Speaker bios

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Our speakers are listed in alphabetical order:

Andrew Daggett, CAO, Town of Montague

Andrew Daggett (Andy) has been the Chief Administrative Officer of Montague, PE since March of 2007, making him the longest serving CAO since Montague went to the Council/CAO system of governance. Before that he was CAO of his home community of Grand Manan, NB for 5 years. He put himself through university by operating heavy equipment, drove tractor trailer for 5 years after completing his BSc majoring in Psychology, and spent several winters working in the woods. When not working on his wife’s “honey do” list or getting beat up by his 6 year old son, he enjoys being active in his church and helping out with several local organizations including Rotary, the Community Foundation of PEI and the Just Being Kids Youth Centre Committee.

Alan Duncan, Executive Officer, Results Management

Alan Duncan is an international finance executive and academic leader who currently runs Results Management in Charlottetown PEI.  The former Dean at the School of Business at UPEI, Alan entered academia after an extensive career as senior executive with more than  25 years in the international financial services and pensions industries. As a Board member and executive, he has focussed on establishing new businesses in new and expanding markets. Alan has leveraged his financial and multi-faceted operational background to design and implement operational and financial controls, procedures and management reporting structures to provide a solid base for organisations to succeed and grow.  He is currently project managing the Charlottetown Chamber’s Island Advance Task Force initiatives.

Jennifer Gillivan, President and Chief Executive Officer, IWK Health Centre Foundation

The IWK Health Centre Foundation is the primary fundraising and outreach partner of the IWK Health Centre, which provides critical and specialized care to women, children, youth and families throughout the Maritime Provinces. Since becoming President and CEO in 2012, Jennifer Gillivan has led the IWK Foundation to achieve the highest fundraising revenue in its history – $20 million annually.

Born and educated in Dublin, Ireland Jennifer immigrated to Canada in 1982. Over the years, Jennifer has become an accomplished strategist, a motivational leader, a mentor to hundreds, and a smart executive known nationally for great ideas, and great results. Jennifer is an active community volunteer; she is a Board member for Churchill Academy, the Greater Halifax Partnership, and the Canadian Children’s Pediatric Hospital Foundations Board. Jennifer was awarded as one of the TOP 50 CEO’s for Atlantic Canada for 2014.

For more information on the Foundation go to: www.iwkfoundation.org

Doug Griffiths, co-author of  “13 Ways To Kill A Community”

Doug Griffiths is an Alberta author with a keen interest in community development.  He is the co-author of the tongue-in-cheek, “13 ways to Kill Your Community”, which an online book review describes as “a must read book for anyone who is involved in community development at the local level.”  The book was penned after he visited more than 400 smaller communities and discovered similar challenges in all of them. He has spoken widely on this topic, including last year at PEI’s Georgetown Conference and finds his audiences almost always recognize their own locales as he provides insights and suggestions to enhance community prosperity.

Paul MacNeill, Publisher, PEI Canada.com and Island Press

On Twitter, Paul describes himself as a PEI weekly newspaper publisher, political junkie, commentator and dad.  Paul owns and operates Island Press Limited which was established as a family owned enterprise in 1963 by Jim MacNeill with the creation of The Eastern Graphic. Also in the company are The West Prince Graphic, the bi-weekly Island Farmer and the Atlantic Post Calls, the voice of harness racing in the Maritimes. These weekly newspapers are among the most honoured in Atlantic Canada including awards from the Atlantic Community Newspaper Association, Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Atlantic Journalism Awards and the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors.

In 2013, Paul co-chaired the Georgetown Conference, a conference on the future of rural Maritime lifestyles.

Don Mills, Chairman and CEO, Corporate Research Associates

As Chairman and CEO, and Co-founder of Corporate Research Associates, Don is one of Canada’s leading public opinion and market research professionals with more than 35  years in the industry.  He is a qualified expert witness in the field of public opinion and market research and has appeared before numerous boards, commissions and judicial courts, including the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.  Don is frequently a guest commentator on radio and television on public opinion issues.

Don was inducted into the Atlantic Business Magazine Top 50 CEO Hall of Fame in its inaugural year in 2005. As well he was selected 2001 Business Person of the Year in Metro Halifax by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and was runner-up in 2006. In 2009, Don was named Fellow of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association of Canada (FMRIA) and has received the Bishop’s University Award of Merit in 2009, one of only 20 to ever receive this award.

Darrin Mitchell, Manager, Trout River Industries

Darrin Mitchell is the Manager and co-owner of Trout River Industries.  Trout River is located in Coleman, PEI and manufactures live bottom trailers that are shipped across the globe.  Darrin spends half of his working time- meeting with customers on some of the biggest infrastructure projects around the world. While the other half of this time is devoted to working with a team of professionals to continue to grow a company the Island can be proud of.

Mayor Pam Mood, Town of Yarmouth

Pam Mood smiles as she refers to her seaside hometown of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia as the “best piece of real estate on earth”. She is in her first term as Mayor and firmly believes that the answers to those questions plaguing communities will come from the people and that it’s imperative we tap into that amazing resource. The old way of doing things is gone, “status quo” will kill us, and it’s time for each of us to step up or step back. Pam is a graduate of Acadia University, spent the first 18 years of her career with the RCMP and since 2000 has been owner and CEO of Pam Mood Consulting. She is a leadership expert and delivers high-energy, impactful keynotes and seminars/workshops internationally on those things that make our businesses and communities thrive, encouraging all to step up to their potential. Her tell-it-like-it-is approach and sense of humor breaks down walls and allows much-needed action-oriented information into our lives!

Jeff Poirier, President, Vector Aerospace Engine Services – Atlantic

Jeff Poirier joined Vector Aerospace Engine Services-Atlantic in 1993 within the company’s accounting department and eventually moved into a supervisory role with the company’s Material Control Department.

In 2000, Jeff was selected as a member of the startup team within Vector’s Customer Service group for the PT6A Engine line.  He progressed in various roles within Customer Service and later promoted to Group Leader of Customer Service.

In May 2006, Jeff was promoted to the Director of the Customer Service Department.

In February 2008, Jeff was promoted to the role of Vice President of Customer & Technical Services, assuming new responsibility of the engineering team in addition to those associated with leading the Customer Service department. Responsibility for Vector’s international Service Center network was added to his portfolio in 2009.

Today, as President of Vector Aerospace Engine Services-Atlantic, Jeff oversees a team of more than 635 employees worldwide.

John Rowe, President – Island Abbey Foods & The Timeless Group of Companies

John L. Rowe is President of Island Abbey Foods Ltd. and the Timeless Group of Companies. Island Abbey Foods Ltd. is a family owned and operated business. The company’s first product, the Honibe – Honey Drop® was John’s brainchild, and he has lead its research and development since he first conceived the idea in the late 1990’s while on a camping trip in Whistler.

John Rowe has considerable experience in launching new products: over 20 years of engineering experience in product design, development and successful market rollout including 250 innovations and 1,000+ licensees around the world.  The key to John’s success has always been the team he has surrounded himself with.

In 2014 The Timeless Group of Companies received the honour of being named one of Progress Magazine’s “The Best Places to Work” in Atlantic Canada.  The list names companies with the best practices among our region’s employers as graded by their own employees.   John also received the distinction of being named one of Atlantic Business Magazines Top 50 CEO’s for 2014.

Mike Thususka- Economic Development, City of Summerside

Michael Thususka, Director of Economic Development for the City of Summerside, has been working in the field of Economic Development for the past 14 years, five of which have been with the City of Summerside. Mike is the primary Economic Development contact for the City of Summerside, prior to that he was the Commercial Development Officer for the City of Brampton and has been practicing economic development for 20 years.

In addition Mike has been an active member of the Economic Developers Association of Canada since 1991 and has sat on the National Board of Directors since 1998, and a past president of the association.

To register today, call 902-436-9651 or email info@summersidechamber.com