Glen Brown succeeds Raymond Fung as Chair of the BCWWA Water Sustainability Committee
Note to Reader:
NEWS RELEASE: In April 2008, the Water Sustainability Committee (WSC) of the BC Water & Waste Association announced that Glen Brown, A/Director for Infrastructure & Enginering in the Ministry of Community Development, has succeeded Raymond Fung as Chair of the WSC. Fung had served as WSC Chair since 2003, and has succeeded Paul Ham as Chair of the Green Infrastructure Partnership.
A Perspective on the Past Chair
“Ray has demonstrated his outstanding capabilities over the past five years in chairing the Water Sustainability Committee, and providing the leadership necessary to take the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia from concept to implementation,” observed Paul Ham in commenting on the qualities that Ray Fung brings to the role of Chair.
A Perspective on the New Chair
“The BCWWA is fortunate indeed to have Glen Brown succeed Ray Fung as chair of the Water Sustainability Committee,” notes Eric Bonham, a fellow member of the WSC Steering Group. “Glen will build upon Ray’s solid groundwork with the development of innovative outreach programs that encourage an integrated approach to water and land management in British Columbia.”
“Glen is well placed to provide such leadership, given his current role as the Acting Director of Infrastructure and Engineering in the BC Ministry of Community Development,” continued Eric Bonham. “In his Ministry role, Glen is responsible for the technical administration of a range of programs that provide financial support to local government for the planning and construction of water and wastewater infrastructure.”
Under Glen’s leadership, observes Eric Bonham, the Ministry has encouraged local government to move beyond reliance solely upon water and wastewater infrastructure towards, adopting long term water sustainability measures. Examples identified by Bonham include:
- demand-side management,
- integrated watershed management,
- the application of the ‘Water Balance Model’ to address rainwater management,
- supporting rainwater harvesting development, and
- encouraging collaboration across ministries and agencies in support of community initiatives such as Convening For Action On Vancouver Island (CAVI).
Glen Brown joined the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (now Ministry of Community Development) from the Ministry of Health in 2001. Previously he was a practitioner in the on-site sewage treatment industry and prior to that a commercial fisherman. “He has a natural interest in fisheries issues and as a volunteer initiated, under the Urban Salmon Habitat Program (USHP), a community fisheries recovery program on the Cowichan River,” reports Eric Bonham.
“Glen Brown promotes team building, partnerships and practical solutions to meet a common goal,” adds Ray Fung. In addition to being the WSC Chair, Glen is a member of the BCWWA Vancouver Island Committee and the BCWWA Climate Change Committee.
Building on Success
Glen Brown is the sixth individual to serve as Chair of the WSC since its formation in 1992. Originally called the Water Conservation Committee, the Committee renamed itself the Water Use Efficiency Committee in 1994 to be consistent with the National Action Plan on Water Use Efficiency. In 2002, when Kim Stephens was Chair for the second time, the Committee renamed itself the Water Sustainability Committee as part of a restructuring and renewal process that resulted in a broadbased coalition.
