Fort St. John Mayor Lori Ackerman is the new president of the Northern Medical Program Trust.
Ackerman was named to the position during the North Central Local Government Association convention, held earlier this month in Quesnel. She takes over from Fraser Fort George Regional District Chair Art Kaehn, who had been president since 2009. Vanderhoof Mayor Gerry Thiessen is the new vice-president.
The NMPT board also approved $176,000 in spending this year from the $7-million trust, with 80 per cent going to medical students taking their training in northern B.C. to become physicians or nurse practitioners.
Funds this year will also support a pilot "weekend shadowing program" designed to expose first and second-year medical students to medical practice and lifestyle in various northern B.C. communities.
