My wife, Lynda, and I are recent additions to the Skootamatta community, having
purchased a cottage on the N. Shore in the Fall of 2022.

I first fell in love with the Land O Lakes region in the mid 70’s while boating and fishing
Mazinaw, Skoot and Big Gull lakes as a frequent guest of family friends.  While growing
up in Toronto, I was blessed to spend my weekends and summers at my paternal
grandparent’s recreational farm, and my Mother’s family cottage on the Bruce
Peninsula. 

Despite these and other wonderful family retreats I have yearned for many years to
return to the region that first captured my heart.  
Lynda and I have two adult children, Sarah and Matthew, who along with their partners,
live and work in Ottawa.  Lynda and I continue to live in Peterborough. Skoot has
quickly become the literal and figurative ‘center’ of our family universe.

I began working for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the mid 80’s and quickly
migrated to the Ministry of Natural Resources where I worked for the balance of my
career.   My most recent portfolio before retirement was forming the Peterborough
County Stewardship Council, serving the Board, funding and administering staff,
programs and services.

The mandate of the Stewardship Council was to sustain and enhance local natural
heritage features for the economic, social and environmental benefit of current and
future generations.  The Stewardship Council and its wide array of programs and
services was governed by volunteer leaders from area stakeholder organizations
incl. cottagers and waterlot residents, farmers, foresters, naturalists, anglers and
hunters, all tiers of government, elected representatives and many other
stakeholders with an interest in sustainable rural economies, ecology and recreation. 

I am particularly proud of the Council’s work on lake Stewardship, in partnership with
FOCA, local cottage associations, municipalities, other non-governmental organizations,
area schools and post-secondary institutions.

Working with community leaders, landowners and volunteers furthered my deep
passion for philanthropy, citizen science, natural heritage, education and community
capacity-building.

I look forward to supporting the SDRA Board, the membership, fellow waterfront
residents and the local community, in the hopes of building on the SDRA’s great legacy
of lake stewardship and community service.