The Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame announced a new Executive and the appointment of two new board members at their AGM on February 22, 2018. Doug Jennings has taken on the role of President and Fern Johnson and Louise Hodgson-Jones are joining the board. Since the AGM a further two members have been appointed - Jim Swanson and Stacie Louttit.

Jennings, who has been a board member since March 2010, has a vast business background, having worked for IBM Global Business Services for 35 years prior to retirement. He is a founding member of Dad Central Canada, formerly the Canadian Father Involvement Network (CFIN). A graduate of the University of Guelph, he played five years of varsity rugby and attained his University Letter as a member of the 1974-75 Men’s Rugby (OIAA) Champions, as listed in the Gryphons Hall of Fame.

Johnson, who has been appointed Treasurer, has a comprehensive financial and administrative background. She has held positions with NEPTUNE Canada at the University of Victoria, as well as Controller of Greenlight Power Technologies Inc. and Director of Operations for the Victoria Christian Education Society. She has a strong connection with the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame – her father Charles (Chuck) Chapman and Uncle Arthur (Art) Chapman) are inductees. They were high profile basketball players in Victoria in the 1930’s, and were on the team that won a silver medal in the 1936 Olympics.

Hodgson-Jones is a communications consultant specializing in sport and fitness. She works with the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon, PISE, Vancouver Island Race Series, Frontrunners Footwear, and the Pacific Cycling Centre. She co-founded Victoria Sports News, the on-line local sports news source. Prior to moving to Victoria in 2007, she was editor of IMPACT Magazine, based in Calgary.

Jim Swanson has been the Managing Partner of Victoria HarbourCats Baseball Club since 2016. He brings an extensive baseball background to the Board as well as media experience in newspaper, TV and radio. He was the manager of national champions Prince George Axemen in 2012, and a coach on the 2014 Langley Blaze national championship side. He has coached at the international level, and in 2017 appeared in the top 100 list of Bob Elliott's annual Most Influential People in Canadian Baseball.

"It's an honour to be asked to be part of the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame, and be part of the great work that has been done to recognize excellence in sports in Victoria,” Swanson said. “The board does important work for a city that has so much history in sports."

Stacie Louttit is a returning board member. A Canadian Paralympic sailor, she became the first female Canadian sailor to win a medal in the Olympics or Paralympics by winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing in the 2-person keelboat (SKUD18). She and John McRoberts are featured at the Hall of Fame’s sailing display in the Save on Foods Memorial Arena.

The other board members are: Robert Hope (Past President), Rick Leggett (Vice President), Chris Graham, Tom Turnbull, Dave Erb, Lois Smith, Robert Bettauer, and Cal Mackay. Each board member serves a three-year term.

“I look forward to working with our volunteer board on our many activities during the year, and we are fortunate that our members bring years of experience to the table,” said Jennings. “We are a community that honours the value of achievement in sport, and looking at the year ahead we will continue to celebrate many outstanding performances in sport.”