Directors
Carol Brown
Carol Brown's professional career in the Banking business has spanned some 35 years working in both the chartered Banks and Credit Union systems. Starting as a front line customer service representative, Carol soon worked her way through supervisory and instructor positions to participating in program conversion projects at the Corporate level.
Carol's personal, or second career, has focused on raising a family and travelling the country in support of her husband Craig's Air Traffic Control profession. Now settling in beautiful Peachland for their retirement, Carol devotes her time to family, gardening, community support and participating in Craig's musical projects.
Marilyn Dodd
Marilyn Dodd was raised in central Alberta. She graduated with Honors in Merchandising Administration from SAIT and went to work for The Bay, first as a management trainee and then as a Buyer/Department Manager. Marilyn and her husband, Jim, started travelling in 1971, and have continued to do so whenever possible ever since. She sold RVs in Calgary for many years. They moved to Peachland in 1979 and became very involved in the community. Marilyn served two terms as an Alderman, from 1983 through 1987. Her main efforts during her time on Council included expanded telephone service in Peachland, a new Community Hall, and pushing for a Highway 97 bypass above Peachland. Marilyn sold Real Estate in Westbank and Peachland until she retired. Since then, the Dodd's have travelled extensively, but she has always maintained an interest in the Community and especially in the promotion of the Bypass Concept.
ken Janes
Ken Janes is an 11-year resident of Peachland having arrived to the Okanagan with his family for the first time from 30 years in Winnipeg. Appreciating the natural beauty and serenity of the valley from the unique viewpoint of Peachland on the lake, is the experience that compelled the decision to move west in 2003. As a civil engineering technologist and an architectural software developer, Ken works from his home office on Desert Pines Avenue, within sight and sound of Highway 97. One of the earliest members of the Task Force, he wanted to be involved in shaping the future of the highway and mitigating its effect on the aesthetics of the community. Knowing that the status quo was, and is, insufficient for projected traffic volumes, and that a four-lane swath cut through our community is disquieting, Ken actively supports "A Better Way for the Highway".
Berend (Burt) Put
Bert is a power engineer, who graduated Marine Engineering College in the Netherlands, and completed further education in BC and Quebec. His specialties include energy conservation, waste to energy technologies, energy auditing, job safety, sales and marketing. Fluent in English, Dutch, German, and with a working knowledge of Spanish, French and Portuguese, Bert has lectured at conferences and worked on projects throughout the world.
Bert brings to our Society extensive experience in engineering, environmental science, planning, negotiating and marketing. His duties have included heavy industrial facility construction, soil contamination investigation and remediation, environmental agency consulting, heat recovery boiler work and industrial maintenance contract work. The list of companies Bert has served over the decades is too lengthy to list here.
Jacqueline
McGrath
Jacqueline is married and continues to work in a job she loves. She started her career in the dental field for 14 years however once she started her family, she became an entrepreneur so she could create a business that allowed her to put her family first. She now runs a multi- million dollar Epicure Business as a Global Director /Independent Consultant. She is also an accredited business coach.
She has volunteered at many organizations including the Youth Justice Committee, Habitat for Humanity, Made by Momma. She supports 5 children in 3rd world countries and is to Director to Son of Africa.
Growing up in small town in North Alberta, Jacqueline values community, integrity and vision. Peachland is a gem, precious and beautiful.
In a world of busy, this town gives us a place to wind down and put our lives into priority. “At the end of our days, it is the people in our lives and how we make our world a better place to live that we create our legacy.”
jacqueline@jmflavors.com
Craig Bitcon
I was born and raised in Burnaby BC and in 1988 I moved to Peachland. In 2012 I retired after 39 years in the aviation industry. My wife and I have lived here for over 30 years and have witnessed many changes to Peachland during that time. The decision with regards to changes to Highway 97 will be the most significant of all. I have been a member of the Highway 97 Task Force since 2007 and have worked on a number of Canada Day floats with them. In the spring of 2019 I joined the Board as a Director.
craigbitcon@shaw.ca
Wylli Seipp
Wylli has been a resident of Peachland since 2004 and very quickly became interested and committed to the Hwy 97 issue.
Wylli’s deceased husband Phil, was well known in the community and for two years, served as Hwy 97 Task Force Society President. Wylli relocated from her acreage in the Joe Rich area of Kelowna after the fires of 2003 to retire to Peachland.
Her background is in the freight/courier business as Operations Manager for the Okanagan and South Kootenays Regions. Her expertise includes customer service, sales and marketing as well as logistics operations.
wylliseipp@yahoo.ca