Jump to content

Jane Sterk

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by MystBot (talk | contribs) at 21:41, 27 June 2010 (robot Adding: fr:Jane Sterk). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Jane Sterk
Leader of the Green Party of British Columbia
Incumbent
Assumed office
2007
Preceded byChristopher Bennett
Councillor, Esquimalt Township
In office
2005–2008
Personal details
BornJanuary 14, 1947
Edmonton, Alberta
Political partyGreen
Residence(s)Esquimalt, British Columbia
OccupationProfessor, Retired psychologist and business owner.

Jane Sterk is the leader of the Green Party of British Columbia, a candidate in the Esquimalt-Royal Roads riding in the 2009 British Columbia provincial election, and a business professor at University Canada West. She was elected leader of the provincial Green Party in October 2007, and elected councillor in the Township of Esquimalt in 2005. She had participated in the 2004 federal election and the 2005 provincial election as a candidate in the Esquimalt ridings, placing fourth and third with 9% and 10% of the vote, respectively.

Before moving to Esquimalt in 1997, Sterk had lived in Edmonton. She earned a doctorate from the University of Alberta in counseling psychology and worked for Edmonton Public Schools and the Edmonton Board of Health. In 1983 she co-founded a business, Softwarehouse West, with a co-worker from the Board of Health. She sold computers, hardware, software, and related services until she retired to Esquimalt in 1997 intending to purchase a boat and sail recreationally.

Before politics

Jane Sterk was born and raised in Edmonton with father who worked as the dean of education at the University of Alberta, and a mother who was a pianist.[1] At 20 years old, in 1967, she married a man named John who went on to become a lawyer and author.[1] Together they raised two sons. Sterk worked as a school teacher for Edmonton Public Schools for seven years.[2] At the University of Alberta, she earned a master's degree in education and a doctorate in counseling psychology.[3] She opened a private psychologist practice and work for the Edmonton Board of Health. In 1983, at 36 years old, she opened a computer store, Softwarehouse West, with Gary Ford, a co-worker from the Edmonton Board of Health.[4] After a difficult first year, the business grew.[5] By 1990 they employed 33 others, had $6 million in annual revenue, and had won the 1989 Alberta Small Business Owners of the Year from the Chamber of Commerce.[4][5] In 1992 the business split off its information management section with Sterk heading new the company, USConnect Edmonton.[2] After working for another five years, Sterk and her husband retired in 1997 and moved to Esquimalt, British Columbia with the intention of sailing around the world. The couple purchased a boat and trained how to sail. They sailed in 1999 and passed Cape Flattery off the coast of Washington before turning back due to seasickness.[3] After further preparation, they successfully sailed to Mexico and back in 2001.[6]

Politics

Sterk got involved in Green Party politics following her trip to Mexico where she witnessed ocean pollution and rapid development causing environmental and social damage.[6] She understood that sustainable and responsible development could have avoided the damage.[1] While she had never belonged to a political party before, and had previously voted for parties across the political spectrum depending upon specific candidates, she joined the Green Party in 2001.[1] She ran as the Green Party of Canada's candidate in the 2004 federal election for the Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca riding where she came in fourth of six candidates, garnering 9.2% of the vote. She was the Green Party of British Columbia's candidate in the May 2005 provincial election in the Esquimalt-Metchosin riding. Of the four candidates in the riding she placed third with 10.4% of the vote. Later that year she ran for seat on the Township of Esquimalt's city council. As a councilor she supported pedestrian rights, urban farming, and using biofuels in the city vehicle fleet.[7] She served as alternate director at the Capital Regional District. While she supported the construction of a regional sewage treatment plant, she, along with the other Esquimalt councilors, opposed locating plant along the waterfront at Esquimalt's Macaulay Point.[8]

She served her three year term as councilor while accepting a faculty position teaching business administration at University Canada West and becoming leader of the Green Party of British Columbia.[9] She took over for Christopher Bennett had been the interim leader of the party since the previous leader, Adriane Carr, left in September 2006 to become deputy leader of the national party. The party held a leadership vote during its annual convention in Victoria in October 2007. Competing for the leadership position against Sterk were small business owner Damian Kettlewell and filmmaker Ben West, both residents of Vancouver, community activist Jack Etkin of Victoria, and Bowen Island oceanographer Silvaine Zimmermann.[10] Using the preferential ballot, Sterk won with West coming in second and Kettlewell third.[11] As leader she set party priorities to increase membership, raise funds for the 2009 provincial election, and open a party office in Victoria.[6][9] She participated in the October 2008 provincial by-election in Vancouver-Fairview but came in third with 7.2% of the popular vote. For the 2009 provincial election she ran in Esquimalt-Royal Roads the riding where she resides, she placed last out of the three candidates.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Westand, Kim (December 30, 2007). "Quest for Green Victory". Times-Colonist. Victoria. p. B1.
  2. ^ a b "Women & Computers". Edmonton Journal. November 26, 1994. p. G1.
  3. ^ a b Harnett, Cindy (June 22, 2004). "A messy battle ahead". Times-Colonist. Victoria. p. A11.
  4. ^ a b "A winning combination". Edmonton Journal. October 23, 1989. p. B8.
  5. ^ a b Chalmers, Ron (January 24, 1990). "Modest beginnings shared by successful women". Edmonton Journal. p. D14.
  6. ^ a b c Smyth, Michael (October 23, 2007). "Doesn't matter who top Green is if vote split". The Province. Vancouver. p. A8.
  7. ^ Palmer, Vaughn (October 23, 2007). "B.C. Green party leader a practical, pragmatic, sure-footed politician". The Vancouver Sun. p. A3.
  8. ^ Shaw, Rob (August 10, 2007). "U.S. sewage plant impresses Esquimalt councillor". Times-Colonist. Victoria. p. B2.
  9. ^ a b "Sterk new leader of provincial Green Party". The Vancouver Sun. October 22, 2007. p. A2.
  10. ^ "Five candidates vie for Green party leadership". Times-Colonist. Victoria. July 23, 2007. p. B2.
  11. ^ Cleverley, Bill (October 22, 2007). "Esquimalt councillor takes reins of Greens". Times-Colonist. Victoria. p. B1.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jane_Sterk&oldid=370485347"