January 2005 - January 2008
Major General Woods was born in Darling’s Lake, Nova Scotia in 1936. After graduating from high school in Yarmouth in 1953 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) under the Regular Officer Training Plan. He studied civil engineering at the University of New Brunswick, graduating in 1957 with distinction and awarded the Ketchum Medal.
During his early military career he was employed in construction engineering on radar stations, operational air bases, and at command headquarters of the RCAF in Canada and Europe. After completing Canadian Forces Staff College in Toronto he was posted to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering at CFB Chilliwack where he was put in charge of military engineering officer training. This was followed by four years in Air Transport Command in Trenton, Ontario, first as Senior Staff Officer Quartering and later as Base Technical Services Officer at CFB Trenton.
In 1974 Major General Woods was posted to National Defence Headquarters where he served as Director of Military Engineering Operations and Acting Director of Construction Engineering Requirements. In 1976 he became Deputy Chief of Staff Construction engineering at Maritime Command Headquarters in Halifax.
Later in his 37 year career, and following graduation from the former National Defence College in Kingston, Ontario, Major General Woods served in a number of senior military positions including- Secretary of Staff at Headquarters, Allied Forces Central Europe in Brunssum, Netherlands; Base Commander of CFB Chilliwack; Chief of Staff Support at Air Command Headquarters in Winnipeg; and finally, Chief of Construction and Properties at National Defence Headquarters.
After retiring from the Canadian Forces in 1990 he worked for a number of years as a consultant in the field of environmental management.
Major General Woods served as Honorary Colonel of 4 Airfield Engineering Squadron from 1993 to 1998 and is currently a member of the Air Command Advisory Council.
He is also a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia and the 883 (RCAF) Wing of the Air Force Association of Canada.
Major General Woods lives with his wife Carole in Kelowna, British Columbia. He enjoys golfing, downhill skiing and gardening.