David Brown, President

Lawyer, Ascent Employment Law Corporation
david@ascentemploymentlaw.ca

Professional & Community Development:
David practices as a trial lawyer, with a focus on employment law, human rights law and immigration law.

Personal Info:
Originally from Elkford, British Columbia, David completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics at the University of Alberta. During his undergraduate degree, he had the opportunity to participate in a full-year exchange program to the Université Catholique de Lille, in Lille, France. Upon graduation, David worked briefly as a heavy equipment operator in an open-pit coal mine before moving to New Brunswick in 2006. David is an avid outdoorsman and loves hiking, biking, running, camping and snowboarding.

Laura Thurnheer, Past President and Interim Treasurer/Secretary

Associate Dean – Okanagan School of Business, Okanagan College, MBA, CPHR, SHRM-SCP
lthurnheer@okanagan.bc.ca

Professional & Community Development:
Laura currently is an Associate Dean at the Okanagan School of Business at Okanagan College. In this role, she works with a leadership team and approx. 90 faculty and staff serving 1500 Business students across four campuses in the Okanagan and Shuswap area. Most recently, she was an Associate Dean in The Science, Technology and Health portfolio at Okanagan College working with 13 teaching departments in the Science and Technology areas. As a Business professor, Laura specialized in teaching Leadership, Strategic Management, Human Resources Planning, and Organizational Development and Change.

As an active member of her local business community, she is very aware of the challenges facing businesses today and strives to help new and existing businesses develop and expand. Laura is a Past President of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, past Director of the British Columbia Wine Authority, and current director of the Chartered Professionals of Human Resources (CPHRBC & Yukon).

Reason & Role on the KCR Board:
Laura joined the Board in 2008. Over the years, she has fulfilled a number of roles including Director, Treasurer, Vice-President and now President. She believes that business people and educators need to share their expertise to help build a better and more inclusive community. She believes in the mission and values of KCR and is humbled by the work done by the staff in a multitude of areas. Her way of helping is to share her expertise in the governance and leadership areas.

Personal Info:
Laura enjoys an active Okanagan lifestyle finding time for skiing, golfing, kayaking and camping. One of her personal areas of interest is the development of young adults through business competition coaching. Laura is fortunate to have many opportunities to coach and mentor our future leaders.

Bill Thompson, Vice President

Manager, Grant Thornton LLP, CPA, CA
bill.thompson@ca.gt.com

Professional & Community Development:
Bill is a Chartered Professional Accountant with experience in working with small business clients, personal tax clients and providing assurance services.

Reason & Role on the KCR Board:
KCR provides an opportunity to be involved with an organization that strives to provide information and services to the people of the Okanagan region with the intent of creating a better community for everyone.

Personal Info:
Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Bill has slowly transitioned westward before settling in Kelowna with his family full-time in 2010. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing and staying active outdoors.

Peter Boyd, Director

Owner, Peter’s Your Independent Grocer

Professional & Community Development:
Owner of Peter’s Your Independent Grocer. 27 years in the retail food industry in Kelowna.

Reason & Role on the KCR Board:
I have followed KCR through my years in Kelowna and I am so impressed with the support it provides for our community and being asked to be a Board member is a true honour.

Personal Info:
Peter was born in Whiterock, BC, but moved to Kelowna in 1989. He enjoys golfing, baseball and spending time with his family.

Eric Li, Director

Professional & Community Development:
Eric is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Management of the University of British Columbia – Okanagan campus. He is also the Principal’s Research Chair (Tier 2) in Social Innovation for Health Equity and Food Security, and the Co-Lead, Rural Health Equity Eminence Research Cluster at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan campus. His research includes social enterprise and social innovation, not-for-profit marketing, pro-social behaviour, multicultural marketing and consumption, consumer well-being, health promotion, consumer privacy, food economy and market system, fashion and popular culture, and digital marketing and social media marketing. His work has been published and presented in a number of academic journals and conferences.

Reason & Role on the KCR Board:
As an immigrant myself, Eric is actively seeking ways to ensure equity and inclusiveness in our multicultural society. Eric is honoured to be a part of the KCR community and will continue support various community engagement activities within and beyond the Okanagan region. He is looking forward to bring his academic perspectives to support KCR’s ongoing commitment to build a better community for all.

Personal Info:
Eric was born and raised in Hong Kong, China. He moved to Kelowna in 2011. He enjoys music, hiking, spending time with his family, and supporting great community initiatives. He is currently one of the Tubists at the Kelowna City Band.

Brendon Rothwell, Director

Professional & Community Development:
Brendon practices as a Notary Public, specializing in real estate conveyancing and personal planning. He has helped several adoptive families finalize their adoptions. This opportunity came about primarily due to the fact that Brendon, together with his wife Sheri, adopted both of their daughters through Adoption by Shepherd Care in Orlando, facilitated by the Adoption Centre of British Columbia in Kelowna.

After high school he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics at the University of Victoria. A few years later Brendon then attended Okanagan University College to complete a Business Administration diploma with a specialization in accounting. Brendon then worked a variety of jobs as controller/project manager/construction manager for Kelowna area construction firms and even operated his own construction management company for a number of years. Brendon was accepted for enrolment into the Master’s of Arts Applied Legal Studies program offered by Simon Fraser University in conjunction with the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia. He received his Masters Degree and was ultimately commissioned as a Notary Public in 2013.

Personal Info:
Brendon is a British Columbian through and through. Born and raised in the Cariboo, Brendon then moved to the Okanagan as a teenager. When not working Brendon enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. He keeps active playing multiple sports including hockey, basketball, soccer and golf.

Jasmine Somal, Director

Lawyer, Ocana Law
jasmine@ocana.ca

Professional & Community Development:
Jasmine practices as a solicitor lawyer in Kelowna, with a focus on Canadian immigration law.

Reason & Role on the KCR Board:
As a child of immigrant parents, Jasmine is extremely passionate about assisting individuals immigrate to Canada. One of her main reasons for choosing to be on the KCR board is that KCR provides a strong sense of community, resources and support to new immigrants settling in the Okanagan region.

Personal Info:
Born and raised in the Okanagan, Jasmine completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology locally at UBCO. After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree, Jasmine attended TRU in Kamloops to complete her legal studies. In her free time, Jasmine enjoys staying active outdoors, working out, exploring the Okanagan and travelling the world.

Michele Rebiere, Director

Chief Commercial Officer, Pacific Rim Brands

Professional & Community Development:
Michele has over 25 years experience as a Corporate Finance executive / CFO with public companies, private corporations and start ups. She has worked in several rapid growth sectors including consulting services, technology, renewable energy, esports and wellness. Michele is passionate about mentioning entrepreneurs and early-stage career individuals.

Reason & Role on the KCR Board:
As a recent transplant from Toronto, Michele has been doing her part to build the business community in Kelowna. She is delighted to be able to serve on the KCR board to broaden her contribution to the community and ensure it is welcoming and supportive to newcomers and families.

Personal Info:
Michele moved to Kelowna in late 2019 after spending most of her adult life in Toronto. She embraces the work/life balance the Okanagan offers by fitting in one of her favorite activities (hiking, paddleboarding, kickboxing, tennis) before or after working at the Kelowna Innovation Center each day.

Karen Graham

Regional Marketing Manager, MNP LLP
karen.graham@mnp.ca

Professional & Community Development:
Karen is the Regional Marketing Manager at MNP, one of Canada’s leading professional services firms. Her role involves driving the firm’s regional growth by building the brand, promoting team members, and offering tailored accounting, consulting, and tax solutions to local business owners, not for profits and Indigenous communities. She takes pride in the MNP team’s dedication to giving back to our regional communities through volunteer and fundraising initiatives.

Reason & Role on the KCR Board:
Karen’s familiarity with KCR over the years has impressed her, seeing the team’s outstanding efforts to support vulnerable families and connect the community. She feels honoured to serve on the KCR Board and help promote their valuable contributions within the community.

Personal Info:
Karen, originally from Ontario, has been living and working in the Okanagan for over 20 years. She embraces the Okanagan lifestyle, engaging in activities such as hiking, biking, and skiing, and loves supporting the arts and culture of the region with her friends and family.