In the build up to the 2022 Board Elections, individuals with annual membership on or before September 16th will receive an email from ElectionRunner, a proven and secure election platform used by several National and Provincial sport groups across Canada. Each member will receive a unique link and code to cast a vote for a total of 6 Board members; Treasurer, Secretary and 4 Members at Large, each serving a two year term, with the exception of one candidate (TBA), who will run for a one year term, based on the results of a previous special bylaw vote which supported by 90% of our members, and will bring Triathlon BC back to a more even voting structure in future years.
Elections will open Friday, October 7th and close at noon, Wednesday, October 12th.
Below, you will find individuals that put their name forward to run for positions on the Board of D.
TREASURER – STEWART SCOTT
I have been a senior executive in organisations around the world for the last 20 years supporting businesses in Finance and Accounting. More recently I have moved in General Management that has included a remit focused on companies support services or back office departments. This has included HR, IT, Legal, Investor Relations, Administration and Facility management.
I have been a board director for Travelocity in the UK, Australia, UAE, South Africa and I’m currently Chief Operations Officer of a private equity company in Vancouver. My current responsibilities include Finance, HR, Legal, IT and Administration. The business has revenue approaching $300m and a valuation of $100m.
I am an avid triathlete and have competed for Canada at the 2017 World Multisport Championships in Penticton and 2017 World Triathlon Championships in Rotterdam. I qualified to represent Canada again in the Multisport and Triathlon World championships in 2020 that were deferred to 2021. I am an active member and Treasurer for the Tri Peaks Multisport club in North Vancouver.
I am seeking to be Treasurer of Triathlon BC. I have been involved with the Board for the last year and I would like to expand my role with Triathlon BC to include financial oversight of the organisation. I have a CPA qualification and have been a qualified accountant for the last 20 years. I think my mix of business experience and triathlon experience enables me to bring a balance view between what is best for the long-term organization interests and the triathlon community.
SECRETARY – KEITH IWASAKI
Keith has served in the role of Secretary for Triathlon BC for the past 17 years and it his goal to continue to be the voice of experience and continuity.
In addition to his role as Secretary, he also sits, or has sat, on several Triathlon BC committees including the Technical Committee and bursary application review committee.
Back in 2001 a friend suggested Keith look into triathlon as a way to supplement his running. He has “raced” everything from sprint distance to Iron distance, but now focuses on giving back to the community. He has been coaching track with a local triathlon club for the past several years, and previously acted as their Newsletter Editor, Run Director and Vice President.
Keith believes that the best race is both a safe and fair race and works toward this goal through his role as a technical official. He started the officiating journey in 2001 by taking the Provincial Level 1 course and just this September he finished the International Technical Official’s course. His last two assignments were as an official for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and as the Technical Delegate for the 2022 World Games.
MEMBER AT LARGE – TROYCE BEGLAW
Over the past two years, I have had the pleasure and privilege to serve the members of Triathlon BC as your current Sanctioning Director, and am very encouraged by the number of events that have returned to our calendar in 2022.
I have been involved in Field of Play operations as an official for over 26 years, first as a Softball Umpire and the last 16 years as a Triathlon Official. I have had the fortunate opportunity to ensure safety and fairness at all levels of competition and ability, as this is what sport is truly about, from young children just learning new skills to seasoned professionals trying to achieve Olympic glory.
I take the responsibility of ensuring Triathlon BC sanctioned events are safe and fair very seriously, as the safety and athlete experience are paramount to our sport’s success.
My family is also involved in Triathlon both competing and as volunteers. I would like to thank them for allowing me the many hours to volunteer for Triathlon BC. During the week I am employed in the province’s Gas Utility (FortisBC) as an Operations Supervisor with Interior Compression.
I look forward to many more years supporting Triathlon BC.
MEMBER AT LARGE – MICHAEL BROWN
As a recreational athlete throughout my life, I only participated in my first triathlon after reaching the age of 50 and within 18 month’s I was competing in my first 140.6 in Whistler. With three full IM’s now completed, I fell in love with the sport quickly and have been a champion for it ever since. I thoroughly appreciate what it takes to train for these multi-disciplined events, what initial participation barriers exist, but, most importantly, I understand firsthand how satisfying it is to overcome these obstacles and finish your first race! It is a euphoric feeling that I would like to pass on to others.
I have a passion for the sport and a desire to see more BC athletes (of all ages and fully inclusive) experience the benefits of this rewarding and healthy pursuit. Correspondingly, I also want to see the current and future stars of triathlon in our province compete more successfully on the world stage.
To support my interests in growing the overall awareness and participation levels in triathlon, my executive-level operations and general management expertise, along with my professional accounting designation complement my skillsets to be considered for another term as a returning Board Member.
For a more comprehensive review of my career and/or educational background, please refer to my LinkedIn page for more info: Michael Brown, CPA, CMA (www.linkedin.com/in/mgbrown/)
MEMBER AT LARGE – ANDREA DAMIANI
I am a practising lawyer with 14 years of experience and hope to continue contributing my legal perspectives and skills as a Director at Large with Triathlon BC.
In my law practice, my focus is tax law, working on both disputes and planning, representing individuals and businesses. Some of the work includes advocating to government and reviewing financial statements. I enjoy being involved in the business and management aspects of our law firm. I have published articles and presented through the Canadian tax foundation, completed the CPA in-depth tax course, and I’m a member of several provincial professional organizations in the legal and tax communities.
I have been participating in Triathlon’s for many years. 2022 was great year with the return of so many events. I completed several local triathlons, an aquabike event, and participated in the World Triathlon event (with more on the schedule). My daughter also completed her first Triathlon this year.
I have served on the board of directors for Triathlon BC since 2020. Previously, I was Director for Gymnastics BC for approximately 11 years. I sat on various governance-type committees with both Boards.
I enjoy sitting on the Board with Triathlon BC over the past term. The growth and strong sense of community within Triathlon as we emerge out of the pandemic has been amazing. I look forward to working towards further development and promotion of Triathlon and multisport for all athletes.
MEMBER AT LARGE – MIKE GREGORY
A day in my life is filled with many transitions: Father/Husband; Communications Professional; Volunteer; Athlete; Teammate;
I reside in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island in the traditional unceeded territory of the Coast Salish peoples.
I am a communications and public engagement professional for the Town of Ladysmith and hold a Bachelor of Arts degree and am currently studying towards as Master of Public Administration.
I have experience as an athlete, Triathlon BC official as well as a race volunteer and continue to value opportunities to give back and build a well-rounded understanding of our sport.
I am also a proud member of Human Powered Racing triathlon team. I am a previous age group national champion (2008), BC provincial long distance medalist (2022) and represented Canada at the ITU World Age Group Triathlon Championships in Rotterdam (2017).
I have over 15 years of experience as a competitive youth swim coach and recently held the position of assistant coach with the Ladysmith-Chemainus Orcas Swim Club.
I served on the board of the Cowichan Trails Stewardship Society Ladysmith Chapter for several years, helping to play a key role in the creation of the community’s first sanctioned mountain bike trails for youth in 2020.
Currently, I’m an active member of the Canadian Public Relations Society Vancouver Island Chapter and volunteer as our Linkedln Manager, liaising between the board and our membership on professional development, networking and career-related opportunities.
MEMBER AT LARGE – DUNCAN WOOD
Sports in general has always been a large part of Duncan’s life. From a young age, he spent many hours outdoors trying everything from soccer to cricket to X-Country skiing, and countless other activities. In the mid 80’s while at the family cottage, he was challenged by a friend to compete in a local triathlon. Never one to back down from a challenge, he dove right in and was instantly hooked by the sport. Over the years he has had the privilege of training, racing, and working with amazing individuals all of whom have a similar passion for triathlon.
Having stepped away for a couple of years to focus on other aspects of life, he has recently found himself looking to once again give back to a sport that provide so much joy and happiness. His background as a Project Manager has prepared him well to plan, organize and execute tasks to completion. His leadership, coaching and mentoring skills continue to be developed through his participation in TEC Canada and while he still loves a good training regiment, he now finds himself more aligned with the social aspect of working out and spending time with friends and colleagues.
Duncan is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a Professional Agrologist (PAg) in the Province of BC.
As a Director at Large, I look forward to building on previous Triathlon BC Board experience as Past President, and contributing to the organization to build on the solid reputation Triathlon BC currently has.