Strong backgrounds

Directors named to Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation board

Last week, council appointed nine members of the public and two councillors to serve as directors for the Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation. During its last term, council established the independent not-for-profit corporation, with the mandate to increase the supply of affordable housing in the County. It is structured as a single-member, non-share capital corporation with the municipality as the sole member. At the time, councillor Bill Roberts called the motion “The most important this council will have passed in its four-year term.”

In the initial staff report, Director of Community Development and Special Projects Neil Carbone was hopeful that the corporation would be able to increase available funding through new and traditional sources and provide a reliable vehicle to transfer any municipal assets for affordable housing. Carbone also explained that the corporation could work to initiate and support new projects in co-operation with community stakeholders and the development community.

The report recommended 24 units be built per year, but Carbone warned that this number of units per annum wasn’t as much of a target for the corporation as it was an indication of the severity of the issue.

“I would argue this target is actually low and it wasn’t put there for us to hit, it was put there to try and put some numbers to the severity of the issue we’re facing,” said Carbone. “If we don’t do something, if we don’t develop a framework to address affordable housing, the issue is going to get much worse.”

Mayor Steve Ferguson was pleased with the board appointments. “I congratulate the highly qualified people selected to serve on the board. This group of directors has the skills and experience necessary to address the issue of affordable and attainable housing in our community,” said Ferguson. “This was a highly competitive selection process, which speaks to the enthusiasm and passion for this issue in our community. I encourage the applicants who were not selected to stay involved and consider other ways to make a difference.”

Councillors Stewart Bailey and Ernie Margetson have been appointed to the board. Bailey is recently retired as a manager at the LCBO. In his 33 years with the Crown corporation, his training in facilitation, mentoring and adult education contributed to the creation, development, execution and management of various projects on subjects including product knowledge, customer service, and health and safety. Margetson is a professional engineer, with more than 35 years of experience in land development, building design, and project management, working within both the private and public sectors. His experience includes infrastructure, site planning, subdivision, land use planning, building construction and regulatory compliance in both design and approval capacities. Margetson is looking forward to getting to work. “Affordable and attainable housing is a complex issue. The not-for-profit corporation gives us an innovative way to make a lasting impact across the County,” says Margetson.

Diana Cooper, who is a past private sector executive and consultant in the fields of organizational effectiveness, corporate training, and board governance, has a master’s degree in leadership and training from Royal Roads University.

Former councillor Treat Hull is broker/owner of Treat Hull & Associates Ltd. Before moving to the County and taking up real estate, he spent three decades as a management consultant and marketing executive. He holds a master’s degree in management science.

Kevin Kelly holds the chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation and spent nearly 10 years as an analyst and portfolio manager in the financial sector where he evaluated business cases, analyzed financial statements, and oversaw investment decisions for global investment funds.

Elis K. Ziegler, who ran in the past municipal election in South Marysburgh ward, has 30 years of experience at the executive level working for and with community-based non-profit boards in the areas of housing, homelessness and social justice. Ziegler has served as chair of the Northumberland Access to Permanent Housing Committee, manager of housing programs and services at East York East Toronto Family Resources, manager of the Toronto Drop-in Network, and has served in various other professional and volunteer roles related to mental health and wellbeing, social justice, and local arts and culture initiatives. Ziegler is keen to get to work. “After working for three decades in homelessness and nonprofit housing, I’ve witnessed what works in urban and rural communities. As a founding Director, I hope to help lay the foundation for innovative County-grown solutions so we can substantially increase affordable housing stock for different groups of people, and to do so with evidence-based best practice.”

Peter Landry is an accomplished public affairs professional specializing in public relations, research, policy development and government relations. Landry has spent time in the private sector as a managing principal and vice-president of leading firms, while also serving in senior roles within various ministries of the Government of Ontario.

Debbie MacDonald Moynes is the current executive director of the Prince Edward County Community Care for Seniors Association. She served on the board of the Ontario Community Support Association for close to 10 years and as adjunct professor, Bachelor of Applied Arts in Human Services Management at Loyalist College for six years. She has a master’s degree in public administration from Queen’s University, is a graduate of the advanced health leadership program from the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, and has volunteered with numerous local service clubs and not-for-profits. MacDonald Moynes believes she brings a unique perspective to the board. “I’m a County native and submitted an application for the board thinking that the many years I’ve worked in Prince Edward County might prove useful as we look at ways to address this complex issue. My experience with seniors and community service providers will bring a helpful perspective to the table.”

Blair Martin is an accomplished real estate executive with experience in asset management, development and finance. He has served in executive roles for a variety of consumer-oriented companies, obtaining experience in the areas of marketing consulting, project management and commercial loan evaluation.

Greg Sorbara is a part-time resident of Prince Edward County and developer of the Royal Hotel in Picton. He spent 27 years as a legislator and cabinet minister in the Ontario Government where he applied his legal and private sector background in the areas of transit, health care, finance, education and other community- building initiatives. He is also a partner in the Sorbara Group of Companies, which has a 75-year history in commercial, low-rise, and high-rise development.

Shirley Van Steen is a former director of housing services for the Regional Municipality of Durham and former regional manager with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. As a volunteer she has served as chair of the Pickering Library Board, vice chair of the Pickering Committee of Adjustments, member of the Ontario Trillium Grant Review Committee and board trustee of the United Way Ajax Pickering Uxbridge.

In the coming weeks, the board will hold its first meeting where it will review the draft by-laws for the corporation.