After a distinguished career of service, Janine North, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Development Initiative Trust, has indicated her desire to retire in the fall of 2016.
The Trust’s Board of Directors supports her decision, and will determine the process and timeline for selecting and hiring a new CEO at its next meeting in April. Ms. North will remain CEO until her replacement has been selected and hired, and will work with her successor to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
“Janine’s retirement is one I accept with mixed emotions. I’m sad to see someone with her experience, desire and leadership skills leaving the Trust, while at the same time I’m happy and supportive of her decision to retire and begin experiencing life where work isn’t one’s main focus in life,” said Evan Saugstad, Chair, Northern Development.
“On behalf of the Board, I congratulate Janine on all of her achievements while leading the Trust and making it the truly unique and valuable organization that it has become. Her tireless work and leadership took the Trust from an organization that began with a large bank account and not much else, to the organization that has become institutionalized as an essential part of our communities, with an even bigger bank account. Well done Janine and all the best in your retirement.”
Ms. North’s decision to retire comes after more than a decade of service to the Trust, and is driven by a personal desire to spend more time with her family and friends.
“The development of the Trust as a sustainable cornerstone of this region’s development has been a life work for me; rewarding, challenging, exhilarating and humbling, and I treasure the relationships and friends that I have gained. I have been honoured to work with passionate leaders who invest in making our communities even better places to live, work and raise our families. We have demonstrated together that the best economic and community development decisions are made in the north. With a long transition period, the board and I are committed to ensure smooth leadership succession. I will be remaining in Northern B.C. and enjoying the best that it has to offer.”
Ms. North is the founding CEO of the North Development Initiative Trust, which was established by the Province of British Columbia in 2005. Since 2005, the Trust has combined its financial resources with smart thinking to make a difference in the communities it serves.
The Trust’s mandate is to strengthen the economy, and it has used its resources to approve more than $142 million in funding for more than 2,000 projects throughout central and northern B.C. In that time, the Trust has leveraged $1.2 billion in new investment to the region and helped diversify the economy. Today, the Trust is sustainably managed with a capital base in excess of $250 million and two dozen programs and services that foster collaboration, sustainability and diversification in the region’s communities.
Ms. North’s career and family life have been intertwined with the resource sectors of central and northern B.C., and she has spent her career passionately building a stronger north for future generations. As an accredited corporate director she will continue to serve on the BC Hydro and ViaSport boards.
Throughout her career, Ms. North’s commitment to excellence has been recognized through being honoured as one of the 50 most influential women in B.C., the Influential Women in Business Award, Association for Mineral Exploration of BC Honourary Service Roll, University of Northern B.C. Honourary Lifetime Alumni, Northern B.C.’s Woman of Influence and Impact, Northern B.C. Mentor of the Year to Industry and Business, Northern B.C. Newsmaker of the Year, and Central Interior Logging Association Contractor of the Year.
Contact
Joel McKay
Director, Communications
Northern Development
250-561-2525
joel@northerndevelopment.bc.ca
