The Sechelt Downtown Business Association (SDBA) has announced that president Katharine Trueman is retiring after 15 years with the organization.
Vice president Alton Toth, a local business owner and recently elected Sechelt councillor, will step in as interim president until the SDBA’s next annual general meeting in late February.
“Katharine has been a mentor to me since I was just a child,” said Toth in the SDBA’s announcement to members. “I also got to work with her when I was a teen, helping the SDBA to produce its first newsletter, and it’s been amazing having her guidance and advice the last four years that we have served on the board together. I hope that we can keep the energy that she has brought to the board alive and thriving.”
The SDBA announcement goes on to praise Trueman for giving “not only her time but her heart and soul to supporting the downtown businesses and her community.”
Trueman was president for 12 of her 15 years on the SDBA board. She’s also been active with the Salvation Army and Scouts Canada.
“Her dedication and hard work organizing main events such as Canada Day, Oktoberfest and Festival of Lights brought thousands of people together each year,” the announcement said. “Katharine would be the first to set up and the last to leave at every SDBA event, wearing a stylish hat and outfit for every occasion, offering up a smile and witty comment to get a laugh from the crowd.”
