VCF Board of Directors 2026

 

Dylan Savoie – President/Chair

 

Dylan moved to Valemount in 2024 to be closer to extended family and raise his children. He loves coaching hockey and following his 2 boys around as they explore the landscape of this beautiful valley.

He holds a FTech professional designation with FPBC and has been in the forestry industry for over 10 years working all over the province. While working in other community forests, he saw first hand how the community forest model of forest management directly benefited the community it was connected to.

By joining the board of directors, he aims to support the staff, share his forestry expertise, and strengthen the VCF’s work in serving the land and community through local decision-making and responsible forest management.

 

 

 

Gerry Piper – Board Member

 

Gerry Piper has lived in Valemount for many years, where he raised his family and remains an active member of the community. He worked in the forest industry for more than 40 years before recently retiring, bringing decades of experience and knowledge to the board.

Gerry is currently serving his second year of his tenth term as a board member, continuing his long-standing commitment to local governance and community leadership. Outside of his board commitments, he enjoys hunting and spending time with his grandchildren.

 

 

Zac Ruttiman – Vice President/Chair

 

Zac has called Valemount home for the past 8 years, he was drawn here by a love of the outdoors and a deep appreciation for mountain living. He is the owner of Cariboo Trail Creations, a local trail-building company focused on creating sustainable, community-focused recreation infrastructure.

When he is not working on trails, you’ll find him out enjoying them — biking, snowmobiling, and making the most of every season in the Robson Valley.

He is excited to bring his hands-on experience and passion for the land to the VCF Board, supporting responsible land use and long-term community benefit.

 

 

Malinda Goodell – Board Member

 

Most people know Malinda as “Linda”. She is a long time resident of the Valemount and Tete Jaune area.

She and her late husband, Ron, for a lesser extent worked as and for logging contractors/companies, road builders, and BC Forestry during the fire seasons when we had fire fighting equipment and a local ground crew of wildfire firefighters.

Linda has been an active member of the community volunteering and sitting on various committees and boards as well as a parent helper raising funds for the Valemount wrestling team’s out of town trips along with the use of her van. The van made trips out of town first with the Three Valley Metis Junior Jiggers then the wrestling team. She also worked and volunteered with the Three Valley Metis and sat as their representative at meetings on occasion as well. Calling Bingo and sitting on the TeteJaune Community Board. Being an active  member of The Rocky Mountain Racing Association as well as one of the stock car racers.  She got the nickname “Ice Tea” during her time as a parent helper and Cub pack leader with The Valemount Boy Scouts. Most recently she has become an active volunteer and board member of The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 266, Valemount.

Linda applied to become a Valemount Community Forest (VCF) Board of Director because of a desire to help make the public aware of the benefits, contributions and grants that they distribute each year. Her hope is to see VCF continue to be a success in all areas of a BC Community Forest Company including working with stakeholders, our community, First Nations, local  value added wood products businesses, as well as other local businesses and job creating opportunities that benefit our community and surrounding area. Plus working to offer additional educational opportunities for students and other interested individuals.

 

Cameron Bell – Board Member

 

Cameron is the owner-operator of Glacier Fire Pizzeria and has called Valemount home since 2017. With experience in the oilfield and a solid financial background, he brings a practical, hands-on approach to everything he does. Outside of work, he loves spending time with his family, keeping the kids busy, and enjoying camping and boating adventures.

 

 

 

 

Sam Phillips – Board Member

 

Sam started his career in the early nineties working for both Industry and Government. In 2002 he had the opportunity to work for the First Nations and has been there since.  He is also a “Registered Professional Forester”.

He has had numerous roles managing both Natural Resource Operations as well as Economic Development Companies. In 2020 he started Sand Jack Solutions Ltd and has been working primarily with Simpcw on Natural Resource Stewardship and Forestry initiatives.

Since starting work with Simpcw in 2006, he has spent extensive time in the Valemount area working on initiatives such as forestry and the pipeline project. Sam was on the Board of Directors for VCF in the late two thousands.

Sam has two boys that have recently graduated university from UVIC in the engineering program. When he is not working, he enjoys hunting, fishing, dirt biking and mountain biking.

 

Donalda (Donnie) MacLean – Board Member                                             & Village of Valemount Representative

 

Donnie sits on the VCF Board as the Village of Valemount’s Council representative.  She was appointed to the Board in 2025 and sits on several committees of the Board.

Most of her career has been spent in the forest industry – in government as well as in the private sector – in various leadership roles.  Donnie and her husband own and operate a forestry consulting firm operating in B.C and Alberta. Community Forests and the benefit they bring to the local community have long been a passion for her and her family.

Lifelong formal learning, varied work experience, volunteering and co-managing the family forestry business have given Donnie many qualifications beneficial to the Valemount Community Forest Board’s work. First-hand experience working in most aspects of the forest industry have given her a solid understanding of the challenges of the forest industry. Her most recent formal education was completing a two-year technical diploma from BCIT in Occupational Health and Safety.

 

Anne Yanciw – Village of Valemount Representative,                             non-voting member

 

Anne has been in local government longer than she cares to admit, starting at the City of Calgary in the late 90’s. She has worked in a variety of positions and a number of local governments, as well as taking a break in between to provide local government consulting services. This breadth of experience has given her a solid toolbox of skills and knowledge to apply to resolve work situations.

In her important time, she enjoys reading and cooking, but especially enjoys hiking the trails around Valemount. She believes this is the best community she could have ever found.

She enjoys taking complicated problems and untangling the knots until the threads emerge, it makes sense and a solution comes clear.

 

 

Staff 2026