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OUR JOURNEY
Grounded in the values of the sqilx’w community, OKIBGC prioritizes the protection of rights and interests, fostering a healthy and prosperous future. Aligned with sqilx’w cultural values, OKIBGC actively engages with the broader economic community, forging partnerships to seize opportunities and fulfill its responsibility to ensure an abundant future for the People to Be—the forthcoming generations.
Our Journey So Far
2019
FIRST CEO HIRED
Leadership took root when spring unfolded in 2019, Firman Latimer, a visionary leader, became the inaugural CEO, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to nurturing the community's growth.
2018
OKIBGC IS FOUNDED
The OKIB Chief and Council planted the seeds of economic empowerment, signaling the creation of the Okanagan Indian Band Group of Companies (OKIBGC.) The recruitment of the first OKIB Holdings Board in 2018, was carefully chosen for a four-year term, and symbolized the growth of our organizational roots.
Our Board of Directors
Introducing our All- Indigenous Board of Directors:
Trent Blind, Taylor Belanger, Leah George-Wilson, Jenelle Brewer, Byron Louis and Rochelle Saddleman.
Our Team
Robert Whitney
Chief Executive Officer
Sharnelle Paul
Administrative Clerk
tətkʷ (Tetko) Marchand
Management Services LP & Operations Manager
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Lisa Kastner
Administrative Coordinator
Andy Groom
Forestry Manager
Lindsey Crowe
Administrative Clerk
Our Brand Story
Our logo, pays homage to the original porcupine emblem of the Okanagan Indian Band, a symbolic bridge between our past and the rooted essence from which the OKIB Group of Companies emerged.
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In its rebirth, the logo contains Chief siya?, one of the Four Food Chiefs. The polarized energies embodied by the Four Food Chiefs of the syilx/Okanagan Nation— are skÉ™mxist (Bear), n'tyxtix (Salmon), spitlem (Bitterroot), and siyaÊ” (Saskatoon).
These Chiefs encapsulate the teachings of our homelands, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life and the necessity for polar energies to converge collectively.
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Within our logo, siyaÊ” stands as the emblem of the OKIB Group of Companies, embodying the energy and medicine to be innovative in creating new, life-affirming paths.
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Our brand was carefully crafted by Lauren Marchand, a digital artist of sqilx’w homelands, and her company Your syilx Sisters—a place-based communication and storytelling firm—our logo is a testament to the vibrant intersection of our roots and contemporary innovation. It encapsulates our commitment to creatively finding new ways to do things, respect for our teachings that guide us, and a vision that stretches beyond the horizon.