Governance and Operations

The Society is under the jurisdiction of the Board of Directors.

The Board holds a fiduciary duty in ensuring the Society’s proper operations, and steers the Society’s direction. Meeting on a regular basis, Board members also serve in other roles as committee members. The Executive Director and Society staff, under the direction of the Board, oversee and operate the Society’s day-to-day programs, administration, operations, race and site production, communications, sport development, and more.

The Society is a registered British Columbia non-profit society incorporated in 1989 (#S-24628).

Board of Directors

Peter Wong, Chair
Alvin Cheung, Vice-Chair and Treasurer
Lorraine Lowe, Secretary
Richard Van Vloten, Director

Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society Leadership Staff

Alexis Gall – General Manager

Thanks to a drive to do more, Alexis was pulled into the dragon boat world over 20 years ago, and hasn’t looked back since. Originally from Saskatchewan, she moved out to Vancouver for her BA in Sociology from SFU, and worked at the Festival’s (then) marketing firm. Her work caught the eye of Society staff, and was quickly brought on as a staff member.

Since 2001, she has served as marketing manager, developed programs, worked with partnerships and marketplace, and now serves as the Society’s General Manager. Her area of responsibility includes board liaison and development, working with key partners, organizational management and development, and staff/volunteer development. She also holds a MA in Urban Studies in 2011 from SFU.

Dominic Lai – Senior Development, Marketing, and Operations Director

Born and raised in Vancouver, Dominic used to attend the dragon boat festival when he was a child. In high school, he joined Eric Hamber’s dragon boat team, eventually becoming its coach and general manager for multiple national (2013, 2016, 2017) and world championships (2014, 2018). In 2017, he served as Program Director and Head Coach for Team Canada U16/U18 at the 2017 World Championships in France, and raced with Team Canada at the 2018 World Cup in China.

He has been with the Society since 2015, taking on a range of volunteer roles with accessibility and youth development, and in staff roles for marketing and race administration. Currently, his area of responsibility covers grants and key partners, sport and race program development, cultural and creative programs, and marketing. He holds a BA in Political Science and History (2015), and a MA in Political Science (2016) with particular focus on Indigenous politics and global norms, both from UBC.

The Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society acknowledges its work takes place primarily on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands and waters of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.