The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) has announced the election of long time construction industry leader Bob Cooke to the role of board chair for the 2016-2017 term, effective immediately.
Based in Vancouver, Cooke is president and CEO of Division 15 Mechanical Ltd. and has been part of the province’s industrial and institutional construction sectors for more than 25 years. Major projects that he has helped build include the CBC Radio Vancouver Redevelopment, the BCIT Aerospace Technology Campus, Holt Renfrew Department Store, and the Surrey Waste Transfer Station (LEED Silver). Cooke has guided Division 15 into a leadership position in BC’s District Energy construction market, and holds CET, CEC, and GSC accreditations.
In his new position as BCCA board chair, Bob continues the work of out-going chair Sue Zacharias of United Concrete and Gravel Ltd., advocating on behalf of B.C.’s industrial, commercial, and institutional construction employers while addressing important challenges such as skills shortages and public procurement policies.
A focus during his tenure will be to work with the leadership of the four regional construction associations to ensure strong benefit to membership, lead the search for the BCCA’s next president in 2017, and advocate on behalf of the construction sector at large, developing industry services such as the BidCentral platform.
“B.C.’s ICI construction sector is a leader in Canada”, notes Cooke. “We’ve been first on digital procurement with BidCentral, first on demand-side skilled workforce program with the Skilled Trades Employment Program (STEP), and first to establish a regular dialogue with the provincial government through the Deputy Minister’s Industry Infrastructure Forum. I look forward to building on this legacy with our regional construction association partners.”
Active on both the BCCA and Vancouver Regional Construction Association board of directors, Cooke is well-versed in the opportunities and challenges facing these organizations, as well as the industry and construction employers they serve. He also represents B.C. on the board of the Canadian Construction Association.
“We welcome Bob to the chair’s role and look forward to his contributions as a construction leader and as a knowledgeable and successful business person and employer,” says Manley McLachlan, president of the BCCA. “Bob’s entrepreneurial and technical background is extremely valuable to our organization and to the future of the sector. He is a role model for young people who may be considering a career in construction.”
