Elected Board of Directors
2024-25 Term
Andrew Scuse, President
Manager, Corporate Training Services, Durham College
Andrew Scuse joined Durham College in 2005 where he led key training projects for some of Durham Region’s largest employers including General Motors and Ontario Power Generation. In addition to the local projects, he has developed and managed teams for large-scale training initiatives that involved training deliveries from coast to coast across Canada. Scuse's Leadership skills play a critical role in the success of each project as he always ensures a smooth blending of the passions and talents of each team member to deliver the best product for Durham College clients.
In his current role as a Manager in the Corporate Training division of Durham College, he is accountable for providing vision for the business unit, setting departmental budgets, and the achievement of financial results. From 2012 to 2019, he held the role of Provincial Chair for the Ontario College Corporate Training Network where he focused on increasing communication and collaboration among Ontario Colleges. Scuse created a forum where new and existing college members felt supported and comfortable sharing their successes and challenges. Together this Network developed and deployed new ideas for serving the training needs of their business community partners.
His experience in corporate training brings a unique perspective to the Chamber which blends a passion for education with a keen understanding of the supports required to develop a thriving business community.
His most recent education includes a Bachelor of Management and a certificate in Adult Education and Training. Scuse lives in Brooklin with his wife Mindy and their three children, Grace, Ava, and Danny.
Founder and CEO, ITS Global, Kontingence Recruitment, BIPOC Jobs & Lyenn Dous, Board Chair, Black Business & Professional Association
Ross Cadastre (pronounced Ca-dasse), is the founder and CEO of Innovative Talent Solutions Inc. a leading talent company with two distinct brands ITS Global & Kontingence Recruitment, which address recruitment challenges for organizations throughout Canada. He also is the Founder and CEO of Lyenn Dous — a near-shore Knowledge Process Outsourcing operation providing back-office services to North American technology start-ups and high growth companies, and BIPOC Jobs, a job board designed to bridge the talent gap for Black, Indigenous and people of colour, by providing access to job opportunities.
Ross serves as the Board Chair of the Black Business & Professional Association (BBPA), an organization that addresses equity and builds programming to support black-owned businesses across Canada.
In 2017, Ross was acknowledged at the Black Business Awards and inducted into the Black Canadian National Wall of Role Models. In 2020 he was recognised as one of Canada’s Top 100 Professionals and then accepted as a member of the prestigious Forbes Business Council in 2022, the foremost growth and networking organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide.
Guy Lacroix, Treasurer
Guy Lacroix, CPA, CA, CGA, LPA, is a Partner with MNP’s Assurance and Accounting Services group in Oshawa. A trusted advisor and key resource to owner-managers and a wide range of not-for-profit and charitable organizations, Guy delivers tailored solutions to help his clients achieve their business goals and thrive.
Drawing on extensive experience in accounting, assurance, tax and auditing, Guy works with his clients one-on-one to provide guidance in the areas of auditing, accounting and consulting, including internal control evaluation and compliance and reporting.
Guy earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting from Laurentian University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), Licensed Public Accountant (LPA) and Certified General Accountant (CGA), qualifying in 2011.
Owner & Operator - The UPS Store Brooklin, ON
Ken is a professional communicator, which is a fancy way to say he tells stories for a living.
He built a career around storytelling by working as a journalist with organizations like CTV News, NTV News, and as an independent producer. In these roles he discovered that news is not a recitation of facts but a chance to share another person’s story.
They call it the “news business” for a reason. There are stakeholders, customers, and consumers just like any other business. During 17 years of writing and reporting, Ken’s interest in the business management side of his profession grew. Curiosity sent him back to university to earn a Master’s degree in Business Management and Leadership.
Less than a year ago Ken and his wife, Vicky opened The UPS Store in Brooklin. Ken’s role in the business is simple; share the story of the fledgling business with our community, making friends and clients along the way.
Ella Bates
Owner of Ella Bates Corporate Training
Ella Bates has dedicated more than two decades to mastering the art of soft skills training, standing at the forefront of workplace learning as a respected Business School Professor and the driving force behind Ella Bates Corporate Training. Fueled by a fervent desire to infuse workplaces with vibrancy and effectiveness, her core mission is to catalyze profound personal and professional transformations. Her learning experiences not only captivate and energize but also provoke thoughtful reflection and inspire immediate, tangible action with high impact results. Ella's commitment is to elevate the joy and success in every professional journey, by leaving a long lasting, positive imprint on the way people think, learn, and have impact in their careers.
Joel Davies
Co-Founder at Render Developments
Joel Davies has been in digital marketing since 2004. Started my own marketing firm in 2011 and moved to Whitby in 2015.
Davies co-founded Render Developments to enhance pre-construction real estate projects through 3D architectural visualization techniques.
Davies is focused on staying up to date with the latest and greatest technology to help with your renderings, virtual walkthrough tours or any other visualization aids you may need to sell your real estate project.
He lives in Whitby and has worked with many companies in Durham Region, contributing to the community he lives and works in.
Megan O’Shaughnessy
Group Benefits Consultant, HMA The Benefits People
Megan has been in the insurance and finance industry for over 5 years. She joined HMA The Benefits People in 2022 after being introduced to the company through a fellow Whitby Chamber of Commerce member. She works with local small and medium sized businesses across the region to develop a benefits solution that meets their specific needs in her capacity as a Group Benefits Consultant and as the Group Chamber Insurance Plan representative for the Whitby Chamber of Commerce. Megan’s philosophy is to always do what is best for the client and to provide exemplary customer service.
Megan takes tremendous satisfaction in her involvement with the Whitby Chamber of Commerce. For the past 2022-2023 year she has held the position of non-voting member on the Board of Directors as the representative for the younger members of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce. She has also volunteered on the ConnXGEN committee since 2020 and hopes to encourage the younger generation to use their local chamber as a resource for growth, no matter what path they wish to take in their career. Megan has been attending Whitby Chamber of Commerce events for over 3 years can attribute much of her growth to the connections she has made through the Chamber.
In her spare time, Megan enjoys being with her family and friends through hosting game and food nights. In the warmer months she is an avid camper that loves to hike and kayak at different Ontario Provincial Parks. She also plays on several sports teams including an ultimate frisbee team and a softball team located in Whitby/Brooklin.
Ana Rejab
Commercial Account Manager, Business Development Bank of Canada
Ana Rejab started her career in banking in 2000 with HSBC and has experience internationally and in the Durham region supporting small business. In addition to her finance experience, Ana also spent several years involved in an education start-up. Her passion to help entrepreneurs grew as she understood the sweat and tears to grow a business. It is that passion and understanding that brought her to her current role with BDC, the only bank in Canada dedicated exclusively to helping entrepreneurs. At BDC, Ana partners with business owners to help them thrive and achieve their long term ambitions.
Ana is also a mother of two energetic kids who inspire her to do her best every day. She is a die-hard foodie, from eating to cooking. Every summer she enjoys farm hopping to buy local produce. She also loves spending time in local cafes and bookstores, kayaking, hiking, and traveling. Giving back to the community is core to who Ana is. There has never been a year since college that she has not volunteered for a cause or project. Currently, Ana volunteers with the Community Development Council Durham to help newcomers with English Conversation skills and is active in Rotary community services. Moving forward she hopes to be more involved with projects revolving around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and youth engagement.
Norm Reynolds
North Brothers Films
Norm Reynolds is a director, producer and the president of North Brothers Films. As is the case with most business owners, Norm wears many hats. Some of his biggest responsibilities include managing the finances of the business, coordinating people, venues and equipment and planning the future of the business including the creation of SMART goals to make it happen.
Before finding his true passion in video production, Norm made a career out of many different jobs. He’s been a cook, baker, bartender, warehouse labourer, axe throwing instructor, skilled labourer in commercial renovations, driven cab, operated heavy equipment, a hydro excavator and snow plow. This background has given Norm the opportunity to see the world around him through a wider lens and has given him a lot of insight into the workings of various industries. More importantly, these experiences have given Norm a stronger sense of empathy for the people around him.
Through North Brothers, Norm is always on the lookout for ways to help build up, collaborate with and cast a spotlight on local businesses. A prime example of this is the video series “Will It Sanitize?” which was a series of pro-bono ads created for local businesses to help them reach their customers during the initial lockdowns of 2020. At his core, Norm wants to help people be heard, to strengthen the business community around him and to build a world where families, including his, can grow and thrive.
Outside of his professional life, Norm Reynolds is a husband and father of two, a weekly Dungeons and Dragons player, a regular supporter of Sick Kids, enjoys playing many sports including softball, floor hockey, golf and volleyball and absolutely loves the great outdoors.
Michael Richards
General Manager at Landmark Cinemas Canada
Michael Richards is a dynamic leader and the driving force behind the success of Landmark Cinemas Whitby. With a career steeped in the world of cinema, Mike's journey began at the Whitby location under AMC Theatres ownership in 2002. Over the years, he has cultivated a wealth of experience managing theaters in Oakville, Mississauga, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Las Vegas. As the General Manager of Landmark Cinemas Whitby, Michael oversees nearly a million guests annually, making it the busiest theater in the company and one of the most bustling in the country. His strategic vision and operational prowess have played a pivotal role in maintaining this esteemed status.
Beyond the realm of cinema, Michael is deeply committed to community service. Currently serving as a member of the Town of Whitby Accessibility Advisory Committee, he actively contributes to enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in the local community. In his role as General Manager, Michael has gone above and beyond by organizing quarterly volunteering days for his staff at St. Vincent's kitchen (before Covid). This not only reflects his dedication to giving back to the community but also provides invaluable experiences and perspectives to his team. Michael uses his leadership position to ensure that community charities receive the support they need. His passion for philanthropy is evident in his proactive efforts to contribute positively to the community whenever possible.
Alex Snyder
BAFM, Project Manager - Snyder Construction
Born into the construction industry, Alex Snyder started on job sites as a general labourer at a young age before later developing his carpentry skills. . Alex went on to receive a Bachelor in Accounting and Financial Management (Honours) and a Post Baccalaureate in Accounting from University of Waterloo. Alex then did brief stints at well known consultancies before returning to the family business, Snyder Construction. In between all this, Alex also co-founded Site2Site - an app/web platform that automates many of the core functions of construction. Today, Alex continues to manage projects in the ICI sector with Snyder Construction.