Leadership Team

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SkilledTradesBC’s mandate is set out in the 2022 Skilled Trades BC Act.

SkilledTradesBC is governed by a nine-person Board of Directors appointed by the government. Appointments are guided by the Crown Agencies and Board Resourcing Office (CABRO). SkilledTradesBC is committed to continuously improving governance through transparency, professional development of directors and annual Board assessments. 

In accordance with Treasury Board Directive 2/24, SkilledTradesBC is required to annually disclose remuneration paid to each appointee. See 2023/24 Board Appointee Remuneration Disclosure.

Senior Leadership and Board of Directors

Executive Team

Photo of Shelley Gray - woman with blonde hair and black top
Shelley Gray
As the first woman in the CEO role at SkilledTradesBC, Shelley is driven to create a more inclusive skilled trades workforce that reflects the province's diverse population. Shelley is a strong advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion, and her work is guided by her belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to advance in a meaningful career. Shelley’s extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, with a wide-ranging impact at local, national and international levels, and her ability to navigate complex multi-stakeholder environments have made her a respected and valued leader and sought after speaker. Most recently, she has named one of Business in Vancouver’s Influential Women in Business (2024). Additionally, she has been recognized with various other awards from BC Business, SiteNews Construction’s and YWCA. Shelley is active on various boards and committees, including the former Chair of Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship, the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, Vancouver College and the LDS Learning Disabilities Society. Shelley holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from the University of Alberta, a Leadership Development Certificate from the UBC Sauder School of Business, an INSEAD Executive Leadership Certificate and her ICD.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Max Logan
Max Logan plays a central role in overseeing enterprise-wide strategic functions, as the lead for the Human Resources, Information Technology, Strategy & Performance, and External Relations teams.    He brings significant experience in executive leadership roles in the public sector and regulatory environments where he has overseen customer service, strategic planning, corporate governance and much more. Prior to joining SkilledTradesBC, he was COO of Engineers and Geoscientists BC, where he led the successful transition to a major new government-mandated regulatory structure. In addition, Max has held leadership positions in customer-centric organizations such as the Transportation Investment Corporation. He has an Executive Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.  
Chief Strategy Officer 
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Adam Bale
Adam Bale is a seasoned financial professional with a wealth of experience in financial leadership. Adam has held strategic positions in the B.C. public sector for over a decade, with a focus on optimizing financial resources and achieving system efficiencies. Adam started his career in UK financial services before moving to British Columbia, where he joined Community Living BC and delivered the reform and automation of the program negotiation and monitoring process. Prior to joining SkilledTradesBC, he was with TransLink as the Director, Financial Planning & Analysis and Enterprise Risk Management. At TransLink, Adam provided financial and risk-informed strategic direction to help steward the organization through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recovery. He is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Cambridge.
Chief Financial Officer
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Gillian Rhodes
Gillian Rhodes comes to SkilledTradesBC with 25 years of senior management experience across a range of industries, both within Canada and internationally. As the Chief Operating Officer, Gillian provides executive leadership of all operational functions directly serving SkilledTradesBC's clients, including apprentices, sponsors, and employers. She leads the team responsible for the delivery of a responsive and customer focused trades training system of B.C. Prior to her current role, she served as the Chief Operating Officer at Community Living Society for 12 years. During her tenure, she spearheaded organization-wide restructuring of services, orchestrated the new systems implementation, and engaged stakeholders, including individuals, families, government, communities, and non-profit organizations. Gillian's background in working with individuals with diverse backgrounds has shaped her inclusive and collaborative approach to her leadership style. She holds a Bachelor of Business in International Business and Operations from the University of Technology (Australia) and Diploma in Marketing and Management from the Clements School of Management (Australia).
Chief Operating Officer

Senior Management

Shelley Allan
Shelley Allan plays an integral role in developing and managing corporate strategies and government relations. She has over 25 years’ experience working with the BC Government in various leadership roles.  She has led strategy, policy and legislative initiatives involving international, national, and provincial teams in the areas of justice, labour mobility and skills training. Shelley also worked with the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training as the national project director advancing apprentice mobility and managing joint federal/provincial/territorial apprenticeship initiatives. Shelley possesses strong leadership and collaboration skills, which have enabled her to successfully liaise with various levels of government and provincial/territorial agencies. She holds an undergraduate degree from Simon Fraser University.
Director, Strategy – STC implementation
Anja Echavez
Coming soon.
Director, Human Resources
Tara Fong
Tara Fong oversees efforts to advance inclusion and equitable access to training and careers in the skilled trades. She manages strategic planning, initiatives, and funding agreements with external stakeholders, delivering attraction and retention services and pre-apprenticeship programs for youth, women, Indigenous peoples and underrepresented groups. She works directly with community and Indigenous organizations that align to SkilledTradesBC’s mandate and service plan. Prior to her position with SkilledTradesBC, Tara worked for 15 years managing the delivery of career and employment programming services through a variety of roles, including senior leadership, program management, and front-line services. She holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Career Development and has a Counselling Certificate. She also volunteers as a Director for the Childhood Cancer Family Support Society.
Director, Trades Inclusion and Access
Andrew George profile profile
Andrew George
Andrew George’s passion for the culinary arts and his experience in trades training provides him with a unique perspective in helping advance Indigenous participation in B.C.’s trades community. Andrew has over 30 years of culinary experience and is the first Indigenous Red Seal Chef in B.C. In addition, he has held influential roles in post-secondary schools as a head instructor and program developer. He is committed to reconciliation and increasing accessibility to skilled trades for Indigenous peoples. Most recently, Andrew was part of an Indigenous chef’s working group that developed the first Professional Cook – Indigenous Content 1 program for levels 1, 2, 3. This program was first delivered in Okanagan College, followed by the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, and College of New Caledonia. Andrew is a Hereditary Wing Chief for the Bear Clan in the traditional system of the Wet’suwet’en people and is a board member of the Wenenyiik Resource Development Society.
Director, Truth and Reconciliation
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Paulette Higgins
Paulette Higgins oversees and manages SkilledTradesBC’s annual investment in trades training and the designation and quality assurance of over 50 training providers in B.C. Prior to joining SkilledTradesBC, she led Simon Fraser University’s industry engagement at the Beedie School of Business, advancing experiential learning in education and realizing career opportunities for students. She also worked as a senior executive and Academic Director for Haward Technology, an engineering and consulting company in the UAE that catered to petroleum, construction and energy companies in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. She is an instructor, certified auditor and assessor for the American Petroleum Institute and the Institute of Leadership and Management. As a big advocate for mentorship and giving back, Paulette also volunteers as a business mentor at Simon Fraser University and at various non-profit and immigrant settlement organizations, helping people build leadership skills, navigate through career opportunities, and adjust to life in Canada.
Director, Training Investment, Standards and Delivery
Grace Kim
Grace Kim
Grace Kim oversees SkilledTradesBC’s efforts to promote the value of apprenticeship and the greater skilled trades system in partnership with industry and community. With extensive experience across the public, private and community sectors, Grace is a trusted strategist and stakeholder relations leader with a proven track record of optimizing performance through transformation and complexity. In her previous role at Vancouver Coastal Health, she provided strategic advisory to advance the organization’s people and culture strategy and support its response to the increasing demands of health sector workforce challenges. Grace holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.
Director, External Relations
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Karen King
Karen King is a progressive leader highly skilled at building top-performing teams. In her current role, she provides strategic leadership overseeing a team that supports SkilledTradesBC’s customers, including apprentices and sponsors. With over 20 years of experience managing a variety of operational departments, she has developed and executed strategies to optimize business processes and deliver national services and support to customers. This includes a proven track record of driving operational performance through hands-on coaching and engagement.
Director, Customer Experience
Kristy Kwan
Coming soon.
Director, Corporate Services
Laura Lurz profile photo
Laura Lurz
Coming soon.
Director, Strategic Initiatives
Loic Triger profile photo
Loic Triger
Coming soon.
Director, Information Technology

Board of directors

Cindy Oliver has dedicated her life’s work to adult education and the labour movement.    

Her background includes 13 years as the President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC, as well as 20 years as an instructor of Adult Basic Education and English at College of the Rockies, where she worked closely with trades and apprenticeship students and counsellors. She sat as a Director of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum Board for ten years and is currently Chair of the Interprovincial Alliance of Board Chairs of Canada (IPA). In addition, she is an experienced public speaker, having spoken at numerous conferences worldwide on issues such as women’s rights in the workplace and bargaining in the public sector. She has an Honours Bachelor of Arts from Lakehead University and a Master of Education from the University of Lethbridge.

Laird Cronk has significant experience in both labour and business endeavours. A Red Seal Electrician by trade, he spent over two decades working in the marine, communication, commercial, industrial, and residential sectors in B.C. He was the Vancouver Island representative for the BC Building Trades Council and also worked as an Employment Standards Officer for the BC Ministry of Labour.  

From 2001 to 2018, he was the International Representative with the 1st District Office of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, servicing IBEW Local Unions throughout B.C., Yukon Territory and Alberta. From 2018 to 2022, Laird was elected twice as President of the BC Federation of Labour, representing the views of more than 500,000 affiliated members from across the province. 

Mary-Anne Bowcott has been an integral part of raising awareness of the benefits of diversifying the trades workforce. She is a Red Seal Plumber, Class B Gas Fitter and Steep Slope Roofer. As the owner of Westcom Plumbing and Gas Ltd. and Westcom Roofing and Sheetmetal, she has received several industry awards for her leadership: the Sooke Chamber of Commerce’s Trade & Skilled Labour Excellence Award, the B.C. Construction Association’s Provincial Construction Leadership Award, the Canadian Construction Association’s Person of the Year Award, the Business Examiner Trade Business of the Year Award, and Camosun College’s Promising Alumni Award as well as Distinguished Alumni Award. She has participated in many forums and conferences to share insights on being a woman in trades, she is a co-founder and former Vice President of the BC Tradeswomen Society, and she also sat on the Governance Committee for the Construction Workforce Equity Committee, during which time she contributed to the creation of the Builders Code. 

Michelle Bryant is an experienced leadership coach, educator and corporate manager who has spent more than two decades in diverse roles—as a teacher, Vice Principal, and currently the Senior Director, Indigenous Relations for the City of Vancouver. A member of the Tsimshian Nation from the community of Lax Kw’alaams, Michelle served as the first Indigenous woman President of the Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce and is currently the Vice President of the Women’s Leadership Network and an elected Trustee for the Lax Kw’alaams Settlement Trust. She held Provincial Board positions with the Indigenous Business and Investment Council and the Medal of Good Citizenship. She has a Bachelor of Education from Vancouver Island University, a Master of Education in Multidisciplinary Leadership from the University of Northern British Columbia, a Diploma in Solution Focused Coaching, and a Certificate in Advanced Management.   

Carly Church is a mechanical engineer with over a decade of experience overseeing the development and expansion of mines throughout Canada and globally. She is currently a project manager with JDS Energy & Mining, a B.C.-based company that takes mining projects from conceptual visions to successful operations. She has a passion for promoting women’s career opportunities in mining, through speaking and mentoring opportunities, as well as participating in industry groups including the Association of Mineral Exploration BC and the Centre for Training Excellence in Mining. Carly has a Bachelors of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering and Information Technology from the University of British Columbia, a Masters of Technology Management from the University of New South Wales, and Certificates in Risk Management and Business Analysis. 

Rick Kasper is a retired bricklayer and stonemason who operated a small business and worked for his communities for many years. Rick was involved with the Glen Lake Ratepayers Association in the 1970s and served as the CRD director for Langford from 1981 to 1990, where he helped create the Galloping Goose Regional Trail, region-wide blue box recycling, low-income housing, and local beautification projects. He served as District of Sooke Councillor from 2005 to 2008 and was re-elected from 2011 to 2014 and 2014 to 2018. In addition, he served as MLA for Malahat-Juan de Fuca for 10 years. During this time, he headed a review of legislation governing manufactured homes, worked to get three new schools built, helped get funding for the SEAPARC Leisure Complex and Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, and fought to protect funding for the Sooke Women’s Transition House. Rick completed his trade qualifications at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.  

Lana Love is a journey-level millwright working on achieving her Fourth-Class Power Engineering Certification. She was the first woman to complete a millwright apprenticeship and work as a Maintenance Supervisor with the Solid Wood Division of Canfor. 

Lana was a member of Canfor’s Inclusion and Diversity Council, Women’s Engagement Group, and Indigenous Engagement Group. She was elected as Director at Large for the BC Trade Equity Society in 2021. Lana is driven to help change the culture of industrial and trades workplaces to be more inclusive to women and other underrepresented groups so that anyone who wants to can enjoy the many advantages of a career in the trades. 

Wally Penner built a career around his passion for working with the trades, Indigenous peoples, and local communities on construction projects. His experience began working on the Hugh Keenleyside Dam and road construction for the Ministry of Highways and Forests. Afterwards, he worked as the Regional Development Liaison Officer for the Kootenay Region for 10 years, during which time he was one of the founding members of the Columbia Basin Trust. He then worked for Columbia Power Corporation in the permitting and construction of the Arrow Lakes Generating Station and the Brilliant Expansion Generating Station, and he retired as the Regional Project Manager for the Waneta Expansion Project. Wally has been involved in his community as Chair of the Kootenay Lake District Hospital, the Regional Economic Advisory Committee, the Nelson Rod, Gun and Conservation Society and as a Director for the Regional District of Central Kootenay. He is also currently on the Board of Directors for the Ktunaxa Enterprises Ltd. 

Dr. Jane Jae-Kyung Shin is Vice President of Students and Community Development at Vancouver Community College (VCC). In 2013, Jane became the first Canadian of Korean descent to be elected as an MLA in Canada, representing Burnaby-Lougheed. She currently serves on the board of DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society, on the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee for the Colleges & Institutes of Canada, as a representative of the western provinces on Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada, and supports BC Children’s Hospital as the ambassador of its Legacy Program. Jane earned her medical doctorate at Spartan Health Sciences University in St. Lucia. She also has an Executive Certificate in Women in Leadership from Cornell University, a Provincial Instructor's Diploma from VCC, and a Master of Education in Educational Technology and Learning Design from Simon Fraser University.  

Corrine Storey has 20 years of experience as an executive, including being the first woman Chief Operating Officer with BC Ferries, responsible for the training and safety of over 4000 employees. She held this position for 6 years and navigated safely through the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. She previously held leadership roles with West Coast Energy’s natural gas and propane operations in British Columbia. Corrine has experience in regulatory training and certification, strategic planning, inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, stakeholder relations, financial management, labour relations, project management, and governance and risk management.

She currently serves on the Board of the Greater Victoria Housing Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports affordable housing. Corrine is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program, holds a Master of Business Administration, and holds an Industrial Relations Certification.