AB – Sherwood Park: Pierre Cormier

Pierre Cormier is a seasoned professional advising business leaders in achieving solid growth for over 20 years. His entrepreneurial zest provides a high level of energy and devotion to all client projects. As a certified management consultant and business coach, he has had the privilege of guiding hundreds of entrepreneurs in reaching their true potential and peak performance.

Shifting your business into a destination is achievable through a creative mindset, dedication and dynamic best practices; and Pierre would like to help guide you in remaining viable, successful and profitable, especially in today’s Covid-19 world.

AB – Whitecourt: Michelle Jones

Michelle has lived in the Whitecourt Woodlands Region for 35+ years where she owned and operated both retail and service-based businesses for over 25 years.  Michelle has gained extensive experience working in both the public and private sector industry.  In addition to being certified in Strategic Planning, Project Management and Business Administration, she also developed and implemented  Crime Prevention Education and social programing for various organizations as well as held the manager’s  position with the local Chamber of Commerce. Now as the Executive Director with Community Futures an organization that provides training, coaching and financing to Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners, becoming a facilitator in order to provide Destination Creation training was a natural fit, and one more tool she will utilize when working with small business owners looking to increase their potential for becoming a destination business within their region.

AB – Bragg Creek: Mark Kamachi

As a creative marketing professional for over 30 years, Mark and his team deliver memorable and award-winning advertising and design for businesses of all of flavours with their niche in tourism and economic development. As the Creative Director of AdMaki Creative, he sees that everything they produce gets noticed. Now with Destination Creation training, and being one of the few Canadian facilitators in Jon’s arsenal, he is equipped with more business insights to empower entrepreneurs to reach their business potential. Mark works tirelessly creating advertising material for his clients from logos and websites to social media and digital campaigns as well as traditional mediums. He also happens to be the local county councillor, teaches advertising at the university level, is a public speaker, and plays in a band called Skuzzy & the Woodticks.

AB – Raymond: Greg Robinson

Greg has vast experience in a number of fields that provide truly unique insight for small businesses.  In the 90’s, Greg originally pursued a producing career in TV and Radio. He later used his previous retail management experience and successfully devoted nearly 20 years to banking, finance and investment. During that time, Greg felt the strong desire to serve his community of Raymond, Alberta, Canada and ran for public office. Greg served as a Councillor for 8 years, including chairing the local Economic Development Committee as well as serving for 5 years as Chair for a 24 municipality member regional economic alliance. These experiences contribute to an acute understanding of how small businesses in small urban and rural areas succeed or fail in today’s 21st century economy. Greg now uses his experience and the proven Destination Creation training to help small businesses in Canada.

BC – Kimberley: Verna O’Neill

VLO Business Solutions founder and chief enthusiast, Verna O’Neill, loves community-focused initiatives that promote small business and help entrepreneurs and their communities thrive.  Over the past 25 years Verna has worked in many roles with the Community Futures (CF) program, most recently as General Manager of CF Sunrise in Saskatchewan.  Now a fresh, new resident of Kimberley, British Columbia, Verna plans to expand her network west. She has helped thousands of entrepreneurs reach their goals in becoming more profitable, strategic and creative in their approach to growing their business.  Her passion for small business is contagious and she is always looking to assist entrepreneurs at the grass-roots level.  From marketing strategies to financial analysis, Verna has a great wealth of diverse knowledge, skills and contacts to assist business owners. Past Destination Creation participants rave about their course experience with Verna as facilitator.

SK – Redvers: Christina Birch

Christina Birch, founder of Birch Consulting Group, is a capacity builder that is always looking for ways to help businesses and communities thrive. Her passion for helping entrepreneurs, organizations and communities has been evident throughout her more than 15 years of experience in community economic development.
Christina works directly with more than 100 destination businesses on a continuous basis. She has successfully implemented the Destination Creation course at both community and regional levels to grow and establish regional business networks of up to 115 destination businesses. Her award-winning support program has spurred the development of a regional visitor economy which is having direct impacts on local businesses and communities.  In addition to being a Destination Creation facilitator, Christina is certified in Strategic Doing and holds a Masters of Arts and Ec.D. designation.

SK – Moose Jaw: Jim Dixon

My passion for business and economic development, and helping individuals, organizations, communities, and entrepreneurs succeed, gives me the impetus to help lead change. I am currently employed with the City of Moose Jaw as their Economic Development Manager and I bring over 11 years as an economic development practitioner at the municipal and provincial levels. Business development has been a focus most of my life as an entrepreneur, business owner, and management consultant. Taking an active role in the leadership of my community has also been a priority. I have facilitation experience in The Pacific Institute Leadership program and now the Destination Creation program. I was on the brand leadership team in creating our City’s new brand, Moose Jaw, Canada’s Most Notorious City. To paraphrase my favourite quote from Kouzes and Posner, “Let’s work together to build and sustain the human relationships that enable people to get extraordinary things done.”

SK – Prince Albert: Carolyn Carleton

Carolyn has a long and exceptional career in communications, tourism, destination marketing, administration and municipal economic management, through which she understands the importance of communities to proactively work to strengthen relationships with business groups, companies and developers. Strong communities are ones that have a business culture with strong stakeholder relationships, that is open to opportunities and willing to work toward common goals and objectives that will support a resilient economic ecosystem.

Carolyn supports businesses, organizations and communities through teaching a variety of workshops that help make visions and goals a reality.

SK – Saskatoon: Verona Thibault

An independent consultant, Verona Thibault has provided management, marketing and business development services to communities and the not-for profit sector for over thirty years.

As CEO of the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance(SEDA), Verona works to strengthen and maintain resilient and vibrant communities across the province. She currently has trained more participants in the Destination Creation Course in Canada than anyone else.

Business and community are interdependent and ensuring the success of small business is a priority.