Board Directors and Advisors

Paul Przybylo: Paul articled with Walker, Head and became an associate with the firm upon his call to the Bar. Paul is a member of the firm’s Business Law Group and Real Estate and Municipal Law Group. He has experience with a variety of corporate matters including incorporations, review and drafting of commercial agreements and leases, shareholders agreements, purchase and sale agreements and intellectual property licences. Paul is an active member of the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade and serves as a director on the Durham Region Transit Advisary Committee.

Chris Vale: Chris Vale owns and operates CLH Designs a Durham Region web solutions company located Pickering. In business since 2008, CLH Designs specializes in creating custom solutions that bring clients tangible and measurable results to help grow their business and enhance their brand by providing website design services, mobile website design, internet marketing and a host of other solutions. Chris has served the Durham Region community in a number of capacities. He is currently a director at the Durham College Alumni Association as well as a director at Big Brothers Big Sisters Oshawa/Whitby and currently serves as the chair of the PR and recruitment committee. Chris also sits on the Membership Committee and serves as an ambassador at the Ajax Pickering Board of Trade and holds other positions in other local boards of trade and chambers across Durham Region. Chris provides seminars to new businesses on the value of having a good web presence. In his downtime Chris likes to spend time with his family and watching his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs in action.

Dave Johnson: For the past seven years Dave Johnson has served as a director of the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade. During consecutive three-year terms, he has held positions as the chairman of the membership committee, chairman of the Environment Task Force, and as a longtime member of the government relations committee. He also sits as the Board of Trade’s representative on the Environmental Stewardship Pickering committee. As the owner of Northstar Promotions - now celebrating its 11th year in business - Dave is proud to be one of the hundreds of small business owners who account for the vast majority of the Board of Trade’s membership. As a long time resident of Pickering his other commitments to the community include being president of a local not for profit association, member of the local historical society and the Durham West Arts Centre.

Karen Snow: After spending several years in the Retail Industry, Karen began an exciting new career in the Insurance Industry with ING Insurance in 2001. During the past 10 years, she has experienced many changes with the company, including their 2009 transition to Intact Insurance. She thoroughly enjoys her role as Administration Manager at the Durham Regional office, where her responsibilities include ensuring their 300 staff and management have the tools available to enable them to perform their duties. In 2007, she earned her Certified Insurance Professional designation and she is currently working toward her Fellowship (FCIP) designation. In recent years, she has been active with the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade, and has held the position of Vice-President of the Port Hope Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the Business and Professional Women of Durham (BPW). Karen has lived in Ajax since 1983 and is the proud mother of two adult children.

Joan Wideman: Joan is the vice-president of Corporate Services for The Lenbrook Group of Companies. She has been actively involved with the Board since 1985, and has held various roles as director, second vice-president, first vice-president and two terms as president. From 1994 to 1998, Joan was chair of the Government Relations Committee and also sat on other Durham Region Boards of Trade/Chambers of Commerce. After a four-year sabbatical, Joan returned in 2002 to participate in the re-development of the Board, initially as chair of the Government Relations committee and, more recently, as president in 2004 and 2005, and chair in 2006. Joan continues to sit as a director on the Board and Co-Chair of the Government Relations committee.

Rob Rock: Rob has spent 15 years in the financial industry with roles that included supervising an operations team, project management, corporate training, business development, and relationship management. Several years ago, he shifted into the internet marketing industry. Rob is an active speaker on all aspects of social media and internet marketing, leading many social media sessions in association with the Town of Ajax. As well, he has had several appearances on Rogers Daytime TV speaking about major social media sites. Rob’s interests include social media, traditional media, public speaking and event coordination. He is actively involved in the CORE networking group and both Ajax Minor Hockey, and Ajax Pickering Dolphins football with his two sons.

Peter Forint: Peter is an advisor to owners of small and medium-sized companies, including recent Business Excellence Award winner John McLellan Contracting. Previously he worked in sales, marketing and general management for companies ranging in size from a three-person startup to IBM. Peter holds an MBA from McMaster University, and completed graduate studies in Green Business Management at Seneca College, where he also teaches part-time. An active APBOT member since 2006, Peter has been a presenter at several "sold out" Lunch n Learns, written for the Bulletin by Mail, referred several members to APBOT, and attends most networking events, where he is always connecting people. Living in Pickering with his wife Karen and their two young sons, Peter coaches children's baseball, mentors youth entrepreneurs with BACD, and is closing in on 100 life time blood donations. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers and Sisters of Ajax-Pickering.

Mary Cunningham: Mary is a long term resident of Ajax and Principal of Cunningham & Associates, a consulting company that guides organizations in building successful operations. Prior to the launch of her company in 2007, she held various corporate management positions where she was responsible for account profitability as well as leading and developing business teams. Her business expertise includes market development, product management, risk assessment, outsourcing, employee coaching and training. She has conducted operations in Canada, the United States, Europe and Latin America. Mary has been involved in the Board of Trade as a member of the Government Relations Committee, Chair of the Survey Committee, and as a representative on Durham Transit's Strategic Advisory Committee. Mary is the Education VP of SpeakUp! Toastmasters Club in Pickering and is also an Associate Member of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants.

Ian McCutcheon: Ian is Business Development Manager for ServiceMaster of Durham. He has held this position since April 2006 building relationships with insurance companies and insurance brokers. He was an insurance adjuster for 19 years with three major companies and, prior to that, was a Manager Trainer with Victoria and Grey Trust. In addition to being a director with the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade, Ian sits on the board of directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters Oshawa-Whitby, the board of directors of the Whitby Dunlops Hockey Club and is an ambassador of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce. Ian devotes much of his time and energy to local charities and causes. He is active with the Rouge Valley Health System’s MRI Committee and is involved with Community Living Oshawa-Clarington. Ian has organized many charity golf tournaments, most notably, he has organized a tournament for The Canadian Cancer Society for the past 24 years and has raised over $195,000 for cancer research. Mr. McCutcheon holds a Diploma in Business Administration from Loyalist College, Belleville and also holds Diplomas in Assessment Real Estate Appraisal and Travel and Tourism from the same institution. Ian is proud to organize the George McCutcheon Memorial Golf Tournament in honour of his late father and is the proud father of a beautiful daughter, Victoria.