Row Ontario Board of Directors Update
Row Ontario completed the election process for their Board of Directors at the association’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 27. In addition to the election, they also selected the Board’s officers following the Annual Meeting, which included the appointment of Peter Van Rooijen as the association’s new Chair.
Van Rooijen will take over the Chair’s position from Pippa Hobbes, who has served in the role of Chair for the last three years. Hobbes will remain on the Board as a Director and will be an invaluable resource and mentor to Van Rooijen as he transitions into the role of Chair. Hobbes was selected as Row Ontario Chair in 2020, during an uncertain time for many sport organizations during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Under her leadership she helped Row Ontario navigate the uncertainty facing the Ontario rowing community, which saw several stops and starts due to evolving restrictions at the community level and a return to competitive racing in late 2021.
A native of Brockville, ON, Van Rooijen has served on the Row Ontario Board of Directors since 2021. He got his start in rowing as an athlete at the Brockville Rowing Club and rowed at Trent University before moving on to the National Team level. Following his competitive career, he moved to St. Catharines and stayed involved with the sport, coaching at Brock University, Ridley Graduate Boat Club and St. Catharines Rowing Club, in addition to RCA’s Can Am Mex Team, and Team Ontario at the Canada Summer Games.
The Board also welcomed a new member on Wednesday as Jirianna Couroux’s nomination was accepted by the Row Ontario membership. Couroux grew up in Nova Scotia and developed a passion for rowing from watching it in the Olympics and seeing it on the water on Lake Banook in Dartmouth. In 2014, she started as a volunteer at the South Niagara Rowing Club, and has since served as a coach, general manager, safe sport lead, board member and most recently as Vice President of Rowing at the Welland-based club.
Caitlin Beresford, who sought re-election to the Board after her term was completed this year, was also accepted by the membership for another term. Beresford has been active in the Ontario rowing community since 2000, first as an athlete and then as coach and volunteer, is a lawyer with her own practice in Aboriginal law, focusing on land claims, consultation, and governance.
Meredith Smith will remain as the Board’s Secretary and Dave Boyd will remain as Treasurer. Sara Erskine also remains as one of the association’s Directors.
Row Ontario Board of Directors
Peter Van Rooijen – Chair
Meredith Smith – Secretary
Dave Boyd – Treasurer
Caitlin Beresford – Director
Sara Erskine – Director
Jirianna Couroux – Director
Pippa Hobbes – Director
Row Ontario would like to thank outgoing Board Member Zola Mehlomakulu for his commitment and dedication during his time served on the Board. Mehlomakulu joined the Board in Nov. 2020 and has been a valuable member over the past three years. His contributions are greatly appreciated.
Row Ontario’s Board of Directors consists of volunteers with experience in rowing and strategic skills in different areas of governance. In addition, several committees work on specific aspects of delivering rowing in Ontario. At its 2014 Annual General Meeting, Row Ontario’s members voted to move to a Policy Board, where the Board makes all governance decisions and delegates the responsibility for operations decisions exclusively to the Chief Executive Officer.
