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Gerard is a focused, energetic entrepreneur with a results driven, positive perspective. His business experience in growing companies to become nationally and internationally recognized are success stories. He worked for several large corporations over the course of his career and then started his own company in 2005.

Gerard has had volunteer board/committee experience with an American based international truck parts association for over 8 years, as vice chair for two years and chairman for two years.

The commitment to Salt Spring Island began in the early 90s when his family first moved to the island. A job transfer meant a move away, but the desire to someday return stayed strong. Slowly transitioned back to the island after purchasing a home a few years ago, and now living here full time.

With a results driven viewpoint, Gerard hopes to bring his skills to help Salt Spring become stronger, with a view of creating an economy that will continue to grow in keeping with the values and essence of what Salt Spring is about.

Theresa Duynstee is a Professional Agrologist with expertise in agriculture, food systems and land stewardship. During her career as a regional planner at the Metro Vancouver Regional District, she led numerous studies to support policy development and decision-making on regional land use. Her formal education includes B.Sc.(Ag) Major in Soil Science, a M.A. in Environment & Management as well as diplomas in horticulture and communications. 

Theresa is a collaborator and champions the importance of sustaining local food production and viable farm businesses. She is Vice Chair of the SSI Agriculture Alliance. Her passion for growing food and protecting nature has inspired Theresa to enhance the ecology of a 5-acre property she shares with Jason on the south end of Salt Spring Island.

Bryan has 25 years’ experience in energy conservation program design and renewable energy development.  He founded and managed an incubator fund providing $12 million annually to support the develop of innovate electricity conservation programs at Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator.  Currently, he is the Chair of Transition Salt Spring — a catalyst for the implementation of the Salt Spring Island Climate Action Plan for which he was a lead author.  He’s passionate to see how much food he can grow on 1.89 acres on the south end where he lives with his partner, poet Brian Day.

Bryan is passionate about bridging divides, finding synergies, and building a more equitable and diverse Salt Spring economy.  He believes that one of the paths to economic prosperity for Salt Spring will be found in the restoration, stewardship, and cultivation of diversified forest and marine ecosystems for the benefit of our communities and the natural world around us.

With a knack for finding unique and beautiful places to live, Inga, who immigrated to Canada from Germany in 2000, first lived in Whistler, then moved to Salt Spring in 2012. Drawn by its natural beauty and charm, Inga came to the island to raise her kids in a rural setting. In her work, Inga coaches, and trains leaders of organizations on innovation and changing systems. She also consults small companies on business strategy.

Inga holds a BComm in Entrepreneurship and has a particular interest in using business as a force for good. She is the vice president for Transition Salt Spring Enterprise Co-Op, which supports green initiatives and businesses with low-interest microloans. Inga helped the Wagon Wheel Society draft a business plan for the Laundromat and supported the Island Comeback Campaign with administration tasks. In her Commissioner role, Inga plans to contribute to a sustainable economic strategy that creates opportunities for locals to make a right livelihood while respecting the environment.

Dr. Daniel Muzyka is Dean and Professor Emeritus at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He has also been President and Chief Executive Officer of The Conference Board of Canada and Vice-President and Chair of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Previously, he served as the IAF Professor of Entrepreneurship and Associate Dean at INSEAD and taught at other institutions.

Dr. Muzyka has experience in academia, business, and the public sector and has participated on a number of corporate boards, venture capital funds, as well as not-for-profit, regulatory and government organizations, committees and commissions. He worked in industry with General Electric in finance and strategy and was a strategy consultant. He holds a Doctor of Business Administration (Harvard), an MBA (Wharton), and a BA in Physics and Astronomy (Williams College). He was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the Government of France.