EDANL 2019 Election

The Economic Developers Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (EDANL) is electing a new Board of Directors this week, to be ratified at its Annual General Meeting on May 30.

EDANL’s Board of Directors is comprised of eight (8) volunteer members. Seven (7) are elected for two-year terms, with the Past-President position automatically designated.

The election will take place online starting Tuesday, May 21 and concluding 5:00pm on Friday, May 24. Candidates listed below appear in alphabetical order by their last name. On the ballot, candidates will appear at random.

Board of Directors Candidates

The following ten (10) candidates have been nominated for the election of seven (7) Director positions.

• Kai W. L. Bath
  
  Kai Bath (Ec.D, CEcD ) has worked with the Federal Governments Departments of Secretary of State, Services Canada. Worked with the City Of St. John’s, NL as Manager of Economic Development and Tourism for 13 year, the Towns of Hr. Grace/Carbonear/Victoria/Salmon Cove, NL, the City of Prince Albert, thye town of Nipawin, Saskatchewan and the Provinces of Prince Edward Island, the Government of Nunatukavut (Labrador Métis). He was President for 15 years of KOCH Consultants and Associates, a Newfoundland and Labrador community development consulting firm. A past director/owner of InfocusMedia, past chairman/owner of NL/PEI Timothy’s World Coffee. He is a former President of the Economic Developers Association of Canada, Past Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Economic Developers Association and a Director for Newfoundland on the Atlantic Canada Tourism Council and Chair of the Atlantic Canada/ New England Cruise ship Association. Mr. Bath attended Memorial University of Newfoundland, Simon Fraser University of British Columbia and University of Waterloo. He is currently finishing his Certification International Trade Professional designation (CITP).
  
• Denise Cornick
  Business Growth Advisor (Avalon)
  Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs (NLOWE)
  
  Denise Cornick has been working in the St. John’s entrepreneurial ecosystem since 2008. Throughout her career, she has helped hundreds of individuals start and thrive in their businesses. In recent years, Denise has been working with the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs (NLOWE) as a Business Growth Advisor, where she works one-on-one with female entrepreneurs in the Avalon region to help advance their companies. She also facilitates several successful Mastermind groups, where NLOWE members meet to provide each other with support and peer-advising. Denise holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, a diploma in Supply Chain and Logistics, and has an avid interest in helping her clients overcome the unique challenges that women entrepreneurs face.
  
• Kieran Hanley
  Executive Director
  Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA)
  
  Kieran Hanley graduated with an MBA in Community Economic Development from Cape Breton University this May. He acquired his Certificate in Economic Development from Waterloo University in 2016, and a Bachelors of Commerce from Dalhousie University in 2007. He is a certified Business Retention and Expansion Coordinator.

  Kieran was elected to EDANL’s Board of Directors in 2017, and has worked hard since that time to contribute to the success of the organization. He designed and maintains the organization’s website, coordinates the newsletter, and was the lead in bringing the EDAC Year 1 University of Waterloo training to St. John’s this June. If elected again, Kieran would like to focus his efforts on the creation of a provincial training program for NL economic development practitioners, and build capacity within the organization to ensure it operates for many years to come.

  Kieran is the Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA), where he pursues economic development from the sector perspective. His work in this regard is both at the firm and overarching sector-level, including: supporting startups and entrepreneurship; contributing to the productivity and competitiveness of firms; fostering innovation and commercialization; driving international business development; providing training and professional development; and formulating advocating policy priorities – all towards the development of clean technologies and the growth of the green economy in the province.
  

• Roseanne Leonard
  Managing Director
  NL Association of Community Business Development Corporations
  
  Roseanne has a background in business (BComm and MBA) but feels that she has benefited most from project management (MCPM) and governance education and training. In her current role, Roseanne works for approximately 120 Volunteer Board Members and 70 staff. Welcome to the world of CBDCs! CBDCs are autonomous corporations that want to help grow small businesses in Atlantic Canada, and in Newfoundland and Labrador there are 15 diverse CBDCs. Important to note that part of Roseanne’s job is also to help support Metro Business Opportunities in many of the same areas.

  Since 2001, Roseanne has worked in this dynamic network in many capacities, all with a goal of helping CBDCs in our province achieve their mandate. Everything from advocacy, to project development and to communications is part of what she does, in supporting CBDCs and MBO with business development.
  

• Jennifer Penney
  Economic Development Officer
  Town of Paradise
  
  Jennifer is a Certified Economic Developer (Ec.D.) through the Economic Developers Association of Canada, having also acquired a Certificate of Economic Development through the University of Waterloo as part of the designation journey. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University. Jennifer has over 15 years of economic development experience, specializing in business development and retention and community analysis. She is a member of the Economic Developers Association of Canada, as well as ex-officio board member for both the CBA Chamber of Commerce and the Mount Pearl–Paradise Chamber of Commerce.

  Jennifer was elected as Vice President of the Economic Developers Association of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2017 and has worked hard during the term to contribute to the organization’s success. She has been committed to raising the profile of the organization though building quality relationships, striving for timely correspondence, consistent branding and being attentive to the organization’s mission. Jennifer has contributed to the delivery of a successful conference last year, webinars and fostering sponsorships and partnerships.

  Jennifer is passionate about EDANL, and would love the opportunity to continue to serve on the Board of Directors for the next term, encouraging a strong, vibrant network of practitioners across the province, and continuing to build capacity within the organization.
  

• Cassie Pittman
  Manager of Marketing, Communications and Economic Development
  City of Mount Pearl
  
  Cassie Pittman is the Manager of Marketing, Communications and Economic Development at the City of Mount Pearl, reporting to Mount Pearl’s CAO, Steve Kent. Cassie serves on the leadership team and oversees implementation of the City’s strategic plan including the continued development and evolution of Mount Pearl’s smart cities initiatives under the A1Next platform and new economic development action plan.

  Before joining the City of Mount Pearl, Cassie was the head of Marketing and Commercialization Strategy for Solace Power, a global wireless power start-up. Her portfolio includes ten years of experience working in complex product development and communications with global investment firms based in Toronto, Boston, London and San Francisco and four years as the head of strategy and planning for a Newfoundland based marketing agency. In her spare time, Cassie teaches entrepreneurship at Newfoundland’s largest public college, the College of the North Atlantic.

  Cassie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and is currently completing a master’s Degree in engineering and technology management from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
  

• Kristy Sheppard
  Director of Economic Development
  Nunatsiavut Government
  
  Kristy resides in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Newfoundland and Labrador. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Masters of Arts in Tourism Management.

  Kristy is a senior manager with the Nunatsiavut Government, the Inuit self-government in Northern Labrador. Her career spans ten years and has been focused on community development. As Nunatsiavut’s first Director of Tourism, she helped establish the region as a tourism destination. In 2016, Kristy transitioned into the role of Director of Economic Development. At the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference in June 2017, she was recognized as one of 250 up-and-coming leaders in Canada and is active in industry organizations ranging from social enterprises (SmartICE) to Inuit Crown Corporations (Nunatsiavut Group of Companies).
  

• Margo Soucy
  Executive Director
  Cabot Community Business Development Corporation
  
  Entering her 18th year with the CBDCs, Margo Soucy has the opportunity to serve in various capacities to assist small to medium size business owner’s advance in their respective fields.

  She has been involved with several Chambers of Commerce across the province, and has served as President of the Conception Bay Area Chamber since 2013 and also serves as Treasurer with the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Lond Pond Harbour Authority of Conception Bay South, and in an ex-officio capacity with the Downtown CBS Business Improvement Association. She has also been volunteering with Junior Achievement and the Canada Revenue Agency Community Volunteer Income Tax Program for the last sixteen years.

  Margo holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Certificate in Public Administration from Memorial University of Newfoundland, a Non-Profit Management Certification from Mount Royal University, a Financial Management Certification from St. Mary’s University and an Advanced Leadership Certification from the Gardiner Center, among other accounting and business related certifications and courses. She is currently completing certifications in International Small Business Counselling and International Trade Training.

  She is looking forward to developing her and her team’s economic development experience, and has registered her and the CBDC Cabot Development Officers for the Year One Fundamentals of Community Economic Development training taking place next month.

  In her spare time she enjoys reading, running and volleyball and chasing her active preschooler.
  

• Rhonda Tulk-Lane
  Providing Solutions | Fixer
  St. John’s Board of Trade
  
  Rhonda’s job is to help business succeed.

  Rhonda enjoys the challenge of wearing many different hats – human being, wife, mother of two, alumni of the Governor Generals Canadian Leadership Conference, Former Chair of the Community Sector Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, past president of the Public Service Toastmasters Club, lobbyist, and motivational speaker. Eclectic in both her tastes and interests, she has been successful in a number of professional positions.

  Success oriented herself, Rhonda is equally concerned with helping those around her achieve success in their lives by providing mentorship and guidance.

  To this end, her best advice is to stay positive and have an “I CAN ATTITUDE”. Past President of Positive Thinkers Club, St. John’s Chapter, Rhonda truly believes that hard work and a positive attitude will change your world and get you where you want to go!
  

• Ashley Verge
  Central NL Coordinator
  Connector NL
  
  Ashley Verge is the Central Region Coordinator for Connector NL, a networking program that helps new residents and new graduates find connections in their industry and region – Connector NL is a St. John’s Board of Trade program. Through Connector NL, she has partnered with chambers and local industries to promote the region and its opportunities. In addition, Ashley assists with Board of Trade events and their Business Solutions team, actively promoting AIPP to members and businesses across the province.

  Ashley’s past experience includes working in post-secondary career services and being a provincial non-profit representative. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Memorial University and is currently completing the Community Investment Professional Extension Certificate through Mount Royal University. Ashley is proud to be working and living in Central NL.