Sustainable Tourism > Sustainable Tourism Working Group Introduction to the Sustainable Tourism Working Group As a requirement of the GreenStep Sustainable Tourism Destination Certification, we have established a Sustainable Tourism Working Group. The goal of the Working Group is: To foster collaboration and advance the destination’s sustainable tourism initiatives Assist with goal setting, ensuring progress towards goals Identifying gaps and future opportunities Provide input and a broader, regional perspective on best practices As ambassadors with real-world tourism experience, they aim to simplify achieving a balance of economic, environmental, and social sustainability among the region’s tourism businesses. Meet the members Scott Allison Scott is both Chair of Regional Tourism Organization 7’s Board of Directors and Chair of the Sustainable Tourism Working Group. He is also a volunteer coach with the T3 Accelerator program for professional development of tourism businesses. His experience includes executive positions with Marriott Hotels of Canada, serving as Vice Chair and board member of Destination Canada over a span of 15 years, and Chairing the Centennial College Board of Governors, as well as many of the college’s committees. Scott brings to the Region 7 tourism industry a wealth of experience gained through a career in tourism and hospitality that spanned the airline, hotel and related tourism segments in both Canada and the United States. Kim Clarke In Kim’s role as Manager of Stakeholder Relations, she leads RTO7’s sustainability portfolio. Kim previously headed up the Tourism division at the County of Bruce. Throughout her career, she has been leading, coaching and elbows deep in product and experience development. Seeing the big picture, collaborating with others, and telling your story are a few of Kim’s main philosophies when it comes to experience development. She is a big advocate of data-driven decision making and has worked on large products that span across most of the province as well as helped small businesses develop their own experiences that will help add to their bottom line. She brings a background in business administration, a flair for creative marketing, and is passionate about creating amazing things to do in BruceGreySimcoe. Jeffery Fletcher Jeffery Fletcher is an experienced municipal manager, working as an environmental practitioner for over 20 years. He leads planning and projects related to community sustainability (climate solutions, biodiversity and natural assets). Jeffery also manages waste services for The Blue Mountains including planning, design, approvals, compliance and operations. He has a dedication to innovative projects that minimize waste, reduce energy use and protect the natural environment. Jeffery is currently a Canadian board member for the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives and is a director for the Three Waters Foundation. He has a passion for learning about solutions on the global stage and accelerating holistic solutions on the local level. Steven Hilborn Steven Hilborn is a Professor and Program Coordinator with Georgian College in Barrie. He is responsible for Hospitality (Hotel & Resort Management), Food & Nutrition Management & Tourism Marketing Product & Development. Steven has developed the College’s Sustainable Hotel Resort Operations Course and conducted sustainability audits on 5 resorts, with over 260 students. He is a part of the College’s Sustainability Committee which has introduced gardens, pollinator areas, bee hives, a maple syrup initiative, composting and regional cuisine initiatives. Before moving to the College, Steven amassed extensive food and beverage experience, including owning an F&B hospitality consulting firm. Alex Hogan Alex is RTO7’s Program & Administration Manager and has over 20 years of experience managing a wide variety of projects. She manages the Partnership Program, as well as contributing to sustainable tourism projects. After graduating from Environment and Resource Studies at the University of Waterloo, Alex spent many years managing training projects for a Toronto-based environmental consulting company specializing in waste management and climate change issues. Ashleigh Levoy Ashleigh is a passionate marketer and collaborator with skills rooted in strong leadership and customer service. After 10 years of marketing experience in Toronto, Ashleigh joined her family business at the Georgian Bay Hotel and Conference Centre, Trademark Collection by Wyndham in 2018, and moved to overseeing hotel operations and focusing on the guest experience, business planning and corporate growth. Ashleigh leads the relationship with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts (including working on Step 2 of 5 in the Wyndham Green Program) and works closely with local business partners and organizations to develop unique offerings within South Georgian Bay. Ashleigh looks forward to working closely with a diverse and influential team of leaders in their respective fields to find ways of supporting the prosperity and sustainability of the region. Rosalyn Morrison Rosalyn is passionate about the power of community. Her past experience includes connecting philanthropy to community needs as Senior Advisor to the CEO of the Toronto Foundation and VP of Community Initiatives. She has held leadership roles in the Arts & Culture sector. Her community involvement and leadership is extensive; she has served as a Board member of the Blue Mountain Village Foundation and Collingwood's Sustainable Development Goals Task Force. Among other roles, Roz currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Southern Georgian Bay, bridging gaps across sectors to address challenges and opportunities for the area – social needs, environmental impacts, and new ideas for a vibrant economy. She lives with her husband in Craigleith and is passionate about the beautiful Southern Georgian Bay area. Megan Myles Megan grew up as the fifth generation of her family to call the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula home. After university in B.C. and travel, she opened The Fitz Hostel, the first hostel in the region. From 2016 to 2018, she helped develop the Northern Bruce Peninsula’s Sustainable Tourism Management Plan, which led her to a role on Parks Canada’s Fathom Five Strategy Team – helping balance protection and presentation at Fathom Five National Marine Park. In 2018, she was elected as councillor for the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula. In this role, she served on the Waste Diversion Committee, Sustainable Tourism Advisory Group, and Climate Action Committee, among others, and helped create and begin the implementation of the municipality's first climate action plan. Now, she is Grey County's Climate Change Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, helping to implement Going Green in Grey, the County's Climate Action Plan. In her spare time, she is working on her MSc in Rural Planning and Development at U of Guelph where she is researching municipal-indigenous consultation in Saugeen Ojibway Nation’s traditional territory. Megan also enjoys live music, growing and cooking food, hiking, biking, swimming, and sailing in Georgian Bay! Martin Rydlo Martin has extensive experience in marketing and business development, specializing in health & wellness and community economic development. Martin led Collingwood’s Marketing & Economic Development department in promoting the Town as a four-season outdoor recreation capital, well suited to entrepreneurs. This included the creation of the Business Development Centre, the exponential growth of Collingwood’s social media footprint, and the initiation of the region’s Tech Hub North, among other initiatives. He is currently President, of Duntroon Highlands Resort Ltd. and a key promoter of golf and other outdoor recreational activities. Martin also sits on the board of the Escarpment Corridor Alliance, which aims to create a network of forest corridors and trails uniting over 500 square kilometres of forest, wetlands and watersheds within Southern Georgian Bay. Outside of his community involvement, he can be found enjoying the outdoors around the bay, skiing, paddling, swimming, biking and hiking. Ryan Sawatzky With 25 years of experience in tourism destination design/build and nearly a decade dedicated to developing education and economic projects with community organizations in Haiti, Ryan Sawatzky has cultivated a unique perspective and skillset in community-led tourism design and business consulting. He is passionate about assisting communities in achieving economic prosperity while safeguarding their social and cultural values. Ryan's deep understanding of collaborative social goals aligns perfectly with where his heart lies. Currently, Ryan serves as a Business Advisor with Indigenous Tourism Ontario, where he works with entrepreneurs and communities to foster economic prosperity through Indigenous Tourism. Sean Skinkle Sean Skinkle is the Manager of Visitor Experience at Bruce Peninsula National Park & Fathom Five National Marine Park in the territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation near Tobermory, Ontario. In this role, he works with other government agencies, Indigenous partners, non-profit organizations, businesses and the community to foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of these parks to ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present and future generations. Sean has a background in eco-tourism in both the non-profit and private sectors, a passion for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion advocacy and a strong love for outdoor adventures. He is happy to connect to share experiences on visitation and demographics, compliance and visitor safety, trip planning and visitor guides, reservations systems, gates and parking, campgrounds, washrooms and garbage/litter, interpretive programming, trails and signage, human-wildlife cohabitation, Indigenous partner collaboration, accessibility, greening, staffing, pretty much anything!