Welcome to Campus Stores Canada On-Line
News from Campus Bookstores
New Hires
Manager - Georgian College Bookstore
Campus Stores Canada would like to extend a welcome to welcome Kim Stubbs to the position of Manager with the Georgian College Bookstore. Congratulations Kim!!
Retires
Brian Genge - Camosun College Bookstore
In 1972, at the tender age of 21, Brian Genge opened the 'window' on the first Camosun College Bookstore as a business class project. Perhaps tellingly, the store's first till was salvaged from a local liquor store. The store was a success and numerous expansions resulted as the College grew. At an 'informal' meeting with Brian Mitchell in Toronto, the idea for a Western Canadian campus store association was born. In 1980 Brian chaired the first meeting of the WCCSA in Vancouver and became its first president in 1981. In addition to providing guidance and encouragement for each subsequent WCCSA board, he is perhaps best remembered as the official photographer over the next 20 years of WCCSA meetings. Rumors persist that his early retirement has been partially funded by the sale of negatives from occasional 'shenanigans' at Lake Louise & Whistler.
His mantra has always been honesty, integrity and service. He proved that the size of the store does not limit the contribution that can be made to the industry and the community.
The highlights of his career include:
1980-81 - Founding President of the WCCSA
1985-92 - Faculty for numerous NACS store management training sessions
1989-93 - Board member of CSREF (now NACS foundation)
1991-93 - CSREF President for two terms.
1991 - CBPC Bookseller of the Year
1992 - Promoted to Director of Physical Resources & Ancillary Services for Camosun.
Brian is now the Project Director of the Pacific Sports Institute at Camosun College. Building this exciting and challenging project will take him to his well deserved retirement in the summer of 2008.
On a personal note, Brian is the father of a fine son, Jamie, and is married to Cathy, who is also a WCCSA past-president (although he's fairly adamant that was not a prerequisite, this is further proof of his caring, supportive attitude towards his industry colleagues!)
Brian is still an active community volunteer in Victoria. Most notably, he volunteered to prepare the stadium for the FIFA U-19 Women's World Cup soccer matches in 1992. The success of that event led to his acting as Vice-Chair of Stadium and Grounds for the inaugural FIFA U-20 Men's World Cup in June of 2007. He and his team built a world class stadium and soccer pitch which surprised and impressed the delegations from around the world that attended and played at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria this summer.
This excerpt, by Penny Grows, is from Brian's 1991 CBPC Bookseller of the Year award:
"One of the visionaries of the industry, Brian Genge personifies what a college store manager can contribute. While developing and maintaining exemplary service within the store …, he has been one of the forces behind the development of the CBA/CBPC Joint Task Force …contributes to the development of the WCCSA and is a significant figure in NACS. He still finds time to develop and maintain an atmosphere of friendship and support for colleagues, academics, publishers and booksellers alike. For his commitment to excellence, for his openness & honesty and for all his contributions to the college store and the bookselling community, we salute him, with pleasure."
