Technical Safety BC Announces Appointment of New Board Directors

Technical Safety BC Announces Appointment of New Board Directors (May 27, 2026)

Vancouver, BC (May 27, 2026) - Technical Safety BC is pleased to welcome five new directors to its Board, each appointed for a three-year term: John Bell (effective July 3, 2025); Garry Merkel and Ruth Wittenberg (effective January 7, 2026); and Charlie Clappis and Kelly Gilchrist (effective February 18, 2026). 

“These new directors bring distinguished expertise in the housing sector, Indigenous governance, public policy, community infrastructure, and enterprise technology,” said Technical Safety BC Board Chair, George Abbott. “Their collective experience will strengthen the Board’s oversight and support our mandate to advance safety across British Columbia.”

John Bell brings over 25 years of experience in British Columbia’s housing sector, having served in senior leadership roles at two provincial Crown corporations, including BC Housing and the Homeowner Protection Office. During his tenure at BC Housing, John was executive lead for corporate governance, strategic planning, sustainability, and enterprise risk management. Throughout his specialized career, he has developed meaningful partnerships within the housing industry. John retired from BC Housing in February 2021 and is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Garry Merkel (nadi’ denezā) is a Registered Professional Forester and member of the Tahltan Nation. He brings over 50 years of experience in Indigenous governance, land stewardship, and community development. He is Director of the Centre of Indigenous Land Stewardship at UBC and co‑chaired BC’s Old Growth Strategic Review Panel, whose recommendations were fully adopted by the Province. Garry continues to work with Indigenous communities to strengthen stewardship systems grounded in cultural and ecological values.

Ruth Wittenberg brings more than four decades of experience in public policy, post-secondary education, and non‑profit governance. She served as President of the BC Association of Institutes and Universities from 2010 to 2023 and previously held senior roles in the BC Public Service, including Assistant Deputy Minister for the Post‑Secondary Education Division. Ruth sits on the Law Society of BC Tribunal and served as Chair of BC Assessment until September 2025. She joined the Yorkville University Board of Governors in June 2025.

Charlie Clappis is a citizen of Huu-ay-aht First Nations, a modern treaty nation located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Charlie spent two terms on the Huu-ay-aht Executive Council and was first elected in 2011 and later served in the Nation’s Infrastructure Department, where he focused on expanding access to safe and reliable housing. Re‑elected in 2019, he held the infrastructure & housing portfolios. He also spent nine years as a Director of the First Nations Technology Council and sat on various other community Boards.

Kelly Gilchrist is the Senior Vice President and Chief Technology & Transformation Officer at BCAA, responsible for enterprise technology strategy, BCAA’s strategic business ventures, business transformation, and enterprise risk and regulatory compliance.  He has extensive cross‑sector leadership experience spanning transportation, heavy industry, insurance, forestry, and software, delivering complex AI, Enterprise Resource Planning, and data transformations at scale. Kelly holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University and has completed executive strategy programs at Columbia Business School and Queen’s University (Smith School of Business).

Technical Safety BC extends its gratitude to our recently retired directors Ivan Limpright, Ken Tourand, Angela Wesley, and Jeremy Coughlin for their valuable contributions to safety and effective governance.

The Technical Safety BC Board of 12 directors provides strategic oversight, ensuring safety, transparency, and collaboration in its  practices. It also holds fiduciary responsibility for the organization's conduct, ensuring all major business and operational matters receive due consideration. Beyond its direct oversight, the Board carefully considers the interests of industry, communities, and government in its decision-making. To find out more about Technical Safety BC’s Board of Directors, visit: https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/about/board-directors.

About Technical Safety BC

Technical Safety BC is an independent, self-funded organization that oversees the safe installation and operation of technical systems and equipment. In addition to issuing licences, certificates, and permits it works with industry to reduce safety risks through assessment, education and outreach, incident investigations, and enforcement. For more information, visit www.technicalsafetybc.ca.

Media contact:
Technical Safety BC
media@technicalsafetybc.ca