Metro Vancouver’s Mayors’ Council has welcomed three new members to the TransLink board and bids farewell to three members who will have completed terms at the end of 2016.
The Mayors’ Council has appointed Janet Austin, Sarah Clark, and Anne Giardini, Q.C., as new members who will join the TransLink board in 2017. Outgoing board members are Brenda Eaton, Barry Forbes, and current board chair Don Rose.
Austin is the chief executive officer of the YWCA Metro Vancouver. She has served on various committees and boards including the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade as chair, MOSAIC, and the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation. Among her accolades, she has received the Queen Elizabeth Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals, the Order of B.C., and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Clark is the chief operating officer of Fraser River Pile and Dredge. Prior to this she was president and chief executive officer of Partnerships British Columbia Inc., a provincial agency with a mandate of planning and implementing public private partnership and other complex project procurements. She also worked previously for Bombardier Transportation where she was involved in transit projects, including the Evergreen Extension in Metro Vancouver. A professional engineer, she serves on the boards of Covenant House and previously served a term with the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships.
Giardini is a lawyer, director and chancellor of Simon Fraser University. She was previously general counsel and then president of Weyerhaeuser Company Limited. She is a member of the board of the World Wildlife Fund Canada, executive vice chair of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, and serves on SFU’s board of governors. Giardini has been a board member of B.C.’s Council of Forest Industries, the Forest Products Association of Canada, and the Writers Trust of Canada, and is past chair of the Vancouver International Writers Festival. She is the author of two novels and has edited a collection of advice on writing.
“When the Mayors’ Council began the selection process, we set out to find people who are community builders with a passion for this region, its future, and who use and believe in the role of public transit,” said Mayors’ Council Chair, Gregor Robertson. “I’m thrilled to welcome Janet, Sarah and Anne to the TransLink Board of Directors and look forward to working with them as we grow an inclusive, effective transit and transportation system for Metro Vancouver.”
“On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank outgoing board members Brenda Eaton and Barry Forbes for their service and dedication to the citizens of Metro Vancouver and the transportation needs of the region,” said TransLink board chair Don Rose. “Though this is the end of my term, I know the board is looking forward to working with our new colleagues who bring with them tremendous experience in executive leadership, complex project management, and community service.”
The 2017 Mayors’ Council Chair and Vice-Chair will also be eligible to serve on the 2017 Board. The selection process will take place later this year.
