Mathijs Deerenberg

2024 Board of Directors Election

BCWF Board of Directors

We are British Columbia’s leading conservation organization, made up of province-wide volunteers who aim to protect, enhance, and promote the wise use of our environment for the benefit of present and future generations. We advocate for anglers, hunters, outdoor recreationists, firearms owners, and recreational shooters. The B.C. Wildlife Federation strives to ensure the sound long-term management of B.C.’s fish, wildlife, and outdoor recreational resources in the best interests of all British Columbians.

Our AGM will be held on April 11, 12, & 13, 2024 in Kelowna, BC, at which time we will be holding our elections for the BCWF Board of Directors.

B.C. Wildlife Federation – Board Composition

The BCWF Board of Directors is comprised of:

Executive Committee – President, 2 Vice Presidents, Past-President, and Treasurer.

Board of Directors – 10 Regional Presidents, and 8 Directors

2024 Nominees

We have the following positions to be filled:

One-year term (2024 – 2025)

  • President (to be elected as President you must have served a minimum of two years on the board as per the constitution)
  • Two Vice Presidents
  • Treasurer

Two-year term (2024 – 2026)

  • Four Directors

We are looking for passionate, motivated, and informed individuals who want to make a difference. We have the following expectations of our Board of Directors.

  • Required to attend regularly scheduled board meetings and Annual General Meeting
  • be an active team member on BCWF committees
  • take an active role in the vision, mission, and goals of the BCWF
  • be available to meet with provincial and federal elected officials, stakeholders, fish and wildlife, and firearms representatives when requested to do so

After having taken the above into account, if you would like to become a member of the Board of Directors, you require a B.C. Wildlife Federation member to nominate you. You can also nominate someone else for a position with the BCWF Board of Directors. 

A current B.C. Wildlife Federation member can nominate you in 2 ways:

1. Online Form: In order to be nominated the online form below must be filled in as accurately as possible. Note the deadline for online form applications is March 18, 2024.

OR

2. Nominations will be taken from the floor during the Annual General Meeting Nomination sessions.

2024 Nomination Form

Online nominations are now closed.

Nominations will be taken from the floor during the Annual General Meeting Nomination sessions.

2024 Nominees

President

David Lewis

The way forward for hunters, anglers and foragers in B.C. is through change. I will continue to press for change in the way wildlife is managed, who will make wildlife decisions, and for legislated guarantees that we all have a place on the land and water. Over the past year, the BCWF has taken your concerns about the decline of wildlife and habitat to Ottawa, with a strong suite of solutions. I met with MP’s. We have had discussions on conservation funding, hunting, access to public resources, and fisheries. Here in B.C., we continue to advocate for a wildlife branch independent of government. The newest round of government proposals for Hunting Regs makes it clear that the ability of resident hunters to access game is being bargained away. I will continue to push back on these ill-conceived restrictions. Wildlife management that is independent of government and politics is our goal. We have already scored some impressive victories. We convinced the province to abandon regulations that could have closed ranges and to properly consult on changes to the Land Act. We successfully fought for new funding for watershed management and forest conservation. Under my guidance, the BCWF supports member clubs as they try to stop industrial encroachment. The BCWF is actively and successfully making B.C. a better place, through programs for children and teens, habitat and wetland restorations, and legacy projects that pass the skills required to enhance and protect for future generations. We have engaged residents, assessed and restored wetlands, and trained technicians. When it comes to the environment, we don’t just talk about it; we do the work. We are engaging with the province to ensure that residents will continue to have access to public resources, that our ability to access the backcountry is maintained so that we are able to harvest food for our families and continue our traditions. We are doing Town Halls meetings throughout B.C. to ensure that your voices are heard.

Vice-President

Darlene Clark

Darlene Clark is an experienced hunter and trapper, who enjoys fishing and all aspects of the outdoors. She has several decades of experience with the BCWF and values the opportunity to be a voice for the hunters and anglers to ensure that future generations can enjoy the opportunity to hunt and fish.
Darlene is a current Vice President of the BCWF and also Region 1. She is the Past President of the Alberni Fish and Game Club, President of the Vancouver Island Trappers Association, a Regional Director with the BC Trappers Association, as well sits on the Vancouver Island Regional Wildlife Advisory Committee as a region representative and is the Wildlife Chair and Access Chair for the region.
Darlene is also a CORE examiner and the BCWF CORE Manual Review Committee Chair.

Mark McDonald

 I am a 4th generation resident of Ladner, BC and lifelong hunter and angler. I have been involved with the Delta-Ladner Rod & Gun Club since I was a Junior at age 12 and am currently club President. I have been heavily involved in mentoring youth through our club as they are the future of the outdoor passions we love so much. I have been involved in the BCWF R2 Board for much of the last 30 years and currently Past President. I currently sit as Vice President of the BCWF as well as serving as Resolutions Chair.

I am a firm believer that the BCWF is the premier organization in BC representing hunters, anglers, and shooters. In the past few years, we have been able to steer the organization in a direction that is being seen in a very positive light by many people. Not so long ago, we were not seen so kindly by many. I’m very proud to have been a part of this change in direction. We’re doing so many positive things in so many different areas. Whether it is a wetland or habitat restoration project or our online webinar series or our advocacy in the halls of government, we are getting things done. We have volunteers in every corner of the province (and a few employees) that are out doing things daily fighting for fish, wildlife and habitat. We’re also doing a much better job these days about getting the word out to people about what we do.

With BC being such a vast province with many differences, the great team we have at the BCWF Executive and Board of Directors works to tackle issues at the local and provincial level. I’m proud to be a part of that team and wish to continue to do so. I believe that we need to continue to work towards a future where every BC resident can have the opportunity to go catch a fish or harvest an animal to feed their family. We also need to continue to press government for properly funded, science based fish and wildlife management where emotion and politics are not involved.

Treasurer

Alli Deelstra

Alli is an avid outdoor enthusiast local to Vancouver Island and enjoys hunting, fishing and exploring all corners of nature. She is also a seasoned applicant for the Treasurer position with BCWF. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (University of Victoria) and has 5+ years of work experience in the accounting realm in public practice and the construction industry. She possesses a strong foundation ranging from regular bookkeeping, reconciliation, auditing, year-end financial statement preparation, analysis, and government taxes and remittances.

Additionally, Alli is the current Treasurer for the Island Rangers Society. This role continues to expand her understanding of financial management within the context of outdoor-focused organizations and teaches her how to advocate for the society’s membership as a whole and other stakeholders.

With a proven track record of financial stewardship and a genuine love for outdoor recreation, Alli is uniquely positioned to contribute to the operational functions of BCWF as the Treasurer. Her blend of professional expertise and personal dedication to environmenta conservation makes her an ideal candidate for the role.

In her spare time, Alli enjoys hunting and recreating outdoors with her husband and their hound dogs, gardening and taking care of their 7 hens. Whether she is counting beans or counting eggs, she loves numbers and all things nature.

Director

Alli Deelstra

Alli was born and raised in Victoria on Vancouver Island and has been cultivating her passion for hunting, fishing, and outdoor pursuits since 2015. She received her Bachelor of Commerce degree and has over 5 years of experience in various business environments. Her expertise spans accounting, management, and communication. She is eager to merge her professional experience with her passion for the outdoors and become more involved in our community.

Currently serving as the Treasurer for the Island Rangers Society, Alli has gained knowledge of working with an outdoor-focused organization and Mosaic Forest Management. In her role, she continues to learn how to advocate for the society’s membership and other stakeholders involved.

Alli is seeking to expand her volunteerism with the BCWF as a candidate for a Director position. She wants to make substantial contribution to the Federation by working with the team to ensure a sustainable future for wildlife and her fellow outdoor enthusiasts.

In her spare time, Alli enjoys hunting and recreating outdoors with her husband, their hound dogs and now their 6-month-old daughter. She looks forward to raising their daughter with a great appreciation for the outdoors and show how each excursion is a chance to bond as a family and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Andy Waddell

Being outdoors has been part of my life since I was a kid, whether it was playing in the creek, riding my dirtbike, shooting my 22 or fishing with my grandpa. Now that I am older it is time to give back and ensure that my daughter and her future children will have the same opportunities that I have experienced.  I have been the president of the Dawson Creek Sportsman’s Club since 2014.  I believe that we need to have our voices heard in both our province and our country in regards to gun laws and conservation.  I want to help, I need to help, and we need more people that want to use their voices for good.  I believe that we need science based wildlife management, what we have currently is not working, I believe the BCWF is our best chance and loudest voice to get this accomplished.  We also need a strong provincial voice to show the federal government that registered gun owners are not the problem.

Grant Hiebert

As a Life Member of the BCWF, I am committed to providing ongoing support and dedication to all aspects of wildlife conservation and hunter opportunity.  Since its inception, I have been involved with the Southern Interior Mule Deer Camera Project providing assistance in installing and maintaining many of the project camera sites and recently, providing significant assistance in redesigning and procuring much of the camera hardware being used.  SIMDeer has allowed me to become heavily involved in the technologies of wildlife monitoring in B.C. and to form strong personal relationships with many of our provincial biologists, wildlife researchers and First Nations partners.  As an avid hunter and outdoors person, I want to ensure that hunters and conservationists continue to be heard by all levels of government and those involved in creating the policies that will affect our futures.

With a background in equipment design and manufacturing, I have a lifetime of experience in working with large teams of talented people towards common, and sometimes complex goals. I continue to leverage much of this experience in my involvement with the SIMDeer project.

I am passionate about wildlife and habitat conservation, and I will provide whatever assistance I can in order to ensure that wildlife continues to be a significant part of BC’s future.

Greg Meeuwsen

Greg Meeuwsen is passionate about the area we live in and the animals that inhabit it. He works for CPKC railway and travels every three days from Sparwood, B.C. to Golden, B.C. on coal trains, seeing amazing scenery and animals that those who travel on the highways miss. In the same aspect, he sees a lot of not so good things like animals struck by trains. He documents the carnage seen on his travels – the species, location, and date, and submits the information to the BCWF.
There are also some concerns that he would like to see addressed about prescribe burns.
Greg loves spending as much time as he can out in nature, whether its hunting, fishing, gold panning, biking, camping, or spending time on a lake.
In his spare time, Greg does leatherwork, making a variety of different things, including hunting tag cases for the BCWF.

Jodi McKay

My name is Jodi McKay and I live in Okanagan Falls. I have been a member of Southern Okanagan Sportsman Association for many years and as a youth I took my CORE training there. I grew up learning to hunt and fish with my mom and dad. Over the years I have gone from being a member of my club to becoming a Director on the Board of the Southern Okanagan Sportsman Association. As my interests flourish, I started to attend Region 8 meetings and events. From there I became a Director on Region 8 and today I sit as one of the Region 8 Vice- Presidents. With my involvement with Region 8 and attending the BCWF AGM’s I have gained more knowledge and very interested in learning more about fish and wildlife in BC. I have gotten involved with the CWD Regional committee and have attended cervid head sampling sessions. I am also involved with the CWD Advisory Commitee as I think that this is a very important issue in our Province and is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. I would like to have the opportunity to get more involved with the BCWF to be able to gain more knowledge and awareness for fish and wildlife in our Province. With the upbringing I had I was very fortunate with the opportunities I had to hunt and fish. I want to learn more and at the same time give back to ensure the resources I have access to and the ability to hunt, fish and forage are there for future generations.

Any Questions?

For questions or to submit a nomination form, please contact Janelle Robertson, Executive Assistant.