Jorge Bernhard of Clarksburg, ON was elected Equine Canada President on April 24, 2016, during the 2016 EC Annual Convention in Montreal, QC.
Jorge Bernhard of Clarksburg, ON was elected Equine Canada (EC) President on April 24, 2016, the final day of the 2016 EC Annual Convention in Montreal, QC.
Bernhard has been involved with the Canadian equestrian industry in various capacities, and has sponsored Canadian eventing riders for over 15 years. He has also been involved in developing training programs for both horses and riders, and assisted with building new equestrian facilities. Professionally, Bernhard operated an international metal trading business for more than 20 years, where he gained extensive experience in multinational contract negotiations, finance, and relationship management.“It is an honour to have been selected as President of Equine Canada at this time of transition and renewal for the federation,” said Bernhard, who first joined the EC Board of Directors in 2015. “I look forward to working with the members of the Board and our executive team for the benefit of the Canadian equestrian community.”
“I would also like to take this opportunity to compliment and thank our Past President, Al Patterson, for the leadership and vision he provided, guiding us to this critical junction in our path to transforming EC into a world-class organization.”
Patterson, of Millgrove, ON, has been involved in EC since its inception, and has served a total of eight years as President. During his most recent term, which began in 2014, he played a key role in EC’s transition under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA). The process resulted in new By-laws, providing a framework for the federation to significantly modernize its governance.
He was instrumental in creating and implementing new By-laws for EC that met the updated requirements of the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA) and allowed the federation to adopt a leaner, modernized, and more efficient governance framework.
“It is with great confidence that I leave the presidency role of Equine Canada,” said Patterson, who will remain on the EC Board as a Director for 2016. “The federation is well on its way under the new By-laws and new governance and administrative structure, which were steps needed to see EC become a best-in-class federation in the future. I wish to thank the Board of Directors for their support over the past two years and for allowing me to take on a leadership role during this transformational time. I look forward to continuing to serve EC as a director for the remainder of my term.”
The following Directors will join Bernhard and Patterson on the 2016 EC Board:
Dominique Chagnon
Tony Eames
Peggy Hambly
Lisa Lazarus
Ross Millar
Terrance Millar
Doug Orr
Deanna Phelan
Frédéric Pierrestiger
Liz Saunders
“Collectively, the 2016 EC Board of Directors has an incredibly diverse range of equestrian knowledge and involvement, from grassroots to high performance,” said EC CEO, Eva Havaris. “The members of the Board also have vast expertise in areas that will be key to the growth and transformation of the national federation in this new era for EC, including governance, education, legal and commercial marketing. They are an exceptional group of individuals and I am enthusiastic about the year ahead.”
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