GOVERNANCE
The Gitxsan Development Corporation is a unique, melding of the traditional governance of the Gitxsan with the contemporary needs of business, yet remaining faithful to the principles of the Gitxsan Ayookw (laws). Every Gitxsan person, who is a member of a wilp (house group), has a stake in GDC.
GDC is governed by a working Board of Directors who make business decisions that take into consideration the Gitxsan Ayook and the overarching cultural values of the Gitxsan people. The Lax Yip Society and Lipgyet Trust are the shareholders of GDC on behalf of the Hereditary Chiefs. The Lipgyet Trust holds 100% of the voting rights through its appointed trustees. The cultural balance of the Lipgyet Trust board is maintained through a nomination process, whereby one representative from each of the four Gitxsan Clans is elected. A fifth member is then selected by the board to act as chairman.
GDC Governance Structure
Board of Directors
Bill Lomax
Bill Lomax, Chair of the Board, is a member of the Gitxsan Nation and member of the house of Luus. He has over 20 years of experience in financial management and often is a speaker and panelist at national and regional events related to Indigenous financial development. He’s currently serving as the President & CEO of First Nations Bank of Canada and prior to that, he was the Vice President of Wealth Management with Goldman Sachs in Seattle, WA. Over the past several years, Bill has been an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University teaching Tribal Economic Development and Sustainability. He is also the former Chair and current Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees for the National Museum of the American Indian. Additionally, Bill served as President of the Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFAO) during a time when the organization was brought from the brink of bankruptcy to a leading national organization. Bill has been a champion of Indigenous culture, education and economic sustainability throughout his career and volunteerism.
Dale Saip
Dale Saip is an accomplished, high performance, results-oriented professional with a proven track record of executive leadership success in the British Columbia business, educational and sport management community. Dale is currently the Senior Vice-President of the Western Hockey League Vancouver Giants, having been with the team since its inception in 2001. He has been part of the executive team for the World Junior Hockey Championships in 2006 and the successful bid for the event in 2019, as well as hosting (and hoisting!) the Memorial Cup in 2007. He has served 7 terms as an elected member of the Delta Board of Education, 6 of those as Chairperson as well as numerous Provincial advisory roles. Dale also serves as the Chair of the BC Sports Hall of Fame Banquet of Champions, the Chair of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, and a Director of the Delta Police Foundation.
Dale is married to Heather, proud father of 5, and a very proud grandfather of two young boys. As an avid outdoorsman, he is found on a horse or fishing a lake when time permits.
Jim Angus | Wii Eelast
Wii Eelast is a member of the Lax Gibuu (Wolf) Clan and the house of Ghalx Hun. For 28 years, he was administrator of the Anspayaxw Education Society in Kispiox BC. “I am honoured to be Gitxsan. We were structured before contact, still and always will be an organized society that has ownership and authority over our lax yip. We believe in sustainability and will protect our water and all that sustains us so our unborn will benefit and always will. Given our values and beliefs and spirituality we must teach our children to share and care.
We must educate our youth to enable us as Gitxsan to be part of the world economy, and through our traditional teachings of our values and spirituality establish a strong Gitxsan nation rooted in our lax yip; lax yip that will always be sustainable.”
Jessica Mikolayczyk | Nox Gambaala
Jessica Mikolayczyk is a member of the Gitxsan Nation, belonging to Wilps Niis Noolth, holding the traditional name of Nox Gambaala. Jessica brings to this role, over 20 plus years of Business Management experience with specific skills in the areas of human resources, financial management, procurement and contracting and systems development and management. Jessica recognizes the importance of developing a resilient and self sustaining economy of our Gitxsan Nation and is honored to support the important work of the Gitxsan Development Corporation to advance the business interests of her nation.
Michelle Stilwell
Michelle is a doer who does not sit back and wait for others to take the initiative. She has demonstrated this attitude in all aspects of her life! As a six time Paralympic Gold Medalist, nine-time world champion and multiple world record holder; the focus, energy and persistence required to succeed on the international world stage have been instrumental in helping her to achieve exceptional results in the leadership positions she has held in both the private and the public sector and, in addition, on the multiple boards, she has served. Through these experiences, she has developed an extensive network locally, nationally and internationally that she has been able to draw on to provide expertise, guidance or support for the organizations and boards where she has been.
Norman Moore | Noolaa/Moolxhan
Norman Moore is the Gitxsan Huwilp Government Hereditary Chief and a member of the Gigeenix (Up River Chiefs).