Park Board elects new chair and vice-chair

December 15, 2009 (No. 66) - Vancouver Park Board Commissioner Aaron Jasper was elected as the board's new Chair at last night's Park Board meeting. Commissioner Sarah Blyth was elected as the new Vice Chair. The election of the new Chair and Vice Chair marked the beginning of the current Park Board's second year of a three-year term (2009-2011).

Aaron Jasper, a real estate agent, is a long-time resident of the West End. Aaron has been active in his community for a number of years including having served as a director with the West End Residents Association, founding member of the Save St. Paul's Hospital Coalition and Renters at Risk Campaign. Aaron was involved in the Nelson Park redevelopment, helped organize the first Car-Free Festival in the West End and is a member of the Mole Hill community gardens. In 2007, Aaron was voted "Unsung Hero" by readers of the Westender. This is Aaron's first term on the Park Board.

Sarah Blyth works as an outreach worker with the New Fountain Shelter and is a team captain of the Portland FC Street Soccer Team. Previously Sarah worked as a youth outreach worker with Society for Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) and in Ecuador with the Environmental Youth Alliance. Sarah is very active within Vancouver's skateboarding community and was a founding partner of the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition. This is Sarah's first term on the Park Board.

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For more information contact: Barb Floden, Communications Coordinator, at 604-257-8438

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.