Dave Donaldson - Chair
Dean, School of Business, Algonquin College
Dave Donaldson assumed the position of dean at Algonquin College’s largest school (and the largest school of business in eastern Ontario) in 2007. He is a member of the Tourism Development Council of Ottawa Tourism and a past director with that Organization. The Vice President of Fund-raising with the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa, he is also co-chair of the Bon Appétit Silent Auction and a director with Bon Appétit. Prior to joining Algonquin, he was dean of Hospitality, Music and Business at Vancouver Community College where his industry work included Vice Chair, Professional Development, BC Restaurant and Food Services Association, Vice Chair/Treasurer, Council of Tourism Associations and Director, Tourism Vancouver.
Dave was a member of the Yes 2010 Steering Council which generated the first vote endorsing the Olympic Games by a nominated city and was a founding principal in Stars4SUCCESS, an award-winning unique partnership with downtown Vancouver hotels which retrained street youth. In addition to teaching and managing at the post-secondary level, he has been a marketing practitioner with Huronia Historical Parks, Ontario, Procter and Gamble, Microtel Learning Services and a range of consultant projects from cruise travel agencies to restaurant operations and to leisure videos. Dave has been recognized by the Canadian Association of Food Professionals with an Educational Excellence Award and the Food Executive of the Year for both Vancouver and western Canada and by the BC Chefs’ Association with an award for excellence in long-term service to that group. He has a Bachelor of Education degree from McGill University and a MBA from Simon Fraser University.
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Mark Sutcliffe - Vice Chair
Writer, Broadcaster – CEO Great River Media
Mark Sutcliffe is an Ottawa writer, broadcaster, entrepreneur and community leader. Mark writes several columns a week in the Ottawa Citizen on business, politics and sports. He also hosts the Chat Room, a daily talk-show on 580 CFRA, The Week, a Sunday morning national political television show on CPAC, and Talk Ottawa, three times a week on Rogers TV. A serial entrepreneur, Mark started his first business when he was 18 years old. Mark is currently majority owner and CEO of Great River Media Inc., which publishes the Ottawa Business Journal, the Kitchissippi Times, iRun and The Voice, the magazine of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce. Mark was previously a member of the Ottawa Citizen’s senior management team and was also CEO of InBusiness Media Network. A committed volunteer and fundraiser, Mark is a past-chair of the board of United Way Ottawa, and served in the United Way campaign cabinet for six years. He was the chair of the Great Canadian Theatre Company for eight years. Mark is currently an advocate for mental health issues and a member of the board of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health. In 2008, Mark was named Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year at the Ottawa Philanthropy Awards and Volunteer of the Year by the GCTC. Mark has completed 11 marathons and is currently completing a book about running that will be published in 2011. Mark has personally raised more than $50,000 for local and national charities with his running and other fundraising efforts.
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Keith Parker - Vice Chair
President, The Proposal Centre
Keith Parker is the President and Founder of The Proposal Centre. The Proposal Centre creates proposals that win business from the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and other public sector institutions. Keith advises clients in a diverse range of industries, and has adapted proposal management best practices to suit the needs of small and medium-sized companies looking to maintain and/or increase their share of government business. In 2008 The Proposal Centre was awarded the ‘New Business of the Year’ Bronze award by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.
Keith was named a ‘Top Forty Under 40’ Recipient by the Ottawa Business Journal in 2009. In addition to his current role as Vice Chair, he has sat on the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce since 2010. Previously he has held the roles of Chair and Member of the City of Ottawa Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee (2004-2006) and was named to several City of Ottawa Public Advisory Committees. As President of the Riverside South Community Association (2004-2005) he welcomed and built strong relationships between the association and the growing roster of businesses operating in the community.
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Michael Crockatt - Vice Chair
Vice President, Business Development & Marketing, Ottawa International Airport Authority
Michael Crockatt joined the Ottawa International Airport Authority as Vice President, Business Development & Marketing in July 2006. Michael’s responsibilities include marketing new air services for Ottawa to passenger and cargo airlines, commercial development within the terminal and on airport lands, customer service, international air policy, and passenger facilitation.
Michael is a member of the Board of Directors with both the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and Ottawa Tourism. With Ottawa Tourism, he serves as Vice Chair of the Board, Chair of the Sales and Marketing Council, and as a member of the Tourism Development Council. Michael serves on several committees with the Canadian Airports Council, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Skal Ottawa, and the Airports Council International-North America. In 2010, Michael was a recipient of the Ottawa Business Journal Forty Under 40 Awards. In his previous involvement with the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, Michael was named Chairperson of the Year in 2003 for his leadership with the Chamber’s Transportation and Logistics Committee. Michael is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, with a Master's degree focusing on the aviation industry and regional economic development.
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Marie Boivin - Vice Chair
Managing Partner, Accu-Rate Corporation
Marie's experience and studies in economics and human resources led her to creating the most profitable commercial division in Accu-Rate Corporation where she presently holds the position of Managing Director. She is the President of Accu-Rate Corporation USA and Parallèle Nord Sud France SARL, a French-based payments solutions company. Her ability to develop partnerships with banks around the world has helped hundreds of large and small businesses in Canada launch into international markets. Marie finds economical solutions for businesses and governments who require currency exchange and transferring of funds around the globe.
Marie has a Masters Degree in Business Administration, is a fellow of the Canadian Bankers' Institute, and is also a member of various local associations. She presently holds a position as Cabinet Member on the 20/20 campaign of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation. Marie has travelled the globe and has personally developed partnerships with banks for clients. Her hands-on approach has built the trust and knowledge Canadian businesses are looking for with international transactions. The Globe and Mail, CTV News and other media outlets have often resourced Marie for her expertise and understanding on foreign currency.
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Jeffrey Sullivan - Treasurer
Partner, Collins Barrow Ottawa LLP
Jeffrey Sullivan was born and raised in Ottawa, and graduated from Carleton University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and went to work for the predecessor firm of what has since become Collins Barrow Chartered Accountants. Jeffrey obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1983, and in 1991 he became a partner in the firm. In 1999 he obtained his Certified Financial Planner designation. Jeffrey’s primary focus is on providing accounting and advisory services to owner-managed businesses, along with comprehensive tax and tax planning services related to corporate, personal and estate income taxes.
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Craig Bater - Board Secretary
Partner, Augustine Bater Binks LLP
Craig Bater and his wife Annette have lived in Orleans for almost 30 years. Craig graduated from Queen’s Faculty of Law in Kingston, Ontario in 1982. He has been working as a lawyer in Ottawa in private practice since that time. Craig started his legal career with a small suburban law firm in Orleans where he carried on a general residential real estate and litigation practice for many years. He is now one of three partners in the Ottawa law firm of Augustine Bater Binks LLP which focuses on civil litigation in connection with commercial, construction, family and estate litigation.
Craig’s firm was honoured to be awarded the 2007 Gold award for Professional Services by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce. Craig served for 7 years on the Board of Directors of the Orleans Chamber of Commerce, with three of those years as President. Craig has served on the board and as legal counsel to the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce since 2008 and was appointed Vice Chair during 2010. Craig has been a member of Orleans United Church for over 25 years and during that time served in a number of official capacities including Chair of Council and Chair of Trustees. Craig enjoys boating,traveling, and is an outdoors enthusiast. Craig has seven stepchildren and is a grandfather of three.
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Tim Redpath - Immediate Past Chair
President, Train of Thoughts
Tim is President and founder of Train of Thoughts, an Ottawa-based strategic marketing consulting firm that offers counsel and action in the areas of strategic planning, marketing audits, market development and communications. He has over 25 years of marketing experience, working on projects that build corporate awareness, transform organizational marketing effectiveness, generate new business opportunities and plan and structure corporate marketing operations.
He earned his MBA from Thames Valley University in the UK and a BSc Honours degree from the University of Birmingham. He is a part-time lecturer at the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University. Tim lives in Ottawa with his family and is active in the local community through Scouts Canada as a Venturer advisor, as well as being a soccer coach and a hockey trainer. Tim has also been very active in Ad Astra, a local group raising money for Child Haven and other charities. He enjoys creative writing, camping, golf, hockey, movies and cricket.
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Erin Kelly - Chamber Executive Director (ex offico Director)
Erin Kelly began her career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a journalist and new media producer, launching the country’s first broadcast news streaming website, CBC Newsworld Online. Following the successful launch of Newsworld Online, she joined Newbridge Networks affiliate Televitesse Systems, a high tech media streaming company based in Kanata. She continued to innovate in emerging technologies at Bell Canada where she headed a number of product development teams including Bell Sympatico, Voice-over-Internet Protocol, Internet TV and the Sympatico-MSN portal in partnership with Microsoft. While at Bell, Erin also worked in the mergers and acquisitions group integrating the operations and cultures various smaller companies into the larger corporate unit.
Most recently she headed Bell’s ICT division for the 'Small and Medium Business Unit'. Erin is the published author of two business books and continues to write about business strategy and technology innovation for trade publications and popular media. Erin is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and has an MBA from the Université du Québec à Montréal. In 2009 she was a recipient of Ottawa’s Top 40 Under 40 Award.