The Tahltan Heritage Trust is excited to officially welcome Otis Hiltz and Andrew Smit as new Trustees, supporting its continued growth and sustained legacy preservation for current and future generations of Tahltans. Both Tahltan, as required for all Trustees, Otis and Andrew respectively bring vital background in banking, finance, investment and trust management. Their appointments were approved through resolution by the three Tahltan Governments.
Otis and Andrew join long-time Trustees Bill Adsit and Garry Merkel, the original directors of the Trust created in 2007. Bill and Garry have long advocated for the appointment of new Trustees to support transfer of knowledge and execution of their mandate.
“We are incredibly pleased to have the calibre of talent of Otis and Andrew. Their respective expertise and experience will be instrumental as we work to cement the foundational policies, processes and procedures of the Trust and transition to a new Trust Agreement. They will be instrumental in delivering on our commitment to invest funds wisely and securely to achieve long-term stable revenues for the Tahltan Nation, ensuring the capital is protected and allowed to grow, while enabling measured distributions.” Bill Adsit and Garry Merkel.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of the Tahltan Heritage Trust. The Trust is well positioned and well structured to continue to provide benefits to all Tahtans for generations to come. I look forward to working with my fellow trustees to ensure the Trust generates ongoing stable revenues and returns to the Tahltan Nation.” Otis Hiltz
OTIS HILTZ
Otis is Vice-President Indigenous Trust Services Western Canada with BMO Trust Company. He has been in the Financial Services field since 1993, holding such positions as Financial Planner, Regional Director of Planning For BC and Private Wealth Consultant since joining BMO in 2007. Otis holds the Certified Financial Planner Designation (CFP) and has completed the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) offered through the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI). He has also completed the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level 1 Exam.
“I am deeply honoured to be appointed as a trustee for the Tahltan Heritage Trust. I look forward to assisting the Tahltan Nation in achieving long-term economic autonomy and ensuring that we create a financial legacy for generations to come.” Andrew Smit.
ANDREW SMIT
Andrew brings experience in finance, leadership and strategic planning. Prior to his current career in sport science, Andrew was a manager of customer service at TD Canada Trust for five years. During this time, he was responsible for leading and influencing a large sales team to execute branch and district initiatives as one of the largest districts in the Prairies. He developed strong coaching and people management skills and helped employees to achieve personal and business development goals. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Kinesiology and a Master of Kinesiology from the University of Calgary.
INVESTING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
The Tahltan Heritage Trust was established in 2007 to ensure benefits from Tahltan lands are preserved for current and future generations of Tahltans. Funds the Tahltan Nation has received from resource developers and government over the years are held in trust, invested to secure money for future generations with measured distributions of returns today for initiatives that benefit Tahltan members. The Trust invests funds to ensure long-term stable revenues for and to enable the Tahltan Nation to become financially self-sufficient.