Dan Gunn, chief executive of the Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council, is literally putting some skin in the game in a bid to feed the less fortunate.
Gunn will have the VIATEC insignia tattooed on his body if the organization’s annual food bank challenge raises in excess of $100,000 for the Mustard Seed Food Bank.
“We wanted to reinvigorate the food bank challenge, so we thought what would be a deep motivator to get us over $100,000 in cash? I offered a portion of my skin for that,” Gunn said, adding he will be paying for the tattoo.
It may be working. In the first week of the challenge, VIATEC received more than $15,000 in cash. As of last weekend Gunn estimated they are at the $25,000 mark.
VIATEC’s annual Food Bank Challenge, which started in 2002, has raised more than $1.7 million.
VIATEC has partnered with GivingTuesday.ca and there is page where people can donate. You can also donate at viatec.ca
The VIATEC food bank challenge runs to Dec. 4.
Realtor aligns with new group
After 15 years, the name has changed, the brand is new and the website has a new address, but the real estate agents at DTZ Victoria remain the same.
DTZ is now part of Newmark Knight Frank Devencore, one of the world's largest commercial real estate firms, and will do business as Devencore Realty Victoria Ltd. “It gives us a good global platform,” said vice- president and partner Randy Holt, who notes the new alignment could strengthen its ability to work with the high-tech sector. “One of the strengths of Newmark Knight Frank Devencore is it is particularly strong in California and Silicon Valley, which we think will help us serve the tech sector more effectively in Victoria.”
The Victoria office was first established by Rick Pettinger and John Hayes as a J.J. Barnicke affiliate in 2001. “Our new office in Victoria strengthens our presence in the B.C. market considerably. [It] allows us to enhance our service offering in this fast-growing market,” said Jon Bishop, executive vice- president in Vancouver.
On the move
The Victoria branch of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association has elected Peter DeBruyn as its chairman along with a new slate of directors.
DeBruyn, who is executive chef at the Strathcona Hotel, will be joined by vice-chair Gilbert Noussitou of Camosun College, treasurer Liz da Mata of The Reef, secretary Matthew Rissling of Rocksalt, past chair Bob Parrotta from the Butchart Gardens, event chair Janis Goard from the Inn at Laurel Point and directors Paul Hadfield from Spinnakers, Don Monsour of Bon Appetit Foods, Martin Cownden from Chef on the Run, Emory Haines of the Hotel Grand Pacific and Kevin Neilson of the Chateau Victoria Hotel.
• North Island College has hired Thevi Pather as executive director of international education. He was previously with the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Camosun College and Royal Roads University.
— Times Colonist
