3 minute read
Member Profile
RIANNA LACHANCE interviews diana lokken
On February 22, 2021 CPABC announced that Diana Lokken was awarded the CPA fellowship designation (Nov 25, 2020). I recently had the pleasure of connecting with her on this honour over a virtual lunch. As a finance professional, passionate and committed to local government, I jumped at the opportunity to hear firsthand what this award meant to Diana and to reflect with her on her career to date.
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Diana is a board director who is widely recognized for her financial, analytical and business development acumen. She brings invaluable experience gained as a leader in the Capital Regional District (CRD/CRHD) in Victoria to her community involvement today.
Diana obtained her designation in 1981 and took on progressive leadership positions with CRD, including Director of Finance & Corporate Services, and General Manager of Finance and Technology. In 1984 she was appointed the CRD Treasurer, the first woman in BC to hold an officer position in a regional district, breaking new ground from the start.
She was instrumental in expanding community services across the region, developing funding methodologies for initiatives & services with over 200 service entities. Among her achievements was a sustainable funding program for Arts Development and for the historic Royal and MacPherson theatres.
“We were a high performing group with overwhelming commitment and dedication to the organization, we were responsive to the needs within the region many of which could not be delivered any other way.”
Her work leading First Nations coordination with the CRD, included negotiating one of the first taxation agreements in BC with a First Nation. Diana also led a
Federation of Canadian Municipalities partnership program in Ghana, improving revenue generation and financial systems. Beyond the CRD, she is an outstanding volunteer, Diana has contributed her time and skill to finance and accounting related organizations for over three decades. Diana served both GFOA of Western Canada and GFOABC including as president. In 2019, she received a Life Membership from the Canadian Association of Government Finance Officers, in recognition of her contributions at the provincial, national and international level.
Diana represented local government as a trustee on the BC Municipal Pension Plan Board from October 2013 to December 31, 2019. For decades the plan had been in an actuarial deficit. “By 2019, when I left, the plan was actuarially fully funded, I am very proud of this achievement of the Board.”
“This [fellowship] award has meant the world to me… when I received the call I could not stop smiling…I was grinning from ear to ear and could not stop for days!”
Diana joins two other former CRD finance staff as CPA Fellows: Rita Estock (former CGA BC Board Chair) and Bob Strachan, (former CPA Canada Board Chair and co-chair of the National Steering Committee overseeing the formation of CPA Canada in 2012).
Diana currently volunteers with Beacon Community Services (board member) and the Friends of Government House Garden Society.
I thank Diana for her example and exemplary service; please join me in congratulating Diana on this outstanding accomplishment. We applaud you, Diana.
Congratulations to Nelson Chan of the CRD for being awarded the CPA fellowship designation along side Diana. We will be recognizing his achievements in the September issue of Dollars and Sense.
RIANNA LACHANCE has been a GFOA BC Board Director since 2020 and currently serves on the Board’s Education Committee, External Relations Committee and the Joint Pension Committee adding to past volunteer role in co-chairing the member budget forum for several years. She is currently the Senior Manager of Financial Services for the Capital Regional District, Capital Regional Hospital District and the Capital Region Housing Corporation. She is a senior finance and accounting professional, with leadership experience in public practice with KPMG and industry experience in both private manufacturing and local government both in municipal and regional district environment. She brings a passion and commitment for innovation and education in local government finance.
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