The partners have appointed a volunteer Board of Directors to operate the Community Forest through WL Community Forest LP. Current Board members are:Â Ann Louie, Tom Alphonse & Ken Day representing the Williams Lake First Nation, and Kerry Cook, Bridgitte Pinchbeck & Beth Veenkamp representing the City of Williams Lake. The current Board has appointed Hugh Flinton and Kent Watson of C & P Management Group as Managers.
Andy Turner
Mauro Calabrese
Lori Billyboy
Beth Veenkamp
Beth grew up in Williams Lake and moved back with her family in 2017. Earning her role as Manager of Economic Development for the City of Williams Lake, she has seen the community through several critical events including wildfires, a historic flood, a pandemic and health and childcare worker shortages. Beth works directly with businesses to link them to local services and supports with the goal of creating a business climate that will attract residents and investment to the area. Beth is passionate about community development and creating economic prosperity for residents in the region. She has led several projects related to forestry, supporting a value-added future in the Cariboo Region. Beth joined the WLCF Board of Directors in the summer of 2025, taking on a City of Williams Lake representative role.  She looks forward to learning more through her position with WLCF.
Kerry Cook
Kerry Cook joined the Board of Directors for the WLCF in early 2025, and has served our community in a variety of substantive ways over the 50+ years she and husband Dan have called Williams Lake home. Kerry has 9 years of municipal government experience, serving one term as city councillor (1996-1999) and two terms as Mayor (2008-2014). She recently retired from Thompson Rivers University where she was a faculty member for over 37 years.
As someone who was actively involved with the establishment of our Community Forest, she has demonstrated passion and commitment to the values outlined in the original creation of the partnership. She strongly believes in the importance of education, sustainable forest practices, economic viability, and giving back to communities.
Kerry is most proud of building strong, respectful working relationships with our First Nation partners. She is grateful to have met and worked with so many amazing people and continues to value the relationships built over time. The Williams Lake Community Forest is a great example of what is possible when people work together and serves as a positive example for the rest of the province.
Tom Alphonse
Tom started falling trees in 1979 in the BC interior and through the years he has also worked along the BC coast from Vancouver to Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlotte Islands. Tom also helped the Williams Lake Indian Band to start a logging company and then managed the company for 15 years. At present, Tom and Karen own and operate a buffalo cow calf herd. Tom and Karen also run Tom Alphonse Contracting, doing small scale salvage logging in the winter, contracts for trap tree falling, falling danger trees for the BC wildfire service and falling danger trees in the Williams Lake residential areas. Tom also has expertise in building fence - most recently a wood fence dividing the BC Hydro power line at Bysak Road on Flatrock / Ne Sextine safely avoiding potential arcing from overhead powerlines. Tom was a Standing Committee Member for several years then moved to the Board of Directors in the Summer of 2023.
We appreciate the contributions made by current and past Board Members immensely. Former members of the Board include:
John Walker
John Walker served on the WLCF Board from the Fall of 2020 through till the Fall of 2023. John is a Registered Professional Forester and is the Stewardship Forester for Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN). John has worked in the forest industry around the Williams Lake area since 1996. His experience includes consulting, harvesting, fire fighting and business management. John is impassioned by wildlife and ecosystem management.
Bridgitte Pinchbeck
Bridgitte Pinchbeck joined the WLCF Board in the fall of 2020. Growing up in the forest industry, it was a natural progression that she stepped into the management position for a group of companies. With businesses in trucking, construction, engineering and holding companies, her roles brought her to be the financial controller, manager of the office, mechanic, labour and driving staff, negotiator of contracts, and the safety coordinator, all while sitting on several industry related committees. In recent years she started her own business, working in bookkeeping and safety programs. Bridgitte served in the role of administration for the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations, working with board members of both the FBCWA and the Woodlot Product Development council towards a successful transition to what we know today as Woodlots BC. She has demonstrated her commitment to family and community through her numerous roles on a variety of sport and professional boards over the years, including youth soccer, curling, Scouts Canada, the Glendale and Columneetza PAC, and the Esk’etemc Investment Committee and to name a few.  Bridgitte has consistently commitment to getting involved, supporting her family as they grew, while supporting her community. This allowed an empowerment of her own growth, through new challenges, opportunities and strengthened relationships along the way.
Ken Day
Ken Day is a consulting forester in Williams Lake, B.C. In 2018, he retired from his position of Manager of the UBC Alex Fraser Research Forest after 31 years. Prior to his time at UBC, Ken worked for various consultants and sawmills in the Okanagan Valley. Ken has been a Registered Professional Forester since 1982, and in 1998 he received his Master of Forestry from UBC, focusing on the management of uneven-aged Douglas-fir in the IDF. Ken is married, and has a daughter, a son, and two grandchildren. Ken joined the WLCF Board in the Fall of 2020.
Ann Louie
Ann was chief for the Williams Lake Indian Band (WLIB) for 10 years, and served a further 6 years on Council. She was directly involved in securing the Community Forest Partnership with the City of Williams Lake, and remained involved until she retired from the Band in 2018. She has 25 years experience of working with the provincial government, has held numerous positions with the WLIB and sits on a variety of boards. Ann joined the WLCF Board in 2019 and has been generous with her time mentoring Lori Billyboy, ensuring a smooth transition in 2026.
Geoff Goodall
City of Williams Lake
Ray Sanders
City of Williams Lake
Vitali Kozubenko
Vitali is a Chief Financial Officer of the City of Williams Lake and has more than 20 years of experience in finance, audit and risk management. Vitali served the WLCF Board from 2019 until 2025, in addition to financial skills, he brought to the board private company, international and consulting experience.
Daryl Garceau
City of Williams Lake
Brian McNaughton
Williams Lake First Nation
Brian Carruthers
City of Williams Lake
Tammy Tugnum
Tammy served on the WLCF Board of Directors from 2018 through 2024.
Leah Hartley
City of Williams Lake
Steve Capling
Williams Lake First Nation
Steve was a Registered Professional Forester with over 40 years' experience in the forest industry in and around Williams Lake. Steve was on the WLCF Board since 2016 and held the position of Chair until his sudden passing in the Spring of 2020.
Gabe Pukacz
Williams Lake First Nation
Byron Louie
Williams Lake First Nation
Byron was involved with the WLCF since its inception in 2011 and was on the WLCF Board until the Fall of 2020. Byron was a member of the Williams Lake First Nation, with 3 sons, 6 siblings and many nieces and nephews. Byron has worked in the bush with his Dad, for Sugar Cane Wood Products, and Borland Creek Logging. He also had his Class 1 and drove logging trucks. Byron attended Crescent Heights, Columneetza, WLJS, and TRU in Kamloops.
Tom Foley
City of Williams Lake
Tom is a Registered Professional Forester, with experience as a small business owner and more than 20 years in the community of Williams Lake. He is passionate about the outdoors, enjoying hiking, kayaking, and birding. Tom was on the WLCF Board from 2013 until 2020 and most recently held the position of Treasurer.
