Board of Directors

Gillian Watters, Chair
Program Director,
KEYS Job Centre

Gillian Watters has lived and worked in Kingston for most of her life and is a graduate of both Queen’s University (1983) and St. Lawrence College (1988). Currently the Program Director at KEYS Job Centre, Gillian has spent over 30 years in the field of workforce development and career counselling and is completing a MBA in Community Economic Development. She lives in an old, always-under-renovation farmhouse and loves long walks with her three dogs.

Yafan Huang, Vice Chair
President & Chief Scientific Officer,
Performance Plants Inc.

A proud Queen’s PhD graduate in Biology (1995), Yafan began serving on the board in January 2019. Yafan established the badminton club at Winston Churchill Public School and coached there from 2007 to 2014; he currently coaches badminton at KCVI. His son is a national top-ranked chess player and a provincial top-ranked badminton player, while his daughter recently won silver medals at the 2019 OFSAA Open Singles Tennis Championships and the Singles Badminton Championships.

Lyndsay Wise, Treasurer
Research Director,
Dresner Advisory Services, LLC

Lyndsay came to Kingston EcDev three years ago with a desire to contribute to the business community, volunteer and leverage her business skills while learning about Kingston’s growth potential. She has worked in the analytics and data management industry for 18 years, is co-president of the Kingston Jewish Council, and runs and participates in triathlons for leisure. Although she could have chosen to live anywhere, Lyndsay moved to Kingston from Montreal to be closer to nature while still having access to city amenities.

Dave Carnegie, Past Chair
Senior Environmental Consultant,
Malroz Engineering Inc.

Prior to joining Kingston EcDev in 2016, Dave served on the Kingston Environmental Advisory Forum from 2009 to 2015. A
Queen’s University alumni, he studied Life Sciences and Chemical Engineering and enjoyed his time on the varsity rowing team as a student. In the summers, he competed for the Kingston Rowing Club, and he loved Kingston in the summer so much that it inspired him to stay on after completing his program. Dave is currently the co-owner of Malroz Engineering, which was founded in Kingston 30 years ago.

John Sheridan, Secretary
Retired CEO,
Ballard Power Systems & Bell

John graduated from Queen’s University in 1976 with a Master’s in Economics and went on to have a 40-year business career in which he was president of three companies. After living in Ottawa, England, Toronto and Vancouver, he chose to retire and return to Kingston in 2016. He stays connected with the business world as a director of several corporate boards and is also engaged locally as Vice Chair of SEAMO, Vice Chair of SPEAKingston, Chair of The Art of Courage and Chair of Major Individual Gifts for the United Way. When not engaged in his busy life, John loves golfing, boating, paddleboarding and walking his Great Dane, Prince.

Anne Vivian-Scott
President & CEO,
Kinarm

Anne is the President and CEO of Kinarm, a spin-off of Queen’s University some 17 years ago. She and the co-founders have bootstrapped the company into an highly specialized manufacturer of interactive robotics for neuroscientists and clinician scientists studying brain injury or disease. They are on a journey to change the clinical assessment of brain function to enable better outcomes from brain injury or disease. Their unique product, called Kinarm, provides exquisite measurements of human behaviour that reveals how the brain is functioning. 

Cathy Wilson
Senior Vice President,
Parsons Corporation

Cathy graduated from Queen's University with a degree in Political Science and Economics in 1993. She has been working as a consultant to public agencies/government and the private sector in the design and construction of transportation infrastructure internationally and in Canada. Cathy is passionate advocate for education, the transportation industry and supporting young professionals. As such, she sits on the Women's Transportation Seminar Canada/Toronto Chapter Board and is also one of the founding members of the WTS Canadian Education Foundation, established in 2016, granting scholarships to young women in STEM and transportation-related fields. 

Ryan DaSilva
Industrial Millwright,
Cancoil Thermal Corporation

Ryan was born and raised in Kingston, graduating from Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School with honours. After graduating from St Lawrence College’s Industrial Mechanic Millwright program in 2017, Ryan was selected by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development to represent the Ministry as a competitor for the Ontario Trade and Skills Competition. Ryan has also been a member of joint heal and safety committees and labour relations committees during his time as a Millwright. When he is not working, or serving on committees Ryan enjoys spending time outdoors, or tinkering with projects in his garage.

Bryan Paterson
Mayor,
City of Kingston

Paterson was elected as the 96th Mayor of the City of Kingston in 2014 and, on Oct. 22, 2018, he was re-elected for a second term. Paterson first ran for City Council in 2010 in Trillium District. As a City Councillor, he used his background as an economist to push forward a progressive agenda centred on growth and quality-of-life initiatives.

Gary Oosterhof
Councillor,
Countryside District

Born and raised on the family farm near Athens, Ontario, Gary continues to have a strong connection to the country. Gary and his wife, Corina, raised their family of four children in Glenburnie and continue to live in this community. In 1991, they started their own Licensed Electrical Contracting business, and have enjoyed over 25 years of successful relationships with the families and businesses in the Countryside region. Gary serves on the Ontario Board of Directors of the Electrical Safety Authority of Ontario and is a long time member and current President of the Kingston Electrical Association, and previously represented local Licensed Electrical Contractors with the Ontario Electrical League for over 20 years.

Wayne Hill
Councillor,
Lakeside District

Wayne Hill has lived in Kingston's Lakeside District for more than 30 years. He graduated from Frontenac and attended Queen's University graduating with a degree in Education in 1982. He considers himself privileged to have been principal of both Holy Cross and Regiopolis-Notre Dame High Schools. His career in education administration provided him with the opportunity to become President of the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario.

Mary Rita Holland
Councillor,
Kingscourt-Rideau District

Mary Rita is a City Councillor in the City of Kingston, representing Kingscourt-Rideau district since 2014. She is a Teaching Fellow and PhD. candidate in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University where she is researching rural home care. Mary Rita is also co-owner of Taco the Town, Kingston’s first 100% homemade, local taco take-out business.

Lanie Hurdle, Ex-officio
Chief Administrative Officer,
City of Kingston

Megan Knott, Ex-officio
Executive Director,
Tourism Kingston

FORMER BOARD MEMBERS

BOARD MEETINGS