UPDATED: 2:45 p.m.

A former CAO of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District has resigned from his board of governor positions with Thompson Rivers University.

Sukh Gill had held positions of chair of TRU’s finance committee, audit committee and is on the advisory committee for investments.

He had parted ways with the TNRD a year ago, and a year-long investigation by Kamloops This Week was published last week which showed he spent $517,000 in taxpayer money in his last five years in power. Much of that spending was on luxury hotels, fine restaurants, coffee shops, golf courses and other high-end discretionary locations. Most of the spending was outside of regular work hours.

Yesterday, NL News reached out to TRU to ask about Sukh Gill’s status in board positions where he oversees finances.

“Sukh Gill has resigned from the Board of Governors at Thompson Rivers University,” a statement from the school said this morning.

“The Board of Governors thanks him for his service over the last two years. No further comment will be provided on Mr. Gill’s resignation.”

There was no indication by TRU of any wrongdoing by Gill in his roles at the university.

The B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Kris Sims was asked what kind of message it sends that Gill has resigned from his roles at TRU where he oversees finances.

“Well hopefully it is a message that henceforth, this is a wake-up call, for both local politicians and for taxpayers. We need to pay better attention to what is going at the local level. Not just at local city governments, but at these boards. The regional district boards, the university boards.”

TRU senior communications consultant Todd Hauptman says at the university, board of governors do not have access to corporate credit cards and expense forms must be sent in to be reimbursed. Hauptman says reasonable expenses for committee members are covered, the same as they would be for employees.

Sims says it remains murky exactly why he has resigned today.

“Hopefully, the university boards will come forward as to why this resignation happened. And there could be a very clear reason for it. So we’ll have to wait and see.”

NL News reached out to Gill today and has not received a phone call back.

Editor’s Note: This story previously insinuated that Sukh Gill may have had access to cash while serving as a board of governor at TRU. In response to questions from NL News, the university has confirmed that was not the case. That reference has been removed.