The members of the Board of Directors of Ottawa Convention Centre provide oversight and direction.
Jim Durrell is best-known for the significant contribution that he made as Ottawa’s mayor from 1985 until retiring from public life in 1991. Since leaving public office, Jim has been active in the private sector as a successful business executive. Today, Jim is president and owner of Capital Dodge Chrysler Jeep. Jim has had a long time involvement with Ottawa sports franchises, having served as the first president of the Ottawa Senators NHL organization and as the President for the CFL’s Ottawa Rough Riders. He has served as a governor of the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and as President of the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame.
Jim has extensive governance experience having served on the Board of Directors of the Business Development Bank of Canada and as the Chair of the Ottawa International Airport’s Board of Directors. Jim continues to volunteer his time and enthusiasm to numerous charities and organizations in the Ottawa community, such as the Ottawa Hospital, the United Way/Centraide Ottawa Campaign Cabinet, the Salvation Army and the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa for over 30 years. In October 2006, Jim was appointed Chairman of the Ottawa Convention Centre. Jim resides in Ottawa with his wife, Sam, and has two children, Melissa and Michael. Jim’s new passion in life is his grandchildren, Kennedy and Marcus.
David Goldstein
Mr. Goldstein is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC).
A veteran in government and regulatory affairs in Ottawa, Mr. Goldstein has provided guidance and direction on the advocacy and public affairs functions of some of Canada’s most respected companies and organizations.
Prior to his arrival at TIAC, Mr. Goldstein served as the Senior Vice-President, Regulatory Affairs, with CTVglobemedia Inc. In this capacity, he worked with the senior management team to establish the strategic direction of Canada’s largest media company, and oversaw its regulatory and public policy files. He also served in a similar role as the Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs with CHUM Limited prior to its acquisition by CTVglobemedia.
Mr. Goldstein’s experience in association management includes his tenure at the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), where he attained the title of Vice President, Government Affairs. He also subsequently served as Vice-Chair of the CAB’s Board of Directors, and has sat on the boards of several other organizations.
As Chief of staff in the Mayor’s office for the City of Nepean for 17 years, after which she herself served as Mayor, Mary Pitt’s commitment to civic duty runs deep. Originally trained as a Registered Nurse, Mary applied her medical background during her eight years of service on the Boards of Queensway Carleton Hospital and its Foundation, during which time she held the positions of Vice-Chair, Chair and Director. Mary continues to play an active role in the community, currently serving as Chair for the Nepean Chamber of Commerce, a Director on the Board of Villa Marconi, an accredited 125-bed long-term care residence and a Trustee of the Nepean Museum. She is also a member of the committee to establish an Algonquin College Bursary in memory of Ben Franklin, a fellow former Mayor of Nepean.
Marc SeamanNational Director of Corporate and Public Affairs, Microsoft
Since joining Microsoft Canada in 2004, Marc Seaman has held the position of National Director of Corporate and Public Affairs, including responsibility for leading and managing Corporate Communications and Citizenship across Canada. Prior to joining Microsoft, Marc worked in the consulting industry for six years as a Managing Partner of APCO Worldwide’s Canadian office, and as Vice-President and National Practice Group Leader for GPC-Fleishman Hillard. Marc also worked in marketing management roles for both the Ottawa Senators and the Ottawa Rough Riders in the 1990s.
Marc is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Ottawa Convention Centre and a member of the Board of Governors for The Ottawa Hospital. He served on the Board of Governors of the University of Ottawa from 2001 to 2006, including serving on its Executive Committee and as Chair of its Communications and External Relations Committee. He was a member of the United Way Ottawa Cabinet from 2005 to 2007, and was the inaugural Chair of its Next Generation Division. Marc was a member of the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada from 2006-2009 and a member of the Board of Directors for Westboro Academy from 2005-2009.
Marc was recognized as Manager of the Year for Microsoft Canada in 2007 and was awarded the J. Elder Award as Microsoft’s Leader of the Year in 2009. His professional achievements have earned him the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Award of Excellence for Marketing as well as the Capitale Excel Award for Communications. He was a recipient of Ottawa’s 40 under 40 by the Ottawa Business Journal in 2007. Fluently bilingual, Marc holds a Bachelors Degree in Communications from the University of Ottawa.
Bernie Ashe
In January 2013, Bernie was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group overseeing all facets of OSEG’s operations, including sports franchises, entertainment business and Lansdowne Park operations. Prior to joining OSEG, Bernie served as CEO of Kott Group, a private company in the supply and installation of lumber and related products to the Homebuilding Industry. KOTT Group consists of eight businesses operating in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal with export businesses selling to the U.S. and internationally. Bernie has also served as President & CEO of AiT, now 3M-AiT Ltd, a TSX-listed company providing solutions for traveler identity and border control. He was also the Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for the Ottawa Senators from 1991 – 1997. A trustee of CHEO for 15 years, Bernie also served as a Board member for the Canadian Advanced Technology Association and Decision Academics Inc. Bernie is currently a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Table on Homelessness and resides in Ottawa with his wife Nancy and their three children.
Cyril Leeder is President of Senators Sports & Entertainment. His countless hours of work in the community, spearheading many initiatives, have improved the lives of our children and youth.
Cyril was a key figure in assembling the winning bid to bring NHL hockey back to Ottawa. He has been the driving force and one of the founders of the Bell Capital Cup, now recognized in the Guinness World Record as the world’s largest minor hockey tournament. Leeder headed the committee to bring the 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship to Ottawa, and also led the unique public/private partnership that saw the construction of Bell Sensplex – a four-ice pad/field house facility built in Kanata that was desperately needed to fill overwhelming demand within the city.
Cyril’s commitment to the community, his commitment to his employees and the pride he takes in knowing he has a strong team off-the-ice, his hours spent sitting on various committees throughout the region including the Ottawa Convention Centre and the National Arts Centre, all mark him as a man who touches individuals in this city in many different ways, a man who enhances the lives of others.
Patrick Murray is a lawyer and heads the Business Law Group in the Ottawa office of Lang Michener LLP. He practices corporate law, secured transactions and commercial real estate. Along with his wife, Rebecca, Patrick is involved in several community-orientated organizations and holds directorships in many private companies. Patrick and Rebecca have four children, which keeps them busy after work.
Patricia has many years of private sector and non-profit senior executive experience and continues to be both a lobbyist and a market and public policy analyst. Patricia had her own marketing and management consulting practice, which included managing non-profit, advocacy, corporate and volunteer groups and organizations, most with national or international mandates. Patricia also has experience directing new product development in the field of healthcare technology research and development. In addition to the OCC, she volunteers with many charitable and arts organizations, is a Friend of the Concert Hall and a Board Member of the Third Wall Theatre Company. She was the National Director and CEO of the Canadian School Boards Association, the national organization representing and serving provincial school board associations. Patricia is now with The Thomsen Corporation, a market research firm specialized in the agricultural sector.
Jim WatsonMayor, Ottawa
Jim Watson was elected Mayor of the City of Ottawa on October 25, 2010.
Mayor Watson had dedicated most of his career to public service in Canada's Capital.
First elected as a Councillor in 1991, he was re-elected in 1994. Three years later he was elected as the youngest Mayor in Ottawa's history with 82% of the popular vote.
Following the amalgamation of Ottawa and surrounding communities, Mayor Watson was appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Tourism Commission, a federal crown corporation.
In 2003, he was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean and immediately appointed to cabinet as Minister of Consumer and Business services.
In 2005, he was appointed as Ontario's first Minister of Health Promotion and he successfully implemented the Smoke Free Ontario Act.
Re-elected as MPP in 2007, he was promoted to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
In that portfolio, Watson signed the largest Federal-Provincial Housing agreement in Ontario's History. In addition he co-authored an historic agreement between the province and Ontario's 444 municipalities that saw over $1.5 Billion in social service costs removed from local property taxes.
An active member of his community, Watson has also served on the boards or as honourary chair of several community organizations, including the Riverside Hospital, the National Arts Centre, the Christmas Exchange of Ottawa and the Forum for Young Canadians. He served as chair of United Way's 2002 campaign, which raised a record $21 million.
An avid volunteer with several groups, he has helped serve meals at the Shepherds of Good Hope, a local soup kitchen. His commitment to those less fortunate was evident when, in August of 2000, he contributed his entire municipal severance payment of $31,000 to Ottawa's Union Mission for Men.
His years of active involvement and community service have made him the recipient of several awards and accolades, including Maclean's magazine's "100 Young Canadians To Watch," Carleton University Honours Award, the City of Ottawa's highest civic honour, the Key to the City; the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal; the Visionary Award by the Ontario Pharmacists' Association, and the National Leadership Award by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control for his role in implementing the Smoke Free Ontario Act.
Feedback
Email