Regional Stream Collaborative Innovation Panel Members

Dylan Boles joined the Ontario East Economic Development Commission in December 2018. He has experience working in Vietnam and Japan. Dylan worked for both the Canadian and Australian departments of foreign affairs. He holds a B.Comm from the University of Guelph and an MBA from Solvay Brussels School. Dylan grew up in the rural eastern Ontario community of Combermere in the Madawaska Valley. He now lives in Kingston with his wife Kasumi and son Kaito.

Barb Bolin retired as Principal of Sir Sandford Fleming’s Haliburton Campus (Haliburton School of The Arts) after a 36-year career during which the campus developed a national reputation for arts education as well as serving education and training needs of the Haliburton community. Barb has been involved through volunteer work with arts, environmental, tourism and economic development as a member of numerous private and public boards and committees. During her tenure with the Haliburton CDC, she has served on many committees and as Board Chair.

As an experienced Senior Manager in the Ontario Public Service, Ray Bonenberg has extensive experience in organizational delivery, conflict management, issues resolution and human resource leadership. With almost 30 years as a “people leader” and manager, Ray has accumulated a wealth of experience in effective human resource management. Ray is an active volunteer member of 4 Boards; one as Director, past vice chair and Committee Chair of various committee’s for the Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation.

Eoin Callan heads up the Upper Canada Equity Fund, which co-invests in innovative early stage enterprises, and serves as executive director of his local Community Futures organization. Eoin also acts as an advisor to the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing on their accelerator program for agtech and sustainable food ventures.

Amber Coville is connected to many facets of Valley Heartland’s efforts including Community Economic Development projects, entrepreneurship programs, and has a keen interest in fostering innovation and commercialization in rural communities. She works to ensure programming is responsive to the evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem and provides business advisory services, social media mentoring, hosts a business vlog, coordinates locally administered funding programs and co-facilitates a Food + Beverage Peer Group.

Amber is a member of the Lanark County Tourism Leadership Team, an Evaluation Panelist for Starter Company Plus, and a member of the Regional Economic Development Alliance of Lanark County and North Leeds. Previously, Amber held positions with Marketing Agencies and in Municipal Economic Development focused on tourism development and strategies to ease the transition of immigrants into the work force and rural communities.

Wendy Curtis is the Executive Director of Northumberland CFDC. A graduate of Queen’s University Bachelor of Commerce Honours program, Wendy lived for several years abroad in Mexico City where she served as Vice Chair of the Newcomers of Mexico, developing programs to assist 1,000+ members. She has served on several local and regional boards in Chairman and Director positions and is currently a Director of the Eastern Ontario CFDC Network Inc. Wendy is a multiple recipient of the Town of Cobourg’s Civic Awards and was named Northumberland Publishers’ Business Woman of the Year (2007). Wendy’s past career experience includes progressive management positions in the Consumer Products industry including as Director of Trade Marketing, Pillsbury Canada Limited.

David Fell is CEO with the Eastern Ontario Regional Broadband Network (EORN), a private/public partnership extending broadband networks for rural residents. He formerly was Vice President, Founder and Co-owners of the award-winning, e-learning software company Operitel. He is past Chair of the Greater Peterborough Economic Development Corporation (GPAEDC) and current Chair of the United Way of Peterborough and District. He completed his Executive MBA at Queen’s University and is a co-author of The Mobile Learning Edge: Tools & Technology for Developing Your Teams Wherever They Are (McGraw-Hill, 2010).

An active Trenval Board Member and Secretary-Treasurer, Chris Frazer is a Chartered Accountant (Retired) and former CEO and Treasurer of large multi-national chemical distribution company. He serves as Treasurer of National Air Force Museum of Canada, former National Treasurer for Recreational Aircraft Association and retired member of the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants. Chris also serves as a Director for the VON Quinte.

Darren Gallacher recently joined Grenville CFDC as the Business Loans Officer, responsible for the development, promotion, maintenance, delivery, and reporting of the business loan services, business advice services, and business grant programs of the Corporation. Darren has over 25 years’ experience working in the Canadian chartered banking system, including eight years as an Account Manager of Small Business.

Adam Hayward is an entrepreneur, Chair of the Kawartha Lakes CFDC Board of Directors and an active community volunteer in Lindsay, Ontario.

Pam Horan has worked with Business Development Bank of Canada for over 19 years in several different roles including coaching, business development, credit underwriting, credit adjudication and branch management. Currently, she is the Regional Partnerships Manager for Ontario. Pam has a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Relations from McGill University and has recently become certified with the Risk Management Association.

In April 1994, Diana Jedig left her position of 5-1/2 years as General Manager of the Brant CFDC to take on the task of being the first Executive Director for the OACFDC.  Her direct experience with the Community Futures Program has been a key strength in ensuring the Association responds to the needs of its members and in identifying issues that might affect the organizations.  She was recognized in 2003 for her contributions to rural CED as the co-winner of the Mary Robertson Rural Distinction Award.  Diana continues to volunteer her time with the Community Futures Network of Canada and as the Past-President of the Canadian CED Network. 

She has an undergraduate Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree (‘82) from McMaster University and a Masters in Business Administration (‘84) from the University of Western Ontario, Richard Ivey School of Business.  In 2004, she attained a recognized international professional designation as a Certified Association Executive (CAE).

As the Executive Director of CF Eastern Ontario, Vince Killen provides direction and leadership for the achievement of private sector growth and job creation across the region while pursuing the objectives of the Government of Canada’s Community Futures Program and also acts as a spokesman for the corporation in the promotion and delivery of the Network’s programs and services which includes the SOFII Program in Eastern Ontario. He is an accomplished strategic economic development and financial services professional and plays an active role in funding and commercialization in knowledge based industry sectors, in turn creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to expand into global markets and increase Ontario’s market share for products and services in the global economy.

Gail Moorhouse believes in building strong relationships first and has a 20 year history of helping technology partners in the IT industry. She has worked for the top corporations like Ingram Micro, HP, Tech Data and Microsoft. She is the National Channel Manager at Catalyst Finance and has developed some unique financing programs to assist IT resellers with transitioning their business and clients to cloud solutions. She has three Microsoft certifications and can provide training on Microsoft Office products. Gail is a Professional Sales Trainer and specializes in aligning sales messaging with client buying behaviours. As a DiSC Behavioural Facilitator she provides behaviour assessments, reports and workshops to assist in hiring, sales conversations, bench-marking and team building.

Marshall Pyatt has worked in senior financial positions of Canadian multi-national corporations including includes 15 years of international business experience as Director of Finance and Legal covering operations in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Macau and the Philippines and as COO for Country Operations in Mongolia and North Korea. He returned to Canada several years ago settling first in Beaverton, where he has been involved in community activities, and now lives in Georgina. Marshall joined the board of South Lake CFDC in 2008, remained active as a committee volunteer when his term expired, and rejoined the board in 2015.

Brett Prikker is a Commercial Manager - Major Accounts for the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) with over 25 years’ experience supporting and assisting SME’s. After graduation from Sir Sandford Fleming College in Marketing, Brett was the Small Business Consultant for the Entrepreneurship Centre where he assisted entrepreneurs with business plans, start up guidance, government support and referrals to key resources. Within BDC he has had numerous roles, and has worked with many different businesses and organizations across Southwestern Ontario. Brett moved to Sydenham in 2001 with his wife Meredith and two children.

Tom Russell is Executive Director of the Thousand Islands Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) responsible for day-to-day operations, including administration and financial accounts management, to delivery of economic development activity (including the EODP). Raised in a family of entrepreneurs, Tom graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He has 30 years of experience in both the public and private sectors in Eastern Ontario and lives in Ivy Lea.

Mary Lynn Rutledge has lived in Bancroft since childhood and was surrounded by an entrepreneurial family. After attending George Brown College in Toronto, Mary Lynn returned to her rural roots, working at Scotiabank in Bancroft for 15 years doing both lending and investments. Starting at The Bancroft Community Futures in 2005, as Investment Manager and in 2012 became the Executive Director. Mary Lynn also serves on the Board of Governors of Loyalist college, completing her 6 term, currently Chair of finance Committee.

The President and owner of Comsep Filtration Inc. in Chute-a-Blondeau, Ontario, Bruce Smith is Chair of the Eastern Ontario CFDC Network, Secretary Treasurer of the Prescott-Russell CDC Board of Directors and Secretary Treasurer of the Prescott Russell Entrepreneurial Academy. A graduate of the Devry Insitute of Technology and University of Oklahoma, the design and distribution of filtration products involves him with a wide variety of manufacturing, mining and natural resource industries and the Canadian military. Past experience includes international consultancy and sales management for international corporations. He is a part-owner in several private businesses and an active community volunteer.

Lesley Thompson has served as the Executive Director of Cornwall & Counties Community Futures Development Corporation (CCCFDC) since 2015. Prior to her involvement with the CCCFDC, Lesley followed her passion for entrepreneurship by running a small company while she obtained her degree from the University of Guelph and then by serving entrepreneurs at the Business Development Bank of Canada as a Senior Commercial Account Manager.

Lesley is the Fund Manager for the Community Venture Capital Fund, she Chairs the Cornwall Innovation Centre Board, is an active member of the Food and Agriculture Advisory Committee, The Agri-East Lowlands Board, the Community Futures Ontario East Board as well as several other committees serving the Region.

She continues to grow her personal real estate portfolio and enjoys applying her passion for design and renovation to her rental units. Together, with her son Angus, she enjoys being a tourist in her own town and exploring all her vibrant community has to offer.

In both her personal and professional life, Lesley is dedicated to creating, supporting, and implementing projects that will promote improved collaboration and bring greater prosperity both to her local region of Akwesanse, Cornwall, The United Counties of SD&G and to Canada as a whole.