As a member focused association, the Canadian Diamond Drilling Association is governed by a board elected by its members. The Board of Directors are accountable to the Canadian Diamond Drilling Association members. They are responsible for managing and supervising the activities and affairs of the association. They volunteer their time and energy to directly impact the Canadian Diamond Drilling Industry.
It is with deep gratitude that we bid one of our Board of Directors, John Pike, a farewell as our Board Vice President. We would like to take this time to honour and recognize his commitment to the Diamond Drilling Industry and the CDDA.
John Pike graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelors Degree in Geology in 1984. After graduation, John worked as an exploration geologist/project manager on projects in the western USA( California, New Mexico, Nevada, Idaho), Ontario, Quebec and Labrador. In 1990, he joined Boart Longyear Canada as a sales rep in Moncton NB. In 1992, he transferred to the branch in Montreal and then to the North Bay Head Office in 1994. In 2008, John relocated to the Canadian Head office in Mississauga and was promoted to the position of Canadian Director of Sales for Boart Longyear. He held this position until April 2022 when he retired.
John joined the CDDA in 1992 and attended his first convention in Montreal. We asked him for his feedback on his experience with the CDDA and we were delighted to hear his response.
John stated that “ The CDDA is a great organization, Contractors and sales reps who compete against each other would treat the CDDA convention as a social event. Friendships were developed that have turned into lifelong friends. The CDDA convention was always one of the highlights of the year. The CDDA convention was a great opportunity for companies associated with the drilling industry to present papers and have discussions regarding best practices, technology and most importantly safety. From my first convention in Montreal, I noticed that one of the main pillars of the CDDA is about safety. Each year safety awards were presented to drilling contractors with the companies that have achieved the lowest accident frequency and those companies who have excelled at reducing their accident frequency each year.”
“The CDDA took safety management to the next level with the development of the Drilling Excellence Certification Program. Additionally, at the Conventions Keynote speakers were always often related to safety. These speakers were always very interesting and highlighted those accidents are never planned. Some of the most memorable CDDA conventions were in Halifax and St. John’s. Something about the East coast certainly brought out the party in everyone. Lots of great funny stories about those conventions.”
“I joined the CDDA board in 2012. It was an opportunity to provide some input on the direction on the CDDA. Great discussions were had regarding the operations of the organization. Louise Lowe did and still does a great job managing the CDDA on a daily basis. Louise was very proactive with pushing the CDDA agenda with other mining-related organizations and relevant government agencies. She was certainly the driving force to keep the Board of Directors informed and engaged. In 2018, I was appointed Vice President of the CDDA. I held this role until my retirement in April 2022. The CDDA is a great industry organization. I highly encourage the current and next generation in the drilling business to get actively involved in the CDDA. The organization is only as strong as the participation of the membership. Technology and social media have revolutionized the way we work and live. However, there is nothing like having personal interaction with your peers to build friendships and drive change. In my opinion, the best forum for doing this in the drilling industry is through the CDDA.”
Throughout the years, John has played an essential role in helping to strengthen our association. We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his contribution to the CDDA and our members and would like to send him best wishes as he enters his retirement.
Thanks again John, you will truly be missed!
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