Vancity board snubs former city councillor Ellen Woodsworth

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      Ellen Woodsworth thought she met the criteria set by the Vancouver City Savings Credit Union’s board for a seat at its table.

      She has solid financial experience, having served as a two-term councillor for a $1-billion-a-year enterprise—the City of Vancouver. She’s a passionate advocate for women, minority groups, the poor, and LGBT communities, representing the diversity Vancity seeks to reflect.

      That’s why it came as a big surprise to her that she wasn’t one of the five people recommended by the Vancity board in this year’s election for directors.

      “I think I have a lot of experience running a large organization, and being accountable and transparent and fiscally responsible,” Woodsworth told the Straight in a phone interview.

      She also said that Vancity’s practice of recommending candidates is a “strange administrative concept”. According to her, the institution only needs to make sure that voters are provided information about candidates and their respective qualifications.

      “Because it is a membership-driven organization, the members should be the ones making that decision,” Woodsworth said.

      Vancity chair Virginia Weiler said that it was “tough” picking five out of the 16 candidates vying for three directors’ seats with the $17-billion credit union.

      “But at the end of the day, members really are free to vote for any of the 16 candidates, the ones that they choose,” Weiler told the Straight by phone. “And that’s a really important component to make sure that the election is democratic.”

      Weiler also said that in 2013 the provincial Financial Institutions Commission issued governance guidelines, which “require all B.C. credit unions to recommend candidates to their members”.

      “We make it very clear to members that it’s their responsibility, and they’re free to vote for any of the candidates,” Weiler said.

      The board recommended Anita Braha, an incumbent Vancity director; Oliver Gruter-Andrew, chief information officer at UBC; Anthony Ariganello, former president of the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada; Lily Grewal, described on Vancity’s website as a “policy analyst with government in an area of immigration that works with employers and businesses”; and Theodora Lamb, who has worked with nonprofit organizations on their online strategies.

      Woodsworth and her supporters will be at the Heartwood Café (317 East Broadway) on Thursday (April 3), from 5 to 7 p.m., for a discussion on cooperatives.

      Vancity voting ends April 25.

      Comments

      13 Comments

      Dianne

      Apr 2, 2014 at 1:52pm

      All i want is for van City to give me the profiles of each candidate. I have a brain and can read and make my own decision as to who I vote for.
      Good luck Ellen.

      G

      Apr 2, 2014 at 2:21pm

      Hate to break it to you Ms. Wordsworth but being a rubber stamp for your party is not a qualification for grown up work. I wouldn't want her anywhere near financial decisions or oversight.

      Zoe

      Apr 2, 2014 at 2:21pm

      Well, she did blow a billion dollars on the Olympic Village by choosing to bail out Fortress Investment Group at a HUGE profit. This was done in a secret meeting, instead of simply taking control of the development because of failure to perform since the City of Vancouver retained full ownership of the land. FIG knew the risk and it was only hoping to recoup a usurious interest rate from Millennium developers.

      Vancouver could have sold those condos for $200,000 and still profited. Instead it still owns a bunch, and has paid who knows how much in additional interest costs because of the extra debt it carried.

      Wouldn't want to spook other developers by selling quickly, that would be wrong.

      merrell gerber

      Apr 2, 2014 at 2:32pm

      Ellen was the most ethical and conscientious member of Vancouver city council. She has fought hard for the citizens of Vancouver, she is always on the front lines. Something seems a bit strange, I wonder if she is stepping on someone's toes or actually standing up for something. I would and will vote for this woman.

      Dale

      Apr 2, 2014 at 3:58pm

      I wouldn't vote for Ellen Woodsworth even if VanCity did recommend her.
      She was one of the worst City Councillors that Vancouver ever had.
      Her name should be Ms. NIMBY.

      Stephen K

      Apr 2, 2014 at 6:20pm

      They shouldn't recommend candidates in the first place in my view. That they would overlook such an obvious pick calls into question their motivations for doing so.

      Peter G

      Apr 2, 2014 at 9:59pm

      sounds a little like provincial politics are involved here somehow...

      Barry William Teske

      Apr 3, 2014 at 1:58am

      I have most of the information I need.
      My vote my choice. The end of my day.
      Thank you.

      MD

      Apr 3, 2014 at 8:42am

      Independent of whether or not EW is qualified or deserving, when did it become common practice when an individual does not get what they think they deserve to decry it as a "snub" ?

      Politicians don't get nominations, it is a "snub"; actors or musicians don't get an award, it is a "snub"; a politician, activist, whatever isn't nominated for a Nobel Prize, it is a "snub".

      Have we devolved to the point where it is now just assumed that we all are owed what we think we deserve from the world, and if we don't get it, it is some sort of personal affront?

      I guess I need to change my attitude, as I have been working on the assumption that I am unlikely to get everything I want in life simply because I think I deserve it.

      Jaded in Vancouver

      Apr 3, 2014 at 2:17pm

      Sounds like sour grapes to me. Whining in the media doesn't endear Ms Woodsworth, and I certainly won't be voting for her.