Gordon Planes (Hya-Quatcha)

Gordon Planes (Hya-Quatcha) brings to 149MKM's Advisory Board something that cannot be taught, the perspective of a leader who has sat in the Chief's chair for 16 years, made the hard decisions, and delivered results for his community over the long term. His counsel is rooted in lived executive experience leading a Nation, not theory.

Before entering community leadership, Gordon built a career on the land and sea, working as a logger, commercial fisherman, pipefitter by trade, and Backcountry Operations Manager with Pacific Rim National Parks Reserve. That grounded background shaped a leadership philosophy built on self-reliance, long-term thinking, and doing what actually works for people on the ground.

Elected Chief of T'Sou-ke Nation on southern Vancouver Island from 2008 to 2024, Gordon led his community through a 100-year planning process anchored in energy autonomy, food and water security, language revitalization, and economic development. Under his leadership, T'Sou-ke became internationally recognized as Canada's most solar-intensive community and a model for Indigenous-led sustainable development.

Gordon has also served as Chair of the Board at Xyntax, an Indigenous-owned technology and financial management services company serving over 100 First Nation governments. He remains actively engaged in Indigenous leadership, serving as a Director on the Lands Advisory Board overseeing First Nations land management across Canada, and as a Regional Organizer on the executive team of the Western Indigenous Pipeline Group (WIPG). He is the 2021 recipient of the BC Achievement Foundation's Indigenous Business Award for Lifetime Achievement.