NEWS RELEASE
THE LAND CONSERVANCY OF B.C. DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
JOHN SHIELDS TO RE-ENTER RETIREMENT
TLC Board of Directors name Acting Director of Operations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 21, 2015
Victoria, BC – The Director of Operations of The Land Conservancy of B.C. (TLC) will retire from the organization at the end of November. John Shields, who was appointed as Director of Operations in August 2013, will re-enter the retirement he gave up to lead the land trust through a Court-monitored restructuring process.
TLC filed for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) on October 7, 2013, to definitively resolve the organization’s financial problems. With a Plan of Arrangement agreed upon by creditors and the Supreme Court of B.C. in the spring of 2015, TLC is currently implementing its repayment plan and is scheduled to conclude the restructuring process in 2016.
Shields, a long standing Member of TLC, is a published author, holds a masters degree in theology from St. Paul’s College in Washington, DC, and is internationally known as a leader in the labour movement for his 14 years as President of the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union (BCGEU). When approached by TLC’s Board in 2013 to aid the organization in restructuring he committed to helping manage the transition process.
On September 12, 2015, Shields and his wife were in a car accident while heading home from a TLC property in Tofino. Since then he has been recovering in hospital with fractured vertebrae and was recently able to return home.
TLC’s Board of Directors named TLC employee Cathy Armstrong as Acting Director of Operations during Shields’ recovery.
“John embodies integrity and calm grace. He has had a profound impact on the staff and lead us through a complex and challenging process,” said Cathy Armstrong. “We will continue John’s efforts to see TLC fulfil its obligations to creditors and see our properties protected.”
“The future of the organization is in great hands,” said John Shields. “The team is terrific. Together we have accomplished amazing feats in the past two years. As a TLC Member, I look forward to witnessing the organization’s next great contribution to the conservation and land trust movement.”
“On behalf of the Board of Directors I wish to thank John for his service,” said Briony Penn, Chair of TLC’s Board of Directors. “He left his retirement to help TLC traverse the complicated CCAA process. We will be forever grateful for his contributions.”
About The Land Conservancy of BC:
The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC) is a non-profit, charitable Land Trust working throughout British Columbia. TLC’s primary mandate is to benefit the community by protecting habitat for natural communities of plants and animals. Founded in 1997, TLC is membership-based and governed by an elected, volunteer Board of Directors. TLC relies on a strong membership and volunteer base to help maintain its operations.
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Media contact: Cathy Armstrong, Acting Director of Operations (250) 479-8053
