| Megan Hanacek of Port McNeill was appointed to ICET. |
Three new people have been added to the body that helps fund economic development on Vancouver Island.
Port McNeill’s Megan Hanacek, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Private Forest Landowners Association and longtime professional forester, was appointed to a three-year term sitting as one of three new provincial appointees to the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET).
She will be joined by Dana Thorne from Cowichan Tribes and Barry O’Neill from Lantzville, will also sit on as provincial appointees.
Hanacek said via email that she is “thrilled to be a part of (ICET) Board of Directors. For the last 13 years, ICET has enabled locally driven coastal regional priorities to become successful. These partnerships with local First Nations, communities and stakeholders provide significant place-based economic and community benefits.”
These new appointees will be joining an already established Board comprised of Vancouver Island mayors, regional district chairs and now, with the recent change, a few appointees. “Following the local government elections in October, several new members were elected from both Regional Advisory Committees to fill vacancies on the Board,” an ICET release stated on Dec. 17.
The new appointees were selected after five provincial board appointments expired last August. “With six new locally elected officials and three new provincial appointees, 2018 will go down in history as a year of change(for ICET),” continued the release. “The elections and provincial appointments mean a significant amount of renewal and rejuvenation of leadership at ICET.”
According to the press release, ICET has given the go ahead for more than $50 million in funding for 190 economic infrastructure and development projects. “These investments have leveraged over $270 million in new investment into the region creating more than 2500 construction phase jobs and 2600 long term permanent jobs,” stated the release.
- North Island Gazette staff