Submitted by Deron Johnston, Old Town Kemptville BIA
The Old Town Kemptville BIA, like many other organizations around North Grenville, is primarily run by volunteers. Though the volunteers themselves may come and go, the work they’ve done and the memories they’ve created will live long into the future. We are truly blessed.
The BIA has been the beneficiary of the time and energy of some remarkable people. Recently, our Treasurer Stephen Bent of CIBC resigned from our Board. Stephen’s knowledge and experience working on the Boards of other BIAs, including Manotick and Barrhaven, has been essential to the growth and development of the BIA. Stephen could always be counted on to prove a no-nonsense approach to problem-solving and decision-making. We wish Stephen nothing but success as he continues to provide exceptional customer service to the clients at CIBC in Downtown Kemptville.
Currently, the Board is comprised of Chair, Megan Cumming of Kemptville Stress Relief Centre, Vice Chair, Will Pearl of Stevens Creek Shutter Co., Secretary, Omshanti Charlebois of Bodhi Tree Yoga Centre, Director Shelley Mitchell of To Be Continued, Director Sierra Jones of the North Grenville Public Library and Deputy Mayor Jim McManaman. The Board is blessed with leaders who devote their time and energy to creating an environment for businesses to thrive and to making downtown the premier community hub for culture, entertainment, wellness and community events.
Outside of the Board, there are many other volunteers who bring the activities, promotions and events of the BIA to life so that everyone can come and enjoy everything that downtown has to offer. Volunteers such as Tammy Hurlbert, Herb and Debbie Cloutier, Wendy Embleton, Debbie Wilson, Brenda Ward, Hilary Thomson, Amanda and Mary-Anne Leang, Nancy Onlock, David Burns, Nick Savoie, Carolyn Lundy, Terri-Lyn McEvoy, Karen Bedard and so many others have contributed immeasurably. Thank you for everything that all of you have done and will do for us.
We are humbled every day by the level of commitment and the sacrifices made by our volunteers in order to support our downtown community. So many hours are spent discussing, planning, organizing and executing the various programming designed to benefit our member businesses, their employees and the greater community. We are beyond grateful for everything that they do for us. During these pandemic times, it’s easy to become focused on all of the negativity around us. The strength of our volunteers makes it easy for us to stay positive about today and the future.
Lastly, if there’s one thing that we can say to truly summarize how we feel about our volunteers, it’s “Our volunteers are better than yours”!
