Linklater wins second board of governors seat

Only 163 votes were cast in the election do-over.

By Matt DiMera
[news editor]

Kassandra Linklater edged out competitor Kari Van Gerven to become the second student representative on the Kwantlen board of governors (BOG) in last week’s online election.

Kassandra Linklater will join the Kwantlen board of governors September 1, 2011. Photo by Matt DiMera/The Runner

In a brief interview with the Runner before the results had been announced, Linklater described herself as “a new face with new perspectives.”

“I am completely dedicated to this position,” she said. “I feel like my record is something that stands for itself, I’ve never been involved in student politics before and I think that’s a good thing.”

Registrar Robert Hensley called the April 18-19 election after the results of the earlier BOG elections were declared partially invalid because of accusations of unfair campaigning.

Robert Mumford, who came in first in the original election, has already been declared winner of the first student BOG seat. In the first election, Van Gerven would have won the second seat, but an allegation made by Linklater led to the call for a do-over.

Only nominees from the first race were allowed to run in the second election, with Linklater, Van Gerven, Nikki Pearce and Christopher Girodat on the ballot. Candidates Derek Robertson, Robert Mena and Jordon Tomblin chose not to run again.

Linklater received 36.8 per cent of the vote to Van Gerven’s 31.9 per cent. Girodat came in third with 23.9 per cent and Pearce in fourth with 7.3 per cent. A total of 163 votes were cast.

Linklater and Mumford are scheduled to take office in September 2011.

Linklater is a member of the Kwantlen Presidential Ambassadorial Team and a former news editor at the Runner.