2 weeks Ago By Michael Potestio
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District board of directors has re-elected chair Barbara Roden and vice chair Robin Smith to carry on in their positions for the third year in a row. The annual election held via secret ballot saw Roden, the mayor of Ashcroft, and Smith, the mayor of Logan Lake, each face challengers — Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country) Director Tricia Thorpe faced off against Roden for chair and Electoral Area A (Wells Gray Country) Director Usoff Tsao went up against Smith. All candidates had two minutes to address their fellow directors on why they should be chair and vice chair.
In her pitch to the board, Thorpe spoke of coordination and collaboration and asked for their vote to move forward in a positive, transparent and mutually respectful way. Roden harkened back to the ideals she spoke of two years ago when she first sought being chair and said if the board felt she was still living up to those she’d be honoured to have their vote. Mayor of Clinton, Roland Stanke nominated Thorpe, while Electoral Area L (Grasslands) director Doug Haughton nominated Roden for chair.
Electoral Area N (Beautiful Nicola Valley-South) Herb Graham nominated Tsao while Kamloops city councillor Dale Bass nominated Smith for vice chair. Smith told her fellow directors she takes pride in her role and believes in listening and respectful debate. Tsao said he understood the goal of vice chair was to further the interests of the whole regional district and not just his electoral area, and is passionate about the role they play in the TNRD.
The results of the votes are not made public. Roden and Smith will serve in their positions for the upcoming year. Provincial legislation requires regional district boards hold annual elections for the positions of chair and vice chair at the first meeting after Nov.
1 each year. In a press release, Roden said she’s grateful the board put their trust in her again. “We’re at the midway point of this term.
The last two years have seen the TNRD move forward from the events of the previous term, without distractions from the many important things that the TNRD is doing,” Roden said in the release. Roden and Smith have served as the board’s respective chair and vice chair since November 2022, when they became the first-ever female chair and vice chair to serve at the same time since the TNRD’s inception in 1967. Roden has served on the TNRD Board since 2018 and Smith has served since 2013.
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