Orillia Area CDC Has A New GM
By John Swartz
The Orillia Area Community Development Corporation has new leadership. Jim Fitzgerald has been chosen to succeed Wendy Timpano (who has moved on to become the senior economic development officer for the County of Simcoe) as general manager.
The CDC, funded by the federal government’s Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, is best known as a facilitator of financial aid, but they also have a range of educational and counselling support programs for businesses (new or existing) based in Orillia and the Townships of Oro-Medonte, Ramara, Severn, or the Chippewas of Rama First Nation.
Fitzgerald, started August 19 and will lead a staff of 5 people. He brings a knowledge of business practice from 20 years in the corporate and non-profit sectors, and of the area as a resident of Oro-Medonte.
“I have a background in business. It’s really what I’ve been doing my whole life. My father ran a farm. It’s not exactly business per se I guess, but you learn how to operate on your own and you learn how to manage all of the finances, it’s just kind of been my world,” Fitzgerald said.
“I originally grew up in the Ottawa Valley area. My wife and I settled out here almost 20 years ago.”
A graduate of McMaster University with an Honours Commerce Degree in finance and accounting, he became a commercial account manager with RBC.
“My focus at RBC actually was on the not-for-profit and health sector environments, so it kind of fits into all of this,” he said. All this refers to his employment after leaving RBC, where he worked for groups like Soldiers’’ Memorial Hospital, Hospice Orillia and CFS Counselling and Wellbeing.
The latter was previously known as Catholic Family Service, which now provides a range of services for individuals, couples and families in Simcoe County.
“Catholic Family Services is the legacy name of it. It really doesn’t have an affiliation. They’re funded by the ministry of health and by the ministry of the attorney general. It’s founding 45 years ago was through the Catholic Church to help the community, but it’s not a religion organization by any means (now),” Fitzgerald said. “I ran the business side of all of the counselling services that went on.”
He formed a consulting company called Alpine Way through which he worked on projects for Soldiers’ and and what became Mariposa House.
“In kind of the initial phase when they (Hospice Orillia) were considering getting into the residential hospice, before anything was even built. At the time it was under Hospice Orillia, which still exists,” he said.
He has been part of the organizing committee for Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital’s annual Charlee’s Run fundraiser and is also the chair of the Huronia Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic.
It appears there has been a focus on working in healthcare.
“I don’t know that it’s necessarily been targeted that way, it was more just by happenstance,” he said.
Fitzgerald is looking forward to a change of focus from helping single entities grow and improve, to working with a broader range of business interests.
“I think it’s this idea of fostering other people’s ideas. There are a ton of good business ideas that are either in formation, or struggling to get some traction and often times just what you need is you need Dan (Landry, the CDC’s client services officer) to be able to coach you on how to get through this little issue.”
“Sometimes it’s a matter of financing; you just need some money to get started, to get a piece of equipment, to get a website built to push yourself out there. So it’s really just that idea. Sometimes we all just need, business or otherwise, a hand. If somebody gives you a hand then you can propel yourself.”
The CDC not a behind-the-scene kingmaker, but serves more as a catalyst for others to thrive and excel at whatever their business interest is.
“We’re not going to change the world, but it’s that thing that allows people to change their own world.”
The CDC has a couple of workshops happening soon. September 18 they have one called Loss Prevention for Your Business and October 10 another called Adaptive Innovation: Leading the Future with four speakers giving advice on networking, adapting, and marketing. Registration is required.
(Photo by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia) Main: Jim Fitzgerald, the Orillia Area Community Development Corporation’s new general manager.
