Board appointments to Manitoba Crown corporations include Tory donors

Brian Pallister and the new provincial governmenthave announced a list of new appointees for the boards of Manitoba Public Insurance and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

It comes despite Torycriticismof patronage appointments by the NDP government.

Manitoba Liquor &Lotteries

Polly Craik and Nick Logan have been appointed chair and vice-chair of the board, respectively.

Craik sold Fine Line Communications in 2015 after 25 years as owner. She previously served as a chair of the boards for theCentreVentureDevelopment Corporation and the Business Council of Manitoba.

Logan is the past president, director and CEO of National Leasing (from 1987 to2014). Logan currently serves as principle of Logan Point Investments Inc., which specializes in "small-business equity and property development," according to the province.

Logandonated $1,000 to the Progressive Conservatives in 2015.

The remaining board director appointmentsinclude:

• Gary Coleman, president of Big Freight Systems Inc.
• Tracy Maconachie,president of the Life Science Association of Manitoba
• James Morden,Assante Corporation founding partner and current vice-president of Pavilion Investment House
• Stuart Murray, past presidentof Canadian Museum for Human Rights,St. Boniface Hospital, andDomoGasoline Corporation
• Rene Pereux, owner/operator ofPereux Financial Services, founder ofDaystar Financial Group
• Jennifer Plett, officeoperations manager atPlett Trucking Ltd.
• Mavis Taillieu, vice-president of Parc Industries

Murray previously served as leader of the Progressive Conservatives and leader of the Official Opposition in the legislature from 2000 to 2006.

Plettis no strangerto federal orprovincial politics either. She worked for the Manitoba government between 1995 and 1999. Plett also spent 1987 to 1989 employed under Jake Epp, then-minister of health and welfare for the federal government.

Tallieu also has a history in provincial politics, serving as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 2003 to 2013as an elected official in the Morris constituency.

Tallieudonated $2416.25 to the PCs last year.Meanwhile Mordenand Pereux donated $2,251.01 and $300,respectively, to Pallister's party in 2015.

Machonachie, who ran and lostfor the PCs in River Heights, donated $460 to the party.

Manitoba Public Insurance

Brent VanKoughnethas beennamed as the new chair of MPI. VanKoughnetpreviously owned and managed Agri Skills Inc. for 25 years.

Board director appointments include:

• Valerie Wowryk, chartered financialanalyst, formerpresident of CFA Winnipeg
• Dan Bubis,president, chief investment officer and founder of Tetrem Capital Management
• Domenic Grestoni, worked in different capacities forGreat West Life for nearly 40 years
• Edna Nabess, owner of two businesses in Manitoba specializing in moccasins
• Jeff Wharton,president and CEO of J Wharton Moving Consultants Ltd.,owner of Globe Moving and Storage Ltd.
• Richard Chale, formerpresident and CEO of FWS Group of Companies

Chalegave$2,250 to the PCs in 2015; Whartonand Bubisdonated$1,383.75and$1,305, respectively. Whartonwon the Gimliconstituency as a PC candidatein the recent provincial election.

MeanwhileNabess, who ran and lost for the PCs in the northernKewatinook constituency,sent$298.76 to Pallister and the PCs last year.

The announcements come just over a week after the province announced its new slate of Manitoba Hydro board members.

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