May I Introduce Myself? I'm your New Director

Finally, the sun is shining! It was a long winter, but that did not stop me and my dog, Sam, from enjoying the Kinsol Trestle and Mount Baldy. They are two of my favourite places and I appreciate both these landmarks not only for their natural beauty, but also for the monumental community involvement it took to make them what they are. Even today the community continues to build legacies. For example, the Elsie Miles Pavilion and the Museum expansion are underway.

The Cowichan Valley said loud and clear that we want to protect the area we live in when we elected Sonia Furstenau as our MLA. Working with Sonia as her Alternate Director over the last year has given me a first-hand view of how important a Director's role is to the community we serve. She had the ability to solve issues by bringing groups and people together and by working closely with other levels of government and never forgetting we are all human. In my opinion the best part of being a Director is meeting people, although I do enjoy the presentations and conversations around the board table. Every day I am connecting with new and familiar faces. My strength is helping inspire people to an idea I am passionate about: I focus on the positive, I see people’s strengths and I love connecting them with others. Given how complex this role is I am honored to have been entrusted with this position and will seek to be elected as Area Director in the by-election this fall.

Sonia Furstenau built many amazing teams, including a Parks and Trails Team, a Museum Expansion/ Fundraising Team, an Elsie Mills Improvement Team and a Safety Advisory Group. Should you wish to join any of these teams or get involved in another way I would love to hear from you. We are the biggest unincorporated area in BC, so this is truly a group effort. I welcome any advice, input or simply would love to hear your story of why you call Shawnigan Lake home.

We are moving forward and I plan to keep the momentum going, I hope you will join me, in service, Sierra Acton.