Board of Directors

Arnaud Raymond (President)

Manager, Belden Canada

Arnaud graduated in 1999 from CPE Lyon, France with a degree in Engineering Studies, specializing in Chemistry. Arnaud and his family immigrated to Canada in 1999 and resided in New Brunswick for a few years where he graduated with his Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. Arnaud and his wife moved to Cobourg in 2001 where they started their family of four. Arnaud’s career has taken him all over the world as a product engineer, a process engineer, a production manager, and a manufacturing engineer for North America. In 2016 he started with Belden Inc. in Cobourg where he held several positions including Engineering Manager, Operations Manager and interim Plant Manager. Arnaud believes that community support and sponsorship is important for all residents. He and his family have been and remain active members of the Cobourg / Northumberland community.

Doug Jensen (Past President)

Manager, Cameco Corporation, Fuel Division

Doug is the General Manager at Cameco’s Fuel Manufacturing operations with locations with Port Hope and Cobourg. His background in lean manufacturing, quality management and industrial automation that was learned primarily in the automotive industry has been put to good use in the modernization efforts underway at Cameco. In addition, Doug has a passion for worker health, safety and wellness that continues to drive his learning and practice in the nuclear industry.

Miranda Patrick (Vice President)

Kawartha Metals Corp.

Miranda is the HR Manager at Kawartha Metals Corp and has been with the company since 2017. She is a graduate from Durham College completing the Advanced Business Administration Program with a major in Human Resources Management. Since completing her diploma, she has worn many hats within different organizations from administration, accounting, sales, construction/telecom, and human resources.

Miranda grew up in the Cobourg area, was an active member of the CCHL as a player and a coach and was a volunteer for Big Brother and Big Sisters as a Go Girls Mentor. During her spare time, Miranda enjoys the opportunity of attending live sports events, visiting with family and friends, and networking.

Bryan MacKinnon (Treasurer)

Millard Towers

Bryan MacKinnon graduated from the Bachelor of Commerce program at Queen’s University in 2007 with a focus on both Finance and Accounting. Following graduation, he worked for KPMG Toronto in their Audit practice specializing in Manufacturing, Mining, and Energy sectors. Bryan obtained his CPA in 2011. Shortly thereafter, he started working for Millard Towers and eventually took sole ownership. He sits on the International Association of Airport Executives (IAAE) Corporate Committee. Bryan splits his time between Cobourg and Toronto’s east end, the latter being where he lives with his wife. His pastimes include trekking through the bush (portaging), and trying to build and then subsequently fix things.

Millard Towers is a small manufacturing company that engineers and fabricates aluminum support structures used for aviation, meteorology, telecom, and navigation applications. Its aviation towers are used at airports worldwide and utilize a specialized design that allows it to break should it accidentally be impacted by aircraft. Started in 1951, Millard Towers has installations in over 60 countries, and at over 500 airports worldwide.

Alain Levac (Director)

Plant Manager, Graphic Packaging

Alain has been the Plant Manager for Graphic Packaging’s Cobourg facility since its acquisition from Cascades in 2015. Prior to this, he held various leadership roles at Cascades from 1994-2015 including Director of Finance and Administration, Regional Controller, Director of Estimating, Planning and Sustainable Packaging and General Manager-Web Operations. He spent nine years with Transcontinental Printing in Ontario and Quebec prior to joining Cascades. He has a diploma in Business Administration (Finance) from St. Lawrence College, a CPA (CGA) designation and an MBA from Laurentian University. Alain has served on the Paperboard Packaging Council’s Industry Information Committee and as a Coach and Director with the Clarington Minor Hockey Association.

Karen Foster (Director)

Continuing Education Manager (Lead), School of Business, Trades and Technology, Fleming College

Karen is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) with extensive experience in managing Continuing Education courses and customized training projects at Fleming College for students and employers in Northumberland County, Peterborough and the Kawarthas, and is passionate about supporting employers in upskilling their teams. She was a former Communications Director on the Board of the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA)’s Northumberland Chapter and has actively volunteered in our community since moving here from Ottawa. She and her husband are outdoor enthusiasts and have lived and worked in Northumberland County for 25 years.

Heather Cannings (Director)

Women Entrepreneurship Program and StrikeUP Lead at Nventure (formerly NCFDC)

Heather Cannings is a passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs and a strategic leader. As the Women Entrepreneurship Program and StrikeUP Lead at Nventure (formerly NCFDC), she has curated the 2024 & 2025 virtual conference, empowering and supporting women in business across Canada that serves as a crucial platform for growth, mentorship, and financing opportunities. Heather has a history of delivering exceptional results through effective collaboration and strategic execution, including a national fund for women entrepreneurs. With expertise in partner relations, government engagement, project management, and the orchestration of digital and live events, she has played a pivotal role in driving success and achieving organizational goals.

With experience as a Risk & Data Analyst and a subject matter expert in policy & compliance, Heather brings a unique perspective to her role. Her dedication to fostering success and driving positive change makes her a dynamic force in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In her spare time, Heather enjoys spending her time outside with her 3-year-old daughter, camping, hiking and golfing together. She can also usually be found with a thriller novel in hand on the weekends.

Ricky Patel (Director)

Engineering Lead, Lorenz Conveying Products

Ricky Patel is the Engineering Lead at Lorenz Conveying Products, where he has been part of the organization since joining in 2010. As part of the engineering team, he has been actively involved in quoting and estimating, product development and improvement, product support, and process optimization. In addition to his technical work, Ricky has a strong interest in technical writing and has contributed articles to several industry publications.

Ricky holds a Diploma in Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology from Centennial College (2002) and a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Integrated Engineering from the University of Western Ontario (2007).

Ricky lives in Cobourg with his wife, where he enjoys pursuing a range of hands-on and creative interests. In his free time, he is passionate about photography and woodworking, and he enjoys cooking and barbequing, often bringing the same precision and attention to detail from his professional life into his hobbies. He also values travel as an opportunity to explore new places, cultures, and perspectives.

Nichola Walt (Director)

President, ADL Insulflex, Inc. – a member of the ADL Group of Companies

Nichola Walt joined ADL Insulflex, Inc., in 1997. Over the past 25 years Nichola has held several leadership roles. Inventory Control, Purchasing Manager, HR Manager, VP of Operations and now President – a role she has held since 2017.

Nichola has been responsible for the implementation of Insulflex’s Road to Efficiency Program where each year she sets a goal for the company and follows through with the implementation of programs, practices, and policies to achieve that years’ goal. As a graduate of St. Lawrence College in Business Administration - Information Technology Nichola has used both her formal skills along with her applied skills to bring many improvements to the company. This year one very large improvement will be implemented – ADL Insulflex will be implementing a new ERP system, something that Nichola has been very involved in.

ADL Insulflex, Inc. is a small manufacturing company that manufactures high temperature insulation materials and sells them to over 650 authorized distributors in more than 65 countries worldwide.

One fun fact about Nichola is that she is a self-proclaimed “nerd”, she loves playing video games and has actively played them for more than 20 years – it was one way of engaging with her two young boys who enjoyed gaming and a husband who was an avid gamer. Family game night took place with all four playing at their respective computers in their basement rather than the traditional game night sitting around a board game. To this day, though the boys are now adults, each still love gaming and they fondly share their memories of the fun had while gaming together as a family while growing up.

Neil Fulton (Director)

General Manager, Blommer Chocolate Company

Neil has been in food manufacturing for over 33 years with roles primarily in factory operations, continuous improvement, and quality assurance but also in ERP system deployment. Born and raised in Toronto, he completed his B.Sc. at the University in Toronto but has moved multiple times in his career spending time in Toronto; North York; Brighton; Wisconsin, USA; Tillsonburg and most recently Campbellford. Prior to joining Blommer Chocolate, the majority of his career has been with Nestlé Canada and Nestlé USA. His food experience is broad but has been primarily focused on confectionery and prepared meals. He is currently the General Manager of Blommer Chocolate’s Campbellford facility.

Tonya Ogden (Director)

HR Manager, Weir ESCO

Tonya Ogden is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with extensive experience in manufacturing environments. She is an HR Manager with ESCO, a Division of Weir, where she continues to support the Port Hope, Ontario foundry while also contributing to corporate-level strategic HR initiatives. Tonya previously supported multiple unionized manufacturing sites across Canada, including fabrication operations in Alberta, and brings prior experience from the automotive sector.

She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management from Durham College. Outside of work, Tonya enjoys spending time with family and friends and remains actively involved in the equestrian community.

Mathew Hillman (Director)

Vice President, Trade Tech Industries

Mathew Hillman is the VP of Trade Tech Industries, a custom fabricator and installer. Their team specializes in steel, stainless steel and aluminum fabrications across infrastructure, mining and commercial construction. Outside of work, Mathew is an endurance athlete and striving toward amateur motorcycle racing.

Paul van Laren (Director)

SABIC

A UofT BSc. in Mechanical Engineering led to a 38-year manufacturing career with Procter and Gamble, Kraft Foods and General Electric / SABIC. Roles have spanned maintenance management, EHSS leadership, shift supervision, operations manager and then 20 years as Cobourg site Plant Manager.

Community involvement and engagement has spanned 30 years as coach and minor sports local executive across soccer, hockey and basketball. NHH Fundraising Board Member for the last campaign. As a Northumberland United Way Founder Site, we continue to be a strong supporter for donations, programs such as backpack for kids, day of caring and holiday giving.

A supporter of the NMA since inception as attendee, presenter and sponsor, I am looking forward to adding my experience in collaboration with my fellow board members.

 

 

Bronze Partner

Municipality of Brighton

Town of Cobourg

Municipality of Port Hope