COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP: “The Partnership’s Board of Directors is a team of community-minded and mission-focused elders. These individuals bring Experience, Knowledge and Wisdom to the Partnership’s over-arching goal of inter-generational collaboration,” says Derek Richmond, Founding Member and Secretary
“Although the Partnership is a non-for-profit legal entity, the Board of Directors is guided by a vision for creating a collaborative network. We are not building a conventional organization. The difference in visions is fundamental. The network is a foundation piece for succession planning. The network is the ultimate source of strength of the Partnership because the network holds the key to intergenerational collaboration. It is how we build bridges of understanding and pass the baton from the past to the present and future,” states Derek Richmond.
PUT THE MISSION AT THE CENTRE OF THE OPERATION: “The Partnership’s guiding philosophy is to help others be successful in achieving a shared goal. When our partners and collaborators are successful, we are successful,” stated Mike Tanner, Founding Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability, when he explained the foundational difference between evolving a network and building an organization
“Within British Columbia, and certainly within the local government setting, The Partnership has a unique modus operandi in terms of our partnership network reason for being. By sharing the pursuit of our mission with our network of partners, we forsake many conventional organizational benefits, such as control over program implementation, funding, and recognition. At the same time, however, we have far more impact than we could ever have on our own. There is a very high level of trust in a network when the people involved know and respect each other,” stated Mike Tanner.
INTER-GENERATIONAL MISSION OF THE PARTNERSHIP: “Collaborative leadership involves bringing the right people together in constructive ways with good information, such that they create authentic visions and strategies for addressing the shared concerns of their organizations and community,” explains Kim Stephens, Executive Director
“The Partnership’s guiding philosophy is to help others be successful. When our partners and collaborators are successful, we are successful. The Partnership is led by a team of community-minded and mission-focused elders. Although many on the team are retired from their jobs, they continue their water-centric mission as volunteers. Going forward, making the right decisions depends upon benefitting from, and building on, the experience of elders with knowledge plus the wisdom that has been gained through decades of experience,” states Kim Stephens.
OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR PARTNERSHIP LEADERSHIP TEAM: “When individuals are invited to join the Partnership Leadership Team, it is because there is ‘a job to be done’. The Province’s Living Water Smart strategy guides what we do. The Partnership’s expectation is that individuals and organizations they represent are committed to advancing the sustainability goals in the Water Sustainability Act (WSA) and its implementation,” states Mike Tanner, Founding Director
Erik Karlsen (1945-2020) was the Partnership’s ‘eminence grise’. When he retired from government, he turned his mind to the work of The Partnership. Influential in government, and the architect of BC’s Georgia Basin Initiative, Erik crafted the think pieces that guided the process for development of the Water Sustainability Action Plan. Erik helped everyone push the boundaries of their comfort zones. The result was a philosophical foundation and framework that has guided The Partnership to this day.
PARTNERSHIP HUB FOR A CONVENING FOR ACTION NETWORK: “Launched in 2012, the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative facilitates peer-based education among local governments located on the east coast of Vancouver and in the Lower Mainland,” states Richard Boase, Founding Director and Partnership Vice-President
“The IREI is nested within the Water Sustainability Action Plan which, in turn, is nested within Living Water Smart. Cascading is the reverse way to think about this nesting concept. Each successive layer in the cascade adds depth and detail to enable the move from awareness to implementation – that is, action. In the IREI program, we focus attention on the 4Cs – communication, cooperation, coordination, collaboration. The 4Cs guide what we do. We live and breathe collaboration. This plays out in everything that the Partnership does. Building trust and respect starts with a conversation,” states Richard Boase.
CHAMPION SUPPORTER: recognition of David Mackenzie, volunteer extraordinaire (January 2021)
COVID has changed and challenged how we do outreach and peer-based education. In the age of COVID, how does one inspire an audience over a computer? Addressing this existential challenge was the starting point for re-imagining the third in the Vancouver Island Water Stewardship Symposia Series as a virtual event. David Mackenzie stepped up and opened minds as to what could be. This is the moment, he said, to leverage technology and reach far beyond those in the symposium room. Be bold, he urged.
Raymond Fung, Founding Member & Director
Ray Fung had a longstanding role in local government. Prior to retirement, he was the Director of Engineering & Transportation with the District of West Vancouver, a position he held for 12 years. Ray is a founding member of The Partnership. He previously chaired two of the Partnership’s original incarnations, namely: the Water Sustainability Committee of the BCWWA (2003-2008) and the BC Green Infrastructure Partnership (2008-2011).
Emanuel Machado, Member of Leadership Team
Emanuel Machado is the Chief Resiliency Officer of the Town of Gibsons, BC and the Chair of the Municipal Natural Assets Initiative. He led the development of the Town’s Eco-Assets Strategy, a first in North America to formally recognize the role of nature as a fundamental component of the municipal infrastructure system, leading to a greater understanding of the value of ecosystems services and improved financial and operational management plans of the community’s natural assets.
Lifetime Member – David Mackenzie (inducted in 2020)
The story of how David Mackenzie became involved in the Vancouver Island Symposia Series on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate shows what is possible for a concerned citizen who wishes to make a difference. In 2018, he went to the first symposium looking for leadership. He found it. He was energized by the experience. Afterwards, he volunteered to provide videography oversight for subsequent symposia. Beginning with his video work for Parksville 2019, he became a valued member of the team.
Eric Bonham, Founding Member
Eric’s engineering career, over 5 decades, has included involvement on a diverse range of water related projects. He is a former Director in both the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Municipal Affairs where he was responsible for floodplain management and infrastructure programs, respectively. Eric was tasked with implementing the provincial Urban Salmon Habitat Program (USHP) in 1989, involving the development of partnerships with local governments, federal fisheries and community stewards.