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Governance

Governance

Board of Directors

The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) is a not-for-profit organization governed by a nine-member, volunteer Board of Directors. The board’s structure was updated in August 2025 to better align with modern non-profit governance best practices and to reflect the organization’s evolution. A list of past presidents can be found on the Past Presidents page. 

General Duties & Responsibilities 

The ACC Board provides strategic leadership by setting direction, establishing policy, contributing to strategic decisions, and overseeing organizational performance and accountability. This allows management to focus on day-to-day operations. 

Board Composition and Roles

The ACC Board consists of a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and six “Directors-at-Large.” This structure replaced a former model that included six “Named Vice Presidents,” each tied to a specific operational portfolio (e.g., VP Facilities, VP Mountain Culture).

The key features of the Director-at-Large model are:

Strategic Focus

Directors-at-Large have a broader, more strategic role compared to the operationally-focused former Vice Presidents. They share joint responsibility for all board activities.

Collaborative Oversight

The board functions with a team-collaboration mindset. Directors are accountable for strategic priorities and board functions, often through committee work, rather than being siloed into narrow portfolios.

Separation of Duties

This governance model clearly delineates the roles of the volunteer board and paid staff. The board focuses on its primary legal obligations of governance, strategic oversight, and fiduciary responsibility, while the professional staff manage the day-to-day operations of the club. 

Governance and Oversight 
  • Set, approve the ACC mission and direction. 
  • Develop, approve the 3-year strategic plan. 
  • Ensure compliance with bylaws/maintain legal and ethical integrity. 
  • Recruit, orient, and assess Board Members. 
  • Hire, support, and assess the ED. 
  • Assist the ED in decision making. 
Risk Management  
  • Develop and implement risk management policies. 
  • Regularly assess and mitigate organizational risks.
Advocacy and Public Relations 
  • Act as ambassadors for the ACC, promoting its mission and activities. 
  • Engage with members, stakeholders, and the community. 
  • Represent the ACC at events and meetings.
Fundraising and Development  
  • Ensure adequate resources for the organization by partnering with staff to raise funds. 
  • Cultivate relationships with donors, sponsors, and partners. 
  • Promote membership growth and retention. 
Financial Management 
  • Approve yearly budgets and strategic plans. 
  • Ensure proper financial controls and accountability. 
  • Review quarterly performance against the budget and milestones.
Program and Service Oversight 
  • Ensure the delivery of high-quality programs and services. 
  • Support new initiatives and evaluate program effectiveness. 
View Full Board Member Role Descriptions & Required Competencies
Rationale for the Structure

The transition to a Directors-at-Large system in August 2025 was the result of multiple governance reviews (conducted between 2006 and 2024) that identified this as an essential step for the ACC. The previous structure was a holdover from a time when volunteers led operations. As the ACC employed more staff to handle operations, the board’s role naturally evolved towards strategic governance, making the old structure inefficient and limiting. This updated model is a standard practice used by other major organizations such as Avalanche Canada, the American Alpine Club, and MEC.

Impact on Board Recruitment and Elections

The Director-at-Large structure is intended to improve the recruitment and retention of board members by making the roles more accessible and appealing.

  • Recruitment: By removing rigid portfolio requirements, the ACC can attract a more diverse pool of skilled candidates who can contribute to the board’s collective strength. The nomination process focuses on a competency matrix that assesses the holistic needs of the board.

  • Elections: The election process for the general membership remains unchanged. Each year, three board positions are up for election, and members vote using the same methods as in previous years.

The decision to implement this structure was made by a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors on August 19 2025, exercising the governance authority granted to them by the membership. The ACC’s bylaws were subsequently updated to reflect these changes.

Current Board Members

Isabelle Daigneault

President
Board Member Since: 2022
Isabelle has been an ACC member for over 27 years and brings more than 13 years of Board experience, having overseen portfolios in Access & Environment and Mountain Culture, and serving as club Secretary from 2014 to 2019. She returned to the Board in 2022 to help lead the ACC into its next chapter alongside a new Executive Director. Isabelle grew up in Quebec’s Eastern Townships and spent formative years climbing, hiking, and skiing in the Laurentians and Adirondacks. She now lives in Canmore with her husband and teen son Simon.

Patrick Murdoch

Secretary
Board Member Since: 2024
Patrick has been a climber, alpinist, and skier for over 35 years. Throughout that time, the mountains have provided him with lasting friendships, a strong sense of community, and countless adventures. The values of climbing and alpinism — and the spirit they foster — continue to inspire his involvement with the ACC.

Kathleen Lane

Director-at-Large
Board Member Since: 2024
Kathleen moved to Squamish ten years ago and joined the ACC in 2017, going on to become a trip leader with the Vancouver and Squamish Sections and later Chair of the Squamish Section. She spends her summers rock climbing and her winters skiing. Professionally, Kathleen is a not-for-profit executive working with school districts and governments to build healthier workplace environments in K–12 education.

Emilie Grenier

Director-at-Large
Board Member Since: 2024
A longtime ACC member, she has past experience on the ACC Governance Committee and a deep familiarity with how the club works at every level. She is based in Golden, BC, where she pursues her passion for ice climbing.

Cam Deller

Director-at-Large
Board Member Since: 2025
Cam is a Calgary-based investment professional with over 20 years of financial leadership and capital markets experience across public and private sectors. He is currently a principal at TOM Capital, where he leads private equity portfolio operations and new acquisition opportunities. Previously, he served as CFO of a publicly traded manufacturing company and as VP, Corporate Development for a diversified investment holding company. Cam holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary and is a CFA Charterholder. He has served on the ACC’s Finance and Audit Committee for approximately ten years and acted as interim Treasurer from December 2021 to June 2022.

Geoff Powter

Director-at-Large
Board Member Since: 2025
Geoff is a mountain writer and climber with more than 50 years of connection to the Canadian mountain scene. He has written numerous award-winning books and magazine features, and served as editor of the Canadian Alpine Journal for 13 years. He received the ACC President’s Award in 2007 and the Bill March Summit of Excellence Award for lifetime contribution to Canadian mountain culture in 2012. Professionally, Geoff works as a leadership and planning consultant and facilitated the ACC’s 2025 Strategic Plan. He recently relocated to Penticton after 40 years in Canmore.

Carine Salvy

Executive Director​
Board Member Since: 2022
Carine brings more than 25 years of experience in executive management, corporate governance, and leadership in the outdoor industry. She was previously CEO and co-founder of Mountain Path, a France-based company that develops responsible leadership within organizations through experiential learning in the mountains. Carine is fluent in French, English, and Spanish and is actively involved in the Bow Valley community, serving on the boards of several local non-profit organizations.

Jaro Cooper

Director-at-Large
Board Member Since: 2026
Jaro was born in the foothills of Kilimanjaro and has been connected to mountains ever since, hiking and climbing across Africa, South America, and Asia. His career has spanned leadership roles with Shell, Scotiabank International, Qatar Petroleum, and IBM Global Services. Today, he works with senior leaders and organizations to strengthen effectiveness and performance. Outside of work, Jaro enjoys hiking, running, canoeing, and hockey. He is passionate about helping others find their connection to the mountain community and contributing to a thriving future for mountain culture and access.

Ravi Deshpande

Director-at-Large
Board Member Since: 2026
Ravi is a retired executive and entrepreneur with broad experience in strategy, governance, organizational leadership, and business growth. His career has included founding and leading a successful company, guiding major strategic initiatives and mergers and acquisitions within a Fortune 500 organization, and serving in advisory and board roles. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast and climber, Ravi has maintained a strong connection to the ACC community through active volunteering across a variety of club initiatives. He hopes to bring his strategic perspective and collaborative approach to support the ACC’s continued growth and long-term success.

Pamela Johnson

Treasurer
Board Member Since: 2026
Pamela is a Chartered Professional Accountant with more than thirty years of experience in financial leadership, governance, and risk management. Her volunteer leadership includes serving as Treasurer, Board Chair, and founding board member for several organizations, where she has approached governance as an opportunity to provide clear, reliable information in support of mission-aligned decision-making. An avid hiker for over three decades, Pamela has a longstanding personal connection to Canada’s mountain environments. Time spent at the Elizabeth Parker Hut has deepened her appreciation for the community and stewardship that define the ACC’s hut system.