Leadership

Irene Kerr (she/her) is the President and Chief Executive Officer at BC Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB). Prior to BCIB, Irene served as President and CEO at Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp). Irene has an accomplished track record with over 20 years of experience in project delivery and operations in the transportation sector. Irene serves as a board member for SkillPlan, a nationally recognized leader in workforce development. Irene has been named to Business in Vancouver’s BC500 list for the past two years.

Mario Piscitelli (he/him) is the Vice President, Finance, and Chief Financial Officer at BCIB. Prior to BCIB, Mario served as the CFO at Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp). He is responsible for a broad range of functions related to finance and corporate services, including financial reporting and analysis, accounting, internal controls, external audits, payroll, treasury, and information technology. Mario holds a degree in business from La Trobe University and is a fully qualified member in good standing with both CPA Australia, and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Sveto Plavsic (he/him) is the Vice President, Operations, and Chief Operations Officer at BCIB. Prior to BCIB, Sveto served as the Executive Director of Performance Planning and Business Development at Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp). He oversees BCIB’s workforce operations  occupational health and safety, contracts management, stakeholder relations and other operational aspects of implementing the CBA. Sveto holds graduate degrees in commercial law and business administration from the University of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and  Simon Fraser University.

David Miller (he/him) is the Managing Director of the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. He served as Mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010 and chaired C40 Cities from 2008 to 2010. Under his leadership, Toronto became widely admired internationally for its environmental leadership, economic strength, and social integration. Renown as a leading advocate for the creation of sustainable urban economies, and a strong and forceful champion for the next generation of jobs through sustainability, Miller recently published his book, “Solved: How the Great Cities of the World Are Fixing the Climate Crisis,” with the University of Toronto Press. A Harvard-trained economist and lawyer, David has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waterloo in Environmental Studies and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from York University.

Anita Kaur Atwal (she/her) is an experienced labour, employment and human rights lawyer, who now practices exclusively in the area of workplace investigations, mediations, equity and inclusion. In her work, she supports institutional and public sector clients with their workplace related needs, including investigations, risk management, policy development and training. Ms. Atwal is a frequent presenter and trainer on workplace investigations, mediations and inclusive workplaces. Ms. Atwal recently finished serving as the Principal Consultant of the Human Rights Office at Simon Fraser University (SFU). She now serves as a Special Advisor to SFU’s Vice President, People Equity and Inclusion. She also serves as the Integrity Commissioner for the City of Maple Ridge.

Ms. Atwal is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and skilled mediator, having received her mediation training from the Harvard Program on Negotiation. Additionally, Ms. Atwal serves on the Board of Directors of British Columbia Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB), a Provincial Crown Corporation responsible for providing qualified skilled trades for the construction of public infrastructure projects. Anita chairs the Human Resources and Governance Committee of BCIB. Ms. Atwal was also recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Fraser Health Authority.

Ms. Atwal is the former and longest serving president of the South Asian Bar Association.

Cynthia Morton (she/her) is a lawyer and former Deputy Minister, working in both BC and Ontario in the areas of Labour and Workers Compensation, Healthcare, and Law. Ms. Morton was previously Vice President with the Ontario Workers Compensation Board before becoming a Deputy there. Ms. Morton has also served on the WorkSafeBC Board as a Deputy and as the CEO of a national organization, The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Currently, Ms. Morton sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work. She is very familiar with the complex, operational, legal, regulatory and stakeholder relations issues arising out of the areas of health and safety, as well as workers compensation matters.

Nees Ma’Outa (Clifford White) (he/him) has served his Gitxaala Nation as an elected Chief Councillor for four terms and continues to serve in his role as a Hereditary Leader. Chief White has dedicated his life to working on behalf of all First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples. Among the many groups he works with are the First Nations Summit, the Assembly of First Nations, and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. He currently works as an elected Commissioner with the BC Treaty Commission. Chief White and his wife have been happily married for five decades and, together, they are proud Grandparents/Parents to their 10-year-old daughter, of whom they have legal custody. She is in charge of the family’s two dogs.

“Our Great Spirit, God, loves each and every one of you, and so does he.” – Nees Ma’Outa

Wayne Peppard (he/him) is a trained plumber, gas fitter and pipe fitter. He has worked in construction for 56 years, lending his expertise to various areas of the industry. Mr. Peppard was employed by the BC Department of Labour Employment Standards Branch to help administrate the Fair Wage Act. He served as the Director of Public Relations for UA Local 170. He has served as a Business Representative for the BC Highways and Infrastructure Council, for the the Allied Hydro Council of BC, for the the Allied Infrastructure and Related Construction Council of BC and as the Executive Director of the BC Building Trades Council.

Mr. Peppard has served his community on various boards including the Burnaby Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Burnaby Board of Variance and as the Director of Sports for the 2012 Senior Games.

Gary Kroeker (he/him) was a fierce advocate for, in his words, the “creation of jobs, building a prosperous, healthy economy, [and] a well trained diverse workforce.” We were fortunate to have him as a board member. More so, we were lucky to count him among our friends. Gary was known for his constructive ideas, his wry remarks, and his warm smile. He gave his time and his talents – often in the early mornings before his first tee time. He was generous, welcoming, and sharp. Gary will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him here at BCIB and throughout BC’s construction sector.

Gary was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), Local 115 for over 50 years. The IUOE is a diverse trade union representing workers in various sectors of BC’s economy, including construction, road building, pipeline construction, mining, dredging, heavy equipment mechanics, waste management services, and aviation. Mr. Kroeker served as both a Business Manager and General Vice President of the organization. Additionally, he held numerous positions in the labour movement, including President of the BC Highway and Related Construction Council, President of the Canadian Conference of IUOE, President of the B.C. and Yukon Territory Council, executive board member of BC Federation of Labour, and a director of the Community Savings Credit Union. Mr. Kroeker is remembered as an advocate for a strong, equitable and well-trained construction sector that serves everyone and supports a strong economy.