Conferences Department

Corporate body

Conferences Department

The mission of the Conference Centre at Trinity Western University is to serve God and Man in the hospitality marketplace in a manner that is consistent with the University's Mission Statement.
The mandate of the Centre is to provide facilities and services for successful meetings that reach the objectives of church, community, corporate, and university organizations.
As of 2006, TWU's full-service conference centre provides convention and retreat facilities to over 4,000 guests each summer.
Based on information available at: http://www.twu.ca/divisions/housing/conferences/
Accessed March 2007

During the 1970s, it appears that Conferences was part of Business Affairs. Conference Coordinator Marjorie Wiebe reported to Business Affairs Director Doug Sneath.
In the 1980s, the department reported to Vern Storey, who was hired as Executive Vice President ca. 1984. At some point after this, Bruce Traub (Vice President of Business Affairs from ca. 1989 to his departure in 1993) took on oversight of the department.
In the 1990s, the department received oversight from University Enterprises. In 1992 Lou Sawchenko (Director/Vice President of University Enterprises, 1992-1999) hired Laurie Shaw as head of Marketing for Conferences, and Mary Reeves (later mayor of Abbotsford) as Operations Supervisor. Shortly thereafter, in anticipation of Reeve’s departure in 1993, Shaw took over as department head.
As of 2007, the department reports to the Vice President of Finance, Jim Poulson.

Department heads have included the following:
1979 Marjorie Wiebe
1979-1982 Connie Sheehy
1983-1984 Lynn Wilkinson
1984-1990 Linda Long (Director of Conferences) In 1993 Long returned to Trinity to serve as head of Continuing Education)
1990-1992 Herb Enns and Enoch Gubotti served as interim directors
1992-2004 Laurie Shaw (Director of Ancillary Services) Shaw worked through several progressive positions of leadership at TWU, serving as Director of Ancillaries for the last 5 years of his employment with the University. The Conference Centre as a department was under Shaw’s direct supervision during his entire term of employment at TWU, with the exception of 120 days at the very beginning in 1992 / 93. As Director of Ancillary Services, Shaw reported to Sawchenko and provided oversight to Conferences, Food Services, and Housing Services as well as two satellite properties (the Bookstore for 2.5 years and ELSI for 4 years). (Source: email from LS, April 2007)
2004-2007 Brad Wallbank (Director of Housing and Conference Services) In June of 2000, Wallbank was offered the position of Housing Manager at TWU. He served in this capacity until April of 2004, when he also became head of the Conferences Department. Reporting directly to Jim Poulson, Vice President of Finance, Wallbank oversaw Housing, Dining Services, Conferences, Vending, and manages agreements such as that between the University and the residents of Fosmark Building. (Source: email from BW, April 2007) Brad resigned from this position in June, 2007
2007 Scott Henderson (Director of Housing and Conference Services) In the summer of 2007, Henderson, previously manager of the Bookstore, took on the position of Director.
2008 In September of 2008, Henderson's position title was listed as Director, University Enterprises.
2009? Wai Law is listed as Director of Conferences in 2013.

Additional personnel have included the following:
David Knight - Operations Supervisor 1994 to 2008 (retired in March)
June Smith - Marketing Associate 1995-2006
Lydia Liew - Marketing Associate 2006 – to present

A May 25 email announced that Dale Clark, Vice President, Administration and Resources, had resigned his position. University Enterprises, under the leadership of Scott Henderson, would report to Associate Provost, Sheldon Loeppky.
In the fall of 2012 an HR newsletter announced that Scott Henderson had resigned from the positon of Director, University Enterprises
Loeppky resigned from his position in the Provost's Office in April, 2017.

Since Scott Henderson’s (Director, University Enterprises) resignation in October 2012, University Enterprises has been under continuous review for greater efficiency, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability. This review has led to a number of evolving decisions and corresponding changes.
First, Sodexo is being positioned to manage TWU’s Conference Centre. As of May 1, Chris Fox (Dining Services) and Tracey Bell (Catering) began managing, with Wai Law (Conferences), TWU’s Conference Centre for this summer. The University Enterprises Director role will remain closed.
Second, TWU’s Campus Service Centre is effectively being shut down, moving and integrating Housing Services into Student Life and Mail Services into the Bookstore. Deanne Mackie (Housing) will work more directly with Kelvin Gartly (Community Life) as they continue to co-manage the housing and community development needs of TWU’s strong on-campus residence program. Housing Service provisions will be managed through Student Life’s front desk. Mail Service provisions will be managed through the Bookstore at the Customer Service counter under Jeff Thiessen’s (Bookstore) leadership.
Third, the vacated Campus Service Centre will become TWU’s new Catering & Conferencing Centre, relocating this business unit from the backside of Fraser Hall to the Reimer Student Centre. Resident Directors in Douglas Centre will be relocated to vacated Fraser Hall and Douglas Hall spaces, providing a wing of offices in Douglas Centre for expanding University programs.
Source: email from the President's Office, July 18, 2013