COMMUNITY FUTURES DEVELOPMENT - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Business and Loans Advisor

Cindy Viner is the Business and Loans Advisor at Community Futures Middlesex. Cindy owned and operated her own successful business for over 16 years and understands what it takes to be an entrepreneur. This first-hand knowledge and experience helps her relate well to business leaders throughout our region, understand them and provide the supports they really need. Cindy holds a Chartered Professional Managers designation (C. Mgr.) with the Canadian Institute of Management.

Job Titles:

• President of the Board of Directors
• Retired Executive

Fraser Macdonald is a retired executive in the banking industry after having a lengthy career at senior levels in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. Fraser's extensive experience includes managing branch networks, commercial and personal credit, audit, compliance and operations. During his bank tenure, he also served as President of the Mutual Fund and Insurance subsidiaries of the bank and served as Vice President of the International Mergers and Acquisitions Division. Known for his dedication to client service, Fraser is a welcome addition to our team, joining the board in early 2020 and representing the Township of Adelaide Metcalfe.

Jim Dick is a recent retiree, concluding his career as a Senior Manager - Team Lead, and Business Development Lead, in Southwestern Ontario for CIBC Commercial Banking. With extensive experience in banking, finance, and leasing through organizations such as BDC, BMO, GE Capital, De Lage Landen, and Bombardier Capital, Jim brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. He has a deep appreciation for the Community Futures program and is eager to leverage his professional network to benefit the local community. A graduate of McMaster University, Jim resides in Ilderton, proudly representing the Municipality of Middlesex Centre on our board. He enjoys golf, competitive curling, and has previously participated in a number of charitable events such as Kids Help Phone, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Wellspring, and Mission Services London. Jim was also a previous Director with the South Huron Chamber of Commerce.

Job Titles:

• Treasurer of the Board of Directors

Joel Aalbers, CPA, CGA, is a Partner and Business Advisor with MNP's Assurance and Accounting team in Strathroy and Arkona, serving all of Southwestern Ontario. Joel works closely with his clients to help them keep their businesses current, competitive and profitable, delivering sound advice and solutions customized to their unique needs. Joel helps businesses and corporations in a variety of industries, including agriculture, agri-business, manufacturing and construction. Joel brings extensive knowledge of government farm support and income stabilization programs to his agricultural clients. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), qualifying as a Certified General Accountant (CGA) in 2014. He joined our board in 2016, representing the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Secretary

Keith Crawford is a Partner with McFarlan Rowlands and represents the community of Southwest Middlesex on the Board of Directors. He brings considerable business and agricultural knowledge to clients in order to assist them in addressing their commercial insurance needs. Keith grew up on a beef and cash crop farm in the Glencoe area where he learned about hard work, community, and where your food comes from at an early age. He currently resides just a few minutes from the original family farm. Prior to beginning his career in the insurance industry, Keith worked in an information technology environment, dealing with commercial businesses surrounding the implementation of hardware and software to add function and increase efficiencies. Keith became a valued member of the CFDC Board in May 2020.

Job Titles:

• Senior Vice President for Advice

Ke vin Boersma is currently the Senior Vice President for Advice and Operations for Mainstreet Credit Union. Mainstreet Credit Union has multiple offices serving rural communities within Chatham-Kent, Huron, Lambton and Middlesex County. Based out of the Strathroy Office, he leads a diversified team responsible for member experience, financial advice/sales across retail, commercial and wealth channels, branch networks, operational administration support, internal audit and anti-money laundering. Born and raised on a cash-crop farm outside of Mt. Brydges, he currently resides with his wife Tara and two kids in Adelaide-Metcalfe. Giving back to the local community has always been very important to him. He has volunteered in a number of ways; coaching minor hockey, as a Board Member and Finance Committee Chair for a local private school, through previous involvement with local business associations and more recently as a member of the Strathroy Rotary Club. Kevin joined our Board in August 2022 and looks forward to helping us build awareness for our programs and services.

Kevin Daltrey is a retired Information Technology (I.T.) professional. Starting in 1977, he enjoyed a 40-year career with 3M Canada, holding various positions supporting and managing infrastructure technologies, later acquiring his Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Before launching his I.T. career, he obtained his diploma in computer programming from Fanshawe College. Kevin went on to gain extensive experience with computer technologies, project management, leadership and process improvement. After his retirement, Kevin started working two part-time jobs with 3M Canada and Racing Forensics Inc. His community involvement includes volunteer work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County and the Salvation Army's annual Christmas Hamper Program. Kevin's hobbies include digital photography and playing the acoustic guitar. He is also an avid pilot and aircraft owner. Kevin represents the Municipality of Thames Centre on our board, where he and his family have lived for over 30 years.

Megan Jenner is a real estate, estate planning, and corporate commercial lawyer with Cohen Highley LLP, where she became a Partner in January 2024. Currently serving as the Privacy Officer for the firm, she primarily works out of the firm's Strathroy office. Megan holds a Health Sciences degree from Western University and a Law degree from the University of Windsor. Passionate about supporting her community, she has served on Ronald McDonald House and Big Brothers Big Sisters of London committees. Representing the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc on our board, Megan is enthusiastic about living and working locally while giving back to the community.

Pat Van Geleuken was recognized for her outstanding community contributions by her inclusion on the Middlesex County Warden's Honour Roll in 2021. Pat and her husband Pete relocated to Lucan from London in 1986 and have been the co-owners and operators of Promechanical Truck Repairs for the last 30 years. Their clientele includes local farmers, trucking companies, excavating companies, and local municipalities. Pat has been a passionate supporter of local small businesses and the vitality of communities in which they operate. She helped form the Lucan and Area Business Association (LABA) that eventually became the Community Economic Development Committee (CEDC) for the Township of Lucan-Biddulph. Pat has supported many strategic projects and activities within the community since then, including physically painting the downtown, establishing community gardens, attracting new visitors through tourism initiatives and encouraging new residential development in support of local small businesses. She is very familiar with the Community Futures program and its impact across Middlesex County having completed her first full term as a Director and Chair of our Board in June 2017. Pat continues to support the work of the CEDC for Lucan-Biddulph and the work of other volunteer committees charged with raising the funds to complete renovations that are currently underway at the Lucan Memorial Centre. She commenced her second term in July 2022.

Roberta Fox-Lawson previously served on our board from May to October 2020 while operating her communication technology consulting firm, Fox Group Technology, in Thorndale. Returning to the area from Newmarket during an intergenerational farm transition, she became active in the community through I Love Thorndale's Business Planning Committee and the Thames Centre Special Events Planning Committee. After the farm's sale, she relocated to Chatham-Kent, where she joined the board of the Community Futures Development Corporation of Chatham-Kent. Roberta now resides in downtown London, retired from her consulting career, serves as President of her condo corporation, and actively participates in multiple CRTC NG9-1-1 standards committees developing standards and best practices for Next Generation 9-1-1 technology services. She is also a member of the Canadian 9-1-1 Coalition, a national group of emergency services organizations from coast to coast. As a pioneer in electronics engineering (communications focus) as one of Fanshawe College's first female students, Roberta has also been recognized for her work in designing and launching the national suicide prevention helpline (9-8-8) and at one point for owning one of Canada's most networked homes. She is a strong advocate for the entrepreneurial support provided through the Community Futures program and looks forward to helping entrepreneurs leverage technology to improve and grow their businesses.

Job Titles:

• Financial / Administrative Coordinator

Sherri Sword joined Community Futures Middlesex in 2010. Over the past decade, she has provided institutional knowledge, stability, policy guidance and perspective throughout the organization as a vital and valued part of our leadership team. Her day-to-day responsibilities include financial administration, payroll, project management and tracking, loan reporting and management, legal documentation, budgeting and office management. Sherri has expressed how much she enjoys supporting and collaborating with the many businesses in the region, as well as her gratitude to be part of an organization that provides economic development support and small business loans throughout the community in which she lives.

Susan Judd was born and raised on a strawberry and dairy farm in Norfolk County. She earned a degree in Management and Organizational Studies and a diploma in Not-for-Profit Management from Western University. In 2017, she co-founded Ride the Bine, and since 2019, she has been the Front End Manager at Heeman's. In 2024, she began her role as a Relationship Manager with Farm Credit Canada. Recognized for her leadership, Susan has been featured on London's "Top 20 in their 20s" (2019), the American Horticultural Society's "Top 40 Under 40" (2021), and Fruit & Vegetables Magazine's "Top 4 Under 40" (2021). She is the Chair of RBC Place London and a past Chair of the Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation. Susan was a panelist at the 2024 IWD Symposium and Luncheon, where Heeman's generously donated all the greenery for the event. She proudly represents the Municipality of Thames Centre on our board.

Job Titles:

• General Manager
• Role of General Manager

Todd Copeland was appointed to the role of General Manager for Community Futures Middlesex in November of 2019 after previously serving for more than two years as a member of the Board of Directors, with membership on both the Executive and Loans Committees. He has extensive experience supporting entrepreneurs in both the private and public sectors as an innovation, relationship and partnership champion. Todd has worked internationally across multiple industries and sectors, leading teams and supporting both start-ups and established businesses engage in the research, development and commercialization of new technology, product and service offerings. Todd and his family have been residents of Middlesex County for nearly 20 years. He is actively involved in giving back throughout the Middlesex community, currently serving on a number of committees and boards that promote the interests and needs of local business and local communities. He previously served as President of the Ilderton Minor Hockey Association. Todd holds an Honours Degree in Biology and Business Economics from the University of Waterloo.