Maxine DeHart moved to Kelowna from Calgary in 1971 after receiving her Business Studies Diploma from Mount Royal College in her Calgary, where she grew up. Shortly after arriving in Kelowna she began a 13 year career with Scotiabank.
From the Bank, Maxine moved to the Ramada Hotel in 1985 and is still working at the Hotel as the Director of Sales. Her other occupation is as a Business Columnist for the Kelowna Capital News. Her column “Straight from DeHart” covers the weekly happenings in the Kelowna business and not-for-profit communities. Maxine contributes all of her salary from the column to local charities.
Maxine has been a tireless community supporter and 2011 has been no exception. This was the 14th year of the Annual Maxine DeHart – United Way, Ramada Hotel Drive-Thru Breakfast, a well know, popular event that raised over $40,000 in just three hours. In total it has raised well over $500,000 for the local United Way and its agencies.
In 2008 Maxine also Co-Chaired the Okanagan Family AIDS Walk with British Columbia’s Lt. Gov. Stephen Point, and the event was a great success raising over $40,000.
Over the years Max has served with many community organizations, such as four years on the Board of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, the last two as Vice-President. During the first two years, Maxine was responsible for the Membership Development Portfolio. Kelowna’s Chamber membership grew to be the largest in BC at the time.
In 1997, Maxine accompanied Mayor Walter Gray, representing the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce as Vice-President with a City delegation to Kasugai, Japan, Kelowna’s sister City.
Maxine served on the Central Okanagan United Way Board as a Director for 10 years. She Chaired the 1998 Central Okanagan United Way Campaign. The campaign surpassed its goal of $600,000 by about $69,000. This adds up to the largest yearly increase in the 49 year history of the Central Okanagan United Way. As a result, Maxine was awarded the 1999 Community Award – Citizen of the Year.
Maxine has served on the Board of Directors of the United Way Annual Golf Tournament, she was a founding member of the Kelowna Exceptional Service Under the Sun Award, and spent 4 years on the Board of Directors of the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation.
She is the recipient of the 2007 United Way Award of Distinction, and in 2002 received both the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and the YM/YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Community Leadership and Enhancement.
She is currently serving on the following boards:
-National RCMP Foundation (Ottawa)
-Certified Management Accountants of British Columbia (Vancouver)
Maxine is married to Chris DeHart, who is a Business Development Executive for Tac Mobility in Kelowna. Her hobbies include golf and walking and she is an avid supporter of the Kelowna Rockets and the Okanagan Sun Football Team.