Local Breakfast Series - June

On June 18, the Ottawa Board of Trade and Ottawa Business Journal will host its Local Breakfast Series event with a lively panel discussion on what it means to build a vibrant Orleans. Revitalization, redevelopment and intensification: a vision for an east end economic corridor. How do we ensure this vision is included as part of Ottawa's plan for the future? 

Panelists: 

Councillor Matthew Luloff

Born and raised in Ottawa, Matthew Luloff has always felt strongly about service to community and country.
 
He grew up in Orléans, graduated from St. Matthew High School, and spent his summers and weekends working as a lifeguard and instructor at a variety of pools including Bob McQuarrie Recreational Complex and The Ray Friel Centre.
 
As a member of the Governor General’s Foot Guards and later the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Matthew served as a member of the Ceremonial Guard and deployed to Afghanistan in 2008. Fighting out of small combat outposts along the Arghandab River, Matthew and his platoon patrolled the volatile Panjwai-Zharey districts of Kandahar Province. 
 
After leaving the Canadian Forces, Matthew graduated from The Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs at Carleton University with a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management. He has worked as an advisor to several members of parliament and federal cabinet ministers.
 
As a strong mental health advocate, Matthew produces and co-hosts Veteran X, a podcast for veterans and first responders transitioning to civilian life. 
 
Passionate about local arts and culture, Matthew has fronted the award-winning local band Hearts&Mines and continues to write, record and perform music.
 
He lives in Orléans with his wife Laura and their two dogs, Norman and Elliot.

Councillor Laura Dudas

Laura Dudas is the Ottawa City Councillor for Innes Ward. Laura also serves as the City’s Deputy Mayor and is a member of the Finance and Economic Development Committee, the Transportation Committee, and the Planning Committee.

Councillor Laura Dudas has dedicated her personal and professional life to the public service. Born in Kitchener, Ontario, to parents who were actively engaged in the community, she sought out a career path and volunteer opportunities that would allow her to positively impact the lives of others.
 
She served as the President of the Blackburn Community Association for eight years and was active on the board for 10 years. In that time, she chaired multiple volunteer boards, organized large-scale events, raised funds for local causes, and organized many public consultations.
 
In her volunteer capacity, Councillor Dudas worked to build strong relationships with Orléans’ community associations and groups, collaborating with them to get results on issues that are important to east-end residents. She has been a member of the former Orléans Chamber of Commerce and is an active supporter of the Heart of Orléans Business Improvement Association.
 
Professionally, Councillor Dudas was a City of Ottawa employee for eight years (from 2010 to 2018), providing strategic communications on a wide variety of projects, including ones that directly benefited Innes Ward and Orléans. Prior to that, Laura worked as a journalist for eight years writing for several daily newspapers, including the Ottawa Sun, the Stratford Beacon Herald and the Cambridge Reporter.

André Grzela, Owner, Beachcomber Hot Tubs Orléans
 
Born and raised in Northern Ontario (Kapuskasing), André's small-town values can be felt in his daily business operations and world-class customer service.

He persuaded post-secondary education in the City of Timmins taking Business Admin. Accounting / Marketing. After college, a life changing 2-year trip to Australia / New Zealand was completed. Returning home to attend his brother's wedding, he found Christine whom he married. They've since had 2 girls, Milana & Ezmé.

André was well known in Timmins. He was on Timmins City Council as well as several Boards and Committees. He had worked for 4-years as the local MPP’s Executive Assistant but after a few years of lobbying André to partner-up, his brother Patrick was successful. André moved to Ottawa in January 2016 to open Beachcomber Hot Tubs Orléans. They won the 2018 Retail Business of the Year Award through the previous Orléans Chamber of Commerce. 

Cindy VanBuskirk, Program Manager, High Economic Impact Program with Economic Development & Long-Range Planning, City of OttawaOwner
 

She is responsible for facilitating economic growth and diversification through partnerships with a wide spectrum of economic development stakeholders.

Prior to joining the City in 2018, Cindy was employed by the Viking Rideau Corporation and the Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited, the owners and managers of CF Rideau Centre, a large mixed-use development in the heart of the Nation’s Capital. After several years directing the marketing and leasing at the property, Cindy became the General Manager in 2006. She was a key member of the project team responsible for delivering the $360M redevelopment of CF Rideau Centre in 2016 which reinvigorated downtown Ottawa east of the Rideau Canal and reinforced the shopping centre’s position as one of Canada’s leading retail properties.

Cindy previously served on the Boards of Ottawa Tourism (Vice Chair and Membership Chair), the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Rideau Business Improvement Area (Vice Chair). She is currently a member of the Capital Build Task Force, a sub-committee of the Ottawa Board of Trade and is the City of Ottawa’s representative on the Ottawa Tourism Board of Directors.

Speaker Gift Sponsor: 

Door Prize Sponsor: