Mitch Bloom
President
Region 3B East
Year Joined - 2023
Director, Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation
Mitch Bloom is an entrepreneur and small business owner of a horse farm in Oxford Mills. Before this, he was a longtime senior executive in the federal government, including serving as the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency's first Assistant Deputy Minister and head of its Northern Projects Management Office. This career helped Mitch build his expertise in socio-economics, community economic development, financial management, the environment, and strategic direction setting.
Mitch has served on a number of boards and committees in Eastern Ontario in areas that include: affordable housing, economic development, seniors, and more.
Allan Simm
Past President
Region 4B Southwest
Year Joined - 2020
General Manager, Community Futures Oxford
Allan Simm has been the General Manager of the Oxford Small Business Support Centre Inc. operating as Community Futures Oxford since 2013. Allan is very passionate about helping entrepreneurs succeed through business planning. He has helped many entrepreneurs develop and create sustainable business plans which in turn have received business financing.
Allan holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree that provides the foundation for his business and entrepreneurial experience. He continues to share his valuable first-hand experience with his current clients and has taught business planning courses part-time at the Lawrence Kinlin School of Business at Fanshawe College in London.
Allan brings board knowledge and experience to the Community Futures Ontario board. He has served as the President of the Western Ontario Community Futures Development Corporation Association and is currently the Past President of the Ingersoll District Chamber of Commerce.
Allan looks forward to contributing to Community Futures Ontario and supporting the board of directors by sharing his insight and experience to help the organization continue to be a success.
Cyndy Phillips
Vice President
Region 3 East
Year Joined - 2022
Executive Director,
Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation
Cyndy Phillips, Executive Director for the Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation (RCCFDC), has over twenty-two years of experience working as an economic development professional in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, both in the public and private sectors.
Cyndy’s passion for development and desire to contribute to her region has seen her hold volunteer director roles with numerous organizations such as the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association, the Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Ontario East Economic Development Commission, among others.
Cyndy is accomplished in public speaking, strategic planning, tourism and business development, and marketing, and has spoken at numerous conferences over the years. When she is not busy with work, Cyndy enjoys country living on her hobby farm with her husband Cory and their two boys.
Suzanne Viel
Region 2 Northeast
Year Joined - 2020
Secretary/Treasurer, OACFDC
HR & Finance Specialist, The Venture Centre
Born and raised in Timmins Ontario, Suzanne is fluently bilingual in both English and French. A graduate of College Boreal in the Business Administration Program, she began her journey with Community Futures in August 2008. She joined the Venture Centre team as the Youth Initiatives Coordinator responsible for the Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative in Timmins area.
In 2009, Suzanne was promoted to Business Development Officer and most recently her title changed to HR and Finance Specialist. She is currently responsible for the daily administration as well as the bookkeeping duties for the organization.
Suzanne is an active volunteer in the community. She participates with, and sits on numerous community event committees. For the past 9 years, she has volunteered with the Timmins Ringette Association as a coach, Tournament Coordinator and most recently she sits on the board as the Secretary.
Pat Van Geleuken
Region 4C West
Year Joined – 2022
Director, Community Futures Middlesex
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, where Pat also undertakes the bookkeeping and accounting. Their clientele includes local farmers, trucking companies, excavating companies, and local municipalities. Previous to that, Pat worked as Assistant Controller for a major chainsaw manufacturer. 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.
Region 2B Northeast
Year Joined – 2023
Director, NECO Community Futures Development Corporation
Angela is the president of James C. Knight Creative Insurance Planners Inc. for over 30 years, specializing in Group Life, Health and Pension benefits for business owners throughout Northern Ontario.
She received an Hons. BA. Geography from Laurentian University focusing on social and economic geography.
Angela has previously served as president and board member of the Rotary Club of North Bay, and on the East Ferris Economic Development Committee.
She currently serves on the Ontario Trillium grant committee, NECO and is a director of the North Bay Regional Health Centre.
Region 1 – Northwest
Joined 2024
Director, Atikokan Economic Development Corporation
Gord Knowles, Ec.D sits on the Board of Directors for the Atikokan Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), where he also serves on its investment fund, policy and various other ad hoc committees. Outside of the CFDC world, he is the Senior Coordinator of Investment Attraction and Economic Development for Destination Northern Ontario (RTO13), whose service area stretches from French River north to the Manitoba border. He is a career economic developer; prior to his work at DNO, he served for more than a decade in Ontario-based Community Futures Development Corporations, from positions ranging from FedNor intern to General Manager. The majority of his time was spent as the Senior Community Development Advisor at the AEDC, where he oversaw lending, collections, community economic development projects and reinvigorated a local tourism program; projects he oversaw have received top plaudits from Community Futures Ontario, the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO), the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC), the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), and the American Recreation Coalition. In 2024 he was awarded EDCO’s President Award for contributions to the industry, in addition to previously receiving Young Professional of the Year awards from EDCO, IEDC and being named one of DCI’s Top 40 Under 40 global economic developers.
Since 2022, Gord has served as a Municipal Councillor for the Town of Atikokan, and is the Treasurer of the Atikokan Health and Community Services, and chairs Employee Relations on behalf of the town. Additionally, Gord is a Past President and former long-time board member of EDCO, and in 2024 was elected to serve on the board of directors of EDAC.
Gord resides in Atikokan, where he proudly watches his three kids grow up way too quickly.
Region 4C West
Year Joined - 2018
General Manager, Elgin Business Resource Centre
Gillian has been the General Manager of Community Futures South Georgian Bay (CFSGB) since 2016. Prior to joining CFSGB, Gillian was the Manager of the South Georgian Bay Small Business Enterprise Centre and collectively brings over 13 years of experience working with small businesses, providing mentoring, resources, and advice during all phases of business start-up, development, and growth. She has also participated in numerous economic development initiatives that have supported community and business growth.
Gillian has extensive project management, economic development, and management consulting experience. She has worked with organizations throughout the Unites States, as well as in the U.K., Germany, and Sweden. Gillian has consulted for the public and private sectors, including the automotive, manufacturing, financial services, insurance, and real estate sectors.
Gillian graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with an Honours Bachelor Business Administration degree and has completed the two-year Economic Development program offered by the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) and the University of Waterloo.