Celebrating BC women in Sport
Board of Directors 2010 - 2011
Sue Griffin - Chair
President and CEO, BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
Sue brings a great of experience in corporate strategy development to her position on the ProMOTION Plus Board. She is currently the President & CEO of the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum and previous to that was the Chief Development Officer for Science World. Under Sue’s leadership recent initiative at the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum that support women and girls in sport include the In Her Footsteps exhibit and the Hero in You online lessons and resources. A respected leader in the Sport and Recreation system and an advocate for women in sport, Sue brings dynamic energy and passion to all that she does.
Debbie Pyne - Past Chair
BCGA Managing Director, Player development
Debbie has long been an advocate for girls and women in sport and has worked to provide opportunities as athletes, coaches, and leaders throughout her career. She is currently the Managing Director of Player Development for the BC Golf Association where she helped to create the player development division, the first in Canada for golf. In her previous position as the Executive Director of the BC Ladies Golf Association, Debbie assisted with the amalgamation process of the organization with the BC Golf Association. Debbie has previously served on the ProMOTION Plus Board and again brings her commitment and attention to details to help create and enhance opportunities for girls and women in BC.
Denise Coutts - Vice Chair
Executive Director, Pacific Parklands Foundation
Denise was born and raised in the Okanagan where she developed her passion for sport. She attended the University of British Columbia, earning a Bachelors of Physical Education and a Masters Degree in Sport Administration. Denise participated on the varsity basketball and rowing teams at UBC but her dream to row in the 1984 Summer Olympics were dashed when she developed ulcerative colitis. She credits her experience as a competitive athlete with enabling her to manage this debilitating disease and was the recipient of the Sport BC Harry Jerome Comeback Athlete of the Year Award in 1990. After graduating from UBC, Denise worked in the Sport BC building for 17 years as the Program Coordinator at Basketball BC and then as the Executive Director for Squash BC, then Badminton BC, and the BC Disability Sports. She has over 30 years of provincial, national, and international sport experience as a player, coach, volunteer, and administrator. Denise is currently the Executive Director of the Pacific Parklands Foundation. In her former role as the Executive Director of the Minerva Foundation for BC Women Denise began the process of connecting ProMOTION Plus with the Minerva Foundation. Denise also played a significant role as a volunteer member of the Steering Committee for the inaugural Women in Sport Leadership event in January.
Denise was born and raised in the Okanagan where she developed her passion for sport. She attended the University of British Columbia, earning a Bachelors of Physical Education and a Masters Degree in Sport Administration. Denise participated on the varsity basketball and rowing teams at UBC but her dream to row in the 1984 Summer Olympics were dashed when she developed ulcerative colitis. She credits her experience as a competitive athlete with enabling her to manage this debilitating disease and was the recipient of the Sport BC Harry Jerome Comeback Athlete of the Year Award in 1990. After graduating from UBC, Denise worked in the Sport BC building for 17 years as the Program Coordinator at Basketball BC and then as the Executive Director for Squash BC, then Badminton BC, and the BC Disability Sports. She has over 30 years of provincial, national, and international sport experience as a player, coach, volunteer, and administrator. Denise is currently the Executive Director of the Pacific Parklands Foundation. In her former role as the Executive Director of the Minerva Foundation for BC Women Denise began the process of connecting ProMOTION Plus with the Minerva Foundation. Denise also played a significant role as a volunteer member of the Steering Committee for the inaugural Women in Sport Leadership event in January.
Laura Watson - Treasurer
Technical Director, Coaches Association of BC
Laura is the Technical Director for the Coaches Association of BC, managing the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) in BC and recently publishing the updated Coaching Female Athletes resource. Laura is a Master Learning Facilitator in the NCCP and holds her professional designation of Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC) with the Coaches of Canada. She is a Level 3 & Competition-Development certified coach in the NCCP. Having been involved in many sports, Laura has coached the sport of Ringette from the grassroots to the national level. Most recently she took on Team BC and Team Canada U19, coaching at the World Ringette Championships in Prague, Czech Republic. Laura brought University Ringette to BC, coaching the first ever University of British Columbia team. Currently completing the Executive Management program at Sauder School of Business, Laura has a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics (University of British Columbia), a Diploma in Sport Science (Douglas College) and a Diploma in Coaching (Douglas College). She also has her own business providing educational workshops and training opportunities for coaches and athletic development. In her spare time she enjoys canoeing and camping (even in the winter), and anything that involves her being outdoors with her husband and friends.
Ann Holmes - Secretary
Ann is a Human Kinetics faculty member and department coordinator at the College of New Caledonia (CNC). Originally from the Edmonton area, she did her BPE at the University of Alberta. She moved to Vancouver to complete an MHK at the University of British Columbia while playing varsity golf. Ann played amateur golf at a provincial and national level before turning pro in 1997, and then started her coaching career at UBC. In addition to coaching the National Women’s team at the World University Golf Championships in 2000, Ann coached the UBC Women’s team to the NAIA National College title in the United States in 2001.
Ann is active in the community by serving on the PacificSport Northern BC Board. She also continues to teach golf professionally and works locally at Alder Hills Golf Course to deliver women’s, junior, and school programs for Golf BC. She is also excited to be involved in the organization and hosting of the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George.
In her spare time, Ann enjoys active family adventures with her husband and four year old son, and they split their time between the city and their lake house. She also hopes to have her EdD in Education completed through SFU in the next year or two.
Jenny Scott
Jenny Scott has been a past Board member of the Victoria chapter in 2008-2009 after completing her Master's Degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion at the University of Victoria. She is dedicated her time to research in the area of leisure behaviours among women living in poverty and has acted as a research assistant for promoting healthy living and healthy weights for children. Jenny is currently working on her PhD, special arrangement in Faculty of Healthy Sciences of SFU. In 2010, she was the recipient of the Pacific Century Graduate Award and Faculty of Health Sciences Greaduate Fellowship. Jenny is also a current memeber of Crossfit Vancouver and has spent time as a competitive cyclist and a recreational triathlete.
Kristina MacDonald
Kristina Macdonald is currently working for the Thompson Community Association in Richmond, BC as a Youth Development Coordinator. She is very active as an athlete and has played numerous sports, including rowing while at Simon Fraser University. She is also a former member of the U23 Canadian National Team for rowing and the President of the SFU Rowing Club for three years.
Her enthusiasm for sport at SFU resulted in her employment with the athletics department as the Assistant Media Relations Coordinator. Kristina was very involved with The Starlight Foundation’s Walk and Run for Smiles event. Kristina has a Bachelor of Arts degree and has also focused on courses from Small Business BC on market research, and generations and workplace.
Erin Wilkins
Erin Wilkins is a passionate participant, volunteer, and educator in the sport and recreation field. She is a Royal Roads MBA graduate in leadership and completed her Bachelor of Sport & Leisure Administration from the University of Victoria. Currently, Erin is teaching at Langara College in two programs: Management’s Bachelor of Business Administration program and the Recreation Management program.
She has extensive managerial expertise in hospitality, special event planning and programming for sport and recreation. Erin is also involved with the BC Snowboard Association and as a board member. She has also employed by the Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton club for seven years, serving in many capacities.Penny Gardner
Penny Gardner has worked in the sport sector for over twenty years and was most recently the Executive Director at Rowing British Columbia. A product of the Canadian sport system in many aspects, she enjoyed a successful athletic career before the calling to administrative and advocacy work as a sport management professional.
Penny has spent a number of years in public service as a sport consultant with the governments of British Columbia and Alberta, serving the needs of provincial sport organizations in the areas of association management, sport development, high performance sport and coaching development.
Currently, Penny is taking an educational leave to complete professional designations in association management and fundraising with the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Penny has a Bachelor of Education from SFU and has completed training in non-profit governance from McMaster University Executive Development Institute.
Boran and raised in British Columbia, Penny has lived in Victoria since 1993 and enjoys the qualities of an active island lifestyle.
Bryna Kopelow - Honourary Board Member
Sport Consultant, JW Sporta - Premier's Sport Awards Program and Action Schools! BC
Bryna is a member of JW Sporta: Health, Physical Activity and Sport Education Consultants, creators of the Premier’s Sport Awards Program (p.s.a.p.), a physical education resource program designed to help teachers and instructors teach children their basic sport skills. The JW Sporta Team is excited to be part of Action Schools! BC, a new initiative designed to assist elementary schools in creating individualized action plans to promote healthy living. Bryna is involved with numerous endeavours promoting physical activity and sport at a grassroots level. She is Past Chair of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity, Past Chair of ProMOTION Plus - Girls and Women in Physical Activity and Sport, a key player in the national On the Move program initiative, and a Board Member of Sport BC. Bryna received her BPHE from the University of Toronto and Teaching Certification and Masters of Physical Education from UBC. Bryna and her husband have two children.
Sport Consultant, JW Sporta - Premier's Sport Awards Program and Action Schools! BC
Bryna is a member of JW Sporta: Health, Physical Activity and Sport Education Consultants, creators of the Premier’s Sport Awards Program (p.s.a.p.), a physical education resource program designed to help teachers and instructors teach children their basic sport skills. The JW Sporta Team is excited to be part of Action Schools! BC, a new initiative designed to assist elementary schools in creating individualized action plans to promote healthy living. Bryna is involved with numerous endeavours promoting physical activity and sport at a grassroots level. She is Past Chair of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity, Past Chair of ProMOTION Plus - Girls and Women in Physical Activity and Sport, a key player in the national On the Move program initiative, and a Board Member of Sport BC. Bryna received her BPHE from the University of Toronto and Teaching Certification and Masters of Physical Education from UBC. Bryna and her husband have two children.
Marion Lay- Honorary Board Member
President, Think Sport Ltd.
Former President and CEO of 2010 Legacies Now, Marion has been involved with the Vancouver 2010 Games since the Bid stage in 1998. A two-time Olympian and a member of the bronze medal 4 x 100m freestyle relay team at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Marion was elected to represent the City of Vancouver as a member of the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).
Marion is a member of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Olympic Committee, a founding member and past chair of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), and a founding member of ProMOTION Plus and WomenSport International.
She obtained her master’s degree in the sociology of sport from California State University. Upon graduating from CSU, Marion took a job teaching at the University of Western Ontario. In 1971 she was offered a position with Sport Canada, a move that began her extensive career in the world of sports.
Marion is a member of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Olympic Committee, a founding member and past chair of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), and a founding member of ProMOTION Plus and WomenSport International.
She obtained her master’s degree in the sociology of sport from California State University. Upon graduating from CSU, Marion took a job teaching at the University of Western Ontario. In 1971 she was offered a position with Sport Canada, a move that began her extensive career in the world of sports.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia
Copyright 2002 | ProMOTION Plus | All rights reserved
Copyright 2002 | ProMOTION Plus | All rights reserved
