Our Annual General Meeting, held in October at Toronto’s downtown Hilton, was an exciting, lively event punctuated by personal connections, informative and significant discussions, shared stories and achievements, and familiar faces. The occasion also saw a new CJA Board of Directors voted and accepted by the members.

The CJA is pleased to announce the appointment of Angela Betteridge as the new Chair of the Board for 2023-2025. For more about Angela and her vision for the CJA, please follow this link. 

Angela Betteridge is joined on the Board by the following:

• Past Chair: Gail Golberg, Custom Creations by GG, Toronto, Ontario
• 1st Vice Chair: Chau Lui, Paris Jewellers, Edmonton, Alberta
• 2nd Vice Chair: Geoffrey Beattie, Barclay’s Fine Jewellers, Victoria, BC.
• Director & Member of Executive Committee: Marco Pasteris, Birks Group, Montreal, QC
• Director: Mark Devereaux , Jewelers Mutual Group, Neenah, Wisconsin
• Director: Kevin Vantyghem, Vantyghem Diamonds, Kitchener, Ontario
• Director: Shant Purutoglu, Gem Lab Appraisal Services, Toronto, Ontario
• Director: Heather Davis, Stellar Gem Services, Kelowna, B.C.
• Director: Keith Jack, Keith Jack Inc., Vancouver, B.C.
• Director: Tom Hart, C.J. Ltd., Dartmouth, N.S.

View the full 2023-2025 board here.

AGM attendees were also guided through seminars on loss prevention, social media marketing, and retail strategy before awards were handed out to this year’s deserving recipients.

Carmen Rivet, of Bijouterie Rivet in Montreal, was the recipient of this year’s Chairman’s Award. Following a degree in business and marketing, Carmen earned her Graduate Gemologist Diploma from the Gemological Institute of America in 1982 and has been a Diploma Member of the Canadian Gemmological Association. Carmen has run her own jewellery store in Saint-Lambert since 1987, and is a highly sought after appraiser. Carmen joined the board of the Canadian Jewellers Association, serving as a director from 2000- 2006, and as President for the year 2004-2005, where she was instrumental in the fight to repeal the excise tax. Carmen was unable to attend the event and her good friend and Past President, Pierre Akkelian, accepted the award on her behalf.

The Erol Paylan award, presented during the current year to recognize a person or company who has made a significant contribution to the Canadian Jewellery, was presented to Duncan Parker, Vice President of Dupuis Fine Jewellery Auctioneers in Toronto. Duncan is a past President of Jewellers Vigilance Canada, and the past President and a regular instructor at The Canadian Gemmological Association. Duncan has worked as a jewellery valuer and diamond and coloured gem specialist for 30 years.

Members of the Peel Regional Police were on hand to receive the Crime Prevention Award for their tireless efforts in solving a string of jewellery burglaries in Ontario’s Peel Region, and bringing the suspects to justice.