Photos: Contributed
(L to R): Allen, Arding, Code, Monahan and Squair.
The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce and KPMG have announced another batch of young superstars.
The chamber, along with the accounting firm, is conducting its “Top 20 Under 40,” and on Tuesday it announced the third group of five recipients.
More than 60 nominations were received, and the latest five to make the list are: Andrew Allen (musician/director); Cara Arding (Pickleball Depot owner); Laura Code (Ministry of Agriculture regional agrologist); Alexa Monahan (Nature’s Fare Markets marketing director); Brett Squair (Davison Pringle associate lawyer).
The final five members of the top 20 will be revealed next week, and they will all be honoured at a special recognition event on Tuesday, March 12, at Okanagan Spirits.
Andrew Allen (musician/director): He has scored five Canadian top-10 hits, including Loving You Tonight in 2010, which has put him on tour with acts like Bruno Mars, One Republic, Andy Grammer, The Script, Train, Joshua Radin and The Barenaked Ladies after signing with EPIC records. Allen has also written with Meghan Trainor, Rachel Platten, Carly Rae Jepsen and Tyler Shaw.
Cara Arding (Pickleball Depot owner): She has been involved in a wide variety of businesses since moving to Vernon in 2004, and the Pickleball Depot took off in 2014 after her father ran it for two years as a e-commerce business. He started selling pickleball paddles out of his trunk in 2012, and Arding used her business savvy to turn it into a more stable venture two years later.
Laura Code (Ministry of Agriculture regional agrologist): She enjoyed animals and agriculture while growing up on Vancouver Island, and she studied agriculture in university. Her first job brought her to Vernon in 2006, and her dedication to the industry has led to her receiving her professional designation with the B.C. Institute of Agrologists.
Alexa Monahan (Nature’s Fare Markets marketing director): She has spent her professional career in the natural health industry and is passionate about everything local, sustainable and organic. The long-time resident is also working on becoming a yoga instructor and is currently in the midst of completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training course.
Brett Squair (Davison Pringle associate lawyer): Born and raised in the Okanagan, he was called to the bar in 2017 and practises in the areas of business law, real estate, and estate planning. He was previously the vice-president of the Vernon and District Immigrant Services Society, and a member of Junior Chambers International. He is also a member of Kalamalka Rotary and the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association, and a director of the North Okanagan Livestock Association and SKY Volleyball Club.
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