Ottawa Convention Centre

Jim Durrell

Jim Durrell is best-known for the significant contribution that he made as Ottawa’s mayor from 1985 until retiring from public life in 1991. Since leaving public office, Jim has been active in the private sector as a successful business executive.  Today, Jim is president and owner of Capital Dodge Chrysler Jeep.   Jim has had a long time involvement with Ottawa sports franchises, having served as the first president of the Ottawa Senators NHL organization and as the President for the CFL’s Ottawa Rough Riders. He has served as a governor of the Canada Sports Hall of Fame and as President of the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame.

Jim has extensive governance experience having served on the Board of Directors of the Business Development Bank of Canada and as the Chair of the Ottawa International Airport’s Board of Directors.  Jim continues to volunteer his time and enthusiasm to numerous charities and organizations in the Ottawa community, such as the Ottawa Hospital, the United Way/Centraide Ottawa Campaign Cabinet, the Salvation Army and the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa for over 30 years.  In October 2006, Jim was appointed Chairman of the Ottawa Convention Centre.  Jim resides in Ottawa with his wife ‘Sam’ and has two children, Melissa and Michael.  Jim’s new passion in life is his grandchildren, Kennedy and Marcus.

Dick Brown

Dick began his career with Carleton University in 1966 and remained fiercely loyal to the school until his retirement in 1999.  During his time at Carleton, Dick served as Assistant Dean of Students, coach of the Ravens basketball team, Director of Student Housing and Food Services, as well as Director of Human Resources for 18 years.  Following his retirement, Dick joined the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association (OGHA) as their first Executive Director.  In this role Dick helped establish the very successful Destination Marketing Fee program which generates some $7M in support of Ottawa’s tourism industry.  Over the years Dick has been a key player in many business and community service activities, including the Ottawa Business Journal Editorial Board, the City of Ottawa Business Advisory Committee, the Ontario Restaurant Hotel Motel Association Board of Directors and the Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors.

Cyril Leeder

Cyril Leeder is President of Senators Sports & Entertainment. His countless hours of work in the community, spearheading many initiatives, have improved the lives of our children and youth.

Cyril was a key figure in assembling the winning bid to bring NHL hockey back to Ottawa.  He has been the driving force and one of the founders of the Bell Capital Cup, now recognized as a Guinness World Record as the world’s largest minor hockey tournament. Leeder headed the committee to bring the 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship to Ottawa, and also led the unique public/private partnership that saw the construction of Bell Sensplex – a four-ice pad/field house facility built in Kanata that was desperately needed to fill overwhelming demand within the city.

Cyril’s commitment to the community, his commitment to his employees and the pride he takes in knowing he has a strong team off-the-ice, his hours spent sitting on various committees throughout the region including the Ottawa Convention Centre and the National Arts Centre, all mark him as a man who touches individuals in this city in many different ways, a man who enhances the lives of others.

Charles Merovitz

Charles was born and raised in Montreal and moved to Ottawa in 1974.  Immediately upon being called to the Bar, Chuck started his own law practice and has been with Bram Potechin for over 30 years in the firm Merovitz Potechin LLP where Chuck practices primarily as a commercial trial lawyer. 

Chuck is an avid golfer and a fair-weather skier.  He is chair of a committee that established the Cancer Survivors Park in Ottawa and is on the executive of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation.  Chuck is also a proud member of the Ottawa Bytown Rotary Club.

Chuck has been married to Bonnie Merovitz since 1972 and has two boys, Lee, 32 and Ryan, 28 and an adorable grandson, Jack Marshall Merovitz born September 8, 2008

Patrick W. Murray

Patrick Murray is a lawyer and heads the Business Law Group in the Ottawa office of Lang Michener LLP. He practices corporate law, secured transactions and commercial real estate.  Along with his wife, Rebecca, Patrick is involved in several community-orientated organizations and holds directorships in many private companies.  Patrick and Rebecca have four children, which keeps them busy after work.

Mary Pitt

As Chief of staff in the Mayor’s office for the City of Nepean for 17 years, after which she herself served as Mayor, Mary Pitt’s commitment to civic duty runs deep.  Originally trained as a Registered Nurse, Mary applied her medical background during her eight years of service on the Boards of Queensway Carleton Hospital and its Foundation, during which time she held the positions of Vice-Chair, Chair and Director.  Mary continues to play an active role in the community, currently serving as Chair for the Nepean Chamber of Commerce, a Director on the Board of Villa Marconi, an accredited 125-bed long-term care residence and a Trustee of the Nepean Museum.  She is also a member of the committee to establish an Algonquin College Bursary in memory of Ben Franklin, a fellow former Mayor of Nepean.

Bernie Ashe

Bernie Ashe is the Chief Executive Officer of KOTT Group, a private company in the supply and installation of lumber and related products to the Homebuilding Industry.  KOTT Group consists of eight businesses operating in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal with export businesses selling to the U.S. and internationally.  Prior to his work with KOTT, Bernie served as President & CEO of AiT, now 3M-AiT Ltd, a TSX-listed company providing solutions for traveler identity and border control.  He was also the Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for the Ottawa Senators from 1991 – 1997.  A trustee of CHEO for 15 years, Bernie also served as a Board member for the Canadian Advanced Technology Association and Decision Academics Inc.  Bernie is currently a member of the Mayor’s Leadership Table on Homelessness and resides in Ottawa with his wife Nancy and their three children.

Dale Craig

Dale Craig is Chairman of the Board of J.L. Richards & Associates Limited, a 200-person consulting engineering, architectural and planning firm.  Dale served as the firm’s President and CEO for over 14 years prior to his current tenure as Chairman.  Dale has also been active as a Board Member and Vice Chair of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada, Chair of the Consulting Engineers of Ontario, a Founding Patron of the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution, and a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.  Dale has served the community as Chair of the Engineering Division of the United Way, as a Board member of Hydro Ottawa Holdings Inc. and as Chair of the Energy Ottawa Committee.

Joanne Lefebvre

Joanne Lefebvre is President and CEO for the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la Capitale nationale (RGA), an Ottawa based business organization founded in 1983.  RGA brings together 600 business members on both sides of the Ottawa River and fills a leading role in the economic and socioeconomic development of the greater National Capital Region.  Under Joanne’s leadership, RGA has evolved into Canada’s preeminent Francophone-bilingual business groups with strong ties throughout Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.

She currently is a member of the Board of Directors for Ottawa’s Saint Paul University and member of the Board of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation.  Joanne is Vice-President Ontario for the Forum francophone des affaires, comité national and a member of the Panel des régions, Société Radio Canada.

Ms Lefebvre serves on committees of various business groups such as the Business Advisory Committee of the City of Ottawa.  She is also Chair of the Internationally Trained Workers and Professionals Committee and has been a member of Team Ottawa – Orleans.  She is past Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Club du Midi and past member of the Board of the Centre espoir Sophie. 

A committed volunteer in her community, Joanne Lefebvre has shown leadership in her involvement with private schools, sports organizations, fundraising and has worked to enrich French language services in the Nation’s Capital.

Currently completing her MBA at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management, Ms Lefebvre has earned degrees from both Université de Montréal and University of Ottawa.

Bill Milliken

Bill is a registered lobbyist who runs his own practice providing public affairs counsel.  Over the years, Bill has provided strategic communications counsel to governments, senior ministers, international organizations, and the private sector, both as a public servant and a consultant.  Prior to starting a career in consulting in 1997, Bill served as Communications Advisor and Press Secretary to the Honourable John Manley.  Bill was a communications executive at Industry Canada before joining the Minister’s staff working on tourism, information technology and telecommunications issues.  With expertise in legislative change strategy and media training, Bill was also the Director of Communications for National Parks & Historic Sites, and Director of Media Relations for Environment Canada.

Patricia Parulekar

Patricia has many years of private sector and non-profit senior executive experience and continues to be both a lobbyist and a market and public policy analyst.  Patricia had her own marketing and management consulting practice, which included managing non-profit, advocacy, corporate and volunteer groups and organizations, most with national or international mandates.  Patricia also has experience directing new product development in the field of healthcare technology research and development.  In addition to the OCC, she volunteers with many charitable and arts organizations, is a Friend of the Concert Hall and a Board Member of the Third Wall Theatre Company.  She was the National Director and CEO of the Canadian School Boards Association, the national organization representing and serving provincial school board associations.  Patricia is now with The Thomsen Corporation, a market research firm specialized in the agricultural sector.

Jim Watson

Mayor, Ottawa

Jim Watson was elected Mayor of the City of Ottawa on October 25, 2010.
Mayor Watson had dedicated most of his career to public service in Canada's Capital.
First elected as a Councillor in 1991, he was re-elected in 1994. Three years later he was elected as the youngest Mayor in Ottawa's history with 82% of the popular vote.
Following the amalgamation of Ottawa and surrounding communities, Mayor Watson was appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Tourism Commission, a federal crown corporation.
In 2003, he was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean and immediately appointed to cabinet as Minister of Consumer and Business services.
In 2005, he was appointed as Ontario's first Minister of Health Promotion and he successfully implemented the Smoke Free Ontario Act.
Re-elected as MPP in 2007, he was promoted to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
In that portfolio, Watson signed the largest Federal-Provincial Housing agreement in Ontario's History. In addition he co-authored an historic agreement between the province and Ontario's 444 municipalities that saw over $1.5 Billion in social service costs removed from local property taxes.
An active member of his community, Watson has also served on the boards or as honourary chair of several community organizations, including the Riverside Hospital, the National Arts Centre, the Christmas Exchange of Ottawa and the Forum for Young Canadians. He served as chair of United Way's 2002 campaign, which raised a record $21 million.
An avid volunteer with several groups, he has helped serve meals at the Shepherds of Good Hope, a local soup kitchen. His commitment to those less fortunate was evident when, in August of 2000, he contributed his entire municipal severance payment of $31,000 to Ottawa's Union Mission for Men.
His years of active involvement and community service have made him the recipient of several awards and accolades, including Maclean's magazine's "100 Young Canadians To Watch," Carleton University Honours Award, the City of Ottawa's highest civic honour, the Key to the City; the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal; the Visionary Award by the Ontario Pharmacists' Association, and the National Leadership Award by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control for his role in implementing the Smoke Free Ontario Act.