BACKGROUNDER 2004OTP0008-000052 Office of the Premier Jan. 26, 2004 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BIOGRAPHIES HON. GORDON CAMPBELL Premier Gordon Campbell was sworn in as British Columbia's 34th Premier on June 5, 2001. Mr. Campbell was elected leader of the B.C. Liberal Party in September 1993. He was elected to the B.C. Legislature in 1994 in a by-election to represent the riding of Vancouver-Quilchena and was re- elected in 1996 and 2001 for Vancouver-Point Grey. Mr. Campbell attended public school in Vancouver. After graduating he received a scholarship to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He worked his way through university in the dining hall and as the associate to the secretary of the college, and received his bachelor of arts degree. He later received a master's of business administration from Simon Fraser University. He was a secondary school teacher, basketball and track coach in Yola, Nigeria, working under the auspices of CUSO. He then became an assistant to former Vancouver mayor Art Phillips. From 1976 to 1981, he worked with Marathon Realty, where he became general manager of development. In 1981, he founded Citycore Development Corporation. In 1984, Mr. Campbell was elected to Vancouver City Council. From 1986 to 1993, he served as Mayor of Vancouver for three successive terms. Mr. Campbell and his wife Nancy, a school vice-principal, have two sons. - 2 - HON. SINDI HAWKINS Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations Sindi Hawkins was appointed Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations on Jan. 26, 2004. She previously served as Minister of Health Planning. Ms. Hawkins also served as Official Opposition critic for health, and for employment and investment. She sat on the Select Standing Committees on Health and Social Services, and on Women's Equality. She also sat on the Official Opposition Caucus Committee on Health. She was first elected in 1996 to represent the riding of Okanagan West. She was re-elected in 2001 in the new riding of Kelowna-Mission. Before her election to the Legislative Assembly, Ms. Hawkins worked as a registered nurse in general duty, intensive care, management, education and consulting. She set up her own company as a lawyer with an interest in medical-legal issues. She received both her bachelor of nursing and her bachelor of law degrees from the University of Calgary. Ms. Hawkins has a post-graduate certificate in neuroscience nursing from the Montreal Neurological Hospital. She was recognized as one of the first nurses in Canada to be certified in neuroscience nursing by the Canadian Nurses Association. Ms. Hawkins has been involved in preventing elder abuse, served on an anti-racism committee and worked with a non-profit society to aid visible minority and immigrant women. She has been involved with and has supported numerous charitable and non-profit fundraising events in her community. Ms. Hawkins lives in Kelowna. - 3 - HON. SHIRLEY BOND Minister of Advanced Education Shirley Bond was appointed Minister of Advanced Education on June 5, 2001. Ms. Bond was elected in 2001 to represent the riding of Prince George-Mount Robson. Before her election to the Legislative Assembly, she served three terms on the Prince George School Board, the last as chair. She also worked with the continuing education department of the Prince George School District, becoming its business manager. She was given the B.C. Interior, North & Yukon Woman of Distinction Award for her work in public education. Ms. Bond has an arts and science diploma from the College of New Caledonia and is enrolled at the University of Northern B.C., where she is completing a bachelor of arts in political science. She was protocol director for the 2001 Special Olympic Summer Games and sat on the boards of Carey Theological College, the Personal Living Choices Society, the Trinity Opportunity Fund Grants Committee and the City of Prince George's Standing Committee on Youth. Shirley and Bill Bond live in Prince George. They have twin adult children. - 4 - HON. JOHN van DONGEN Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries John van Dongen was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries on June 5, 2001. Mr. van Dongen previously served as agriculture and fisheries critic for the Official Opposition. He sat on the Select Standing Committees on Agriculture and Fisheries and on Crown Corporations, as well as the Official Opposition Caucus Committee on Children. He was first elected in 1995 in a by-election to represent the riding of Abbotsford and was re-elected in 1996. He was elected to the Abbotsford-Clayburn riding in 2001. Before his election to the Legislative Assembly, Mr. van Dongen operated a dairy farm in Abbotsford. He studied agricultural economics at the University of British Columbia. Mr. van Dongen was involved in farm organizations and businesses for almost two decades. He was on the board of directors of the B.C. Dairy Foundation, Agrifoods International Co-operative (Dairyland) and the B.C. Federation of Dairymen's Association and was a member of the Federal Farm Debt Review Board. He was also chair of the building and finance committee of St. Joseph's Church in Mission. John van Dongen is married, lives in Abbotsford and has two children. - 5 - HON. GEOFF PLANT Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Treaty Negotiations Geoff Plant was appointed Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Treaty Negotiations on June 5, 2001. Mr. Plant previously served as critic for the Attorney General Ministry and for intergovernmental relations as a member of the Official Opposition, and as Caucus Whip. He sat on the Select Standing Committees on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills, and on Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. He also sat on the Official Opposition Caucus Committee on Crime. He was first elected in 1996 to represent the electoral district of Richmond-Steveston and was re- elected in 2001. Before his election to the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Plant was a lawyer and also lectured and wrote extensively on aboriginal and education law. He was raised in Vancouver and received his bachelor of arts degree from Harvard, and law degrees from the universities of Dalhousie in Nova Scotia and Southampton and Cambridge in England. He was called to the bar in 1982. Mr. Plant has served as a director and president of the Richmond Community Music School and as council chair of his home church, Gilmore Park United. Mr. Plant, his wife and two children live in Richmond. - 6 - HON. CHRISTY CLARK Minister of Children and Family Development Deputy Premier Christy Clark was appointed Minister of Children and Family Development on Jan. 26, 2004. She previously served as Minister of Education. Ms. Clark also served as Official Opposition critic for environment, for children and families and for public service. She sat on the Select Standing Committee on Environment and Tourism and on the Official Opposition Caucus Committee for Children. She was first elected in 1996 to represent the electoral district of Port Moody-Burnaby Mountain. She was re-elected in 2001 in the new riding of Port Moody-Westwood. Ms. Clark is a former researcher in the B.C. Legislature. She attended Simon Fraser University, the University of Edinburgh and Université de la Sorbonne. While a student at SFU she was elected president and vice-president (internal) of the Simon Fraser University Student Society. She has been involved in B.C. politics for most of her life. She and her husband Mark Marissen have a son, Hamish, and live in Port Moody. - 7 - HON. LINDA REID Minister of State for Early Childhood Development Linda Reid was appointed Minister of State for Early Childhood Development on June 5, 2001. Ms. Reid previously served in a variety of critic roles for the Official Opposition, including children and families, health, attorney general, municipal affairs, and science, technology and research. She sat on the Select Standing Committees on Transportation, Municipal Affairs and Housing; on Health and Social Services; and on Economic Development, Science, Labour, Training and Technology; and on Crown Corporations. She was first elected in 1991 to represent the riding of Richmond East and was re-elected in 1996 and 2001. Before her election to the Legislative Assembly, Ms. Reid worked as a language therapist, teacher and school administrator for the Richmond School District. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with an education degree and earned a master of arts from UBC specializing in education, exceptional learners, language acquisition and public administration. Ms. Reid was the B.C. chair for the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind and a director of the Garden City Hospice Society. She has been active in the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, the Asia-Pacific Business Association, the Canadian Council for Exceptional Children and the Family Court Committee of Richmond. She was a founding member of the Richmond Chinatown Lions Club and was chair of the British Columbia Youth Parliament board from 1986 to 1991. Linda and her husband Sheldon live in Richmond and have one daughter, Olivia. - 8 - MURRAY COELL Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services Murray Coell was appointed Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services on Jan. 26, 2004. He previously served as Minister of Human Resources. Mr. Coell also served as Official Opposition critic for environment, for children and families, and for social services. He sat on the Select Standing Committees on Public Accounts, and on Environment and Tourism, as well as the Official Opposition Caucus Committee for Children. He was first elected in 1996 to represent the riding of Saanich North and the Islands and was re-elected in 2001. Before his election to the Legislative Assembly, Mr.