The Savvy Team Behind The Scenes
Our facilities are outstanding, but the success formula for Shaw Centre events relies just as much on our superb roster of event professionals.
Board of Directors
Jim Armour
Chair
Jim Armour is a Vice President at Summa and has extensive knowledge of media relations, communications, advocacy and advertising. His broad skill set gives clients the opportunity to take an integrated approach to achieving their objectives.
Prior to joining Summa, Mr. Armour served as Director of Communications and Marketing at the Canadian Medical Association where he played a key role in their efforts to improve access, reduce wait times and address Canada’s doctor shortage.
Mr. Armour worked on Parliament Hill from 1994 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2005. He was Communications Director for two Leaders of the Official Opposition and helped brand the launch of both the Canadian Alliance and the Conservative Party of Canada. This interest in marketing strategy and tactics was furthered by the two years he spent with one of Atlantic Canada’s top advertising agencies.
Originally from St. John’s Newfoundland, Mr. Armour has a B.A. (Hons) from McGill and a M.A. in Newfoundland History from Memorial University. He also earned his APR accreditation from the Canadian Public Relations Society and has a CAAP designation from the Institute of Communication Agencies.
Outside of the office, Jim serves on the boards of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Canadian Pharmacists Association and the Gambling Research Exchange of Ontario. He also sits on the editorial board of the international Journal of Communication in Healthcare.
Yilong Ma
Yilong Ma is a broker at Coldwell Bankers Sarazen Realty, and the president of a not-for-profit organization called the Canada Sichuan Cultural Exchange Centre. A successful businesswoman, Yilong has more than 12 years of international entrepreneurial experience.
She brings a unique set of skills and knowledge to the table. A seasoned veteran in world-class event planning, Yilong has organized dozens of major events, with the most significant number of attendees exceeding 100,000. She is also an established member of the food industry. Yilong was a successful restaurateur, and she operated multiple restaurants in both Canada and overseas. She is currently providing cuisine consulting to businesses looking to invest in the Canadian market.
Yilong is passionate about connecting cultures together through the exchange of food, culture and ideas. She has won multiple awards for her contribution to her community.
Debra Armstrong
Skate Canada’s Chief Executive Officer, Debra Armstrong, is a lawyer by training. Prior to joining Skate Canada, she served as Chief Executive Officer of MBNA Canada Bank and then Senior Vice President at Toronto Dominion Bank following TD’s acquisition of MBNA. Debra has developed considerable experience in business transformations over the course of her career.
She has strong governance experience and is a past member of the Board of Governors at Carleton University where she also Chaired its Audit and Finance Committee. Other past directorships include the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health and Volleyball Canada. She is currently a co-chair of the Winter Sport Caucus Group and serves on the Nominating Committee of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Cynthia Bland
Cynthia is the Founder and CEO of Voice Found, an organization with a mission to prevent child sexual abuse and human trafficking. Prior to the founding of Voice Found, Cynthia enjoyed a successful career in senior sales, marketing, and education roles. Cynthia is intimately familiar with the many challenges and opportunities of delivering conferences and events having first-hand experience successfully managing a number of them both internationally and domestically.
Cynthia’s leadership and innovation has been recognized by organizations and individuals alike. She is a winner of the Wise 50 over 50 award, named a ‘KickAss’ Canadian and a recipient of the 2020-2021 Attorney General’s Victim Services Award.
Michael Crockatt
Michael is a recognized leader in tourism and aviation in Canada. Prior to joining Ottawa Tourism, Michael served as Senior Vice President with InterVISTAS Consulting, where he was responsible for the firm’s airline, air service development, and tourism practices in Canada. Michael has over 15 years experience at the management level with two of Canada’s major airports, the Winnipeg Airports Authority and the Ottawa International Airport Authority.
Michael is very active within the tourism industry and other business groups. He is a Board member with the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, and with the Ottawa International Hockey Festival, and serves as a member of the Program Advisory Committee for the Bachelor of Tourism & Hospitality Management Degree Program at Algonquin College. He has also been a Board member with the Ottawa 2017 Bureau, Invest Ottawa, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), Ottawa Tourism, and Ottawa’s Tourism Development Council.
In 2017, Michael was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, recognizing his contributions to Canada. Michael’s business leadership and volunteerism has been formally recognized by a broad range of stakeholders, such as Airport Business Magazine, the Ottawa Business Journal, and Ottawa’s own tourism industry.
Michael has a Master’s degree in Geography from the University of Manitoba and he is a Certified Barbecue Judge.
George Darouze
George immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in 1990 and has lived in the Ottawa area since that time. He and his wife Sue quickly became comfortable with the Ottawa lifestyle and decided Greely was the best place to raise their two sons, John and Tony. George and his family, including his parents (John and Teresa), two brothers (Tony and Elie) and sister (Mariane), are all proud to call Ottawa home.
George is fluent in English, French and Arabic. He has a degree in Telecommunications from ALBA University and has pursued Continuing Education in the subject of electronic training in voice/data and wireless communication sales.
Before being elected to office, George held a number of managerial positions with telecommunications companies, including Eastern Region Sales Manager for Worldlynx Wireless, and Director of Business Development for the Ottawa-Toronto Region for Smart Cell Communications.
George has held positions with community groups, such as Social Director and President with the Osgoode Carleton Snowmobile Trail Club (OCSTC). As Club President, he was the representative on a committee to refurbish the Osgoode Pathway into a multi-use 21-kilometre recreational pathway. While leading the OCSTC, the organization received Provincial, Canadian and North American “Club of the Year” awards. In 2011, George was personally awarded Volunteer of the Year by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs. Furthermore, his passion for snowmobiling included him joining the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs Board of Governors as the District 1 Governor.
George’s volunteer work was also recognized in 2011 when he received the Osgoode Ward Community Volunteer Award, and in 2012 when he became a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal recipient.
During his first term of council, he was the Vice-Chair of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee, as well as a sitting member of the Audit Committee, Community and Protective Services Committee (CPSC), IT Sub-Committee and Transportation Committee. With his extensive work championing Ottawa Paramedic Services through CPSC, the Ontario Paramedic Association awarded him with an Appreciation Award in 2017.
Additionally, he sits on the Board of Directors for South Nation Conservation, Osgoode Care Centre and Watson’s Mill Manotick Inc. Within the community, George is also a member of the Greely Lions; Greely Legion; Osgoode Fish, Game and Conservation Club; and the Osgoode Carleton Snowmobile Trail Club.
George always encourages a close-knit community, a sustainable rural economy, and high quality rural life within the City of Ottawa.
David Muir
David was a partner of Collins Barrow Ottawa LLP. He has worked primarily in the federal and local government (municipalities, school boards, and hospitals) sectors. David also provided guidance and advice to his partners and their clients with respect to difficult and unusual public sector audit and accounting issues.
David is past Chair of the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) now (CPAC). He has been associated with PSAB for over 20 years as the chair of PSAB, a member of PSAB, its predecessor PSAAB or as a task force chair. He has worked closely with many of the auditor generals and comptrollers of the federal and provincial governments in the development of accounting policies for use by governments in Canada. David chaired the task force that developed the background, associates’ exposure draft, exposure draft and recommendations respecting the financial reporting entity (PSAB 1300).
David was elected a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario in 1979 and he was president of the Public Accountants Council for the Province of Ontario in 1996/97.
David has many management skills gained through his involvement on many significant government assignments and professional committees. He has been on the leading edge of the development of accountability frameworks including the design of performance reporting involving the measurement of outcomes as well as outputs.
Subsequent to his retirement from public practice, David was appointed to the Ottawa Transition Board which was charged with developing the plan for the amalgamation of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton with all of its lower tier municipalities which commenced operations January 1, 2001.
Jagdeep Perhar
Jagdeep is a broker with Royal Lepage Team Realty and the President and CEO of Multicorp Realty Inc, a property management company managing a real estate portfolio of greater than $50M. He is actively involved in community service and currently serves as chair of advisory committee for Indo Canada Ottawa Business Chamber (ICOBC) and as board of director of the Barrhaven Business Improvement Area (BBIA) and the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation (QCHF).
He is also a member of the H.M. Tory Society of Carleton University and in 2016 he was inducted as “the Knight” in the Order of St. George. Jagdeep is an active supporter of, and regular contributor to, the Ottawa Heart and Stroke foundation, Shelter foundation, the Ottawa Sikh Society, the Liver foundation, the Queensway Carleton Hospital and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
He is also a lifetime Patron of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. His community service and dedication to society has made him a proud recipient of the “Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal” from the Governor General of Canada, “Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers” by the Governor General of Canada, “Volunteer Service Award” by Govt or Ontario and the Lifetime award of excellence from Royal Lepage.
Kay Stanley
Kay Stanley is an energetic change agent with extensive experience within educational and governmental environments. Kay has demonstrated leadership in both professional and voluntary organizations. She is a skilled communicator with a solid track-record as an advocate of humanitarian values and professional ethics.
Kay has held many leadership positions including Assistant Deputy Minister at the Treasury Board Secretariat, Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Promotion and Programs Branch, as well as Assistant Deputy Solicitor General of Canada. In addition to these roles, she has held leadership roles in various professional associations such as President, Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada, and President, Teachers’ Federation of Carleton.
Kay’s many achievements include leading the creation of an 1,100 member amalgamated elementary teachers’ federation as well as organizing the Overseas’ Teachers’ Association working on behalf of the Department of National Defence. Kay’s humanitarian efforts included leading Canadian delegations to international conferences hosted by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, Commonwealth Secretariat for Women’s Affairs, and the InterAmerican Commission for Women, among many others.
Kay has contributed immensely to the community through her numerous volunteer roles with such organizations as the National Capital Commission, KILMORIE Heritage Society, May Court Hospice, Governor General’s Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case and the Ottawa Hospital Board of Governors, just to mention a few. Kay was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in recognition of her significant, sustained, and unpaid contributions to her community.
Fred Sherman
Fred Sherman believes that “…the most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed.”
A seasoned public affairs professional, he brings world class expertise in public policy, change management, collaborative leadership and tactical engagement.
He is principal of Hill Solutions, through which he helps individuals and organizations successfully navigate 21st century change. His portfolio includes national scale initiatives for Canada’s Digital Policy Forum, the Public Service Commission, Treasury Board, Health Canada, National Defence and the Parliament of Canada. He provides counsel to political stakeholders, public servants, business executives and academic institutions.
Notably, he is the only person to have had a hand in crafting BOTH the historic 1995 Black History Month and the 2014 Lincoln Alexander Day motions unanimously adopted by the Parliament of Canada.
Fred has served on community boards including the University of Windsor Board of Governors, the United Way, the Social Planning Council of Ottawa, and Leadership Ottawa. He was co-founder of a University of Ottawa Law Faculty Endowment Fund; and coaches youth in the Gloucester Cumberland Basketball Association.
A University of Windsor alumnus, Fred Sherman is partner to Denise Siele and proud father to Fred Sherman III.
