For the first time in its 73-year history, the Truck Loggers Associationhas elected a female president — a first for any logging association in B.C.

But for Jacqui Beban of Qualicum Beach, getting elected on Jan. 14 was a natural fit as she has deep roots in the industry.

Her great-grandfather, grandfather and father all owned logging companies, as well as her grandfather on her mother’s side of the family.

“It was a huge part of my life,” Beban, 40, told On the Coast host Gloria Macarenko.

“At six weeks old I took my first trip to a logging camp. Those were our summer vacations, we were at the logging camp,” she said.

When she graduated from high school at 18 she took a job in an office of a logging company.

As she took on more responsibility and began understanding the operations of work camps, she remembered her fondness for them.

“I didn’t realize how fortunate I was to grow up in this industry. Everybody knew everyone, they looked out for you, and you just had a little more freedom to go and explore things that you can’t do in cities and lot of kids don’t have opportunity to do.”

At just 24-years-old she became the general manager of her family’s company, Frank Beban Logging, after starting as the “parts girl.”

She is currently a partner at Nootka Sound Timber, a company she co-founded in 2011.

Beban was previously the vice-president of the B.C. Truck Loggers Association, and said everyone has been supportive of her taking on the helm.

“I think the TLA is really embracing change in a lot of the things they’re doing right now, and having a woman as their president is one of the things that they’re embracing. It’s exciting to be in the industry right now.”

For her two-year term Beban said she wants to continue the association’s emphasis on building relationships with Indigenous peoples.