Community Futures Pan West - Board Development

Our experienced facilitators will deliver your Community Futures Leadership Institute board session with professionalism. All facilitators have an extensive background in Community Economic Development and other topics related to the Community Futures Leadership Institute modules.

Find out more about our Board Development Facilitators across the country:

Deb Arnott

Deb Arnott
4141 Mickey Frontage Rd.
Cache Creek B.C.
V0K 1H1
Tel: 250-457-7132
Email: arnottd@telus.net
Debra has been a Community Futures General Manager for 30 years, including the Chair of the Disaster Recovery Committee with CFBC. She has been very involved the past 7 years with natural disasters in the region that she serviced. She has worked with communities and businesses, advocating and collaborating with her peers to develop programs. She recently worked with the community of Lytton assisting businesses as they are transitioning. On a personal front, Debra was also affected in the 2017 wildfire, when she was evacuated for the months of July and August and inevitably closed their logging business that she partnered with her husband that summer.
Available sessons facilitated by Deb Arnott:
Module 14 - Is Your CF Prepared for Natural and Economic Disaster?
Jon Close

Jon Close
4213-101 Sunset Drive
Cochrane AB
T4C 0W7
Tel: 587-834-6060
Email: jon@upcloseteam.com
With over 40 years of experience, Jon Close is a highly respected professional who helps Community Futures staff and board members to reach their full potential.

Since 1988, Jon has taken on pivotal roles in the Community Futures Program: from being a founding executive director at the local and provincial CF levels, to being a founding board member at the Community Futures Pan West Network & Community Futures Canadian Network of Canada levels. Jon has developed and continues to deliver board and staff development to non-profit organizations across Canada.

Furthermore, Jon's non-profit leadership experience includes roles on various boards such as the Rural Alberta Development Fund, President of the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce and Vice Chair of the Medicine Hat College board of governors. Currently, Jon serves in leadership roles on several boards including being the Finance, Audit, and Risk Management Committee chair with a highly respected non-profit organization.

Available sessons facilitated by Jon Close:
Module 1 - Community Economic Development
Module 2 - Operations: Board and Staff
Module 3 - Legal Responsibilities of Boards
Module 4 - Financial Management of a Non-Profit
Module 5 - Board Development and Performance
Module 6 - Community Futures Lending
Module 7 - Management, Recruitment, Performance, Evaluation & Development
Module 8 - Board Leadership
Module 9 - Cultural Awareness
Module 10 - Social Economy & Social Enterprise
Module 11 - Role of Planning
Module 12 - The Role of the Chair
Module 13 - Strategic Loan Fund Management
Module 14 - Is Your CF Prepared for Natural and Economic Disaster?
Module 15 - Volunteer Attraction, Retention and Succession
Jason Denbow

Jason Denbow
Suite 559, 167 Lombard Ave.
Winnipeg, MB
R3B 0V3
Tel: 204-943-2905
Email: jdenbow@cfmanitoba.ca
Jason Denbow is the Executive Director of both Community Futures Manitoba and Community Futures Saskatchewan, the associations representing the 16 Community Futures organizations in Manitoba and the 13 Community Futures organizations in Saskatchewan.

Jason has served as a facilitator for the Community Futures Leadership Institute since 2004; delivering board governance and leadership training sessions to volunteer boards in eight provinces and territories across Canada; and has facilitated both strategic and operational planning sessions for communities, non-profits, and CF organizations in all four western provinces.
Available sessons facilitated by Jason Denbow:
Module 1 - Community Economic Development
Module 2 - Operations: Board and Staff
Module 3 - Legal Responsibilities of Boards
Module 4 - Financial Management of a Non-Profit
Module 5 - Board Development and Performance
Module 6 - Community Futures Lending
Module 7 - Management, Recruitment, Performance, Evaluation & Development
Module 8 - Board Leadership
Module 9 - Cultural Awareness
Module 10 - Social Economy & Social Enterprise
Module 11 - Role of Planning
Module 12 - The Role of the Chair
Module 13 - Strategic Loan Fund Management
Module 14 - Is Your CF Prepared for Natural and Economic Disaster?
Module 15 - Volunteer Attraction, Retention and Succession
Troy Dungate

1209 4th Avenue
Prince George, BC
Tel: 250 563 7747
Email: tdungate@hotmail.com
Troy was born and raised in Prince George, BC. He is a graduate of the University of Victoria's Bachelor of Commerce program and the University of Saskatchewan's Bachelor of Law program. Troy has previously managed offices focusing in business development in Prince George, Langley, Victoria and Vancouver for TD Waterhouse. He now practices law with his family at their Prince George based law firm and is also a Business Law Instructor at the College of New Caledonia.

Troy has served as a director of Community Futures Fraser Fort George since 2009 and has been the chair of the board since 2011.
Available sessons facilitated by Troy Dungate:
Module 2 - Operations: Board and Staff
Module 3 - Legal Responsibilities of Boards
Module 4 - Financial Management of a Non-Profit
Module 5 - Board Development and Performance
Module 6 - Community Futures Lending
Module 7 - Management, Recruitment, Performance, Evaluation & Development
Module 8 - Board Leadership
Module 10 - Social Economy & Social Enterprise
Module 11 - Role of Planning
Module 12 - The Role of the Chair
Module 13 - Strategic Loan Fund Management
Module 15 - Volunteer Attraction, Retention and Succession
Steve Lupky, C.I.M, C. Mgr.

Steve Lupky,
107-70 Des Hivernants Blvd North
Winnipeg, MB R3X 0T4

Tel: 204-791-5965
Email: sjlupky@gmail.com
Steve Lupky has over 25 years of extensive leadership and board experience. He has been involved with and led numerous local, regional and provincial boards and organizations. Steve had the privilege of serving 18 years as an elected Councillor and Deputy Mayor for the Town of Arborg, Manitoba. Keenly interested in community development, Steve was the founding President of both the Arborg Bifrost Community Development Corporation and the Arborg Seniors Housing Corporation. Steve has been involved with Community Futures since 2004 and currently serves on the boards of Community Futures East Interlake and Community Futures Manitoba. Steve is also a director on the National Board of the Canadian Institute of Management; Chartered Managers Canada, and is an Acting Chair with the Manitoba Municipal Board.

Steve is employed with Manitoba Public Insurance as Director, Physical Damage. Along with his Chartered Manager designation, Steve holds a BA (economics) degree from the University of Manitoba, an Advanced Certificate in Management. Leadership & Strategy from the Asper School of Business, a Human Resource Management Diploma from the University of Winnipeg, and Certificates in Management, and Rehabilitation Case Management from the University of Manitoba.

Available sessons facilitated by Steve Lupky, C.I.M, C. Mgr.:
Module 1 - Community Economic Development
Module 2 - Operations: Board and Staff
Module 3 - Legal Responsibilities of Boards
Module 4 - Financial Management of a Non-Profit
Module 6 - Community Futures Lending
Module 8 - Board Leadership
Module 9 - Cultural Awareness
Module 12 - The Role of the Chair
Module 14 - Is Your CF Prepared for Natural and Economic Disaster?
Module 15 - Volunteer Attraction, Retention and Succession
Judy McMillan-Evans, M.Ed.

Judy McMillan-Evans, M.Ed.
Certified Adult Educator
and Certified Facilitator
723 - 5th Ave SW
High River, AB
T1V 1B9
Tel: 403-652-9664
Email: judy@mcmillan-evans.ca
Non-profit organizations and rural communities have always been a passion of Judy's, thus immersing her in the world of rural community economic development. She has been a member of the Community Futures family since 1995 and a community volunteer for her entire adult life. This extensive experience has provided an excellent training ground for non-profit board development.   

Judy currently instructs, not only for the CFBD and CFPD programs, but for Mount Royal University and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in their business departments. Having well over 20 years experience training and facilitating groups, Judy believes that adults must have fun to learn. You will, no doubt, enjoy her style and learn at the same time.
Available sessons facilitated by Judy McMillan-Evans, M.Ed.:
Module 1 - Community Economic Development
Module 2 - Operations: Board and Staff
Module 3 - Legal Responsibilities of Boards
Module 4 - Financial Management of a Non-Profit
Module 5 - Board Development and Performance
Module 6 - Community Futures Lending
Module 9 - Cultural Awareness
Module 10 - Social Economy & Social Enterprise
Module 11 - Role of Planning
Module 12 - The Role of the Chair
Module 14 - Is Your CF Prepared for Natural and Economic Disaster?
Gail Moorhouse

Gail Moorhouse
801 Derby Drive
Ennismore ON
K01 1T0
Tel: 705-917-4245
Email: gailamoorhouse@gmail.com
Gail Moorhouse has been in the Community Futures Community for close to 8 years serving first on the Board of Directors and 5 years as the Executive Director of Community Futures Peterborough. Gail was also the elected staff representative for the Ontario Association of CDFCs. In June of 2022, Gail received her Professional Directors certification and has a passion for building boards and governance.

Gail is results driven and has a strong background in finance and technology. She has served on more than a dozen not 4 profit boards including the Women's Business Network and the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce. Gail has numerous awards and recognition for performance in the business community and wants her legacy to be "she got it done".
Available sessons facilitated by Gail Moorhouse:
Module 2 - Operations: Board and Staff
Module 5 - Board Development and Performance
Module 7 - Management, Recruitment, Performance, Evaluation & Development
Module 8 - Board Leadership
Module 11 - Role of Planning
Module 14 - Is Your CF Prepared for Natural and Economic Disaster?
Module 15 - Volunteer Attraction, Retention and Succession
Verna O'Neill

85 Knighton Road
Kimberley, BC V1A 0B4
Tel: 306-861-1666
Email: verna@vlobusiness.ca
Over the past 25 years Verna O'Neill has worked in the Community Futures (CF) world, most recently for nine years as General Manager of CF Sunrise in southeast Saskatchewan. Now living in Kimberley, British Columbia with her family, Verna is continuing to follow her passion for small business development and the CF program, founding her own company VLO Business Solutions. She is eager to assist small business and the non-profit sector, sharing her knowledge, skills and innovative perspectives.

Verna has a long history of facilitation experience, working with small business groups, non-profits and the post-secondary system.
Participants rave about their experience with her as the facilitator:

"Verna was the facilitator of the program and was so knowledgeable, enthusiastic and incredibly helpful with all my stumbling blocks. Thank you so much." - Dalelynn - Kenosee Lake, SK

"Verna as a facilitator is skilled at allowing and encouraging discussion but always steering the participants back to the business at hand. An awesome experience." - Kathy - Weyburn, SK

Verna has a Bachelor of Commerce degree (finance major) from the University of Saskatchewan and a Certificate in Adult Continuing Education from the University of Manitoba.

Available sessons facilitated by Verna O'Neill:
Module 1 - Community Economic Development
Module 2 - Operations: Board and Staff
Module 4 - Financial Management of a Non-Profit
Module 6 - Community Futures Lending
Module 7 - Management, Recruitment, Performance, Evaluation & Development
Module 11 - Role of Planning
Module 15 - Volunteer Attraction, Retention and Succession
Terri Parent

Terri Parent
250 Churchill Drive
Saskatoon, SK
S7K 3Y7
Tel: 306-242-8783 or 306-227-8415
Email: parentt@shaw.ca
Terri Parent is an experienced workshop and training facilitator recognized for her ability to translate theoretical business concepts into practical, easy-to-implement techniques.

She has received formal training in Adult Education and has both developed and facilitated training workshops on a wide variety of topics, including a Certified Small Business Counseling course for the Acadia University’s Centre for Social and Business Entrepreneurship, Human Resources Management series to mention a few.

Terri is an entrepreneur, operating her own business that offers business training solutions. She is an APEC International Certified Small Business Counselor with both hands-on and theoretical expertise in all aspects of entrepreneurship and small business management.
Available sessons facilitated by Terri Parent:
Module 1 - Community Economic Development
Module 2 - Operations: Board and Staff
Module 3 - Legal Responsibilities of Boards
Module 4 - Financial Management of a Non-Profit
Module 5 - Board Development and Performance
Module 6 - Community Futures Lending
Module 9 - Cultural Awareness
Module 11 - Role of Planning
Module 12 - The Role of the Chair
Module 13 - Strategic Loan Fund Management
Module 14 - Is Your CF Prepared for Natural and Economic Disaster?
Module 15 - Volunteer Attraction, Retention and Succession
Paul Gregory Wiest

Suite B
515 Vernon St.
Nelson, BC
V1L 4E9
Tel: 250-354-1213
Email: paul@cornerstoneconsulting.ca
Paul holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Finance and a Diploma in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia. After receiving his degree Paul worked for the corporate banking sector in Vancouver. For the past 26 years, he has worked in the field of business finance, senior management, corporate leadership, and economic development. Paul has an extensive work history with Community Futures as a Business Analysis, General Manager and most recently as the interim Executive Director for Community Futures British Columbia. Over his career, Paul has facilitated strategic planning processes for organizations such as Community Futures, Credit Unions, Chambers of Commerce, and private sector organizations. He has also provided executive and regional director services to provincial and national organizations. Paul has authored reports and studies that encompass workforce development, feasibility assessments, immigration strategies, economic development tactics, and business competitiveness.

Paul is a recipient of the Don McMillan Award for outstanding contribution to community development and has been a guest speaker at various events, and national and international conferences.
Available sessons facilitated by Paul Gregory Wiest:
Module 1 - Community Economic Development
Module 2 - Operations: Board and Staff
Module 3 - Legal Responsibilities of Boards
Module 4 - Financial Management of a Non-Profit
Module 5 - Board Development and Performance
Module 6 - Community Futures Lending
Module 7 - Management, Recruitment, Performance, Evaluation & Development
Module 8 - Board Leadership
Module 9 - Cultural Awareness
Module 10 - Social Economy & Social Enterprise
Module 11 - Role of Planning
Module 12 - The Role of the Chair
Module 13 - Strategic Loan Fund Management
Module 14 - Is Your CF Prepared for Natural and Economic Disaster?
Module 15 - Volunteer Attraction, Retention and Succession