About us:
The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission is the city’s lead economic development agency, guided by an independent board. As champions for local growth we leverage our local knowledge and expertise to position Thunder Bay as the best small city in Canada to do business, live, work and visit.
Driven by the needs of our community, our business, community and tourism development teams are agile and responsive, actively seeking opportunities to attract investment, foster business growth, and draw new talent and visitors to Thunder Bay.
We are responsible for:
- Entrepreneurial support
- Business development
- Business retention and expansion
- Exporting advice
- Collection and assessment of key business data
- Community Marketing
- Tourism promotion
- Investment attraction
Our Mission:
To grow prosperity, population and profile through partnership, knowledge and resources in support of our community and development ecosystem..
Our Vision:
To nurture Small city character, welcoming community and love of locale with big city opportunities to grow, thrive and bring aspirations to life for all.
Our Values:
- Partnership-based
- Inclusive
- Innovative
- Professional
- Integrity
Within our office you will also find:
CEDC's New Strategic Action Plan is here!
If you require an accessible version of this document please contact us by email, or by calling (807) 633-0619
Members of the Board
Roger Souckey (Chair)
Roger is the Vice President of HR and ESG with Argonaut Gold. Born and raised in Northwestern Ontario, Roger is an active community member and previously served as an elected official in Marathon Ontario and on various boards. Roger has over 35 years of experience in the mining sector with international expertise, his knowledge will be an invaluable asset to the CEDC Board of Directors.
Eric Tribe (Vice-Chair)
Eric is an experienced business executive with a background in software and product development. With more than twenty years of software, product design, platform development, and strategic business management experience, Eric has brought several start-up companies through the growth and scaling phases leading to eventual strategic acquisitions.
Eric’s experience includes management of technical teams, project management, and operations responsibilities for national companies across a variety of market sectors, including energy, medical equipment and systems, laboratory and analytical instruments, clinical diagnostics and health care. Eric has a M.Sc. in physics from the University of Guelph.
Lindsay Fenton (Secretary/Treasurer)
Lindsay Fenton is a Lakehead University graduate with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering. She was a board member involved with the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre for 2 terms. She is a graduate of Leadership Thunder Bay in the class of 2015. Lindsay joined Bombardier 15 years ago and has worked within several departments. She was Head of Production for the company prior to taking on her current managerial position as the Site Managing Director for Alstom.
Michael Fox
Michael is the President/CEO of Indigenous Community Engagement (ICE) – one of Canada’s leading national Indigenous firms specializing in community consultation, facilitation/negotiations, capacity building, & social research. He brings a wealth of experience in structuring projects and financing for both industry and Indigenous clients. He is a Certified Professional Facilitator, a certified Change Management Practitioner, and a certified Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer. Currently, he is the Co-Chair of the Indigenous Affairs Committee for the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada and is the Co-Chair for the Jury Panel for the Progressive Aboriginal Relations program at the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. Michael also sits as a Ministerial appointed board member on the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.
David Bruno
For over 22 years, David provided security protections to the masses and invested personal time and money in a free end-to-end encrypted email (E2EE) server for public use. A contributor and member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) advocating for defending digital civil liberties. A contributor to the Northern Policy Institute, dedicated to educating the public on the cyber surveillance in general, and the importance of encryption, especially for vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ2S+ and refugees. A policy contributor to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Online Harms Act, Bill C-63), and most notably to Canada’s new Digital Charter, re-introduced in 2022 by Minister François-Philippe Champagne as Bill C-27 that is set to be passed into law in 2024. David is also a Managing Partner at Donato’s Bakery that is involved in countless philanthropic work within the community and region.
Denise Atkinson
Denise Atkinson is the Founder and CEO of Tea Horse & Tipi Horse Connects, recognized for her unwavering commitment to advancing the inclusion, growth, and representation of Indigenous women and Peoples in business. She is a proud member of the Red Rock Indian Band, an Ojibwe First Nation in Northwestern Ontario.
With over 20 years of experience in the federal public service, Denise brings a depth of knowledge and leadership to her work as a trusted business leader and community advocate. She is also actively involved in organizations that promote diversity in the supply chain, with a strong focus on Indigenous and women’s participation. Denise is a member of the Canadian Aboriginal & Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC), the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB), the Anishinaabe Business Professional Association (ABPA), Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) Canada, and the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED).
Michelle Salo
Michelle is a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) with over 30 years of experience. She is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Confederation College where she has been employed since May 2019 starting as the Vice President Finance and Administration. Michelle spent most of her career in the Pulp, Paper, and Personal Care sector where she had the opportunity to serve in many different finance roles from working in the Dryden and Thunder Bay mill to leading a series of acquisitions serving as Vice President of Finance in the global Personal Care division of Domtar in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her strengths are in strategic planning, finance and operations and ongoing dedication to continuous improvement.
Council Members
Mayor Ken Boshcoff
Councillor Brian Hamilton
Ex-Officio
John Collin
City Manager
City of Thunder Bay
Jamie Taylor
Chief Executive Officer
Thunder Bay CEDC