Barkerville is searching for a new CEO as Kate Cox announced she was departing from the top job of the historic site as she heads to a new job with the Province of B.C.
In a news release the Barkerville Trust thanked Cox for her leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic as she arrived partway through the park's closure due to the pandemic. Because of being in the role during that pivotal time, Cox worked to implement changes to help the site's financial sustainability, the release said.
“We recognize that Kate carried the burden of being a change agent for the good of Barkerville, and we thank her for establishing important operational benchmarks and her tireless commitment to best business and governance practices,” Al Richmond who is chair of the Barkerville Trust, said in the news release.
In her role as CEO, Cox also worked with First Nations to ensure the work of the interpreters and the history shared at the park accurately represented and acknowledged the impact of colonialism and the gold rush on Indigenous peoples.
In 2023, Cox received the Businesswoman of the Year award from BC Tourism and Hospitality.
"The Trustees of the Barkerville Heritage Trust wish Kate the very best in her future endeavour with the Province of B.C. and the Archaeology Branch in the Ministry of Forests. We are excited that she will be able to take with her what she learned about the archaeological considerations of Barkerville, so that in general there can be greater collaborations between heritage and archaeology in British Columbia," the release said.
The historic site will begin its search for a new CEO, with an expected hiring date of spring 2025. The Trust will put the task of managing Barkerville in the hands of its management team.
