has been a resident of the Fraser Valley the majority of his life and currently resides in Walnut Grove with his wife Trish and two young boys, Evan and Dylan. He joined Envision Financial, a division of First West Credit Union, in 2010 to manage the Maple Ridge location. In January 2012, Jeff was nominated by First West CU for the National Credit Union Young Leader Award, recognizing leadership that fosters Community Involvement. Jeff is a graduated from the BCIT Financial Management program and has worked in the financial services industry for 16 years, spanning both Credit Union and Bank environments. His broad experience includes many roles and responsibilities, most notably in Construction Financing and Wealth Management. He is in his second year as a Director for the Chamber and Liaison for the Economic Advisory Commission for the District of Maple Ridge. As a representative for the credit union, Jeff is committed to being a good neighbour by giving back to the communities where his members live, work and play.
Laura CherrilleDIRECTOR
Hospice Society
Laura is the Executive Director for the Ridge Meadows Hospice Society. She has been with the society for 6 years. An SFU graduate with a Bachelors in Arts in which she majored in psychology and minored in counselling. Laura has lived in the greater Vancouver area all her life. Previous to her career in the non-profit sector, Laura was part owner of a security alarm company and was also in the banking industry for several years. Laura is passionate about giving back to the community, and is committed to ensuring that volunteering continues to be a priority in her life. Laura has been an active member of the Meadow Ridge Rotary club for 3 years and has also been a board member for Alouette Addictions for 2 years.