Welcoming our new president
Jeff Allan, newly elected president of the Hounsfield Heights-Briar Hill community association board of directors, is a returning member of the board and a man with a mission.
Born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, a career opportunity led Jeff and his wife to Calgary in 1998. In 1999, after a year of living in Crescent Heights, they set out to purchase a home within the community. The path that led them to Briar Hill was not an intended one, but obviously destined.
“I took a wrong turn,” says Jeff when explaining how he and his wife ended up in Briar Hill. “We set out to find a house in Crescent Heights and suddenly I was driving through a beautiful community with mature trees, well-kept homes, wide streets and big yards. We fell in love with Briar Hill so, within a very short period of time, we found a house, finalized the deal, secured early possession, and became residents.”
Jeff recalls first walking into the 1952 bungalow he and his wife now share with their 14-year old daughter and seeing that beyond the swag lamps and gold shag carpet was a home with warmth and character. Purchased from the original owners who were retiring and downsizing, the house has since undergone several rounds of renovation and expansion but retains the feeling of a well-loved family home.
“This community has given so much to me and my family. Our daughter has grown up here, from kindergarten and elementary school, soccer, dance and all the local events such as our annual Summer Solstice,” says Jeff. “I am excited by the possibilities and challenges we face going into our 65th year as a community, and I want to participate, and increase others’ participation, in our future.”
Jeff’s passions include music (he used to own a nightclub), yoga (his wife is a yoga teacher) and travel. He loves opportunities to immerse with his family into cultural adventures – their last vacation included being in an open vehicle 10-feet from a lion and a plane crash in Africa, and an impromptu flight from Amsterdam to Venice as his daughter expressed her desire to visit before its potential disappearance into the ocean.
With a Masters degree in leadership, and long professional career in the oil and gas industry, Jeff has the skills and knowledge needed to lead the continued evolution of the HH-BH board from operational to strategic.
“My mission is to firm up community association operating policies and procedures, so we can then focus on increasing community participation and honour the amazing legacy of this small but vibrant community by uncovering and sharing it’s rich history. We also need to develop strategies to get community residents engaged in upcoming opportunities such as secondary suites, North Hill Mall development, community centre expansion.
Jeff encourages HH-BH residents to contact him with thoughts, ideas and concerns at president@hh-bh.ca.