VICTORIA – South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP), the nonprofit economic development organization for Greater Victoria, on September 30 announced its new board of directors for 2020/2021:
● Frank Bourree, Chair — Principal and Owner, Bourree + Associates
● Craig Norris, Past Chair — CEO, Community Marine Concepts Ltd.
● Sean Midwood, Secretary/Treasurer — Retired, former NATO & RCN
● Deirdre Campbell, Director — Managing Director Canada, Beattie Tartan
● Tina Ryan, Director — President, Visa Seminars International
● Anna MacMillan, Director — Retired Partner & Counsel, DLA Piper (Canada) LLP
● Jennifer Vornbrock, Director — Executive Director, Community & Government Relations, UVic
● Kear Porttris, Director — Principal, Relationship Manager, Gwaii Engineering Ltd.
● Geoff Wilmshurst, Director — Vice-President Partnerships, Camosun College.
SIPP thanks outgoing board members Christina Clarke, Corporate Executive Officer, Songhees Development Corporation, and Kyman Chan, Partner, Grant Thornton LLP, for their service and dedication. SIPP also extends a special thank you to Bruce Williams for taking on the role of Acting CEO during the 2019/2020 fiscal year and helping to further grow the organization and pursue its goal of a strong, inclusive economy.
In the four years since SIPP launched, the organization has achieved major milestones with a small, agile team and an extensive, engaged network of members and community partners.
Highlights from 2019/2020 include:
● Convened the multi-sector Rising Economy Taskforce, the largest, coordinated industry-led COVID-19 economic
recovery effort in Canada.
● Secured $100,000 in funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada to conduct a feasibility and
business case study for an Ocean Futures Innovation Hub for the region.
● With the Songhees Nation, co-hosted the first-ever Indigenous Prosperity Gathering to explore collaborative
projects that might benefit multiple Nations through equity, revenue-sharing and jobs.
● Launched the Invest Victoria & South Vancouver Island brand and campaign to attract companies to the region.
“This has been a year of deep challenges for our region, and SIPP is committed to speeding our recovery and creating a more resilient, diverse economy to withstand possible future shocks, ” says SIPP CEO Emilie de Rosenroll. “Our board members, both returning and new, bring the right blend of expertise and collaborative spirit to help steer us as we build our region back better than ever.”
