MLA: John Yap - Richmond-Steveston

Precious God, together we stand in prayer for John Yap. Please pour Your wisdom into him as he leads within our beloved province. We pray for Your favour in all of his dealings both personally and professionally and that he will know the depth of Your love.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

John Yap was first elected in the riding of Richmond-Steveston in the 2005 provincial election. He was re-elected on May 12, 2009.

MLA Yap currently serves as the Parliamentary Secretary for Clean Technology to the Minister of Energy and Mines.

Yap previously served as the Minister of State for Climate Action and as the chair of the Government Caucus. He was also a member of the Treasury Board, the Legislative Review Cabinet Committee, as well as the Select Standing Committees of Public Accounts Crown Corporations and Finance and Government Services. He has also served as a member of the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture and was previously a member of the Finance and Government Services Committee.

MLA: Hon. Naomi Yamamoto - North Vancouver-Lonsdale - Minister of Advanced Education

Dear Lord, we join together to pray for MLA: Hon. Naomi Yamamoto. Bless her in her various responsibilities both personally and professionally. We thank You for her services and pray continued strength for her to lead well as Minister of Advanced Education. Lord, we also thank you for her tireless efforts with the business community. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Naomi Yamamoto was elected as MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale in the 2009 general provincial election and was appointed Minister of Advanced Education on March 14, 2011.

Prior to this, Minister Yamamoto was appointed Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations in June 2009. On October 25, 2010, she was appointed as Minister of State for Building Code Renewal.

Minister Yamamoto had been the president and owner of Tora Design Group in North Vancouver for 21 years. She also enjoyed working with the business community as the president and general manager of the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

She also served on the board of the North Shore Credit Union and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and was president of the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation. As well, she represented the North Vancouver Chamber on the North Shore 2010 Spirit Committee and Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association Board.

In 1997, Minister Yamamoto served as chair of the BC Chamber of Commerce. She completed a six-year term on the board of Capilano College, with the last three years as chair. She also enjoyed six years as a director of the North Shore Neighbourhood House.

In 2005, Naomi was appointed as an inaugural member of the Premier’s Small Business Roundtable.

In her role as Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations, Naomi Yamamoto is also the Premier’s representative to the Pacific North West Economic Region.

MLA: John van Dongen - Abbotsford South

Heavenly Father, we lift up MLA: John van Dongen to You. Continue to bless him in all his services to the Province of British Columbia, both past and present. Give his guidance to lead his community and give him Your favour in all of the many great projects he is involved in. Amen.

John van Dongen was re-elected as MLA to serve the new riding of Abbotsford-South in the spring of 2009.

John was first elected in 1995 in a by-election to represent the riding of Abbotsford and was re-elected in 1996, 2001, and 2005.

Mr. van Dongen has served as the Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety. He has also served as Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations and as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. He has also been a member of the Government Caucus Committee on Social Development. For the past several years, John served on the Hospital Construction Committee for the new Abbotsford Hospital and Cancer Centre.

Before his election to the Legislative Assembly, Mr. van Dongen operated a dairy farm in Abbotsford. He studied agricultural economics at the University of British Columbia.

Mr. van Dongen was involved in farm organizations and businesses for almost two decades. He was on the board of directors of the B.C. Dairy Foundation, Agrifoods International Co-operative (Dairyland) the B.C. Federation of Dairymen's Association and the Federal Farm Debt Review Board.

He was Chair of the Building and Finance Committee of St. Joseph's Church in Mission. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus. He is the father of two sons and has one granddaughter.

MLA: Claire Trevena - North Island

Father, we are grateful to You for the strength that MLA: Claire Trevena possesses. We thank You that she is one that can accept the challenges of those issues that impact the citizens of British Columbia. We ask that You would guide her and direct her paths. Lead her into that research that that will bring truth and balance to light on the projects that she is involved with. May You give her a quick understanding of all of the issues that she deals with. In Jesus name, we pray.

Claire Trevena was first elected in May 2005 and was re-elected on May 12, 2009.
Claire serves as opposition critic for Children and Family Development.
Claire is a former journalist, community activist and human rights worker.
In the early 1990s, Claire came to Canada as the BBC's Canadian correspondent.
Awarded the Canadian Civilian Peacekeeping Medal, she's worked on democratic development projects overseas and in Canada.
Claire was an active trade unionist in her professional life. Since moving to BC she has been involved in a number of community initiatives, including a weekly community kitchen on Quadra Island as well as various environmental initiatives.
She was elected to the board of the Quadra Community Association and held a seat on the Regional District of Comox Strathcona Regional Area J Advisory Planning Committee.
Prior to the 2005 election, Claire ran a small communications business on Quadra Island with her husband, Mike McIvor.

MLA: Jane Thornthwaite - North Vancouver-Seymour

Lord, we ask that You would Bless MLA: Jane Thornthwaite. We ask that You would strengthen and give her courage as she forges into new areas as she is serving the needs of her constituents. Lord, we pray that You will surround her with those that would become a strength and an encouragement to her and help her create, in unique ways, programs that will aid the people of British Columbia. Amen 

Jane Thornthwaite was elected MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour in the 2009 general provincial election. She is a member of the Cabinet Committee on Families First.

She previously served on the Select Standing Commitees on Children and Youth, Education and Finance and Government Services.

Since 2005, Jane was a School Trustee for the North Vancouver Board of Education and topped the polls in both the 2005 and 2008 municipal elections. She was elected Chair of the North Vancouver Board of Education in December 2008 and resigned from the Board June 2009 after being elected to the Legislature.

Previously, Jane was a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (B.Sc., B.H.E.) with a 22-year career in health care. Jane’s work experience includes positions in hospital dietetics and community health, an instructor for a third year required Nutrition course at UBC, a Corporate Nutritionist for an international Health Food Chain and a National Sales Representative for an international pharmaceutical firm.

Her writing has been published in a wide variety of publications and she has been a guest presenter and lecturer at numerous colleges and universities.

As a former self-employed health consultant, Jane has experience operating a small business and supporting a family as a mother of three kids.

Jane has an extensive volunteer career on the North Shore and has lived in North Vancouver for over 19 years.

MLA: Diane Thorne - Coquitlam-Maillardville

Father, we thank You for the heart of a servant that MLA: Diane Thorne serves with. We pray that You would grant her revelation and wisdom so that she can lead strategically and with accuracy.  As the times change, we ask that You would also reveal to her those things that would impact the citizens of British Columbia and are a priority to Your heart .  We ask, also, that You would give MLA Thorne rest and peace as the demands of her position increase.

Diane Thorne was re-elected as the MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville on May 12, 2009. She was first elected to the Legislature in 2005.

Diane serves as deputy opposition critic for Education.

Diane served on Coquitlam council from 1996 to 2005, bringing considerable experience in business and social services to the political arena. Diane and her husband Neil have owned and operated several successful small businesses.

Diane has been extensively involved in a wide cross-section of women's issues over the past 35 years. She served on the board of directors of the B.C./Yukon Women's Centres Association and spent several years as the province's representative on the National Action Committee on the Status of Women.

In 1993, Diane received the BC Distinguished Service to Families Award and in 1992, the Canada 125 medal. She was a founding member of the PoCoMo Youth Services Society, the Family Life Educators of BC and the Fraser Burrard Restorative Justice Society. Diane studied liberal arts at several community colleges and Simon Fraser University. Diane and Neil live locally and have two adult sons, Jay and Lee.

MLA: Hon. Steve Thomson - Kelowna-Mission - Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

Lord, we ask that You would continue to lead and guide the Hon. Steve Thomson the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. We appreciate the beautiful province that You have created for us here in British Columbia. We pray that You will give MLA Thomson plans and ideas that will allow the use of these wonderful resources while at the same time allow us to enjoy and maintain the natural beauty that they are. May You also insure that he be able to find the time to enjoy those other things that bring him joy, especially his family.

Steve Thomson is currently the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. He previously served as Minister of Natural Resource Operations, Minister of Energy, Minister of Agriculture of Lands, and was elected to represent the riding of Kelowna-Mission on May 12, 2009.

Born and raised in Kelowna, Steve comes from a pioneer family who continues to operate the original family farm established in 1896.

Steve is the former executive director of the BC Agriculture Council and has developed his career and experience working on behalf of British Columbia farmers and ranchers. He has served as General Manager of the BC Fruit Growers Association and the BC Milk Producers Association.

He has been selected for many leadership roles and advisory positions dedicated to the continuous improvement of our province. Steve brings to his role of MLA for Kelowna Mission extensive leadership expertise, experience in economic development and a clear understanding of how to get things done in government. He has served the community and province as president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and chair of the BC Chamber of Commerce and has represented those organizations and others on provincial government task forces focused on red tape reduction and small business development. He has also served as a director of the Kelowna Museum, the Okanagan Innovation Fund and the BC BioEnergy Network.

He has a great love of sports and had a long career in rugby including the opportunity to play for the Canadian National Rugby Team. Current interests include golf, gardening and being an ardent rugby fan.

Steve is a husband, father and grandfather. He is married to Brenda and has three children and five grandchildren.