Get Ready to Soar with ICD Okanagan!

Barry Lapointe

O.B.C., Hon. DTech

Barry loves aviation! He started flying at the age of 16 and has since logged over 18,000 flying hours (fixed and rotary wing). He is an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer by trade, and the Founder & CEO of a leading Canadian aerospace company. Barry Lapointe’s passion for flight has resulted in a lifetime of dedication to the aerospace industry in Canada.

After starting a small aircraft repair business servicing the BC Interior from a panel van, Barry has spent the last five decades building up KF Aerospace (founded as Kelowna Flightcraft) into a leading air cargo operator; an engineering (DAO), maintenance and modification provider; a pilot training organization for the Royal Canadian Air Force; and an aircraft leasing company.

Over those 50 years, he’s led and shaped this truly Canadian success story. KF is a multifaceted and highly integrated aviation company – and Canada’s largest commercial Aircraft Maintenance Organization. Employing nearly 1,100 dedicated staff across the country, Barry delivers exceptional quality, reliability and on-time delivery. KF is respected by airline brands and cargo operators worldwide, competing with industry giants while maintaining its Canadian roots.

Barry has served on dozens of public and private boards over the years, including Purolator Courier of which he is minority owner. His passion for aviation continues unabated, and is embodied in the creation of the Centre for Excellence to be built in Kelowna as a legacy to the importance of aerospace in Canada. 
Lapointe is an honorary lifetime member of ATAC and the AME associations, and has been recognized by AIAC, AIABC, BCIT, Rotary, and many other organizations for his contributions and accomplishments in aerospace and local communities. He has supported AME Community Colleges across Canada including Okanagan College and Mohawk College, and supported the University of British Columbia – Okanagan. Through the KF Charitable Foundation, he actively supports causes across Canada including the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Kids’ Cancer Care Foundation at KGH, and Girls Fly Too.

Barry was appointed to the Order of British Columbia in 2015 and inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Tracy Medve

Since 1985 Tracy has held various senior airline management positions at Norcanair, Time Air, Canadian Partner and Canadian Regional Airlines.  Tracy was the co-founder of C.T. AeroProjects, a Calgary based consultancy focused on air transport resource management, working with a wide range of public and private aviation clients around the world.  From 2007 to 2012 Tracy was the President of Canadian North Airlines.  In May 2013 Tracy was appointed as the President of KF Aerospace and became President and CEO in August 2021. 
 
Tracy is a lawyer by training (University of Saskatchewan, 1982) and in 2009 graduated from the John Molson School of Business Global Aviation MBA program at Concordia University.  She is the 2007 recipient of the John Molson School of Business MBA Scholarship and was inducted as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society in 2009.  Tracy is the Past Chair of the Air Transportation Association of Canada and the first woman in Canada to be inducted as an Honorary Life Member of ATAC.  She also sat as a Director of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) and was a member of the University of British Columbia, Okanagan External Advisory Board.  Since 2003 she has served as a part-time member of the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada (TATC).  Tracy is the current Chair of the Fortis BC Board of Directors and the current Chair of SkyAlyne.
 
Tracy also served in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves as a Signals Officer from 1975 to 1981.  She has two sons and enjoys golfing, cycling and learning to play the piano in her spare time.
 

Paula Quinn

As an Officer of the KF Centre for Excellence, Paula is responsible for the successful management of day-to-day operations and administration according to the strategic direction set by the Board of Directors and the President. She also serves on the Board of Directors, and participates in developing a vision and strategic plan to guide the Society to achieve its purpose. Paula’s mandate includes developing the Society with best practices for leadership, self-education, operational planning and management, corporate duties, HR, financial planning and risk management.