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Directors



Most of the CAF Board of Directors are senior members of the avalanche community who's life work has been directly tied to minimizing snow avalanche hazards.  Avalanche tragedy has personally affected all of our Directors, with the loss of family members or friends in snow avalanches.

 

The Directors are:
 

President, Gordon Ritchie

Gordon is an active member of the Canadian Avalanche Association, a life member of the Canadian Ski Patrol System (CSPS) and its past National Avalanche Advisor. The CSPS is a national volunteer organization which provides rescue services at ski areas across Canada. Gordon has worked in the petroleum and natural gas industry for 30 years.  He holds a B.Sc. in engineering and a M.Sc. in economics.
 

Vice President, Jack Bennetto
Jack has been involved in the delivery of avalanche safety programs on a full time basis for more than 25 years, including helicopter ski operations and managing the program for the BC provincial highway network, he is now responsible for managing the Rocky Mountain District for the highway network in SE British Columbia.   Jack is Past President of the Canadian Avalanche Association.
Secretary/Treasurer, Ken Little
Ken’s association with the snow avalanche community dates back to the 1980s, when his duties as an Environment Canada meteorologist included mountain weather forecasting.  Ken enjoys a variety of outdoor pursuits, and is also a volunteer member of his local Ground Search & Rescue team. He currently resides in Kelowna. 
  Director, Colin Johnston
Colin is Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering and an Affiliate Member of the Canadian Avalanche Association. He directed the ongoing avalanche research program af the University of Calgary from its inception in 1986 until he retired in 1998.
Director, David G. Thompson
David received a B.Comm. (1979) and LLB (1983) from the University of British Columbia.  He is a governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation. David is also a member of the Planned Giving Committee of the BC Children's Hospital Foundation and the Vice President of the Deep Cove Action Committee.
Director, Morgan Hincks
Morgan became involved with the CAF as a result of a tragic avalanche accident that killed her parents in Austria on January 22, 2005.  She, along with her brothers Teddy and Daniel Hincks, established the Hugh & Helen Hincks Memorial Fund in their parents' honour to further public avalanche safety initiatives, research and education.  Morgan is the President of Morgan Lee Events, a Calgary-based event planning company, and holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Victoria.
Director, John Tweedy
John has been involved in the avalanche industry for 35 years as a working forecaster in the transportation and ski resort sectors of the industry, as well as an educator in avalanche safety.  He is a charter member of the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA) and has served as a past director, secretary-treasurer, explosives committee chair and on the technical committee of the CAA.
Director, John Hetherington
John is a long-time resident of Whistler, British Columbia.  He has been a Whistler Mountain ski patrolman, a member of Whistler’s first town council, a former part-owner of Whistler Heli-Skiing, a heliski guide for twenty-three years, and has just finished a six-year term on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Avalanche Association and Canadian Avalanche Centre.

Director, Kevin Williams
A passionate backcountry skier and ski mountaineer, Kevin has been involved in avalanche science, rescue and education since the early 1980's.  As a member of the Canadian Ski Patrol System, he patrolled and was involved in avalanche work at Lake Louise, Fernie and Whistler.  He was instrumental in the early development of the Avalanche Skills Training (AST) education program.  Kevin holds a B.Eng and M.Sc (Geophysics) from McGill University and was a PhD candidate in avalanche research at UBC.  He works in oil and gas exploration and is based in Calgary.
CAF director Kennan Kannady

Director, Keenan Cannady
Keenan is the Vice President of Land at Wrangler West Energy Corporation in Calgary.  In addition to his work, he has devoted much of his personal time to non-profit, charitable organizations.  Keenan is a keen skier, a devoted cyclist and enjoys climbing in the mountains.

 
CAF director Samantha Stuart

 

 

 

Director, Samantha Stuart
Ms. Stuart has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta (Finance) and an MBA (Finance and Economics) from the University of Chicago, and is engaged as a strategic advisor in the energy industry for Athabasca Oil Corporation. Ms. Stuart is an avid backcountry skier, cyclist and hiker based in Calgary, Alberta.

Director, Kory Fawcett

Kory is the founder and CEO of Zaui Software in Vancouver.  Kory grew up in the Alberta Parks and lived in the Bow Valley, he is an avid skier, climber and cyclist and currently resides in North Vancouver.

 

Director, Robert Kennedy, Q.C.

Robert is actively involved as defence counsel for the outdoor commercial recreation and adventure tourism industry in British Columbia.  He is a recipient of the Marshall Award and the Jimmie Spencer Award for his contribution to the ski industry in Canada, and is an associate member of Canada West Ski Areas Association.  Robert is the former Chair of the CWSAA Safety Committee and works closely with the ski industry developing mountain safety and risk management programs.  He is also an active member and a former director of the Association of Ski Defence Attorneys. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2011.