...ascending the winding road, we felt ourselves relaxing, each sweep of the road revealing another magical landscape. At the crest of the hill, our destination rose from the lush hillside like a vision from the pages of Condé Nast Traveler.
LEONA SNIDER - CEO, THE RISE
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New Chief Operating Officer Appointed at The Rise
Award-winning developer joins Okanagan's premier golf and wine resort in Vernon
April 9, 2008, VERNON, B.C. – The Rise, the Okanagan’s signature playground, announced today that Chris Hartman has been appointed as chief operating officer (COO) for its four season resort community.
Hartman brings 20 years of experience in urban development, master planned communities and resort development to The Rise and a commitment to the principles of environmentally sustainable development. He will direct development for the entire resort including new phases of real estate, expansion of the vineyards and the opening of the Fred Couples Signature Golf Course.
Previously, Hartman was vice president of development for the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Community Trust where he was responsible for the development of UniverCity, a master planned, sustainable urban community for 10,000 residents built on land surrounding SFU’s Burnaby Mountain campus. UniverCity is the recipient of numerous development awards, including the nationally recognized SAM Award for Best Community Development in Canada in 2005 from the Canadian Home Builders Association, as well as various environmental and other business awards from local governments and the Urban Development Institute.
“We are very pleased to have Chris on board as we are full swing into what will be a very exciting year for The Rise, ” says Leona Snider, president and ceo of The Rise. “The Rise has become a very special place and Chris’ expertise and successful track record make him the ideal person to maintain and implement our vision.”
2008 is a year of milestones for The Rise as this spring it will open Western Canada’s only Fred Couples Signature Golf Course and launch new neighborhoods of vineyard home sites. This year The Rise will announce details of its winery and conduct a 13-acre expansion of its vineyard.
“I am looking forward to playing a part in the ongoing development of this first class resort and increasing its success." says Chris Hartman, chief operating officer for The Rise.
Before UniverCity, Hartman was senior director of real estate development at Panorama Mountain Resort, where he was responsible for the development of Intrawest’s master-planned resort community. Hartman is a Board member for the Canadian Home Builders Association and the Built Green Society of Canada. He is also an active member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, the Planning Institute of British Columbia and the Urban Development Institute. Hartman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from Simon Fraser University and a Master’s degree in Environmental Design (Urban and Regional Planning) from the University of Calgary.
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Okanagan Hills Development Corporation
Okanagan Hills Development Corporation (OHDC) is building The Rise, the Okanagan’s premier golf and winery resort. Perched on a south facing hillside overlooking Okanagan Lake, The Rise is 735-acres and located 3.5 km west of the city centre in Vernon, British Columbia. The Rise offers spectacular views down the throat of Okanagan Lake and will feature a winery, vineyards, lakeside beach club, several enclave neighbourhoods consisting of home-sites and villas, hotel and village centre, and Western Canada’s 1st Fred Couples Signature Golf Course.