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Lauren began her career as
a planner with the Toronto firm of Walker Wright Young, before
moving to a position as senior planner with the Management
Board Secretariat of the Ontario
Realty Commission. In 1995, she joined Coopers &
Lybrand, rising to the position of Vice-
President in the series of corporate mergers that produced
PricewaterhouseCoopers. In 2003, she
helped spin PWC's successful real estate practice into a new
firm, urbanMetrics, which she joined
as a partner. As her work and interests increasingly
moved away from traditional urban planning
and into the economic development field, Lauren helped launch
Millier Dickinson Blais as a vehicle
for delivering high-value consulting assistance to communities
and organizations wrestling with
economic development challenges.
Lauren's past clients are a diverse group, representing public
and private sector interests from all
across North America. She holds a Bachelor of Environmental
Studies (Honours Planning) degree
from the University of Waterloo and is both a Registered Professional
Planner and a Member of
the Canadian Institute of Planners. She has served for
several years on the Board of the
Economic Developers Council of Ontario and currently sits
on the Toronto Board of Trade Economic
Development Committee.
Born in Brockville, Ontario, Lauren now lives in Toronto with
her husband Nigel and son Cameron.
Lauren works from our Toronto office and can be contacted
on 416.367.3535 ext. 221 or lmillier@millierdickinsonblais.com.
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Brock has more than a decade of hands-on
experience in local economic development, having
served as Director of ICT & Advanced Manufacturing for
the Toronto Region Research Alliance,
Director of Economic Development & Tourism for the City
of St. Catharines, and Executive Director
of the Western Valley Development Authority in Nova Scotia's
Annapolis Valley. Before entering
the field of local economic development, he spent six years
as a consultant with the United
Nations, coordinating international development projects in
more than 30 countries. In 1995 he
was named Secretary-General of a UN conference on sustainable
development, the youngest
Secretary-General in UN history.
Brock's career has bridged the worlds of hands-on practice
and academic theory, earning him a
reputation as a leading figure in turning theory and concept
into action and success. He holds a
BA from the University of North Carolina, and a Master's degree
in International Relations from
Brock University, where his work focused on economic development
in former war zones. He has
also studied at Queen's University, the University of Waterloo
and the French-language Université
Sainte-Anne. He has earned his EcD. and (F) professional
designations in economic
development, and now teaches economic development at the University
of Waterloo. He is a
member of the Board of the Economic Developers Association
of Canada.
Originally from Digby Neck, Nova Scotia, he lives in the Niagara
region of Ontario with his wife
Krstina, son Spencer and daughter Morgan.
Brock works from our Hamilton office and can be contacted
on 416.367.3535 ext. 231 or bdickinson@millierdickinsonblais.com.
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Paul has been active in the economic
development circles for more than a dozen years, starting
with a position as researcher in the City of Woodstock's economic
development department. He
went on to serve as a professional economic developer with a
range of economic development
organizations, including the Kingston Economic Development Corporation
and the County of
Lennox & Addington. In 2005, he launched his own successful
economic development consulting
firm, Blais & Associates. Strong growth and an increasing
client base prompted Paul to become a
partner in the new firm of Millier Dickinson Blais in 2007,
where his clients can draw on a wider
range of professional assistance as they pursue economic development
opportunities.
Paul has a strong track record in rural economic development
and community consultation
processes. He holds a BA in Geography from Wilfrid Laurier
University, and a Master's in
Geography (with a specialization in economic development) from
the same institution. He has his
EcD. professional certification as an economic developer, and
is also a certified business retention
consultant through BR+E International. He was recently
elected to the Board of the Economic
Developers Council of Ontario.
Originally from southwestern Ontario, he now lives in the community
of Sydenham in eastern
Ontario, with his wife Cara and their two daughters, Taryn and
Abbey.
Paul works from our Harrowsmith office and can be contacted on
416.367.3535 ext. 241 or pblais@millierdickinsonblais.com |
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Libby is a Managing Consultant based in our Harrowsmith office with more than 15 years of experience in community economic development. Her career began as Economic Development Manager for the Town of Gander in Newfoundland. Libby later moved to Alberta, where she continued to work in rural and community economic development as the Executive Director of the Red Deer Downtown Business Association and Economic Development Manager for Red Deer County. Libby has also worked in the United Kingdom as Alumni Relationship Manager for Coventry University’s Development Department and as Policy and Performance Officer for Coventry City Council’s City Services Directorate. Before joining Millier Dickinson Blais, Libby ran her own company, Terra Consulting, and most recently worked on a business retention and expansion project with Hastings County, Ontario.
Libby was the first woman in Newfoundland to earn the professional certification designation as an economic developer, EcD., and has served on the board of directors and executive of the Economic Developers Association of Canada.
Originally from Gander, Newfoundland, Libby now resides in eastern Ontario with her husband Gary.
Libby works from our Harrowsmith office and can be contacted on 416.367.3535 ext. 242 or lsmith@millierdickinsonblais.com.
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Court is a Managing Consultant based in our Toronto office. He has eight years of community and international development experience. After completing his Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Calgary, Court worked for Kraft Foods and Fording Coal before beginning his work in community development. Court has spent the past six years working and volunteering for CUSO in Indonesia where he supported micro-credit programs and most recently served as Country Representative coordinating programs in economics, forestry management, and gender equity throughout Indonesia. Court is currently completing his Masters of Applied Environmental Studies in Local Economic Development from the University of Waterloo. His research looks at how regional policies and planning can facilitate innovations in local food systems and enable a region to reach the goal of being a Healthy Community.
Court was born in Victoria, BC, and raised in Valleyview, Alberta. He currently lives in Toronto.
Court works from our Toronto office and can be contacted on
416.367.3535 ext. 227 or cellingson@millierdickinsonblais.com.
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Daniel is a Consultant in our Toronto office. He has been active in the economic development profession for more than seven years, starting with a position as an economic researcher in the Town of Ajax’s economic development department. He went on to serve as an economic development officer with the Municipality of Brockton in Walkerton where he gained valuable experience in business park development and economic development program implementation. Prior to joining Millier Dickinson Blais, Daniel served as a project manager/planner with Malone Given Parsons Ltd. in Markham where he was responsible for managing economic development projects and retail market demand & impact studies for commercial developments.
Daniel holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Geography and a Master of Applied Environmental Studies in Local Economic Development from the University of Waterloo. He is a provisional member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and Canadian Institute of Planners.
Originally from Elgin County, Daniel now lives in Whitby with his wife Renee and sons Owen and Caleb.
Daniel works from our Toronto office and can be contacted on 416.367.3535 ext. 226 or dvankampen@millierdickinsonblais.com.
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Nicolina holds a Bachelor of Environmental
Studies (Honours Planning) degree and a Masters
of Applied Environmental Studies in Local Economic Development.
Nicolina's thesis work focused on community economic development
and immigration strategies. Before entering the field of economic
development, Nicolina worked at the City of Toronto's Planning
Department. In 2006, Nicolina joined a research team at the
University of Waterloo, which explored citizen involvement in
economic development in a resource-dependent region in northern
Ontario.
Since joining the firm, Nicolina has worked on an advanced manufacturing
sector profile for Durham Region, an economic development strategy
for the Town of Orangeville and a community economic development
initiative for the 1000 Islands Workforce Development Board.
Born in Toronto, Nicolina lives in the lakeside community of
Mimico.
Nicolina works from our Toronto office and can be contacted
on 416.367.3535 ext. 223 or nbasil@millierdickinsonblais.com.
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Darren is a Consultant in our Hamilton office. He has completed a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Planning at the University of Waterloo, where he also received a Diploma of Excellence in Geographic Information Systems. Darren began his career in economic development as an Economic Development Researcher with the City of Barrie’s Economic Development Office, where he gained hands-on experience at the municipal level. Prior to joining Millier Dickinson Blais, Darren worked as a junior planner at Armstrong Hunter & Associates in Hamilton.
Darren is originally from Hamilton and currently lives in the city. He can be contacted on 416.367.3535 ext. 232 or dshock@millierdickinsonblais.com.
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Crystal is a Consultant with Millier Dickinson Blais. She Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Planning and Development from Brock University and has served as the Manager of the Regional Economic Development Initiative for Northwest Alberta before joining the firm. She has worked as the project manager with Alberta Finance and Enterprise on investment attraction, tourism development, marketing/promoting partnerships, and regional advocacy initiatives. Her involvement in local communities has included serving as the secretary on the High Level Chamber of Commerce as well as planning, organizing, and facilitating strategic planning sessions with boards of directors, community representatives, and local residents.
Crystal is originally from Marathon, Ontario, and currently lives in Fergus, Ontario
Crystal works from our Hamilton office and can be contacted on
416.367.3535 ext. 236 or cdraper@millierdickinsonblais.com.
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Tarryn is the Communications and Operations
Coordinator at Millier Dickinson Blais. She holds a Bachelor
of Arts in English Language and Literature and an Ontario College
Graduate Certificate in Public Relations. As a student she interned
for the Small Business Enterprise Centre in St. Catharines,
Ontario. Before joining the firm, she lived in London, UK, where
she worked as a Public Relations Account Executive for a public
relations agency serving the business to business technology
industry.
Tarryn is originally from South Africa and now lives in St.
Catharines.
Tarryn works from our Hamilton office and can be contacted on
416.367.3535 ext. 235 or tlandman@millierdickinsonblais.com.
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