Jump Canada Announces New Chair and Board Members

Ottawa, Ontario—Following the 2009 Equine Canada (EC) Annual Convention, Jump Canada is pleased to announce several new board members.

John ‘JT’ Taylor of Orangeville, ON, is the new Chair of Jump Canada. A Jump Canada Board member for more than four years, Taylor was Chair of the Competitions Committee from 2005 until 2008. In addition to being an EC competition organizer, Taylor also holds his EC Senior judges card for hunters and is an FEI ‘I’ jumper judge.

“I hope to be able to listen to the requirements of the Jump Canada members across the country,” said Taylor. “I think we have done a good job with this in the last year by incorporating member feedback into new rules and policy changes. We have the benefit of a strong and experienced Board, and we look forward to a great year ahead. It will be hard to top the success of 2008 with our Olympic medals, but I am sure we will see even more glory in the next few years.”

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Taylor replaces Elizabeth Bordeaux of Surrey, BC, who held the position of Chair for six years.

New Jump Canada Board members include Mike Lawrence of St. Lazare, QC, who replaces Taylor as Chair of the Competitions Committee; Tom Michiel of Calgary, AB, who replaces Lisa Cieplucha as Chair the Officials Committee; and Alan Chesler of Orangeville, ON, who replaces Brenley Cone as Co-Chair of the Owners Committee. A new position, High Performance Assistant, has been created and will be filled by Mark Laskin of Langley, BC.

The Jump Canada Board is comprised of representatives of Jump Canada’s committees plus three additional members. Jump Canada board members are elected by the committee they represent with the exception of the High Performance Chair and the two members-at-large, who are appointed by the Board.

The Chair of Jump Canada is elected from the board members for a period of two years, renewable twice at the board’s discretion. The Vice-Chair and Finance Committee Chair are elected from the board members for a term not to exceed their membership term. The immediate Past Chair may remain on the board as long as he or she holds that position. If adequate experience for the Finance Chair position is not available among the board’s membership, then a person may be selected from the Finance Committee. He or she will sit as an ex-officio member on the board.

Appointments are for a two-year term, commencing at the Jump Canada meeting during Equine Canada’s annual convention. Members may stand for two additional two-year terms for a total of six years. Rotation must be staggered to allow for continuity. After a period of one year off the board, members may be re-elected. Every attempt is made to ensure representation on the board from across Canada.

The 2009 Jump Canada Board members are as follows:

Chair — John Taylor

Athlete development — Lindy Welsby

Coaching — Trish Mrakawa

Communications & Media Relations — Jennifer Ward

Competitions — Mike Lawrence

Competitions — Chris Pack (FEI Representative)

Domestic Development — Barbara Mitchell

Fundraising — Muffie Guthrie

Grand Prix Riders — Gail Greenough

Grand Prix Riders — Mark Samuel

High Performance — Terrance Millar

High Performance Assistant — Mark Laskin

Marketing — Position vacant

Officials — Tom Michiel

Owners — Marsie Vince

Owners — Alan Chesler

Rules — Pam Law

Young Horse Development — Phil Henning

Past Chair — Elizabeth Bordeaux

Member At large — Craig Collins (Finance Chair)

Member At large — Vacant

Ex-officio Members:

Mike Gallagher, EC President

Michael Arbour, EC Director Finance & Administration

Karen Hendry-Ouellette, EC Manager — Jumping

Jennifer Mahoney, EC Program Coordinator — Jumping