A BUILDER.
A DAD.
A NEIGHBOUR.
A first-time candidate with a record of building local organizations, bringing people together and being accountable for outcomes.
I’M NEW TO ELECTED OFFICE.
I’M NOT NEW TO RESPONSIBILITY.
I’m a Collingwood entrepreneur, husband and dad to two young boys. My wife, Michelle, is a school teacher. We chose Collingwood to raise our family and have been actively involved in the community from day one.
I’ve spent much of my career building things and bringing people together. I’m the founder of Tenure, BenchFund, Collingwood Eats and Techskis, all started here in Collingwood with different goals: building technology and supporting youth sports to strengthening local businesses and bringing business leaders and investment into our community.
Community and sport are a huge part of my life. I’ve been a proud member of the Optimist Club since moving here, founded the Collingwood Volleyball Club and Collingwood Flag Football, and spend a lot of my time coaching local kids in hockey, soccer and baseball.
LEADERSHIP ISN’T DOING EVERYTHING YOURSELF.
It’s building strong teams, developing people and trusting them to lead. The common thread through everything I’ve done is simple: I like building things, bringing people together and finding better ways to solve problems.
A Collingwood entrepreneur, husband and dad to two young boys. Four businesses started here, a student union run at twenty-three, and most weekends on a court or a field with somebody else’s kids.
FANSHAWE STUDENT UNION2007 – 2009
I was elected President of the Fanshawe Student Union at Fanshawe College in London — a full-time, paid position, not a volunteer one. A student union is structured the way a municipal government is: a president elected by the people it serves, a board answerable to them, and a budget raised from fees everybody pays. I chaired that board, was the organisation’s chief spokesperson and signing officer, and dealt with municipal, provincial and federal government on its behalf.
- $5 MILLIONOperating budget
- 150+Employees
- 5Vice-presidents reporting to me
- FULL-TIMEAnd paid, for two years
WHAT HE HAS BUILT
- ATMOSIA2026 – nowAn event management platform. Speakers, sponsors, agenda, attendees, check-in and budget in one place instead of six disconnected tools. Founder.
- TENURE2023 – nowAn employee recognition and rewards platform. Rewards people choose themselves and put towards their own financial goals rather than another gift card, wired into the HR tools a company already uses. Founder.
- PAYD2019 – 2023Helping families save for and pay off education costs. Founder and CEO. Taken through The DMZ and the MaRS Discovery District.
- BENCHFUNDSoftware for organized sport. Registration, payments, scheduling, finances and communications for clubs and provincial associations, in one platform instead of five. Founder.
- COLLINGWOOD EATSAn app for this area: what is open, what is on, and what is worth the drive. Restaurants, patios, events and live music from Collingwood to Thornbury, Wasaga, Stayner and Meaford, in one place. Founder.
- TECHSKISTwo days at Osler Bluff that bring founders, investors and industry leaders to this area — and their attention and their investment with them. Founder.
- HR IN TECH CRAWLA moving one-day event in Toronto for HR leaders, founders and operators — several venues, one bus route, and the conversations that usually only happen in corridors. Founder.
LEADERSHIP ROLES
- FANSHAWE STUDENT UNIONVice President of Athletics before being elected President — sponsorships and partnerships, and new programmes taking athletics out to students and the wider community.
- COLLINGWOOD VOLLEYBALL CLUB2023 – nowFounder and President.
- MORCARE INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE2015 – 2020Director of Sales.
- WESPEAKSTUDENT2009 – 2020National Sales and Marketing Director, after joining as Marketing Manager. Eleven years, and the company sold while he was there.
IN THE COMMUNITY
- COLLINGWOOD VOLLEYBALL CLUB2023 – nowFounder and President. Over 300 members across recreational, intermediate and competitive leagues, plus beach, pick-up and tournaments.
- COLLINGWOOD FLAG FOOTBALLFounder. Youth flag football for U10 to U16, running its first season this autumn.
- OPTIMIST CLUBMember since moving to Collingwood. The club has been raising money for children in this area since 1986.
- MINOR HOCKEY, SOCCER AND BASEBALLCoaching local kids.
- MOHAWK AND SHERIDAN COLLEGES2009 – 2017Assistant coach, men’s varsity volleyball.
RECOGNITION
- JOAN HOMER LEADERSHIP AWARDThe top student leadership award across Ontario’s colleges.
None of this is municipal government, and this is the first time I have run for anything here. What it is: budgets that had to balance, payroll that had to be met, staff and volunteers who had to be led rather than instructed, and organisations that still run whether or not I am in the room. That is most of what the job of mayor actually asks for — asking what something costs before agreeing to it, sequencing work so it can be paid for, and being the person who answers for the result.
THE JOB IS TO
BRING PEOPLE
TOGETHER.
A mayor doesn’t need to pretend to know everything. The job is to make sure the right questions are asked, the right people are heard, priorities are clear and responsibility for results is visible.
FAMILY.
COMMUNITY.
SERVICE.
