Dear TLC Supporters,

As springs unfolds into summer throughout the province, we are witnessing the many shifts that highlight this abundant time of year. In the Clearwater River Valley, snow melt is rising local water levels and seasonal migrations are bringing the moose and grizzly bears across our 141-acres of wetlands, meadows, and forests. On Cortes Island, participants at our Deertrails Naturalist Program have been learning from naturalist experts on TLC’s 1,083-acres of conservation covenants. Just outside of Trail at TLC’s Fort Shepherd Conservancy Area, staff have been checking in on recent plantings, meeting with partners, and sharing the wonders of the 2,382-acre refuge with locals at the annual Critter Day.

While our calendars are full of Passport to Nature events, restoration activities, and seasonal covenant monitoring, we are planning ahead for the fall. This year TLC’s 2023 Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, September 23, at 1:00 p.m. at the Cordova Bay United Church Hall located at 813 Claremont Avenue in Victoria. I hope you will be able to join us for refreshments and an update on our conservation achievements from this past fiscal year. Please find details including the Board of Directors’ slate of nominees and our election procedures following this letter.

In addition to providing notice of our AGM, I would like to take this opportunity to share an approaching change in our personnel. Cathy Armstrong, TLC’s Executive Director, has announced her intention to retire following our AGM this fall to spend more time with her children and granddaughter on the Lower Mainland. Cathy’s impact on the conservation community has been significant since being named Executive Director in 2015: she led us through the final stages of restructuring, successfully managed the completion of three acquisition campaigns, oversaw the registration of six conservation covenants protecting 247 acres, and negotiated the ground-breaking agreement to transfer SISȻENEM (Halibut Island) to the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council.

The Board and I are incredibly grateful for the care and skill that Cathy has brought to the organization these last eight years. Beyond her many newsworthy conservation accomplishments, she has supported TLC staff, volunteers, and partners alike in building sustainability into decision making and project development. Under her guidance, we have experienced high staff retention and encouraged professional development to further our team’s areas of expertise. This consistency and stewardship of our personnel has resulted in a strong, skilled, and supportive team who are committed to strengthening and nurturing TLC’s conservation projects and programming.

I am pleased to share that the Board of Directors have selected Cathy’s successor from this group of dedicated professionals: Dianna Stenberg, TLC’s Deputy Executive Director since 2018, will be stepping into the role of Executive Director following Cathy’s retirement. Dianna has held many roles since starting with the organization in 2008 as a member of staff at the Sooke Potholes: she is the team member responsible for creating and implementing TLC’s communications strategies; she has written several successful grant applications including federal grants to enable the acquisition of two major conservation areas; she facilitates TLC’s Passport to Nature and Deertrails Naturalist Programs; she has led the organization in major internal systems changes; and she has supported staff and volunteers in program delivery and project management through her team-oriented leadership. Dianna’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of Victoria and a Master of Arts degree in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University in which she focused on communicating individual and societal responsibilities to building resilience against, and mitigating, climate change.

The board and I look forward to working with Dianna in this new role to steward the organization through our next conservation successes. To ensure operational consistency and continuity, Cathy has been involved in the selection committee process, will continue to work with Dianna, our staff, and Board over the next three months to prepare for the transition, and will undoubtedly provide guidance and support beyond. Further, our Board continues to offer organizational oversight as a team of volunteers with a wide range of backgrounds including policy, finance, law, and biology. With overlapping terms, we strive to provide stability, organizational knowledge, and financial and operational governance consistent with TLC’s constitution, bylaws, and policies.

On behalf of TLC’s Board of Directors, thank you for your continued support of our critical conservation projects. I hope you will be able to join us at our Annual General Meeting this fall to review TLC’s programming from the 2022/23 fiscal year and celebrate Cathy’s tenure. For those unable to attend, TLC’s Annual Report and Financial Statements will be available on our website or in hard copy by request in September. If you have any questions, please reach out to staff or the board via membership@conservancy.bc.ca.

Sincerely,

Jeff Sheldrake
Board Chair

TLC’s 2023 Annual General Meeting
1 p.m. on Saturday, September 23, 2023
Cordova Bay United Church Hall, 813 Claremont Ave, Victoria

In keeping with TLC’s bylaws, a Nominations Committee was struck to recruit candidates for the Board of Directors for your consideration. The maximum number of Directors is 13. Directors are elected for a three-year term with a limit of three consecutive terms. There are currently eight Directors. Five Directors (whose terms are not ending) will be continuing. They include Kelly Fretwell, Mel Lehan, Paleah Black Moher, Frances Sloan Sainas, and Sara Wickham. There are eight positions open to nominations. Tom Watson has completed his term and will not be standing for re-election. Jeff Sheldrake and Andrew Stewart have both reached the end of their terms and stand for re-election. Penny Crawford and Georgina Delimari have been nominated by our Board and stand for election for the first time.

Please keep in mind the following election procedures and timetable:

  • Following receipt of this letter, members may nominate other candidates. Further nominations are welcomed and must be received by TLC no later than July 29. They must be signed by five TLC Members and include a written confirmation from the nominee that he/she/they agrees to stand for election. A short biography of the nominee must also be included.
  • If we receive more nominations than vacant positions, an election will be held. If the same number or fewer nominations are received than vacant positions, nominees will be elected by acclamation.
  • Should an election be required, election materials and ballots will be sent to all TLC Members in good standing. Ballots will be sent by email to each member for whom we have a valid email address and by mail to all others.  Ballots will be sent by August 19.  Ballots must be returned in the manner set out in the election materials.  Successful candidates will be announced at the AGM.
  • Please note that to be eligible to vote you must be a member in good standing by August 9.

The Nominations Committee is pleased to announce the following candidate for your consideration:

Penny Crawford

Occupation: Retired Senior Human Resources Professional.
Skills, Knowledge and Experience: I am a retired, senior human resources professional with proven results in the areas of employee development, coaching, change management and facilitation. Growing up my chores included weeding and watering our large vegetable garden. I believe this foundation fostered my deep appreciation and respect for the natural environment. I enjoyed helping my dad when he became a beekeeper. Through my mom’s work at a garden centre, I landed a summer job. I have always felt energized by getting my hands in the soil and can often be found talking to birds and petting plants. In retirement, I have spent time with family, volunteering, environmental advocacy work and riding my bike. I’ve been involved with the movement to save old growth trees in BC for the past 2 years. I believe we all have the responsibility to protect the land, plants, animals and water as they are the precious resources that must be nurtured for all the coming generations.

Georgina Delimari

Occupation: Mediator.
Skills, Knowledge and Experience: I offer mediation services for two party and multi-party disputes and stakeholder facilitation services. My mediation areas of interest are: land use; First Nations issues; inter-governmental issues; natural resource/environment issues; high-conflict personalities; public policy issues; landlord-tenant issues; company-community engagement; stakeholder engagement; employment/workplace issues. I am experienced in resolving complex, multi-party, difficult disputes in high profile, high conflict areas with major financial implications through collaborative conversations. I have negotiated agreements to settle land use conflicts with Indigenous groups, federal-provincial land and cash transfers, and workplace contractual disputes.
Education: I have a BA in Political Science (McGill University, 1988), and MBA (Royal Roads University, 2003) and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution: Third-Party Intervention (Justice Institute of BC, 2019).
Other Organizations: I volunteer on the Practice and Calls to Action Committees of the Mediate BC board of directors. I am also on the Conflict Intervention Service roster of the Bar Association of San Francisco assisting parties in residential and commercial real estate disputes.

Jeff Sheldrake

Occupation: Executive Director, BC Public Service.
Skills, Knowledge and Experience: I have held several leadership positions related to land management, property negotiations, infrastructure development, natural resource and conservation project implementation and Indigenous relations.  My employment experience includes positions in the BC public service, local government, residential real estate sales and mortgage brokerage.  I have a degree in geography from the University of Victoria, and hold professional diplomas in Urban Land Economics and project management.
Interest and Vision for TLC: I am very interested in supporting the vision laid out by TLC in its current Strategic Plan.  I feel that the values, principles, and objectives described in the plan align well with my own values for conservation.
Other Organizations: Board of Directors, Victoria Heritage Foundation (2018 – present); Chapter Director, Real Estate Institute of British Columbia (2001 – 2007).

Andrew Stewart

Occupation: Retired Lawyer.
Skills, knowledge and/or experience: Involvement in various not for profit boards with a particular focus on governance, finance and member communication. Problem solving and analytical skills developed during a 38-year career as a practising solicitor in Victoria, B.C. My legal practice included corporate small businesses, not for profits, First Nations, professionals, and individuals. I also acted as the Managing Partner for Cook Roberts LLP, a Victoria law firm, which included as many as 24 lawyers and 30 plus support staff during my management tenure. I gained considerable experience in managing professionals and organizing an extensive and varied support structure.
Interest in TLC: To assist TLC in fulfilling its mandate of long-term support for and growth in conservation covenants in B.C. To promote and enhance the reputation of TLC as a stable and effective agent for conservation for the benefit of many future generations. To promote TLC’s development of collaborative relationships with other conservation organizations, First Nations, and all levels of government.
Other Organizations: Board Member/VP – YM-YWCA of Victoria; Board Member/Chair – Maxwell International Baha’i School; Board Member/Treasurer – Victoria Bar Association; Board Member – Bays United Youth Soccer Association; Partner/ Managing Partner – Cook Roberts LLP; and Legal Advisor – Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group Society.