BC Cancer Foundation - Winter 2014 - (Page 8)

Welcoming a New Board Chair Greg D'Avignon's vision of improving the future of cancer research and care through philanthropy T Meet Greg D'Avignon, the BC Cancer Foundation's incoming board chair and dedicated community volunteer. 8 PARTNERS IN DISCOVERY his year, the BC Cancer Foundation's annual board elections welcomed Greg D'Avignon as incoming board chair for 20142016. Greg steps into the role held for the past three years by Jess Ketchum, after two years as a director on the Foundation's board. No stranger to active leadership roles in business, politics and the community for over 25 years, Greg has earned a solid reputation for achieving results and building collaborative solutions that positively benefit stakeholders. Currently, he is the president and CEO of the Business Council of British Columbia, a 250-member organization that represents the province's leading businesses. COMMUNITY SERVICE: PART OF HIS DNA As a fourth generation British Columbian, Greg comes from a long line of family members who have volunteered their time for many community causes. "Community service is part of my genetic makeup," laughs Greg. "It was instilled in me at a very young age that you have an obligation, if you have the time and ability, to give back, and I try to instill those same values in my two boys." Greg was first approached in 2011 about joining the BC Cancer Foundation's board by his friend and then-board chair Jess Ketchum. "I was keen to join the Foundation's board because I had seen how exceptionally good the BC Cancer Foundation was at raising funds for cancer research in our province and stewarding those funds on behalf of its donors," reflects Greg. While he doesn't like to dwell on it, Greg's personal experience with cancer was also an influential factor in joining the Foundation. Eight years ago, Greg was diagnosed with stage four nonHodgkin lymphoma. Greg was fortunate the treatment he received at the BC Cancer Agency helped him recover, and today he is eight years cancer-free.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BC Cancer Foundation - Winter 2014

BC Cancer Foundation - Winter 2014
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Healthy Insights
Why I Give
Researcher Profile
Welcoming a New Board Chair
Celebrating 15 Years of Genome Science
PREDICT Program Reaches Half-way Mark
Legacy Giving
Regional Roundup

BC Cancer Foundation - Winter 2014