2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Emerson Blackman is a former investment advisor and OPP officer. He also served with the Canadian Armed Forces. He is now a mortgage broker with Neighbourhood Dominion Lending. As well as being a mortgage broker, he is also a volunteer firefighter with the Bracebridge Fire Department.

In the past, he was a member of the Economic Club of Canada. Emerson has also been a mentor with the Peel Board of Education on career days with high schools, where he would discuss how to transition from high school to higher education or directly to the work force. He hopes to use his energy and experience to help the Chamber of Commerce better serve our existing members as they navigate this tumultuous and challenging time, as well as grow as an organization.

When businesses do well, our entire community thrives. He also strongly feels that, as business owners, we have an obligation to reach out to the schools in our area to communicate with educators to try and bridge the divide between business and education. Getting the youth involved though programs and mentorships leads to well-balanced and motivated students. Good students make good employees, and good employees will make our town successful.

Some of you might know Marc from Tea on the 45th, which sits inside his Downtown Bracebridge storefront; “The Chancery Lane Co.” His different businesses have been Chamber Members since 2019 when they moved back to Bracebridge.

Over the years, Marc has had a varied career in foodservice, hospitality and retail. His experiences have been large and small. He has run his own independent small businesses and has also held upper management positions with larger corporations, some of which include Holt Renfrew and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. In addition to the “Chancery Lane Co”, he and his partner also own and operate an Interior Design Business.

Marc currently serves as Treasure on the Bracebridge BIA and sit on his Condo Corporations Board of Directors. It is important for him to find time to give back to the communities where he lives and works.

Whenever possible, Marc loves to enjoy the beauty of Muskoka, either walking to work to enjoy the Bracebridge Falls or in his Kayak on the Muskoka River. It is so important to him to be present and enjoy this paradise we call home.

Kevin McKinnon, with over 15 years of insurance experience, recently purchased Stan Darling Insurance. As the managing partner, Kevin and his group took ownership late in 2022 and are looking forward to working alongside the great communities, company’s, and people of the Parry Sound/Muskoka region.

His entire career has been focused on the insurance industry. His experience spans across the disciplines of all distribution mediums, operations, innovation, product development and segmentation.  Having the opportunity to work with some of the largest Insurance companies in Canada he has built a strong understanding of publicly traded and independently owned companies alike. In various executive roles, Kevin built teams to help deliver innovative approaches to product, pricing and service offerings and enhance the purchasing and service experience of their members and distribution partners.

At the start of 2022, Kevin started his journey in entrepreneurship by starting his own consulting business to help support small/medium size brokerages and aiding start-ups as well across Canada.

Kevin currently resides in the Kitchener/Waterloo region and, when not in the office in Bracebridge, he is either cycling the many mountain bike trails that the province has to offer, or enjoying one of his favourite golf courses in the area. The Muskoka region is home to his parents and family cottage and now his business. The opportunity to spend more time in the region while growing a business that supports the community just was a natural fit.

Rahim is the District Vice-President of Retail Sales and Service, covering the Muskoka & Near North District at Scotiabank.

Rahim is a Senior Banking Executive with 20+ years of diverse industry experience and a proven track record of setting winning business strategies, building collaborative relationships, and effectively leading change to accelerate enterprise performance.

He is well known for building highly engaged, productive, accountable, and results-oriented teams to accelerate growth. Additionally, he has deep experience in Community Development, playing leadership roles in fund-raising, strategic programs, and partnerships. Also, Rahim feels a deep passion for leveraging diverse thought and talent to achieve extraordinary results.

Away from the office, Rahim is married with three kids, with all of them having interest in sports and outdoor activity. He resides in Markham Ontario, but spend considerable time in Muskoka area, and wants to spend even more time giving back to the community and raising awareness in areas of Financial Literacy (Personal and Small Business), Global Poverty, and Mental Health.

Connor is a financial problem solver, helping families and small businesses overcome the various challenges that life throws in their path. His focus on continuous discovery throughout the relationship with his clients enables him to identify future problems and solve them before they occur. Our ideal client is someone who has outgrown their current advisors and is looking to take the next step in preparing themselves and their families for the challenges ahead.

Prior to forming his own Wealth Management practice, Connor worked as an advisor at two financial institutions. Connor has an MBA in Finance and over a decade of experience in the financial services industry.

Connor and his wife Alexandra live in Gravenhurst with their two daughters, Scarlett and Abigail, and two dogs Sadie and Daisy. When Connor is not at the office you can find Connor on the water, hiking trails or training for his first Ironman.

Kelly Watson holds the role as the Director of People and Development at Muskoka Brewery. Kelly is a proud wife with 2 young boys working in Bracebridge, lives in Severn and cottages in Muskoka. After obtaining her University degrees from Brock University, she specializes in Human Resources, and Adult Education & Community Outreach. With over 15 years leading Human Resources, she has dedicated her career to change leadership, culture development and supporting individual and business growth.

In representing Muskoka Brewery, she has been a proactive advocate and committee partner in bringing Living Wage to the District, and the province. Proudly, Muskoka Brewery was announced as Canada’s First Living Wage Brewery and was one of the original employers to support a Better Way Alliance which launched in 2016.

She believes that with every challenge, comes an opportunity. With COVID and the beauty of our landscape and kind community feel, Bracebridge is in a unique position to attract year-round residents and develop more tourism opportunities, both supporting local businesses. In the coming years, Kelly believes that Bracebridge has the capabilities to pivot tourism efforts creating a unique experience and attract attention.

In representing the brewery and personally, she very passionate about supporting our local community and views this as a great opportunity to help support the chamber’s strategic objective to collaborate, advocate and build a resilient business community.

Lifelong resident of Bracebridge and have been involved in several organizations and associations over the years. Married to Nancy Hammond who just retired after 30 years of teaching. 3 children, Lexi who teaches in Alberta, Oliver who is a sales rep in my company and Kate who is off to University next year.

Excited to be elected Monck Muskoka Ward Councilor. Looking forward to joining a vibrant Chamber as we move towards several exciting projects on the horizon.