Taoya is retired after working for 25 years as a physiotherapist. She has lived in the Lake Windermere watershed since the 1980s and appreciates the area’s natural beauty and abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities. Among the outdoor pursuits she enjoys are mountain-biking, backpacking, skiing, kayaking, canoeing and sailing with her husband and two sons. Taoya especially strives to represent the interests of people who appreciate non-motorized uses of the lake. “I hope that through working with the Ambassadors, I will be able to contribute to a healthier Lake Windermere.”
Victoria grew up spending her summers in the Columbia Valley from an early age, she moved to Invermere in 2010 to make the Columbia Valley her full time home. She now lives here with her partner Shawn, where the own and operate a year round Commercial Transport Repair Facility. After Shawn joined the Ambassadors a few years ago, his passion for lake preservation, access and responsible boating inspired Victoria to become more involved. Victoria’s main interested is seeing continued support and commitment to Windermere Lake preservation, as well as access for all individuals to enjoy this incredible lake safely, not just motorized sport boats and lake shore owners. She is excited to become more involved moving forward with the Ambassadors and offering her support to this organization.
Shawn grew up in the lower mainland with his family who enjoyed sailing together. With decades of marine vessel operations and in-depth knowledge of the gulf islands, San Juan Islands and the Sunshine Coast, plus most of B.C.’s interior lakes. Shawn is no stranger to boating operations, safety and etiquette. Whether it’s a Sailboat, Powerboat, Cabin Cruiser or Trawler. Shawn has operated them all over the years…
Leaving the coast in 2010, Shawn has been a full time resident of Invermere BC since 2015. “We are short on salt water around these parts, but one thing we do have a lot of is pristine freshwater.” Shawn hopes it can stay that way for many decades and generations to come. He enjoys spending his time on the lake doing the simpler things. Lazy boating, swimming and just relaxing the day away. Fishing when time permits, which unfortunately, is getting harder and harder on our lake as the fish population is quickly declining. Shawn believes Lake Windermere has a direct link to the health of our community. “If Lake Windermere is sick, so too will be our community as a whole.”
Heather Rennebohm’s academic qualifications include a Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) with a specialization in Economics & Impact Analysis and a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc) in Microbiology, both from the University of Alberta. Born in Alberta, Heather’s family owned a hillside property overlooking the lake, in Windermere, B.C. , for over 70 years. Now owned by Heather, creating a lifelong connection to Lake Windermere. Heather’s family: her husband, Bob, and their two grown children spend as much time as life allows in Windermere. While she started her work life in academia and environmental sciences, Heather moved to the arena of non-profit and social enterprise administration after obtaining her master’s degree. Extensive past executive leadership experience and teaching in the non-profit and social enterprise sectors includes: Columbia Basin Trust Non-Profit Advisors, Summit Community Services Society (SCSS),
?akisq’nuk First Nation, Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma, Meinders School of Business, Oklahoma City University, Goodwill Industries of Alberta.
Akisqnuk First Nation Advisor
Shannon grew up canoeing on the lakes of Southern Ontario where she nurtured a passion for aquatic insects and terrestrial plants. She moved to Prince George in 2010 to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Recreation and Conservation. When she graduated in 2014, she had gained a great appreciation for the community-based non-profits doing work to protect and educate on our natural world. Following this appreciation, she worked in a variety of fields from recreation to environmental education and found her niche in water stewardship after moving to the Columbia Valley in 2018. She now works for MakeWay to support projects and priorities relating to freshwater. Shannon is based in the Columbia Basin on the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc Peoples, Invermere, BC, where you can find her out mountain biking, skiing, or knitting in her spare time.
In October 2020 Richard and his wife moved to the Columbia Valley. They enjoy non-motorized recreation including canoeing, paddle boarding and skating in the winter. For 25 years, Richard was employed as an Environmental Specialist ensuring compliance with provincial and federal regulations in regards to water, waste water, air emissions and waste management. He understands the the life cycle of water and the importance of water stewardship. With him, Richard brings, a diploma in recreation and wildlife, and a degree in physical science. Richard is hoping to use his vast experience to support the Ambassadors. He loves the Valley, and is committed to water stewardship to protect our shared resources.
Born on the sandy shores of Vancouver Island, Buzz was educated at Oak Bay High, then trained to be a Marine Electrician. He spent most of his spare time fishing and hunting. Buzz took several extended courses at the University of Victoria on fisheries, and in 1961 became a Game Warden. He worked in several districts in the province and worked for two seasons on fish surveys for the flood studies on the Laredo preparing for the Duncan Reservoir. Buzz was moved to Invermere in the fall of 1965 to fill the position of District Conservation Officer. He has been in Invermere ever since and retired in the spring of 1989.
Max has lived in the valley since 1994 and works in sales and marketing at Columbia River Paddle and Trappeur Homes, and as a speaker and instructor at Flying Max. Max has a dynamic personality who people warm to easily, he engages people in a way which helps them see the possibilities of life and business. Max has parlayed his success in extreme sports into a business strategy consulting practice, combined with a strategy development and motivational speaking program, and leadership training.
Victoria Page, Director at Large
Victoria Page is a dedicated community member, former high school teacher, and proud mother of four and grandmother of nine. Now retired, she continues to share her creativity and passion as a watercolour painter and instructor. A lifelong gardener and advocate for sustainability, she brings both practical and artistic insight to her work. She currently serves on the Board of Energy Economics-British Columbia, where she supports renewable energy initiatives. Committed to environmental issues, her greatest concerns lie in the physical and political wellbeing of our natural world, and she brings that care and perspective to her role on our Board of Directors.
Susan Clovechok is the Area F Electoral Director for the RDEK, elected in 2018. Previous to being elected Susan was the Executive Director of the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce for eight years and lives near Dutch Creek south of Lake Windermere. Director Clovechok acts as an adviser and resource to the Lake Windermere Ambassadors and appreciates the important role of Lake Windermere and the Columbia River in the Columbia Valley’s socio-economic environment.
District of Invermere Advisor
Jennifer instantly fell in love with Lake Windermere and the surrounding Columbia Valley when she moved to Invermere in 2017. Since then she has been working as an environmental health officer and is passionate about the management and protection of our natural resources and ecosystems. Jennifer is also interested in studying the dynamic connection between public health and the environment. In her spare time, she loves to be outside gardening, hiking, paddle boarding, camping, skiing and exploring.
Candis is married (56 yrs), has 2 adult sons and 4 grandchildren. She and her husband bought their property in Windermere in 1969 and have been full-time residents since June 1999. Candis has been involved in many volunteer positions, her Children’s schools, Director of Kids Help Phone and Calgary Liaison for ABC Television Network before and during the 1988 Olympic Games. She has worked in the travel industry, as well as commercial and residential real estate. Since moving to the Valley, she has been a member of the Cancer Society and a Director of the Valley Fitness Center and Trethewey Beach Society. She spent many years downhill skiing, windsurfing and boating with her family. Activities now are attending classes at the gym, golfing, kayaking, hiking and walking in our beautiful Valley. She feels a strong commitment to help retain the health of our Lake and Environment.
Gurmeet is a retired Professional Engineer with degrees in Chemical Engineering, a career in Petroleum Reservoir Engineering and a keen interest in Environmental Science and Engineering. A Calgarian since 1971, Gurmeet has had a presence in the Lake Windermere area since 1972. He has been actively involved over decades in the protection of lakes, wetlands and precious water resources. Gurmeet is an original founding member of the Lake Windermere Ambassadors.
Ryan appreciates Lake Windermere and the Columbia River year round – from paddling on it in the warmer months, to hiking, ice skating, plogging and photographing it (@mountainlifestories) 365 days a year. He is passionate about supporting responsible community economic development (CED), and its leaders, organizations, and natural resource-dependent and resort communities to achieve their long-term sustainability goals. He shares his skills in strategy, project management, collaborative alignment, evidence-based decision-making, community resource allocation (leveraging UN SDGs) and community engagement.
Along with his volunteer work with the LWA, he serves as a board member on the College of the Rockies; the Canadian CED Network (CCEDNet); and Kenpesq’t, a Shuswap Band-owned company that provides economic opportunities and benefits for the Shuswap Band and its members.
Manon was raised in Invermere, BC. She has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Victoria in Political Science with a focus on natural resource and environmental policy.
After university, Manon moved to Yukon in 1997 with her partner Marcel Barrault, who was born and raised in Invermere. She began working for the Government of Canada and then switched to the Government of Yukon in 2000. She has held a variety of senior positions in the Government of Yukon public service and was also the director of governance at Kwanlin Dün First Nation in 2009. She became the assistant deputy minister of sustainable resources in 2017 where she led the final approvals of the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan. She then moved into the role as President of the Yukon Liquor Corporation and Lotteries Yukon in 2020. In 2021, she was appointed Deputy Minister of Environment and the Deputy Minister of French Language Services Directorate. She recently retired in January 2024 from the Government of Yukon so she and Marcel could relocate to the Invermere area to be closer to family and friends. They have two adult children: Aimery and Amélia.
Bio coming soon!
Julia Jovanovic is entering her fourth year in an Environmental Sciences program at Mount Royal University. With a strong focus on water resources, she has taken specialized courses in hydrology, watershed management, groundwater contamination, and aquatic ecology. Julia grew up in Calgary but spent her school breaks in Invermere, where her love for lakes, rivers, and the outdoors was developed as a child. This lifelong connection to water sparked her passion for environmental science, specifically in protecting and working with natural water systems. Julia is excited to expand her fieldwork skills in this position and aspires to pursue a career focused on designing and implementing nature-based solutions that solve topical issues in community waterways.
MJ is originally from Nova-Scotia but grew up in the Middle East in Dubai. Having grown up surrounded by desert, the idea of moving out west was particularly appealing, making the mountains, lakes, and rivers all the more refreshing! With a passion for preserving our beautiful BC lakes and an interest in field work, MJ is ready to dive into action. MJ has previously worked as a climate action technician in wildfire mitigation, enjoys initiating her own change maker projects, and holds a bachelor’s degree with a minor in biology. As a highland dancer and instructor, she brings a unique and dynamic energy to our team.