Community Futures Big Country is a community driven, non-profit organization that is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board is made up of local business people who bring extensive knowledge and experience of the area’s economy. Our Board members represent our region’s population and main economic sectors. The role of the Board is to establish our organization’s priorities, monitor our performance, and be accountable to key stakeholders, such as local, provincial and federal governments.
Interested in becoming a board member or committee volunteer? Please contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions.
Sharel Shoff
Board Chair
I was born and raised in Drumheller being a third generation Drumhellerite. My grandparents came here in 1912. I raised my two adult children here and now I am enjoying spending time with my two grandsons.
I have completed a Business Administration certificate from Mount Royal University while working fulltime for the Royal Tyrrell Museum I have vast management experience, having managed Royal Tyrrell Museum giftshop, Drumheller Chamber of Commerce visitor information services and giftshop and two hotels. My last job was radio advertising executive. I have knowledge of how government works as I was a town councillor for 13 years. I consider myself a good communicator and I believe that by working together we can accomplish great things. I have always been a community volunteer which has given me great pleasure and satisfaction. I look forward to being the Community Futures Big Country Board Chair and I hope that we can work to make this organization better and more benefit to the area.
David Sisley
Vice-Chair
I was born on December 12, 1941 at Calgary Alberta. My Father was born and raised in Calgary and my Mother in Huxley, Alberta. I married my wife, Carol, in June 1984. Carol was raised in the Craigmyle area, attended high school in Delia and we have four children.
I was educated in Calgary, having attended high school at Crescent Heights. I then continued on with my education and took two years of Radio Electronics at SAIT. After school, I went on to work in the printing trade for 41 years and owned my own print shop for the last ten of those years in Sicamous, British Columbia. During eight of those years I was a member of the Sicamous Chamber of Commerce, serving as Vice President and President from 1998 to 2002.
We purchased our home in Delia in September 2009. Since moving to Delia, I have became a member of Delia in Bloom (formly Communities in Bloom) serving for two of those years as President. I am in my fourth year as a Director of the Delia AG Society and I also volunteer on the Elk’s Bingos and Pancake Breakfasts teams.
Elected and became Mayor of Delia in the October Municipal Election of 2017. I am the Village of Delia’s Representative for: Starland Regional FCSS, Drumheller & District Solid Waste Management Association, Community Futures Big Country and Drumheller and District Seniors Foundation’s.
Joe Rowbottom
Secretary-Treasurer
Joe runs a mixed farm and a roll-off bin business based west of Drumheller. He has served on various boards, has coached assorted youth sports and strives to be a good member of the community. He holds a degree from University of Alberta in Ag. Business Management. Joe hopes his business background will be helpful to the Board and the clients that Community Futures tries to help.
Mike Bell
Member
Mike joined the Board in October 2020 as our representative from the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce.
Jason Blanke
Member
I have been in Drumheller for 23 years. I helped start the Drumheller Community Football Association in 1994. I am very involved with the community be it in volunteering or sports. I am on the Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce board. I am starting a new career in radio with 99.5 Drum FM. In my former career I was in the financial industry and I see a benefit to that in regards to being on the board of Community Futures. I am excited about the difference Community Futures can make in our community.
Bob Davidson
Member
I moved to Alberta in 1976 and started in the trucking industry at that time. I have been involved in moving farm machinery, gravel and fuel. I had the UFA bulk fuel outlet at Beiseker for three years.
Back in Drumheller, started myown waste / portable toilet business in 1993, which is still in operation today. I also move air drills from North Dakota to Dawson Creek, on a part-time basis.
I am 61 years old, divorced with two grown children and two grandchildren, all in Alberta. I love Alberta and my girlfriend too (she lives in Brooks).
Barry Fullerton
Member
I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario and moved west in April, 1974. I worked for the Co-op system for the next 15 years and left the Co-op in 1990 to become the General Manager of the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce. I left the Chamber in 2002 and ran my own bookkeeping business for the next 6 years. I went back to the Chamber for a year and half while the manager was on maternity leave and then worked for Community Futures Big Country for two years as a Business Analyst.
I am currently retired and sit on the Pioneer Trail Society as Treasurer, on the Keystone Condo Board, Drumheller and Community Futures Big Country Board.
Tony Lacher
Member
Tony Lacher has been a resident of Drumheller for the past 21 years after relocating here as a Branch Manager with ATB Financial in 1996. He was employed in that position up until 2010 when he was promoted to a District General Manager in charge of 13 branches in SE Alberta. While his new office was located in Lethbridge, he chose to commute the distance versus having to leave Drumheller. He is married to Linda and they have raised all of their 3 children in the Valley. All of them graduated from either DVHS or St. Anthony’s and they have all since moved on to begin successful careers of their own. Tony retired in 2014 after 35 years of service with ATB Financial and he and his wife have chosen to retire in Drumheller. Tony was elected to Town Council in October 2017 and is currently serving his first term.
Throughout the 21 years that his family has lived here, they have always been involved in the community whether it be in sports programs, non-profit organizations, special events or fundraising campaigns. He is a long standing member of both the Knights of Columbus and Lions Club service groups and is the current President of the latter. Tony has served on various Chamber and Town boards across the province in the communities where his career with ATB has taken him. In Drumheller, he sat on the Solid Waste & Recycling committee and was the past chairman of the Badlands Community Facility steering committee which was instrumental in taking a grassroots idea to a reality.
As a member of Town Council, he currently sits on the boards of the Municipal Planning Committee, the Valley Bus Society, Community Futures, Aqua 7 Steering Committee, Community Standards Appeal Committee and the Assessment Review Board. He is a graduate of Medicine Hat College and holds a diploma in Business Administration. He brings an extensive skill set in accounting and finance to the board with hands on lending experience in Small Business, Agriculture and Commercial financing.
Roxanne Lacoursiere
Member
I grew up in small town Saskatchewan, in the heart of a large agriculture community, with a great local business community. Every time I have the opportunity to go back I love driving down main street and appreciate how many of the businesses are still there operating to this day!
In 1995 I made the big move to Alberta and shortly after, started my career in the financial industry with Brooks Savings and Credit Union, now known as Chinook Financial. I have spent the last 10 years focused on lending in the agriculture and commercial sectors – from cattle to grain, retailers and hospitality, I have been fortunate to have touched it all. During this time, I found my passion in wanting to grow and support our local communities, and recently took on a branch management role in Drumheller to further pursue this.
As a newcomer to Drumheller, I couldn’t be happier to be involved in Community Futures and the potential doors this organization can and will open in this great community.
Maryann Vogel
Member
I grew up on a dairy farm in rural Ontario where I learned my work ethic, small town values and love of animals. I owned my first retail business at 22 and in 1993 moved to Carbon, Alberta and opened Drumheller Pawnbrokers. I purchased and renovated my first home in Drumheller and after I married my husband Mike, together with my son Grady, we moved an abandoned 100 year old house to his family farm and have been restoring it. I have had the privilege to volunteer with organizations to foster/adopt unwanted animals and find their forever homes. I am currently the owner/operator of BuyGone General Store Pawn & Consign and organize Maryann's Market.
Steve Wannstrom
Member
Councillor with Starland County served 2 terms from 2001-2007, currently serving since October 2013. Served on Community Futures board from 2001-2007, returned to board in 2013. Living on family farm near Munson.
Currently Fire Chief with Munson Fire Department, member for 25 years. Manager at Yavis Family Restaurant in Drumheller.
Board Criteria
Excerpt from Amended Articles of Association (September 2018). Click here for the complete document.
Article 6 Board of Directors and Officers
6.02 The Corporation will be governed by a Board composed of up to fourteen (14) Directors comprised of the following:
a) Five (5) Directors shall be appointed by the Appointing Bodies with each Appointing Body being entitled to appoint one Director;
b) One (1) Director shall be appointed from the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce, or such other name as it may be known by from time to time; and
c) Up to eight (8) Directors shall be elected by the Members on a rotating 2 year basis, in accordance with the procedure outlined in Article 12.
6.03 No Director shall be elected to the Board for more than four (4) consecutive two year terms. A person is eligible for re-election to the Board after a one (1) year absence from an elected position. No Appointed Member shall be on the Board for more than eight (8) consecutive one (1) year terms.
6.04 a) On an annual basis, the Board will elect an Executive Committee comprised of a Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary-Treasurer from amongst the Members generally. This will be done by secret ballot and all Board members (both elected and appointed) will be eligible to vote.
b) The Executive Committee will be comprised of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer (as aforesaid) and Past Chair. The Past Chair will be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee. The terms of reference of the Executive Committee will be specified in a policy document passed by the Board.
