Townsman Staff
The annual election of the Regional District of the East Kootenay (RDEK) Chair and Vice Chair was held at the RDEK on Dec. 4. Electoral Area C Director, Rob Gay, will continue on as chair of the board for 2016.
"I appreciate the confidence of my fellow Directors in re-electing me as Chair and I look forward to another productive year," said Gay in a press release. This will be Gay's fifth term as RDEK Chair. He has been on the board since 2005.
Electoral Area F Director Wendy Booth was re-elected as Vice Chair for a fourth term.
"I have really enjoyed being Vice Chair and look forward to continuing to work with Chair Gay and the Board to advance our priorities for the coming year," she said.
The RDEK celebrated its 50th anniversary this week. In honour of the landmark milestone, the Board, staff, former Chairs and dignitaries gathered for a special dinner on Dec. 3, which included presentations that highlighted moments over the past half century.
At the dinner, there were many speakers including Gay, who addressed a diverse crowd of former RDEK board members and current elected officials.
"It has been an honour to serve on this Board for the past 10 years and to be a part of the many successes of the Regional District of East Kootenay," Gay said. "Over the past 50 years, there have been many challenges – and there have also been many triumphs.
"We have been recognized for our innovation through services like the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund; have received awards for leadership on projects like Carbon Neutral Kootenays and have been recognized federally and provincially as partners for climate protection. We've received best practices awards for our website and citizen engagement and we've been fortunate to have strong CAO's providing leadership and guidance every step of the way."
In addition, the RDEK Board of Directors has approved an updated logo for the organization. The new logo includes the addition of a sun over the mountain and will be gradually transitioned into use over the next few months.