Executive Director Message

This past year has brought challenges and hurdles as well as opportunities and new innovative bright ideas for the British Columbia Electrical Association. With times changing and evolving at such a rapid pace, the BCEA continually strives to meet those challenges and go the distance to meet and exceed our member expectations. We aim to be your "association" of choice in BC.

At the annual International League of Electrical Association’s (ILEA) conference, held in Baltimore, the BCEA was recognized as a leader and as an evolving association. At the ILEA conference, we were presented and honoured with the AMP’s award for Membership. At the upcoming ILEA conference later in July 2011, the BCEA has been invited to do a presentation on, "Strategic Planning" as a result of the last two very successful strategic planning sessions. Second Vice-Chair, John Baron, and I will be doing the presentation at ILEA.

In response to the AMP’s Membership award, our committees put their heads together to think of new ways to engage our members and network with new members within our industry. We organized our first annual softball tournament that brought out families, staff, management, and industry partners for purely a fun family day. The BCEA recently showed our appreciation to our new members, volunteers, and sponsors by inviting them out to a member appreciation night at Scotia Bank’s Nat Bailey Stadium where we took in a C’s baseball game. We want to continue showing our members our appreciation and give them an opportunity to just go out and have a great time together.

As I have mentioned in previous years, we feel it is very important to align ourselves with other industry Associations. This year we have made several strong partnerships. In June, the BCEA Okanagan committee teamed up with the Mechanical Contractors Association – Okanagan chapter and held our annual golf tournament. Not only did we see an 80% increase in numbers, we raised over $3,000 for the 2011 BCEA/MCA Okanagan Bursary. We have partnered with CSA Safety and Occupational Health and Safety to run our seminars at the Electrix Learning Expo on November 2, 2011. In addition, we also invited members of the Electrical Contractors Association to help with promotion and marketing of the Expo and their ideas will definitely help make this an event to remember. Mark your calendars and join us on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at the PNE Forum for the Electrix Learning Expo 2011.

I would like to thank our Chairman, Tim Horsman, for his time and energy this year. He has been a big help in orgainzing a very successful strategic Board planning session. I am excited to share these plans with the members over the next few months. To the BCEA Board of Directors and Executive, thank you for, "taking your hats off at the door", and focusing on BCEA needs. To my Executive Assistant, Jackie Moffat, your dedication to the BCEA, to me, and to our members make you truly invaluable to us all. Thank you!

Barbette Ishii, CAE
Executive Director