Park Board Elects New Chair, Vice Chair

December 2, 2008 (No. 68) - First time Park Board Commissioner Raj Hundal was elected as the organization's new Chair at last night's inaugural meeting. Commissioner Hundal was sworn-in along with his six elected colleagues which comprise the 2009-2011 Park Board. In his first statement, the Chair set the direction of the new Board with these words: "Our number one priority as a Board is to listen to and engage with residents. We ask in return that they hold us to account, participate in the process and most importantly, freely share and contribute their ideas." Commissioner Loretta Woodcock, who is beginning her third term on the Board, was elected as the new Vice Chair.

Raj Hundal grew up in the Vancouver neighbourhood of Collingwood, where he and his immediate family still reside. He is a graduate of both UBC and the University of Manchester's School of Law with a life-long involvement in politics. He has participated at the local level in community policing, immigrant support services and as a liaison between Vancouver's various cultural communities.

Commissioner Woodcock works in the travel/tourism industry and has served on the Park Board since 2002. She has been involved with environmental issues at a national, provincial and municipal level since 1990 and has served on the boards of many non-profit organizations.

Other members of the 2009-2011 Board include Constance Barnes, Sarah Blyth, Aaron Jasper, Stuart Mackinnon and Ian Robertson.

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For more information contact Joyce Courtney, Manager of Communications, 604-257-8699.
www.vancouverparks.ca

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation maintains 220 parks and 40 major facilities throughout the City of Vancouver. The Park Board's mission is to provide, preserve and advocate for parks and recreation services to benefit people, communities and the environment.