Regional Knowledge in Action - Rural Vitality From Surviving to Thriving

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Rural Vitality From Surviving to Thriving - An Eastern Ontario Perspective, May 2008

Rural Vitality Conference

Rural Vitality - From Surviving to Thriving- An Eastern Ontario Perspective was held on May 21 – 23, 2008 at the Ambassador Conference Resort in Kingston, Ontario. The premiere conference of the new partnership between the Prince Edward and Lennox and Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PE/LA CFDC),The Monieson Centre at Queen's University School of Business and the Fulbright US-Canada Scholar Exchange Program.

Below is a list of conference speakers and their bios.

Speaker Bios

Senator Hugh Segal is the former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Canada and Associate Secretary of the Ontario Cabinet, Hugh Segal is one of Canada's better known public policy experts.

Louise Paquette has been the Director General for FedNor for the past 10 years. As well she manages the Community Futures Development Program for all of Ontario, which includes 61 development corporations.

Dr. William Riemer is the Director of the New Rural Economy Project at Concordia University. For 30 years he has conducted research with a rural focus, with a particular focus on social inclusion and exclusion.

Charles Fluharty is the Founding Director of the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI), the only national policy institute in the U.S. solely dedicated to assessing the rural impacts of public policies.

Lee Munnich, senior fellow, directs the State and Local Policy Program. He focuses on transportation policy, regional economic development, quality strategies for government, and state-local fiscal policy.

Donna Mitchell is an Executive Director at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. Prior to that she was the Director General of Human Resources Development Canada.

Judi Baril is currently the Executive Director for the United Way of Leeds and Grenville. She is also the founding member of S.G.D.H.S Alumni Association and the Kinette Club of Prescott.

Andrew Redden is the Economic Development Manager for Hastings County and a Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners (MCIP). Also, he holds the Certified Economic Developer (Ec.D.) professional designation.

Brian Stratton is the CEO of Junior Achievement Eastern Ontario. As such he has worked with thousands of youths in helping develop, market, and license youth business, economic, and entrepreneurship educations programs in Eastern Ontario.

Ken Knox is the President, CEO of Innovation Institute of Ontario (IIO). Prior to this position Ken work several years for the Ontario Government, six of them as the Deputy Minister.

Dr. Mary Robertson Lacroix is the General Manager of the Ontario Agricultural Museum. She also became the first Rural Community Development Coordinator and now heads the Innovative Rural Communities Project.

Mark Saunders is the Director of Fun at Saunders Farm. He looks after the general management, sales and marketing of Saunders Farm, which is an award-winning 100-acre farm 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa, Canada.

Andy Mitchell is the CEO of Greater Peterborough Community Futures Development Corporation. Andy has a broad background in politics. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Parry Sound Muskoka in 1993 and served in that capacity for over twelve years.

Dr. J.C. Spender is a Fulbright Scholar with Queen’s School of Business. He has held faculty service positions all over the globe and has had numerous private sector positions including a sales manager, Merchant banker and VP of Marketing and Strategy.

Kaia Miller is the CEO of Aslan Global, a Boston-based consulting firm advising governments, business people, and community-based organizations in developing economies on competitiveness and economic development.

Deborah Kimmitt formed her own company, Wit with Wisdom, in 2002 and delivers keynotes and seminars for organizations across Canada and the United States. Her unique combination of Wit with Wisdom has been honed over 25 years.

Carol Layton was appointed the Deputy Minister of the Ontario Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal (PIR) on October 24, 2005. Carol’s first appointment of Deputy Minister was with the Ministry of Citizenship in 2003. She was also the Deputy Minister responsible for Senior’s and Women’s issue.

Kathy Wood is the President and CEO of Natural Capital Resources. Kathryn has a strong understanding of the relationship between an organization’s operating environment and the bottom line.

Jim Whaley is the Chair of The Ontario Rural Council (TORC). He is a seasoned health care executive and health systems planner with recognized expertise in the planning, organization and delivery of rural health services.

Chris Cope works for the City of Ottawa as an Economic Development Consultant. He has been heavily involved in several "business friendly" projects at the City including connectivity projects set out in the City's Broadband Plan.

Dr. Michael Best research focuses on information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social, economic, and political development. In particular, he studies mobile and Internet-enabled services and their design, impact, and importance within low-income countries of Africa and Asia.

Dr. Robert Annis is actively engaged in many community-based development organizations and research activities. He is vice chair of the Canadian Consortium of Health Promotion Research, past chairperson of the Board of Community Futures Partners of Manitoba, chairperson of the Board of Wheat Belt Community Futures, co-chair for Pan West Community Futures Network of Western Canada.