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Abbott to head BC Safety Authority

George Abbott will succeed Richard Ballantyne as board chair on April 1, 2017
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George Abbott

A former Shuswap MLA has taken on the top job at the BC Safety Authority

George Abbott will succeed Richard Ballantyne as board chair on April 1, 2017, for a five-year term.

Abbott is a veteran politician and currently a doctoral candidate in political science at the University of Victoria. First elected as an MLA for the Shuswap in 1996, George subsequently served as Minister of Education, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Minister of Health, Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services, and Minister of Sustainable Resource Management.

Prior to his election to the Legislative Assembly, George enjoyed 17 years in local political office including 10 years as chair of the Columbia Shuswap Regional Board. The Sicamous resident was also a political science instructor at Okanagan University College and owned the oldest and largest berry farm in the Interior.

George Abbott has served on BCSA’s Board since Jan. 6, 2014. He is currently Chair of the Governance and Human Resources Committee.

”The diversity of expertise among BCSA’s Board members is vital to overseeing delivery of the organization’s 10-Year Strategy,” said Richard Ballantyne, the retiring Chair. “I’m very confident that BCSA’s Board will continue to provide good governance to advance technical safety in British Columbia.”