NEWS RELEASE
THE LAND CONSERVANCY OF B.C. NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
TLC Board of Directors appoint new Co-Chairs and Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 1, 2015
Victoria, BC – The Board of Directors of The Land Conservancy of B.C. (TLC) have named Cathy Armstrong as Executive Director of the organization effective December 1, 2015. This announcement follows the Board of Directors’ appointments of members Tom Watson and Frances Pugh as Co-Chairs, Lori Roter as Treasurer, and Bill Pearce as Secretary.
Armstrong has an extensive background in public service with over seven years’ experience in senior executive settings as Assistant to the Solicitor General, Minister of Agriculture and an Independent MLA. She was elected School Trustee from 1993 to 2005, was Chair of the Abbotsford Parks and Recreation Commission, and was on the Board of Directors of the Impact Society, a program for youth with substance abuse issues. Armstrong joined TLC as Administrator in the spring of 2014.
She received the BC Eliminates Racism Together Award in the City of Surrey in 1998, as an entrepreneur her small business was nominated Best New Business by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce in 2001, and she was named Abbotsford’s Woman of the Year in 2003.
“I am honoured to be named as TLC’s next Executive Director,” said Cathy Armstrong. “I joined TLC’s team to make a difference in the province I care so deeply about. I look forward to working with the Board and staff to steward TLC successfully through the remainder of the CCAA process and to beginning TLC’s next chapter as a leader in conservation in British Columbia.”
TLC’s previous Director of Operations, John Shields, announced his retirement at the organization’s Annual General Meeting. Shields and his wife were in a car accident while heading home from a TLC property in Tofino in September. He was recently able to return home after recovering in hospital with fractured vertebrae. TLC’s Board of Directors named Armstrong as Acting Director of Operations during Shields’ recovery.
“We are so pleased to announce Cathy’s acceptance of the position,” said Tom Watson, Co-Chair of TLC’s Board of Directors. “With her experience Cathy is highly qualified for the role. Her creative problem solving, efficiency, and strong conflict resolution skills will support the fulfillment of TLC’s restructuring process.”
Elected to the Board in 2010, Watson is an Investment Advisor with Odlum Brown. He has served as Secretary and Chair for the Gorge View Housing Society and volunteered with the Lakehill Soccer Association.
“Cathy has been a welcome addition to the team,” said Frances Pugh, Co-Chair of TLC’s Board of Directors. “With her background in Human Resources, media relations, policy development, and budget analysis she is an ideal fit for TLC’s Executive Director.”
Pugh has been a TLC member since 2002 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2009. A fruit grower, particularly asparagus, on the Saanich Peninsula, Pugh has run her own agricultural business. She also brings knowledge of non-profit organizations to the Co-Chair position from her years on TLC’s Board and her role as Past Chair of the Saanich Inlet Protection Society.
Bill Pearce, TLC’s newly appointed Board Secretary, joined the Board in early 2014. A retired lawyer, Pearce was called to the bar in 1968, practiced with a Bay Street law firm in his early years and in 1978 became Director of Civil Litigation with the Attorney General of B.C. He was a sole practitioner between 2001 and 2009, was appointed a QC and had a stint as Solicitor General for Bermuda. His practice, particularly in the latter years, has focused on commercial and construction litigation.
Pearce, Pugh, and Watson join continuing TLC Board Treasurer Lori Roter on the Board’s Executive Committee. Former TLC Board Chair Briony Penn has stepped down as Chair but remains on the Board. The Board also welcomed new members Jennifer Bagelman, Gerry Gaydos and Fran Sloan Sainas.
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, TLC Executive Director (250) 479-8053
Welcome, Cathy. Good to see new names and new faces at TLC – both on the Board and a new Executive Director. We at NALT wish you well as you work to steer TLC through this difficult transition period.
I hope to be in touch soon.
Gail, thank you for your comment. I look forward to meeting with you. Cathy