nGen Board of Directors

 

• Patrick Gedge
• Douglas Kneale
• Marti Jurmain
• Michael Mays
• Joe McCallum
• David Oakes

 

Patrick Gedge

Chief Executive Officer, Niagara Economic Development Corporation

Patrick Gedge was appointed as CEO of the Niagara Economic Development Corporation in May of 2004.  NEDC provides strategic business leadership to Niagara in order to grow the existing economy and attract new investment to the region.

Previous to this appointment, Mr. Gedge held senior management positions in the tourism and financial services industries including Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Canadian Tourism Commission; Managing Director, Travel Alberta; and Vice President and General Manager, American Express Canada.

Mr. Gedge graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with an Honours B.A. in Economics and Political Science, followed by post-graduate studies at the Université de Montréal.

Mr. Gedge lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake with his wife Marjorie and two daughters, Laura and Emma.

Douglas Kneale

Dean, Faculty of Humanities at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario

Dr. Kneale is an accomplished scholar from the University of Western Ontario who joined Brock University as the Dean, Faculty of Humanities in 2010. Kneale has taught in UWO’s Department of English for 25 years, including five years as Chair of the department. Kneale earned his PhD in English from the University of Toronto, and holds a MA and BA from the University of Western Ontario.

Dr. Kneale oversees the Departments of: Applied Linguistics; Canadian Studies; Classics; English Language and Literature; Great Books/Liberal Studies, History; Intercultural Studies; Medieval & Renaissance Studies; Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Philosophy; the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts which includes Dramatic Arts; Music, Studies in Arts & Culture;  and Visual Arts. Also under his leadership is the Centre for Digital Humanities and the Interactive Arts and Science program, which has been integral in the formation of nGen - Niagara Interactive Media Generator.

Kneale is an award-winning professor who also brings considerable amount of administrative experience to his new position, having sat on numerous committees at Western including the Appointments, Promotion & Tenure Committee and the Budget and Development Committee.

Marti Jurmain

Director, Research and Innovation at Niagara College, Ontario, Canada

In her portfolio, she is the major institutional leader responsible for furthering the research priorities and building the capacity and culture for research at the College.  Working with both academic and non-academic units in the College, Marti promotes research initiatives, administers grants, leads applied research activities, and develops research and related policies and procedures.  She is responsible for public and private sector partnership development in support of research and innovation activities, and for liaison with funders and associations linked to research.  

Marti has been a founding member of the nGen initiative on behalf of Niagara College.

Marti holds a Master of Arts degree and an undergraduate honours degree in English as well as teaching certification from the University of Western Ontario.  She has held a number of positions at Niagara College, including  faculty, academic director, and director of new product development.  Marti has been active in various provincial and Canada-wide committees related to education, literacy, labour adjustment, and college level research.

Michael Mays, Vice Chair

Vice President of Finance, Silicon Knights, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Mike is experienced with businesses in rapid growth situations, where hands-on knowledge of capital markets, cash management, and implementation of internal controls is essential.

Prior to joining Silicon Knights, Mike had over 18 years of professional experience as a CFO/Vice-President, Corporate Controller and Supervising Senior at KPMG Boston. Other positions that Mike has held over the years include; Principal – CTS Partners & VP Finance/CFO – Control Delivery Systems Inc out of Boston MA.

He holds his CMA and attended the University of Windsor, graduating with Honors in Business Administration (HBA). Mike also belongs to the following professional associations: Society of Management Accountants of Canada as well as AICPA – The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA).

Joe McCallum

Partner at Heelis, Williams, Little & Almas LLP (HWL&A), St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Joe joined HWLA after completing his articles in the Ottawa office of a large Bay Street labour and employment firm. He has enjoyed the opportunity to return to practice in his home town and has focused his practice in the areas of business law and employment related litigation.

Joe is Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Solo Small Firm General Practice Committee, was a member of the OBA task Force on changes to the Human Rights Code and sat on the OBA Task Force examining the litigation process as it relates to wrongful dismissal.  He is also a regular sessional lecturer in Human Resource law at Brock University in the Faculty of Business.  Joe also teaches in the business development program at Niagara College and acts as the Honourary Solicitor to the St.Catharines - Thorold Chamber of Commerce.  In his spare time he enjoys his volunteer service on various Boards and in community sports programs and spending time with his children.

Prior to practising law, Joe was proud to serve the residents of St. Catharines as a professional firefighter for more than ten years.

David Oakes, Chair

Director of Economic Development and Tourism Services for the City of St. Catharines

David Oakes was educated at Brock University with a B.A. in Environmental Economics and at the University of Waterloo with a Masters in Local Economic Development. He has been with the City of St. Catharines since 2000.  Over that period, the department has won in excess of 20 awards in economic development and tourism at the provincial, national and international levels.

Oakes is a member of the Economic Development Association of Canada, Economic Development Council of Ontario and International Economic Development Council.  He is a member of several Board of Directors including Niagara Grape and Wine Festival, Destination Niagara and nGen - Niagara Interactive Digital Media Generator, where he holds the position of Chair.  A certified economic development professional David is a happily married father of two who enjoys golf, curling and reading.