BOARD of DIRECTORS  2009-10

JANET ROWE, Treasurer

Janet is a senior manager at Hayes Stewart Little & Co., where she specializes in small to medium sized owner-managed businesses. Her work has included corporate and personal tax planning and compliance, financial analysis and accounting. Janet grew-up on the Island, but left after graduation to travel and work abroad. After settling in Vancouver and becoming a CA, Janet returned to Vancouver Island in 2004 in order to raise her family in a smaller community and be closer to her family and friends.

As well as volunteering as Treasurer for the Chamber, Janet is very involved in the accounting profession, where she has volunteered for seniors and low-income tax preparation, provided tax tips during tax season, and volunteering on various CA boards.  She currently lives in Maple Bay with her husband and two young children.

MICHAEL WATKINS, Acting President

Michael has lived in the Cowichan Valley for 9 years. His wife Julie works in Risk Management for Saanich Municipality, and they have three children: Jordan, Alexandra and Jenna.  Michael is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones Investments, and has worked in the financial services industry for ten years. His professional designations include the CFP, FMA, FCSI and Ch.P., as well as a BA in Law.  A regular contributor to the Victoria Times Colonist, Michael writes a financial Q&A column called Dollars & Sense, and is the author of the financial planning guide “It’s Only Money”.  Michael  is passionate about Chamber advocacy for small business and helping to create a new Visitor and Interpretive Centre for the area, and is currently co-chair of the Black Tie Excellence Awards program.

TARA BENHAM, Director

Tara, a Chartered Accountant with Hayes Stewart Little & Company, has been in public practice for over 14 years, and has specialized in corporate and personal tax matters for the past 11 years.   Her practice area includes complex tax analysis, tax planning and compliance and specialized financial analysis.  She currently serves on the Board of Cowichan Family Life Association (formerly as Treasurer) and the Practice Review and Licencing Committee for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC. Tara is HR chair for the Chamber. 

BILL MACADAM , Director

Bill has served on Chamber Boards as varied as Port Mc Neil and Victoria before arriving in the Cowichan Valley in the spring of 2007.

Heading up the award winning team at the Cowichan News Leader & Cowichan Pictorial (honored as best in Canada 2007) Bill and his wife Amber and 3 teenaged children have settled into a place to call home. Bill heads up the Transportation Portfolio on the Chamber board. 

 DAVE CLARK, Director.

Dave Clark is the CEO of Chances Cowichan, a community gaming centre, operated by Duncan Dabber Bingo Society, a non-profit society providing bingo, slots and food and beverage services to the Cowichan Valley. Dave became CEO in May, 2007 after 40 years of real estate appraisal on Vancouver Island, the last 20 years in the Cowichan Valley. This is his way of "slowing down". Dave is married to Anna, has 4 grown children and 6 grandchildren. He has been an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Duncan since 1991, served on the boards of the BC Assessment Authority, the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia, Duncan-Cowichan Summer Festival Society, Duncan Dabber Bingo Society and the Duncan Kiwanis Village Society. On the Chamber board, Dave is the chair of the Graffiti Task Force.

Born in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Jim and his family immigrated to Canada in 1951 settling in the Richeleau Valley in Quebec. He has worked in agriculture, forestry, construction, trades and project management, manufacturing, civil service, education, counselling and management consulting. He is the owner of Heartland Counselling Services in Chemainus. He has served as President of the Christian Counsellors Association of Alberta and the Canadian Board of Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya. He is currently President of the Pastoral Chapter of the Canadian Counselling Association.

He has recently celebrated his 37 th. wedding anniversary to Summer, an accomplished watercolor artist. He has two, adult married children and one grandchild. 

PAT BARNES, Director

Pat has lived in the Cowichan Valley for almost 40 Years and believes that a community worth living in is a community worth giving back to. She is committed to keeping the Cowichan Valley a great place to live. As a mortgage broker she is able to help her clients get the right mortgage for their needs. Her past experience as a financial planner and small business owner give her a broad knowledge base to draw from to help her clients and in her role as a director on the Duncan-Cowichan Chamber of Commerce board. Pat also serves as a director on the Cowichan Search and Rescue board, and is an active member specializing as a Swift Water Rescue Technician. Pat has two grown children and has been active in their lives as a Beaver, Cub and Brownie leader and on the board for the Cowichan Football Association. She is a past senior regent of the Women of the Moose, a former Kinette, former chair of Wood Road water district, a co-ordinator for security and gate for the Islands Folk Festival, and is an organizer for Dual Sport BC’s Orca Run.

GEORGE GATES, Director

RANJIT DHAMI, First Vice President

KRYSTEL SWARBRICK, Director

Krystel has been a member of the community since 1992.  Krystel has spent the past twelve years in customer service. She is a Manager with Starbucks Coffee Canada and has been at the Duncan Plaza location for more than five years. She spent two years traveling to foreign countries working with NGO’s and completing volunteer service. Following she spent two and a half years in South India helping an accomplished chef, open and run an American restaurant. The restaurant was set up to train, employ and rehabiliate children who grew up on the street, as well as fund more than 17 charitable organization through out the city of Chennai.

MARCIA RUTLAND, Director

RUTH HARTMANN, Appointed Director (North Cowichan)

Ruth has been a community member since 1963 and graduated from Cowichan Senior Secondary School 1972. She and her husband own and operate Hartmann Electrical and Hartmann Interior Design. Very involved in community support, Ruth coached soccer, field hockey and baseball, was president to Mother's Morning out and Brownie leader. Elected as a North Cowichan Councillor in 2002, Ruth was appointed by the Mayor, to the Chamber Board in 2003.  Ruth's personal passions are family, travel and yoga

KEITH CHICQUEN, Appointed Director (Vancouver Island University)

Keith Chicquen moved to the Cowichan Valley in 2001 from Montreal. He has spent his career in education, administrating and instructing in three provinces and two countries over the past 20 years. Keith is currently the Instructional Director for Vancouver Island University, Cowichan Campus. He has two young sons, McLean and Jack, whom he coaches in ice hockey. Keith and his wife Aimee, an educational consultant, reside in Shawnigan Lake. Keith holds the Education Portfolio for the Chamber.

ARNO FEATHERSTONE-Appointed Director (BIA)

JOE THORNE-Appointed Director (City of Duncan)

Cowichan Tribe member, employed by for past 6 yrs. with BC Construction Association as a trades employement specialist. Joe spent 8 years as member councillor with City of Duncan and 8 years as councilor of Ditidaht Band and nuu-chul-nulth tribal council and manager of the Little Ravens drum-dance pow-wow group.