At the May 23rd. Annual General Meeting Susan Morrissey was introduced as the Incoming Chair of the Board of Directors. Tamer Fahmi has joined the Board as the Chamber of Commerce and Burlington Downtown representative. All other members have remained on the Board for another term.
Meet our Board
Tourism Burlington is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors who represent various sectors of the tourism industry in the city. They meet from September to November and January to May on the third Thursday of the month at 8 a.m. The Board of Directors are elected at the Annual General Meeting held in May of each year.
Board members 2009-2010 (see Bios below)
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Drew Furtney - Treasurer - Accountant
Mayor Cam Jackson - Council representative
Councillor Rick Goldring - Council representative
Janet Whitehouse- Chamber representative
Don Jess – Aldershot BIA representative
Mark Gregory - Burlington Economic Development Corporation representative
Grahame Richards - Citizen at Large
Jason Stoner – Accommodations representative & Burlington Downtown representative
Julie Sutton - Yardley – Arts/Events
Alison Rath – Attractions representative
Bill Leslie - Food & Beverage representative
Michael Zuccherato - Convention/Travel Trade/Transportation representative
Gord Langford – Burlington Hotel Association representative
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- Executive Director - Association Secretary
Board Member: Susan Morrissey Position: Chair – Executive Committee Years on Board: 4
Susan is a long time resident and supporter of Burlington and has been actively involved in many aspects of this community. She brings to the board expertise in administration, and human Resources as well as volunteer experience with events that promote the City of Burlington. For thirteen years Susan was involved with Burlington's Sound of Music Festival as a volunteer, committee chairperson, Director and President of it's Board of Directors. Some of her other community involvement has been with Rotary Ribfest, Burlington's Canada Day Committee and a former member of the Burlington Teen Tour Band.
Board Member: Drew Furtney Position: Treasurer – Executive Committee Years on Board: NEW
Drew is a Chartered Account and Manager at Horne & Company LLP in Burlington. His volunteer experience includes being a Board member and Chair of the Finance Committee with his community church, Committee member for the Canadian Cancer Society and a coach of house league fastball team.
Board Member: Julie Sutton-Yardley Position: Arts and Culture Representative - Executive Committee Years on Board: 4
Julie’s hospitality and tourism career spans over 30 years. Combining her professional sales & marketing career with advocacy, volunteerism and the arts Julie has worked closely with hotels, destination marketing organizations, event planners, attractions, not for profit organizations and convention facilities. Previous roles include Toronto’s Westside Tourism Council Chairperson, Tourism Toronto’s Advisory Committee member, Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners, CSAE and the Travel Media Association. Local and regional involvement includes Burlington’s Sound of Music Festival, Jazz Festival, Performing Arts Burlington, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and Tourism Hamilton. Julie owns and operates JSY INNovations, specializing in hospitality and tourism marketing, media, promotion and sales. Julie currently works at the Halton Region Museum . Julie has been a resident of Burlington for 13 years.
Board Member: Bill Leslie Position: Food and Beverage Representative – Executive committee Years on Board: 5
Bill Leslie is a seasoned veteran in the hospitality field with over 30 years of restaurant, catering, hotel and tourism experience. Bill has held positions with CN as Director of Food and Beverage Operations at the CN Tower and Executive Director of Food and Beverage for Unihost, a hotel company with over 140 hotel properties. Bill returned to Burlington and with his partner Stephen Bell began Pepperwood Restaurants in 2000. They now own and manage seven venues in the greater Burlington area including Pepperwood Bistro, La Costa Nuova, Walkers Fish Market, Pepperwood at the Beverly Golf and Country Club, Pepperwood at the Burlington Art Centre, Rosewood Bistro in Mississauga and Pepperwood at Royal Botanical Gardens. Bill has been a Director on the Tourism Burlington Board for the last three years as well as being an active participant on the Burlington Downtown Parking Committee.
Board Member: Grahame Richards Position: Citizen representative Years on Board: 4
Most of Grahame’s business life was spent in marketing both in the public and private sectors. He has directed marketing functions and campaigns for medical services, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and food products. In the public sector, he led marketing initiatives to increase sales of Ontario Wines, Ontario Grown food products and Ontario as a Tourism destination. More recently he has developed and implemented a multi-million dollar international campaign to raise Ontario's image with international investors and thus increase foreign direct investment into the Province. As a community volunteer Grahame has served on the board of the Joseph Brant Hospital and Paletta Park Advisory Committee. Grahame is currently a member of the Tourism Burlington Marketing Committee.
Board Member: Mayor Cam Jackson Position: Council representative Years on Board: 3
Cam Jackson was elected the 27th Mayor of the City of Burlington in 2006. After serving five terms as a Halton School Board trustee. Cam Jackson served from 1985 to 2006 as MPP in the Ontario Legislature. Cam was appointed to Cabinet and served as Minister Responsible for Workers’ Compensation Reform; Minister Responsible for Seniors; Canada’s first Minister of Long Term Care; Minister of Citizenship with Responsibility for Seniors and Minister of Tourism and Sport. The Mayor also sits on the boards of Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Burlington Hydro, the Burlington Economic Development Corporation, Tourism Burlington, Team Burlington, the Charles Sturt University Teacher Education Advisory Committee, as well as the GTA Marketing Alliance and the Council of GTA Mayors and Chairs. Mayor Jackson is also a member of the Municipal Leaders for the Greenbelt.
Board Member: Councillor Rick Goldring Position: City Council Representative Years on Board: 3
Rick is the City & Regional Councillor for Burlington's Ward 5 area. He is a lifelong resident of Burlington and has been in business locally for 27 years. He is a Senior Financial Advisor with Assante Financial Management and is also a member and Past President of the Hamilton Chapter of Advocis, Canada’s largest association of Financial Advisors. Rick is also a former member of the Board of Directors of the Ron Edwards (Burlington) Family YMCA, the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore.
Board Member: Mark Gregory Position: Burlington Economic Development representative Years on Board: 2
Mark has over 25 years experience in the marketing communications field. He has helped shape or position a number of major tourism initiatives including Alberta’s Olympic legacy, the City of Regina’s highly successful city-focused, five-year tourism campaign and its popular Discover Us! and Dragon Boat Festivals. He served on the Boards of the Saskatchewan Science Centre and a Grey Cup Festival where he managed the efforts of over 1500 volunteers who worked on everything from civic ambassador to pageantry programs. Mark has lived in Burlington since 2004 and is the Vice Chair of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors.
Board Member: Don Jess Position: Aldershot Business Community Representative Years on Board: 1
Don is a founding member and Past President of the Aldershot BIA and Past President of the Burlington Network Group (BNG). Don has owned and operated ComputAbility on Plains Road since 1993 and has contributed to many community organizations and events in the community.
Board Member: Jason Stoner Position: Accommodation and Burlington Downtown representative Years on Board: 2
Jason has been in the hospitality business for 14 years working in Niagara Falls, Muskoka and most recently on the airport strip in Toronto for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as well as Intercontinental Hotels Group. In 2007 he won a Teamwork award from the Intercontinental Hotels. A certified Food and Beverage Executive (American Hotel and Motel Association), Jason has been a guest lecturer at George Brown College Hospitality Program. He is a member of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Burlington Hotel Association. Jason has been a Burlington resident for the past 7 years and joined the Tourism Board of Directors as the hospitality representative in 2007.
Board Member: Janet Whitehouse
Position: Chamber of Commerce Representative Years on Board: NEW (former Chamber rep on Tourism Board for 2006-7)
Janet is currently a Regional Director in Community Affairs with Bell Canada. In this position Janet interfaces with the community by sponsoring consumer and business events, such as the Burlington Sound of Music Festival, the Chamber Business Awards and events through southern Ontario. In addition to her role as Past Chair of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, she currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Oakville Chamber; Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation, and is the Chair of the hospital fundraiser, the Crystal Ball Gala; Halton Chairman's Roundtable on the Environment; the co-chair of the Hamilton United Way Mayors gala; sits on the Burlington professional Firefighters gala committee and was a past Director on the Sound of Music Board.
Board Member: Alison Rath Position: Attractions Representative Years on Board: 2
Alison started at RBG as an Events Coordinator and is presently the Manager of Tourism & Partnerships. Her career has included employment in management positions in Ontario’s festivals and events industry, with extensive experience with non-profit organizations and private corporations. Alison is also an active member of Festivals & Events Ontario, The Halton Tourism Advisory Committee and volunteers for several community events.
Board Member: Gordon Langford Position: Burlington Hotel Association representative Years on Board: 2 (plus past Chair and member for 11 years)
Gord has been in the Tourism industry for over 44 years and has been actively involved in Tourism in Burlington for 14 years. Gord was on the Tourism Board of Directors Executive and was Chairman of Tourism Burlington for 3 years. While on the Board, he was also the Tourism Representative on the Board of Directors for the Burlington Chamber of Commerce for 10 years and on the Chamber Executive for 5 of those years. Gord was also an advisor on the Tourism Transition Team responsible for developing Burlington’s Tourism Service Delivery model. Gord is the founder and Chairman of the Burlington Hotel Association. This organization collects Destination Marketing Fees to enhance the marketing initiatives of Tourism Burlington to promote Burlington as a tourist destination. Gord was presented with the Tourism Ambassador Award by Tourism Burlington in 2007.
Board Member: Michael Zuccherato Position: Travel Trade, Transportation representative Years on Board: 4
Michael is President and General Manager of Educational Travel Services (ETS) located in Hamilton, Ontario. Founded in 1978, this tour operator builds custom excursions for student, youth and group travellers to destinations across North America. Michael has worked for Regent Holidays and Hola Sun Holidays before joining ETS in 1994. He has a BBA in Business Administration, and a Business Marketing Diploma from Sheridan College. Michael serves the tourism industry as a board member of Ontario Motorcoach Association and is Chair of their Tour Operator Committee.
Board Member: Mary Nichol Position: Sport representative Years on Board: NEW
Mary is the former Executive Director of the Burlington Gymnastics Club, retiring from this position in 2008. Mary is still very active in the community, as a Director with the Burlington Sport Alliance and continuing to assist with special projects in gymnastics.
Board Member: Barbara Teatero Position: Arts, culture, heritage representative Years on Board: NEW (previous member prior to 2005)
Barbara has been with the Burlington Museums for 25 years and currently is the Director, bringing a wealth of experience in the arts, heritage and culture sector to the Tourism board. She has served on a number of boards and committees throughout her career including the Ontario Museum Association, Canadian Museums Association, Burlington Heritage Week, Heritage Umbrella Group and Parks and Recreation Ontario.
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