Dean's Advisory Council

Paul Donald is the CEO of Simpcw Resources Group (SRG). SRG is an award-winning, First Nation owned business focused on construction, forestry, pipeline maintenance and environmental monitoring. Paul's previous roles included Executive Director at Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw and 30 years of banking and finance including 6 years as the CEO of All Nations Trust Company. Paul is currently the Vice-Chair of the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), a board member at the BC First Nations Business Development Association and the Chair of the Advisory Council to the Dean of the Business and Economics School at TRU. Paul previously served on the board of directors for Simpcw Resources Group, Kamloops Native Housing Society, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society and the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO), where he served three years as National President.

Peter graduated from high school in Summerland, BC, and received a bachelor of commerce from UBC. He is an executive officer and director of subsidiaries and affiliates of Kattegat Trust, a charitable trust and family office established by the founder of Teekay Corporation, a global shipping company. Kattegat has a global portfolio of land, hard assets, and stakes in private and public companies, including Teekay Corporation and Compass Diversified Holdings Inc. Peter is an executive officer and owner of Anglemont Financial Services Ltd., a joint venture with Kattegat. Previously, he worked with Teekay from 1991 through 2006, serving as president of Teekay’s shuttle tankers division and as chief financial officer. Before Teekay, he held financial roles in the shipping and shipbuilding industry, where he started in 1985.

Deborah Buszard has held leadership roles at three Canadian universities: McGill, Dalhousie and UBC. Most recently, she served as Interim President of The University of British Columbia, 2022-2023. Prior to that, she was Principal of UBC Okanagan from 2012 to 2020, where she led the young campus to become a research-intensive institution with world-class academic programs and facilities. Educated in the UK as an agricultural plant scientist (B.Sc. University of Bath and Ph.D. University of London), she began her academic career at McGill University where she became Dean of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. She is fascinated by the global agri-food system and remains active in her discipline, chairing the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel on Plant Health Risks in Canada, and a Discovery Panel on the Future of Food for the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Deborah is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) and currently sits on the boards of First West Credit Union and Genome Canada. She serves as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the Rocky Mountain Rangers, a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army headquartered in Kamloops.

Starr completed a bachelor of commerce with honours from UBC in 1987, obtained Chartered Accountant designation in 1992, and became a partner in KPMG in 1997. Regarded as an authority on tax planning for Canadian private companies and their owners, Starr has written articles for tax conferences and served as a group study leader, tutor, and lecturer for the Canadian Institute of Charted Accountants’ in-depth tax course. He served on the board of directors for KPMG Canada from 2012 to 2018. Having contributed to the education and career development of young accounting and business professionals, he has led the Kamloops office’s recruiting efforts and is proud to have hired more than 100 Thompson Rivers University graduates to article and obtain their CPA designation with KPMG. In 2019, Starr received a fellowship from the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC—a title recognizing CPAs who have gone above and beyond in their commitment to the profession and their community. He is married and has two sons, one of whom graduated from Thompson Rivers University with a master of business administration.

Fiona served a number of roles during 23 years with Business Development Canada, including regional manager partnership, acting vice-president operations, senior auditor, and business centre manager for two branches. Active in the community, she was a member of Thompson Rivers University’s board of governors and served two years as chair. She was a board member and chair of Venture Kamloops and University College of the Cariboo’s (now TRU) Foundation. Fiona is co-chair of TRU’s Limitless campaign, was appointed to BCLC’s board of directors, and is the past president and treasurer for the Kamloops West chapter of Rotary. An interest in music led to being a former director and treasurer with the Kamloops Symphony Society. Fiona has a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Western Ontario.

Beverley DeSantis, former CEO of Tourism Kamloops, is now a destination development strategist specializing in the British Columbia tourism sector. With a Master's Degree in Tourism Management and Marketing, she has cultivated extensive experience in fostering strategic partnerships across various sectors, including industry, government, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and Indigenous communities. Prior to her role at Tourism Kamloops, Beverley served as Director for Business Link Alberta, supporting entrepreneurs in business startup and development. Before that, she held the position of Chair at the Chiu School of Business at Bow Valley College, overseeing program areas such as Tourism Management, Marketing, Public Relations, Fund Development, Event Management, Sustainable Business programs, Continuing Education, and Professional Studies, while also founding the Centre for Social Enterprise & Innovation.

Jason oversees all operations within this successful, family-owned property management business, including corporate and individual operations in communities throughout BC and Alberta. His management style, team approach, and strong understanding of the business have grown Kelson Group from a local company based in Kamloops, to one that owns and manages more than 70 residential and commercial rental properties. Jason transitioned into his role in 1999 after earning his bachelor of commerce from UBC with his first year attending Cariboo College (now Thompson Rivers University) and working in the commercial real estate industry in the Lower Mainland for a number of years. He has been a long-time member of LandlordBC and currently serves on the board of directors for that provincial rental owners association. When not working, Jason spends time with family, skiing at Sun Peaks, and hiking the trails in his hometown of Kamloops. Committed to community, he serves on the campaign cabinet at the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation.

Dr. Richard Game is a results-oriented leader with a proven track record in international expansion and with high-growth, turnaround, and high-paced organizations. He has spearheaded operational change and improvements to drive productivity and reduce costs. Dr. Game holds a dual bachelor of arts and applied science in engineering from UBC, a master of business administration from Western University (London, ON), a doctorate in international business from the University of Alberta, and is a certified international trade professional. He is chief operating officer and board member of the Calgary-based Evans Consoles Corporation, which is the world’s-largest provider of mission-critical command and control solutions, and where he has had direct and indirect accountability for global marketing, sales, business development, international operations, project management, design, manufacturing engineering, electrical operations, business development, product management, and IT groups. Dr. Game has held leadership roles at Nortel Networks, General Electric, FRE Composites, and KOM Software.

Rod is the President and CEO of Velocity Truck Centres Canada (formerly First Truck Centre) – Western Canada’s largest heavy- and medium-duty truck and bus dealership serving Canadian clients for over 40 years. Velocity Truck Centres is part of the Velocity Vehicle Group that now operates over 90 locations across North America. Prior to running First Truck Centre, Rod was the President and CEO of Horizon North Logistics from 2014 until its sale to a Fairfax Financial company in 2020. From 2010 to 2012, he was the President and CEO of ZCL Composites Inc. From 2005 to 2010 he was co-founder and managing director of Northern Plains Capital Corporation, a Calgary-based private-equity firm focused on investing in the oil field and energy-industrial companies. From 1991 to 2004, Rod worked in a variety of roles at Peters & Co, ARC Financial Corporation, and RBC Dominion Securities. Rod has an HBA (Honors) from Wilfrid Laurier University, a CFA, and an MBA (Ivey Scholar) from the University of Western Ontario. He has served on more than two dozen public, private, and not-for-profit boards, and is currently a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, the Business Council of Alberta, and the Business Council of British Columbia.

Amanda Hobson is an experienced finance executive and board director with a diverse background in both public and private sectors and more than 25 years of experience with international companies in the areas of finance and risk management. Amanda was recognized as one of BC’s most influential women in finance by BC Business in 2019, one of Canada’s top 100 most powerful women in 2018 by WXN, and 2017 BC CFO of the year in the emerging leader category by Business in Vancouver and CPABC. Amanda is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCA) as well as a Chartered Director and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with distinction from the University of Victoria. She currently serves on the board of directors for BC Hydro, Powerex and BCAA and previously served on the board of the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation, where she was treasurer and chair of the finance, investment, and audit committee.  

Christopher started his first company in Saskatchewan at age 18 with a vision that all business could (and can) be conducted more humanely, creating a non-traditional self-managing environment where thought leaders engage creatively, bringing their best selves to the benefit of both the business and the community as a whole. From that founding vision, a number of people-first software businesses emerged and presently live within the Chrysalis ecosystem of companies: iQmetrix, North America’s leading provider of telecom retail management software; Cova, North America’s #1 point of sale and inventory management software for cannabis retail; Ready, the contactless Connected Dining Room platform for the restaurant industry; and Shiftlab, an AI-driven scalable workforce optimization platform for retail sales organizations. Christopher’s businesses have received myriad employer and technology recognitions, with iQmetrix garnering the “Business App of the Year” category at the Mobile Breakthrough Awards in 2020, the regional award category for Best Tech Workplace Culture (Small to Mid-Size Employer) in the 7th Annual Timmy Awards, recognition as one of Canada’s Top 100 Small and Medium Enterprise Employers for 2022, and listed in BC’s 50 Top Employers rankings in 2022.

Adam Miron is an entrepreneur, bestselling author and TRU alumni who is dedicated to innovation and mentorship. Miron studied science at TRU from 2004-2007, during which he started TRU’s Young Liberals of Canada campus club and served as the lead delegate for the 2006 Liberal Leadership campaign. Since graduating, he has started more than 15 businesses, including iPolitics, a national digital newspaper. At age 29, he co-founded a cannabis company, HEXO, which grew into a billion-dollar company from a $35,000 investment. Miron’s book about the experience, Billion Dollar Start-up, became a Canadian bestseller in 2021. In 2018, Miron stepped back from operations at HEXO to focus on giving back and became TRU’s Entrepreneur in Residence in 2019. He also has been a director for numerous corporate and volunteer boards. Adam Miron’s commitment to innovation, volunteerism and mentorship exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that TRU aims to impart to its students.

Trish Morelli is a marketing consultant with 30 years in branding, business development, agri-tourism, and strategic planning. Specializing in the wine industry, she helps companies bring wine brands and winery properties to life. As a UBC grad with postgraduate studies focusing on marketing and business entrepreneurship, Trish has spent most of her career managing, researching, marketing, and developing brands around the world, which has led to an extensive network of business contacts. She has served as marketing manager for Cascadia Brands, the director of marketing for Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, a project consultant for BC Wine and Culinary Centre, and the director of operations at Cogent Step Recruiting. In her current role, she brings wineries together under the umbrella of the Kamloops Wine Trail and has led the charge to collectively promote and put Kamloops on the BC wine map. These efforts have meant securing an official wine appellation designation for the Thompson Valley. She is the owner principal of Wine Marketing Solutions, a consulting business mainly operating in the wine sector.

Andreas is an entrepreneur and investor from Vancouver and graduated from SFU with a major in business administration and a concentration in finance, followed by an extended minor in economics. While at SFU, he built a high-end renovation company and focused on clients who valued reliability, quality, and hard work. Taking his cash flow to the next level and through the influence of his mentor, Andreas used his construction skills to accumulate a number of holdings, then turned those holdings into rental properties. Spending the last five years studying the online business world of stocks, markets, bonds, mutual funds, and other financial instruments, he uses his online business mentorship program to help others reach their goals. Andreas says success comes from failure, and failure provides assets for the future. However, assets are only of value when they’re put to use.

Dan has a track record of building and growing innovative technology companies, and has founded more than five in the past 15 years, including Canadian Utility Solutions, CareCaller Emergency Call Systems, Lightship Works Inc, Truvian Labs Inc., and iTel Networks Inc. With iTel since 2007, he has helped the company become a top 10 fastest-growing telecom in Canada and is expanding into the US. A tireless advocate for Canadian startups, he co-founded Kamloops Innovation—a BC Innovation Council-funded technology accelerator—in 2013 and as a board member, provides companies with strategies around commercialization and technology.

Brendan is based in Kamloops and specializes in residential and commercial real estate in BC’s interior region. He attended Thompson Rivers University before obtaining his real estate trading services certificate, real estate broker licensing certificate, and his rental property management certificate from UBC’s Sauder School of Business. Brendan is a member of the Kamloops and District Real Estate Association, British Columbia Real Estate Association, Canadian Real Estate Association, and the Daybreak chapter of Rotary.

Kate is an accomplished engagement specialist and accredited communicator with over twenty years of experience driving successful project initiatives for corporations and communities. As the Manager of Engagement and Strategic Initiatives, she played a pivotal role in supporting the completion of the $30.4B Trans Mountain Expansion Project, leveraging her expertise in stakeholder engagement and strategic planning to ensure community and corporate objectives were achieved. Throughout her career, Kate has excelled as a certified facilitator, adept at designing and leading impactful engagement sessions to achieve client goals. Her leadership as the 2022 President of the Kamloops and District Chamber of Commerce, helped spearhead initiatives to support economic growth and community development. Kate's commitment to community service is further demonstrated through her involvement multiple organizations including the United Way Women's Leadership and TRU Advancement Boards. Her dedication to excellence is not confined to her professional endeavors; she is also an accomplished athlete, boasting twelve national and international victories in Ironman competitions, including two podium finishes at the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. With a Masters of Business Communications, Graduate Certificate in Sustainability, and certifications as a Facilitator and Business Communicator, Kate brings a proven track record of leadership, strategic thinking, and community engagement to her personal and professional endeavours.