own a 1986 Panther Kallista, an interesting car built by the Panther Car Company, which was in business for about 30 years. It’s mostly hand-made with an aluminum body. Lastly, I recently acquired a 1969 Jaguar XKE roadster. I used to own a 1963 Jaguar XKE, and always lamented to my wife that it was the only one of my cars that I regretted having sold. June then suggested: “Why not buy another one?” So, I did!

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When did you join the BC Corvette Club? Can you tell us about your experience on the club Executive, and how you helped the club navigate the difficult period during the Covid pandemic?​

We joined the club in late 2009 and served on a few committees until 2020 when the Squamish 55th Anniversary Event had to be cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. At that time the club got into a bind, with divisions arising among members. I ran for President not having served on the executive before, and held the office for two challenging years. Due to Covid, we couldn’t meet in person, so all meetings were held virtually. We’d have 70 or 80 people on a Zoom call which made it difficult to chair, and hard for members to be heard. My most important job, as I saw it, was to bring everybody together after the rupture that arose from the cancelled Squamish event. I came in at a difficult time for the club and worked to get things back on track. We had an almost brand-new executive board, so there was very little carry over. I studied club records going back 20 years to reconstruct what had happened over the years. This revealed that a lot of the club’s organizational structure and protocol had lapsed, and needed to be put right. We therefore instituted job descriptions for all executive positions, just as one would have in a for-profit company. I was fortunate that we had a competent and dedicated executive team, and together we were able to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again. The club has no long-term staff to provide continuity, so in a volunteer organization like ours this can lead to drift and lack of focus as time goes by, obscuring roles and responsibilities. Coincidentally, after I retired in 2001, I began consulting for companies that were having similar issues with organizational structure, so this experience was helpful in guiding my moves to put things back on course for the club. I think we emerged a stronger club after this period, and I certainly enjoyed the experience of serving as President during that time. I’ve been told on several occasions that a number of our members refer to me as their “War-time President’ – and honestly – there were times when it felt that way!!!

 

What are your favourite things about being a BC Corvette Club member?

One thing I really like about the club is that it’s more than just a car club. The relationships between club members run quite deep, and go beyond our shared interest in the cars themselves. I like the events, such as the 60th Anniversary celebration we recently attended in Kelowna, the Show and Shines, the Friday night cruises, and the many other events which provide opportunities to socialize with the great group of people who belong to our club.

 

What advice would you give someone who is considering the purchase of a Corvette in the very near future?

A lot of it comes down to personal preference. For example, I prefer roadsters, so that’s what I have. If you’re new to Corvettes, I would guide you towards a C7 or C8, both of which are awesome performance cars. If you prefer to dabble in the restoration aspect of the hobby then an older generation car might be right for you. A lot of people in this hobby have their own quirks and preferences, all which can be satisfied by a Corvette from one or more of the eight generations.

 

And finally, is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

Some years ago, I was heavily into racing and competition, including ocean racing sailboats. Lately not so much as I get older, stiffer and have rather less energy. I still enjoy boating, just not sailboat racing. But most important – I can still get in and out of my Corvette, and that’s what really counts!