Board of Directors

Chairperson

Margaret Hohner

Margaret Hohner is recently retired from the position of Co-operative Education Coordinator for Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. She relocated to Merritt in 2019 from Lillooet, BC, where she held the position of Community Coordinator for Thompson Rivers University and was the District of Lillooet, Community Grant Writer for Economic Development. Marg has 30 years of experience in Post-secondary education administration, 10 years in Television Production, and holds a Master’s in Education. She loves to be involved in her community, so her retirement continues to be busy, as the Chair of the Merritt Chamber and as a Teacher on Call with the School District. Marg is passionate about community economic development and sits on the City of Merritt’s Economic Development Committee.

Marg has previous experience as a director on the boards of several community organizations including Community Futures, Lillooet Chamber of Commerce, Lillooet Historical Society, Tourism Lillooet, and the Gold Country Communities Society. She was also a founding member of the Lillooet Community Adult Learning Centre, Lillooet 100 People Who Care Society, and the Lillooet Rotary Club.

Director

Jeff Stirling

Jeff's bio is still incoming! 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Director

Deborah Petrovitch

Deborah Petrovitch is the Program Manager for Community Futures Thompson Country, managing WorkBC centres in Merritt, Ashcroft and Lillooet. She has worked in employment services since 2010 and offers unique insight into economic development and the local labour market. Deborah is also a self-employed entrepreneur and Registered Holistic Nutritionist providing personal nutritional counselling services since 2011. Prior to this she worked as a real estate agent with developers in Chilliwack, Kamloops and Merritt. Deborah understands that “Self employment is not for the faint of heart. It is for the brave, the patient, and the persistent. It is for the overcomer.” Hands-on and eager to serve the members of the Chamber, Deborah looks forward to serving her business community. Deborah is also a mom and loves the outdoors spending time in nature with her dog Finn and enjoys travelling, hiking, swimming, kayaking and camping.

Director

Michele Siddall

9 years ago, I started a new chapter of my life by moving to Merritt. I had spent 11 ½ years working for Tolko Armstrong and Tolko Nicola. I then took the Sales Associate position at the Merritt Herald where I was able to develop strong working relationships with many of the businesses in Merritt. I was then hired on at Merritt WorkBC, where I now hold the position of Community and Business Engagement Coordinator, continuing to build those relationships with employers, service providers and job seekers.

My partner and I share 4 children and 1 grandchild. Family is everything! When we are not camping or exploring, we are working on music, writing songs and doing sound gigs for local musicians. Outdoor photography is another passion of mine, capturing all the beauty that surrounds the Nicola Valley. I look forward to working with the Chamber of Commerce to enhance this beautiful community.

​

​

Director

Max Patel

Max is a TRU alumnus who graduated from the marketing program in 2018. He came to Kamloops in 2016 and since then, has been in love with the community. Previously, Max was a business owner, freelancer, and professional athlete which gave him a well-rounded background. He believes in taking up new challenges and pushing his abilities to the limit. In 2018, he became part of the advertising industry and has found success in marketing using Digital, Print, Radio, and Television platforms. His agency-style approach has helped many local clients to set and achieve their marketing goals. When not working you will find Max volunteering at community events, and exploring the great outdoors that Merritt and the surrounding areas has to offer.

​

​

​

​

Director

Una Kuzio

I was born in White Rock, British Columbia and I grew up in various communities in the Lower Mainland living with my father and two older brothers. I attended high school in Surrey, British Columbia at Earl Marriott Secondary School. After completing my undergraduate degree at Simon Fraser University (Bachelor of Arts with a major in Criminology), I moved to London, Ontario to attend the law school at the University of Western Ontario.

​

I was offered a position as a summer student in 2006 at a large, full service law firm in Kelowna where I also completed my articles in 2007-2008 and began my career as a licensed lawyer in 2008. I have been practicing law in Kelowna since April of 2008.
In early 2012, I moved my practice to a small local law firm before opening Touchstone Law Group LLP in Kelowna in October 2012 with a partner. Running Touchstone Law Group LLP provides an opportunity to combine my law practice with the chance to engage more in the business side of the legal industry.

​

In 2018, I relocated to Merritt, BC and share my time between the Kelowna office and a part-time, appointment only office in Merritt. I appreciate the opportunity I get to engage individuals in both communities in the course of my practice. While I frequently get asked about it, the commute between Merritt and Kelowna is not that bad and provides a great opportunity to engage in higher level thinking and enjoying the unlimited supply of available podcasts.

Director

Vicki Hansen

Vicki's bio is still incoming!

Director

Marius Auer

Marius' bio is still incoming!

Director

Harsimran Kaur

Harsimran's bio is still incoming!