AGM Candidates
The KMHA AGM is set for Monday May 29th at 6:00 pm. The deadline for candidacy submissions has passed and we have a number of candidates who have put their names forward for board positions.
Running for 1st Vice President
Vern Williams
My name is Vern Williams and I am applying for a board role for KMHA to help ensure that the organization continues to succeed and be responsible to the members. I also have a large passion for hockey and want to ensure as many young individuals get exposed to it as possible.
I have over 25 years of hockey experience as a player, coach, and referee. I also feel that I can rely on experience from my professional career side that I can help assist with short, mid, and long term strategy setting for the organization.
The past administration has done a great job and I would love the opportunity to build on that.
Derek Lang
My name is Derek Lang, I am the current junior officiating coach coordinator, and U11-U13 assignor for Kelowna Minor Hockey, as well as an officiating coach for BC Hockey. I am a former KIJHL and BCHL linesperson, a linesperson prospect of the WHL and Hockey Canada program of excellence member. I am currently an electrical supervisor for Houle Electric and have been an Electrician for 18 years.
Since moving to Kelowna in 2015 I have been involved coaching at the rec level and officiating games as well as mentoring officials. In the 2021-2022 season I stepped into my role as junior mentorship coordinator and assignor.
The last two seasons the board has seen what I have helped accomplish on the officiating side for the association making us the gold standard in the province for officiating and building a great team atmosphere and culture to our program.
Over the last 8 years of coaching and officiating, I have had the privilege and opportunity to talk to and in some cases just listen to what parents, players and official’s views and concerns are when it comes to the way our association is operating. I believe with this experience that I would be a valuable asset to the board and the association as one of the Vice Presidents.
I would like to see our coaches, players, and parents develop a culture that complements what we have been doing on the officiating side. Giving our coaches, players and parents the best possible tools and support to represent our association in a professional manner, while also making a fun, safe and competitive environment for our players at all levels.
Making them want to come to the rink!
Steve Jackson
Steve Jackson has been a resident of Kelowna for four years. Like many he moved here for a lifestyle change and to raise his family with the many outdoor activities the region provides. Steve was born and raised in St Albert, AB where hockey (and lacrosse) was the focus of his upbringing. Playing Tier 1 development hockey is a time-consuming event however like most others Steve did not go on to play beyond minor hockey. Although being a passionate high level player Steve’s desire to go to the rink was taken away by coaches. The continuous lecturing and yelling removed the fun for him. Immediately after minor hockey Steve started working for the Edmonton Oilers Skating and Skills coach development program. This is where Steve’s passion for the game came back but in the form of teaching kids. Wanting to create a fun safe learning experience for kids became a driver for him. He went on to developing kids from seven to sixteen years of age across the country and over in Europe for the better part of ten years. This included all forms of skill development to junior prep camps and professional player rehabilitation skating.
Steve has always been on the ice whether its through developing kids or playing recreational men’s league hockey. Now that Steve has his own child in minor hockey, he wants to continue to bring his passion and skills to the game. Not only does he want to bring his knowledge to the game but in the early years of being around the rink with his son he realizes there is still a need to change how we develop and coach children. The game has changed and more importantly the children have changed. Steve desires to be apart of this change comes from his own experience and pure enjoyment of being around the game.
In his spare time Steve works in the housing construction industry working with home builders and renovators on developing energy efficient homes. Through this work Steve brings many years of volunteering on and chairing various committees with the Canadian Home Builders Association and municipal working groups. In addition, Steve brings past board experience as a voted board of director for the Canadian Homes Builders Association.
Scott Locke
Dear KMHA Membership, Community and Families,
My name is Scott Locke, and I’m excited to notify you of my self-nomination for the position of 1st Vice President on the KMHA Board of Directors.
With this nomination, I look forward to working harmoniously with the other current board members, volunteers, and the KMHA Leadership Team to make Kelowna Minor Hockey Association the most well-respected and run minor hockey organization in BC.
Although not a hockey mind by way of my youth, I have come late to the game from a parenting and coaching perspective. I grew up as a youth and young adult with the sport of hockey intertwined into my DNA through a love that was born as a fan of the game. Instead, I spent my time on a different court, either playing or coaching basketball. Yet, for the past seven years, hockey has become a way of life for myself and my family, as my son has played at various levels in the KMHA, and I have joined him on the journey as a Coach and Manager.
I believe you only improve yourself or grow through “learned experiences” throughout life. You often “don’t know what you don’t know” until you walk a few miles in different pairs of shoes, which has driven me from watching the KMHA as a parent first and coach/manager second to put my name forward and ask for the support of our membership to elect me to the role of 1st Vice President.
I’m an analytical and results-focused leader who has built a career in the beverage alcohol and cannabis industry. I have a strong track record of developing talent, building engagement, and leading high-performing, results-driven teams while leveraging lessons I have learned throughout my career built on a foundation of international competitive sports experiences at the university level.
I know what the job of 1st Vice President entails; I have done my research, asked the right questions, met with our membership, and, if elected, my three focused priorities for the KMHA Board of Directors, outside of the great work that is happening today is to bring a renewed focus to Communication, Development, and Presence.
Communication:
• Our membership and community want to hear from the KMHA through regular, clear, fact-based updates.
• The KMHA needs to have a consistent presence on social media. Let’s face it; this is where people get their updates!
• Brand standards. The KMHA must have a standard that sets the tone for its brand identity and echoes its brand’s voice across all channels and platforms.
Development:
• The KMHA needs to focus more on the professional development of our Coaches and Managers.
• We need to provide the resources for coaching development: Funding allocated to attend coaching clinics, weekly educational Zoom calls, and mentor coaches by watching and evaluating practices, and game play.
• All levels should have a Mentor Coach assigned as a resource per age group to allow for conversation, development, and feedback.
• All teams from Atom Development and up should have an Apprentice/Development Coach as part of the coaching staff to develop coaches for the future.
• Our Team Managers need resources. At the start of every season, have a Senior Manager run a clinic for new Managers on budgets, booking hotels, meals, fundraising, etc. and be a resource to these volunteers that often are the team’s glue.
Presence:
• The KMHA Board and Leadership Team need to be present (in person) in the arenas and with our membership throughout the hockey season.
• The Board of Directors and Leadership Team must conduct Town Hall Meetings with each age level once a season with our membership—the dipstick test.
• We must evaluate and support our Coaches and Managers by watching practices and games.
• The KMHA Board and Leadership Team must respond promptly and in fact-based communication to our membership.
I confirm that I have read and understand the guidelines for nomination. Should I be elected as 1st Vice President, I intend to follow these procedures and represent the KMHA Membership at the Board of Directors level with the utmost Integrity and accountability.
Running for 3rd Vice President
Andrew LoCurto
I have been a resident of Kelowna since 2011, originally from Toronto I grew up playing hockey in the GTHL. Since my years playing, I have coached minor league teams, power skating, on and off ice skills sessions and am currently working as Hockey Programs Coordinator and Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at RINK Testify Performance.
I have two kids currently playing with KMHA and I love watching the young athletes develop to love the game as much as I do.
Aiden Nix
My name is Aiden Nix, and I’m excited to present my candidacy for the 3rd Vice President role on the board of directors of the Kelowna Minor Hockey Association (KMHA). Born and raised in Thunder Bay, ON, my passion for hockey was kindled at a young age, and the exhilaration of the ice has been a guiding force throughout my life.
After several seasons as a dedicated KMHA coach, I’ve gained an intimate understanding of the game and our organization. This experience has sparked my desire to contribute to our league in a more strategic role, using my professional experience to ensure a positive and enriching experience for all members.
With a professional background spanning over 15 years in effectively managing and leading organizations as an executive, professional engineer and professional project manager, I have honed my strategic thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, which I’m keen to apply to benefit our hockey community.
Upon election, I have two priorities. First, I aim to enhance communication between the KMHA, players, and parents. By fostering an environment of transparency and open dialogue, we can more effectively identify areas of improvement.
Secondly, I’m dedicated to building robust relationships within the Kelowna business community. By doing so, I believe we can secure additional sponsorships and fundraising opportunities. This initiative aims to alleviate the financial strain on families, making hockey more accessible for all our young players.
I look forward to potentially serving our community in this new capacity and helping to shape the future of the KMHA. Together, we can create a sustainable, inclusive, and thriving environment for all who love this game.
Lorne Rodenhizer
My name is Lorne Rodenhizer, and I am a Chartered Professional Accountant based in Kelowna. I am writing to express my interest in the role of 3rd Vice President and to share my qualifications and experience that make me an ideal candidate for the position.
As a CPA, I hold myself to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and respect, which are values that align with the KMHA philosophy. With my professional experience and passion for hockey, I believe I can make a valuable contribution to KMHA’s mission of promoting and supporting the growth of hockey in Kelowna.
Currently, I am the Director of Finance for Outdoor Adventure Group (OAG), which includes a group of recreational vehicle manufacturing companies in Kelowna and Edmonton. I also serve as the Director of Finance for Northern Lite Manufacturing, one of OAG’s portfolio companies, and as the Secretary for OAG’s corporate board. In these roles, I have gained extensive experience in governance and compliance, risk management, strategic planning and implementation, and operations support.
Outside of my professional life, I am a dedicated hockey parent and fan. I had the pleasure of meeting my wife while living in Kelowna; she happened to live just four doors down from me. It has been over three years since we blended our families together. My wife’s middle son is an avid hockey player, and through hockey, we have formed a strong bond. Our two-year-old son has also grown up at the rink, and we are excited to see him follow in his brother’s footsteps and begin his hockey journey this fall. Hockey has been a significant part of our lives, and we have met many close friends through our involvement in the sport.
My personal and professional experiences have taught me the values of teamwork, dedication, and commitment to excellence. As a former player of team sports, I understand the importance of
developing character and skills through organized sports. I am eager to share my expertise and passion for hockey to help others benefit from the same experience.
Thank you for considering my application for the role of 3rd Vice President. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further and contribute to the success of the KMHA.
Running for Female Director
Bob Petty
My name is Bob Petty and I am submitting my name forward for the Female Director Position.
A bit about myself: Minor Hockey has been a big part of my family’s life over the past 10 years. My two kids have now finished their minor hockey careers with KMHA and spent many wonderful years in the Association. My wife and I spent just as many years meeting many fantastic friends, many of whom are still part of our lives.
My hockey background includes spending six years volunteering with KMHA as a Division Director. I was Director of Peewee, Bantam and Midget as my son made his way through his eight year career of Minor Hockey. Those six years gave me an excellent understanding as to how minor hockey works, the system, the challenges… and I faced many of them over that time period. My daughter had a six year stint in KMHA from Atom to Bantam. Through those years I learned a lot about female hockey and developed a true passion for it. She moved on to AAA hockey after Bantam where she played for the Lakers in the BCEHL for three years. I gained further experience with female hockey there as I served as the General Manager of the team for two years and worked extensively with BC Hockey.
Between KMHA and BC Hockey, I have almost 10 years of experience in the hockey world in both a Director and Management position and have seen almost everything. I wanted to wait until my kids were out of the system to put my name in to the ring for this position as I truly want to continue to give back to the Association and the kids while at the same time, not having any personal ties or attachments to anyone still playing in the system.
As mentioned, I have developed a true passion for female hockey and want to see this side of things grow, prosper and be more relevant than ever. We have some truly amazing and very talented young ladies out there who love the game!!
Andrea Harris
Hi, my name is Andrea Harris and I would like to put my name forward to be the female director for KMHA.
I work at the BC Cancer agency as a pharmacy technician supervisor, where I have implemented many new processes in our pharmacy as well as organize my fellow technicians and oversee their progress.
I have 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl that have participated in hockey over the past 16 years. I have experience with rep, zone and recreation hockey and understand how the programs work. Two of my children play defence and 2 are goalies so I feel that I understand the game from both perspectives. My daughter is my youngest and has re-entered the hockey world as a goalie which has led me down the path of wanting to be the female director to help ensure the female players get the best experience they can.
I believe that team sports are a vital part of our children growing up and positive experiences for the players and the parents will keep our association growing while nurturing the needs of our growing community.
I have always enjoyed volunteering and have held many volunteer positions with KMHA over the past 16 years. It started as a team managing, then divisional director, coordination and overseeing tournaments, then assistant coaching and managing my daughters teams when she started hockey. I was the uniform director for Kelowna minor baseball which then became the central Okanagan baseball association from 2014 to 2019. It was a great experience being part of the amalgamation of two associations and I feel I have learned so much about being part of a board while doing that.
I feel I am qualified to take on the role of Female director for KMHA and am excited to explore more opportunities for our female group of hockey players.
Sara Cubberly
I would like to put my name forward and run for female director with Kelowna Minor Hockey Association.
I have a daughter at the U15 age and a son that just finished U11, both just finished their second season with KMHA!
Prior to moving to Kelowna, I have served on the Richmond Ravens Female Hockey Association board for a few years, I was a division coordinator with The Richmond Jets and was also the registrar for Richmond Lacrosse. In the past, I was a team manager, treasurer and HCSP, I am always happy to help with anything I can!
I want to help promote female hockey and help guide our female program into continued growth, while supporting Kelowna Minor Hockeys initiatives and goals.
Treasurer
Chris Kerr was the only person to put his name forward for Treasurer. Chris is a chartered professional account and a partner at MNP. He is completing his 4th year on the board at KMHA.
President
Dylan Michie is the only person to put his name forward for President. As per the KMHA bylaws, only individuals who have previously served on the board may submit their name for President.
I was born in to hockey. My grandfather, John Michie, was the first President of West Kelowna Minor Hockey, leading to him becoming the President of Okanagan Hockey, as well as BC Hockey for over 25 years. In his time there, he was instrumental in creating the stop sign on the back of all minor hockey jersey’s across Canada, winning multiple association of the year awards, and creating a safe and successful place for kids across not only the Okanagan but all over BC to play the game every Canadian Loves. My Grandfather also played a large part in bringing the Warriors to West Kelowna near the end of his time. My Grandfather was granted Lifetime membership to Okanagan hockey even though he has since passed for his dedication and love for Minor hockey. This continued with my father, Jay Michie, who for the better part of 30 years has volunteered his time to Minor Hockey, either as a Director or coaching minor teams, at all age groups. It would give me great honor to be able to achieve half of what my family has accomplished in Minor Hockey, and I would be thrilled to be able to successfully run for the open Presidency position. Having both my grandfather and father in these positions I was able to learn a ton when it comes to being on a board and developing kids in for Minor Hockey Associations.
Being born and raised on the West Kelowna I have been fortunate to spend a lot of time in Minor Hockey in the Okanagan spanning from playing to now coaching and being a member of the board for KMHA. In my time playing I was able to play at all levels up until Junior Hockey! During this time, I was lucky enough to have some amazing individuals who helped shape the way I am today and taught me valuable lessons that I will forever cherish and pass along to future generations. I feel fortunate to have experienced tremendous coaching and leadership in my time through hockey. This experience led me to my transition towards Coaching other minor hockey teams in the Okanagan, which further built not only my on-ice knowledge, but my off-ice knowledge as well.
Today, my oldest son plays minor hockey in Kelowna, and there is no better time for me now than when I get to spend it watching him play and develop as his own player, much the same as I did when I was his age. His first year in initiation I was his team manager, but after the birth of our daughter, I felt that time could be better spent helping my wife at home. Now with my little girl getting older, I returned to Coaching within KMHA as well as successfully being a part of our KMHA Board for 2 terms (4 years) as our 3rd Vice President. In my time as 3rd Vice President at Kelowna Minor Hockey, I have helped navigate the association through troubling times in Covid as well as the new normal now that we are on the other side of the pandemic. I feel it is now time for myself to take the next step forward within KMHA and that means putting my name forward for President of KMHA. I have learned so many great things from the current Executive Board. I have an amazing knowledge of this beautiful sport that we all love and I would greatly enjoy getting the share that knowledge with the new Executive board moving forward. I come forward as an individual who eats, sleeps, and breathes this wonderful game! Everything I have to offer is fueled by passion and knowledge for Hockey! That being said I would also like to thank the current Executive Board members who are not returning for all they have given to KMHA. Your dedication and commitment to this association is the reason why we see so much success on and off the ice!
For these reasons, I feel that I must continue to impart the knowledge others have given me and play an integral part in the development of all the players that make their way through Kelowna Minor Hockey and would be honored to have the support of the members to become the next President of KMHA! I have some very exciting ideas that I have been working on that I would like to bring forward to KMHA. Hockey has played such a huge role in my development as a person not just on the ice, but also off the ice! One last thing I would like to leave you all with is the following, “Football, Baseball and Soccer are sports. Hockey is a lifestyle.” With this sentiment in mind, I wish to put myself forward for the transition into the role of President of Kelowna Minor Hockey.