In Focus | Wes J. Forgione of Porrelli Law

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Wes J. Forgione

What do you always find yourself saying?
I often say to myself in my internal dialogue: “If it can be done in 2 minutes or less, do it now.” “Confront uncomfortable situations regularly.” and "Buy local"

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors and Space X. If you don’t know who this man is, you need to do some research. He is doing revolutionary work in the areas of alternative energy development and space travel. Mr. Musk is an example of how the limitations we place on ourselves are only fiction. We can literally do anything we want if we can move outside of our self-imposed limitations.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Nobel Peace Prize, although I recognize I haven’t done anything to deserve that yet.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
I would like to spend a day with Martin Luther King. I would like him to teach me to be a better leader and how to create a positive vision and to inspire others. I would also like to learn how he stayed so strong while facing such overwhelming odds and adversity.

Who inspires you?
Fearless speakers;
My girlfriend Caia, and my sheltie Hanna;
My mom;
Elon Musk;
Martin Luther King

What are three things on your bucket list?
Spend time volunteering at an animal refuge in Africa;
Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef;
Open a small ethical butcher shop;
Open a sanctuary for old dogs.

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
The day I get to travel in space!

What are you passionate about?
Canada, alternative energy development, animals, my legal practice (development/real estate, business, wills/estates), fitness, the outdoors and nature.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
When I mustered to the courage to take a risk and co-found a technology venture here in the Kelowna.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
Salted Brick or RauDZ. In addition to the amazing food, I love that they use fresh ingredients locally grown and sourced from local farms. I also feel that the consumer receives substantial value considering the very high quality food and ingredients.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
The natural beauty and recreation Kelowna offers blows me away. I really can’t choose. I love hiking, snowboarding, snowshoeing, mountain biking, the beaches. One thing I hope to see in Kelowna going forward is the development of a nice long strip of accessible and pedestrian friendly beachfront, with little bars and restaurants and shops and what not. The lack of such a public beach is a major planning oversight in my opinion.

What is the name of your business/organization?
Porrelli Law

What does your business/organization do?
We are a law firm with a focused practice in the areas of First Nation land development, real estate, business law, and wills/estate planning.

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.porrelli.ca

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
Wes Forgione

What is your Twitter account?
@porrelli_law

What is your mission?
We believe clients should receive expert advice and guidance that not only meets their needs, but also in a manner that provides substantial value.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
I would like to figure out how to move the profession away from reliance on paper as the method for storing documents and files. It is so wasteful.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
Continuing to grow and providing expert counsel and service to our surrounding communities.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
I would consider my boss and mentor, Barry Porrelli, to possess particular expertise in the area of native land development, which happens to be one of the main focuses of our firm. Barry has built a sterling reputation in the Okanagan and nationally. In fact, Barry has been asked to consult for native bands across Canada on the issue of native land development.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Integrity
Insight
Efficiency

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
There aren’t many of us, but to Nancy, Dianne, Brenda, Naomi, Rebecca, Danielle, Lisa and Lindsay, thanks very much for welcoming me as a member of the team at Porrelli Law. Our office is always positive, helpful and the wealth of experience blows me away.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
Porrelli Law has been directly involved with a substantial amount of the development that has taken place in our community. Through that involvement, I believe we are helping our community grow and prosper with beautiful places to live, amenities, and places for businesses to set up shop. I believe these efforts are helping to raise the profile of our community both nationally and internationally.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
I would want them to be experts in the areas of technology and alternative energy development. I would want to discuss how best to transition Canada’s economic growth focus to technology and innovation, much like Germany.

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
I am going to take a liberty here and suggest two changes. Kelowna needs a long and connected community beach system with shops and restaurants. The current beach organization is disjunctive. Downtown needs to continue to be developed in a tourist/pedestrian centric manner.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The natural beauty and outdoor recreation!

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Caia Wojnarowicz at Hemmerling and Associates.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!