Moving the Foundation Forward: Rowena Veylan Announced as new BCHF Executive Director

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On March 6, 2017March 3, 2017By In General
(L-R): Rowena Veylan (new BCHF executive director) poses with Richard Carras (BCHF past chair), Christine Coletta (BCHF Chair) and Alan Sacks (former BCHF executive director) at the Vancouver International Wine Festival. Photo Credit: Christine McAvoy / VanWineFest

The BC Hospitality Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Rowena Veylan as our new executive director. She replaces Alan Sacks, who announced his retirement from the Foundation at the end of 2016.

“I was immediately drawn by the generosity of the hospitality sector. Through the BCHF it demonstrates how much it cares about the well-being and education of its employees,” Rowena says. “The Foundation has been able to take those funds and directly impact the lives of hundreds of people within its industry. I am honoured to join the BCHF during its marquee 10th anniversary year with a goal to help everyone that needs our support.”

Rowena was most recently Senior Director, Development and Communications for the MS Society of Canada, BC & Yukon Division, a post she held since 2014. Prior to joining the MS Society, she was the principal of RA Consulting and worked with organizations to build fundraising capacity and increase revenue. She has also free-lanced with KCI (Ketchum Canada) where she worked almost exclusively on capital campaigns. Her experience across all areas of fundraising, including acting as a member of senior management teams, dates back to 2003, with roles at the Alzheimer Society of BC, Oxfam Canada, and the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Rowena, a Certified Fundraising Executive, is a former director for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Vancouver Chapter from 2008 to 2010 and she co-chaired the chapter’s Scholarship and Mentorship Committee from 2007 to 2010. She holds a master’s degree from the University of British Columba and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Waterloo.

BCHF Chair Christine Coletta says, “Our recruiting team really dug deep to find the right person who could carry on the work done by Alan Sacks and help the Foundation grow so that we can support more people in our industry who are in need. We are confident that we have the right combination of skills, experience, heart & soul in Rowena and are very excited to have her join our team”.

Reporting directly to Rowena will be Annabel Aspler, Operations Manager, and Sujinder Juneja, Communications and Industry Relations Manager.

Congratulations, Rowena! We’re thrilled to have you aboard.