Regional Stream Collaborative Innovation Panel Members

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.

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).

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

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.

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.

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 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.