My wife Siri and I have lived in Wynndel since 1992. Our daughters Lexii and Torey attended the former Wynndel Elementary School (WES), Adam Robertson Elementary School and Prince Charles Secondary School.
My first career was in business management, sales and marketing. For the last 20-plus years I have worked as a horticultural consultant, mainly in the oil and gas industry. I am a former program assistant and instructor in the horticultural technician program at College of the Rockies in Creston. I continue to instruct landscaping workshops at the college. I currently operate a small landscape business in the valley.
In these challenging times, there are many issues impacting our school district. Developing innovative options in challenging circumstances is not new to me. The choices and decisions that a school trustee must make will not only impact the day-to-day lives of our students but their future options as well.
I am an advocate for policies that will facilitate increased arts/culture and other extracurricular options for our students.
I will explore options that may reduce access costs to the Prince Charles Auditorium for community groups.
I feel that my personal qualities, especially respect for others and their views, would serve our school district well in helping to develop a safe, healthy and exciting environment for our students’ educational and personal development.
I have been an active leader, organizer and volunteer throughout the Creston Valley for many years and I continue to participate in community service projects and organizations: Creston Community Radio Society (current treasurer, volunteer), Creston Valley Olympic Torch Relay Committee, Regional District of Central Kootenay Area A (alternate director), Columbia Basin Trust Committee (RDCK Area A committee chair), WES Parent Advisory Committee, RDCK Area A economic development committee, Creston Valley Fest Society, Creston branding committee and Creston Fruit and Vegetable Growers Society.
Bob Gollan is seeking election as the South Rural trustee for the School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) board of education.
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The Advance asked each candidate for Creston town council and mayor, Regional District of Central Kootenay director and School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) trustee — as well as acclaimed directors Garry Jackman (Area A) and Larry Binks (Area C) — to submit about 300 words to describe their goals, background, qualifications, concerns — whatever mattered to them. Of the 27 candidates, only two, Jackman and Creston town council candidate Louis Mihaly, chose not to make a submission.