Nick Banks, President
Jordan Welch, Vice-President
Leslie Welsh, Secretary
Ryan Burles, Treasurer
VEHS has two seats on the Board of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. VEHS representatives to the GVHA Board are elected by the VEHS members and must be members in good standing of VEHS.
Ryan Burles (Black Ball Transport)
Mark Mawhinney (Odlum Brown)
President and Membership Committee Co-Chair, Official Community Planning
Member Category: Marinas, Floathomes, Liveaboards
Profession: Partner, Hidden Harbour Marina; Small Boat Fleet Manager, Prince of Whales Whale-Watching
Nick has been enjoying our local waters for more than fifty years. When not working on and around the harbour he can be found out fishing or racing high velocity sailboats in events such as Swiftsure and the Van Isle 360, a point-to-point race around Vancouver Island. Nick has also accumulated many offshore miles racing and delivering yachts up and down both coasts of North America.
Born and raised in Victoria, Nick went from building boats in the summers while attending the University of Calgary, to embarking on a successful business career in the oil and gas pipeline construction industry, returning back to Victoria in 1988. After becoming a partner in Hidden Harbour Marine Centre, a purpose-built marina in West Bay Esquimalt where Nick ran the marine retail department for six years, he went on to acquire his real-estate license that he still maintains at Century 21 Queenswood, a local boutique office in Cadboro Bay.
Nick has served three years as one of two Victoria Esquimalt Harbour Society (VEHS) representatives on the board of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA), six years on the board of the Maritime Museum and six years as an executive member of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. For the past thirty years he has been the Harbourmaster for the annual Victoria Classic Boat Festival. Nick is currently the small boat fleet manager at Prince of Whales whale watching, a position he has held for the past five years.
Vice-President and Membership Committee Co-Chair
Member Category: Industry and Commerce
Profession: General Manager, Victoria Cruise Ship & Deep Water Terminal, Western Stevedoring
Jordan has spent his nearly 30 year career in the BC marine industry in positions involving ship’s agency, shipping line operations and commercial management, brokerage, and shipboard operations management. Jordan took on his current position at the end of 2019 and is pleased to be part of the local marine industry.
The mandate of the VEHS to support and strengthen our working harbours is of keen interest to Jordan, as he sees the potential of the wide range of stakeholders working together. He looks forward to working with all Members to pursue the Society’s objectives.
Secretary and Privacy Officer, Chair of the Committee for Greater Victoria as an Ocean City, Chair of the Governance Committee
Member Category: Environment
Profession: Principal, Environment & Energy Consultancy
Leslie completed degrees in physics and atmospheric physics, serving 33 years with Environment Canada as a forecasting and research meteorologist in locations across Canada, then later as an environmental regulator of the energy industry. He developed the first green power procurement program, in which he initiated the first federally-certified greenhouse gas emissions reductions trade in Canada. He moved to Victoria in 2014, retiring to a consultancy. He joined VEHS in 2015 as a result of a love of harbours arising from his upbringing in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and having become a recreational sailor (mainly in the Greek Islands). He monitors Victoria’s endlessly fascinating harbour from his home over the inner harbour.
Treasurer
Member Category: Marine Transportation
Profession: President & COO, Black Ball Ferry Line
Ryan started working for Black Ball Ferry Line in 1981, working the docks as a part-time Traffic Director while completing his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education. After graduating from University of Victoria he joined the Company’s Victoria Management team.
Director representing Destination Greater Victoria
Member Category: Marine Tourism
Profession: CEO Destination Greater Victoria
Paul Nursey is a highly accomplished tourism marketing, strategy, and branding expert who is widely regarded as one of Canada’s top tourism policy minds. Since joining Destination Greater Victoria (DGV) in 2014, Paul has led DGV to numerous significant accomplishments, including:
Paul’s 28 years of tourism management and leadership experience includes holding leadership positions with the Canadian Tourism Commission, Rocky Mountaineer Rail Tours, Mount Seymour Resorts and Tourism Vancouver. He serves on the board of the Destinations International Foundation and previously served on the board of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada as the Advocacy Committee Chair.