Meet Our Team
Lori Camire
Director and General Manager
Lori Camire is a Director and the General Manager of Venture Connect. She is also the Executive Director of a Community Futures Office. Lori has managed a division of Community Futures since September 1997. Before this, she held supervisory and management positions with the Federal Government for close to 20 years. She has held the position of Island Coastal Community Futures Manager Representative, for 5 years.
In addition, Lori has also been involved with family business operations. She has an intimate knowledge of what goes into the planning and execution of a business transition plan.
Lori Camire
Director and General Manager
Darrell Goertzen
Business Advisor
After 25 years in a business career as an entrepreneur, business owner, and corporate manager, Darrell joined the Venture Connect team in 2012. Since then he has worked with hundreds of business owners throughout BC, helping them prepare their business for a sale.
As a Business Advisor he provides guidance, market understanding, peace of mind and better outcomes to business sellers and buyers. In addition to his work with Venture Connect Darrell is the Project Manager for the Great BC Business Sale.
Darrell Goertzen
Business Advisor
Arnold Harasymchuk
Business Advisor
Arnold Harasymchuk is a Director of BMC Business Management Consultants Ltd. Prior to retirement he worked 27 years in economic development at various positions in all three levels of government. In his career as a public servant, his focus had been to assist businesses and communities with economic development and community development related initiatives. Arnold managed numerous development and strategic projects on behalf of the Province and has facilitated a variety of workshops.
Prior to government, he worked fifteen years at the management level in banking. Arnold is a current Director of Community Futures Strathcona and past Director of Vancouver Island Economic Alliance.He presently works as a business consultant with an international immigration firm where he assists clients accessing the Immigrant Entrepreneur component of the Provincial Nominee Program. Personal entrepreneurial experience includes tourism, farming and foreign investment.
Arnold Harasymchuk
Business Advisor
Kurt Fischer
Business Advisor
Kurt joins our team with a solid background in all facets of business. He has been employed as a Business Coach, a Credit Counsellor, a Strategic Planner, a Program Co-coordinator, and as a Senior Financial Analyst. He has started businesses from inception, including the creation of business plans and all the relevant research necessary. Education: Master’s Degree in Business Administration in Finance and Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering.
Kurt Fischer
Business Advisor
Jaclyn Soulis
Executive Assistant
Jaclyn is an experience Administrative Professional. She started her career in the Health and Safety industry in 2009 working in Northern Alberta. In 2017, she identified a gap in the market so started her own business. In addition, she is currently the Business Administrator for the NP-Alberta Mine Safety Association.
She joined Venture Connect in 2018 where she is responsible for Venture Connect’s website, accounting, customer inquiries, marketing material and day to day operation.
With her experience with non-profits and administration Jaclyn also joined Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot as their Executive Assistant.
Jaclyn Soulis
Executive Assistant
Meet Our Board of Directors
Janice Iverson
Executive Director
Community Futures Sunshine Coast
Janice Iverson loves helping people and teams bring new ideas to life. Her career in both business and social sectors has mostly focused on advancing social and environmental responsibility, collaborative approaches, and innovation. She spent 10 years within the credit union movement as an Assistant Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, and most recently held the position of Director of Social Innovation at United Way. Janice began her career as a journalist, embracing the curiosity, creativity and late nights that came with the territory. When the opportunity arose to join the Public Relations team at a large grocery co-op, she jumped at the chance for a more manageable schedule. From there, she had many opportunities to develop and launch innovative programs and services that delivered financial and social returns. Underpinning all her efforts is a core believe that businesses can make money and achieve social good.
Janice Iverson
Executive Director
Community Futures Sunshine Coast
Wendy Smitka
Director
Community Futures Central Island
Wendy recently joined the ranks of the retired having capitalized on her own succession plan.
Wendy grew up on Vancouver Island and returned in 1991 with her partner to start a transportation business hauling bulk fuels. They grew their business from a staff of three to a thriving business with 26 employees. When developing her own succession plan Wendy found she needed to travel to the mainland for professional advice and is very pleased to be a part of Venture Connect and the opportunity to provide expertise here on the Island. Owning a business is a lifestyle as much as a living and how to value the goodwill that you’ve built over the years is best done by an arms length professional that can bring objectivity and an understanding of current markets into consideration.
Wendy Smitka
Director
Community Futures Central Island
Bob Annis
Chair
Community Futures Cowichan
Bob brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Community Futures Cowichan Board table. He has a BA, MA and PhD, and has published several reports and documents concerning social and economic issues facing rural Canadians. Bob served for 10 years as the Director of Brandon University's Rural Development Institute, and served for Rural and Northern Development Program for many years as a professor in Departments of Native Studies, Psychology and Rural Development. He serves on numerous community organizations like the Provincial Community Futures Association, the Canadian Rural Restructuring Foundation and as a fellow of the International Comparative Rural Policy Studies Consortium. He also served as a National Selection Committee Member for the Canadian government's Broadband.
Since Bob and his wife moved to BC from Manitoba, they have had the pleasure of boating around the Gulf of Vancouver Island and enjoying his retirement to its fullest.
Bob Annis
Chair
Community Futures Cowichan
Angela Smith
Chair
Community Futures Mt. Waddington
Angela Smith joined the Community Futures Mt. Waddington Board in July 2015. She was the Board Secretary before becoming Chair in 2017. Angela also sits on CFMW’s Loans Review Committee and the Self-Employment Program Committee. Angela’s experience and knowledge of Vancouver Island North is highly valued and useful within our organizational governance and planning. She owns and operates a small business which offers online and print marketing services to small businesses. Angela is currently working on her Bachelor of Professional Communication at Royal Roads University.
Angela Smith
Chair
Community Futures Mt. Waddington
Cathy Robertson
General Manager
Community Futures Cowichan
Cathy Robertson’s career experience spans many aspects of business. Since 2008 Cathy has been the General Manager of a division of Community Futures. In this role she oversees a range of community-based economic development projects and the small business lending program in addition to the day-to-day management of the organization.
Cathy has also been an associate in Cowichan Valley marketing firm and managed a wide variety of marketing programs for a number of diverse clients. For nearly 5 years Cathy was the Operations and Marketing Manager for both Cherry Point Vineyards and the Quw'utsun Cultural and Conference Centre, each owned by the Cowichan Tribes.
Cathy Robertson
General Manager
Community Futures Cowichan
David Mitchell
General Manager
Community Futures Mt. Waddington
David Mitchell has lead the most rural and isolated Community Futures office on Vancouver Island since 2009. David developed his leadership and management skills during an extensive career with the British Columbia provincial government. After leaving government in 2003 David was a consultant prior to joining the Vancouver Island Health Authority in Victoria and then Campbell River.
David Mitchell
General Manager
Community Futures Mt. Waddington
Vickie Morris
Chair
Community Futures Sunshine Coast
Vickie Morris moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2014 after years of yearning to be here. Now retired, her career focused on community development, urban planning, and social purpose real estate in and for the City of Vancouver.
She was a founding member of the Social Purpose Real Estate collaborative and co-chair of the Sponsorship Committee for the sold-out 2015 Building Opportunities Conference. She has been honoured for her support of non-profit groups’ real estate needs with awards of appreciation from MOSAIC, Immigrant Services Society of BC, and the Association of Neighbourhood Houses.
Vickie Morris
Chair
Community Futures Sunshine Coast
Allison Boulanger
Executive Director
Community Futures Powell River
Allison Boulanger
Executive Director
Community Futures Powell River
Jolynn Green
Manager
Community Futures Central Island
Jolynn Green combines her Masters in Leadership and Training with hands-on experience assisting hundreds of small business from start up to expansion in addition to consulting with board and management groups. Jolynn joined a Community Futures team in 1994 where she worked for ten years; 6 years as Executive Director. Jolynn then became an executive team member of a five star golf /casino resort in the capacity of Human Resource Manager. Jolynn’s is a graduate of the Masters of Arts – Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University of Victoria, BC. Jolynn became an Executive Director of a division of Community Futures in July 2010. She also operates a local inn.
Jolynn Green
Manager
Community Futures Central Island
Steve Hopkins
Chair
Community Futures Powell River
Steve Hopkins
Chair
Community Futures Powell River
Lori Camire
Executive Director
Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot
Lori Camire has managed a division of Community Futures since September 1997. Previously she held supervisory and management positions with the Federal Government for close to 20 years. Lori has been a director with Community Futures British Columbia and held the position of Island Coastal Community Futures Manager Representative for 5 years.
Lori has also been involved with family business operations, and has dealt with the planning and executing of a succession plan.
Lori was the project manager for the Pilot Project known as Exit Opportunities and is now General Manager of Venture Connect Inc.
Lori Camire
Executive Director
Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot
Susan Payne
Chair
Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot
Susan has been a dedicated member of Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot for over 13 years, joining the Board of Directors in September 2006. In addition to bringing valued insight to our board meetings, Susan also sits on the Investment Committee and in the past on the Self-Employment Committee. As a successful entrepreneur in a number of businesses in her community she has considerable business experience and a solid understanding of the west coast communities.
Susan is a prominent and highly regarded member of her community and involves herself in valuable community groups such as the Pacific Rim Arts Society, the West Coast Multi-Plex Society and previously the Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce.
We value Susan’s insight and contribution to our organization and the passion she brings for the success of the Alberni-Clayoquot region.
Susan Payne
Chair
Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot