For only $10, you will enjoy a BBQ in the park and be supporting SHIFT’s efforts to help with the greening and beautification of our city! Join SHIFT for the planting of their Commemorative SHIFT Tree and together we will help with the City’s Arbour Day Efforts by offering watering assistance to the newly planted shrubs and trees at Birch Point Park.

SHIFT’s Tree Planting & BBQ is Proudly Presented by Resolute Forest Products:

• Thursday June 7^th, 2012
• Birch Point Park (Boulevard Lake, Cuyler St. Access)
• 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tickets $10 (includes food)

(Tickets are available at the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce)

• Does your company want to take the “SHIFT Environmental Sustainability Pledge”?
• Register before Friday June 1^st, 2012
• We are encouraging you to demonstrate your commitment to reducing your environmental impact by striving towards 3-5 eco-friendly company goals.
• Take the pledge for only $50 as a company and receive:
•  2 free tickets to SHIFT’s Tree Planting and BBQ at Birch Point Park
• Pledge form framed and displayed at the event for attendees to read (Pledge form  will indicate that the SHIFT Tree was sponsored in part by your company)
• Plus, your contributions will be acknowledged in our next Quarterly Newsletter for over 1000 members to see!

SHIFTers, let’s go green together and give back to our community! Call Dayna at 624.2628 or info@shiftnetwork.ca  for more details and to register your company today! (You will be asked to send an email with your company logo and 3 – 5 company goals to be included on your pledge form prior to June 1st, 2012) Invoices will be administered once registration is complete.

SHIFT Welcomes Three New Directors to the SHIFT Board

It is with great excitement that SHIFT is welcoming Barbara Gauthier, Jon Hendel and Willow Lem to their Board of Directors!

(Photo from Left to Right: Jon Hendel, Willow Lem, Barbara Gauthier)

“SHIFTers… it is great to see the level of support that SHIFT continues to receive from all of our members at each of our events.  The year ahead is going to be packed full of great SHIFT events and different ways to get involved in our community.

All of the events, community involvement and advocacy work of SHIFT would not be possible without the amazing work of our Board of Directors and interns. This amazing team has spent countless hours helping to transform SHIFT into what it is today.

Our new Board Members are dedicated community leaders and mentors. I have had the privilege to work with each of these individuals in a variety of community capacities and can personally tell you that they are all incredible people and strong community voices.

On behalf of SHIFT, I would like to recognize 3 very dedicated SHIFTers who have been incredible Board Directors, Community Leaders, and founding members of SHIFT. Kobi-Lynne Perry, Jennifer Cleaveley and Sherilyn Krentz who have each done amazing work for SHIFT during their terms.  It has been a privilege working with and learning from each of them and on behalf of SHIFT, I would like to thank them for all of their hard work! I look forward to seeing you at our future events, remember to keep on SHIFTing!”

-Nathan Lawrence, SHIFT President

(Photos by Shelby Ch’ng)

SHIFT’s Annual General Meeting & Speed-Networking event was a great success!

SHIFTers, it is great to see so many young-minded professionals who are interested in gaining new social and business contacts! This was proven true as nearly 90 guests attended SHIFT’s Annual General Meeting and Speed-Networking event on Thursday May 10th at the Travelodge Hotel Airlane.

This exciting event presented by Investors Group Financial Services Inc. drew in an array of various attendees including business owners and entrepreneurs, health care professionals, artists, doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, insurance brokers, real estate agents, students and much more.

The idea of gaining new social and business contacts in a time efficient manner really appealed to this diverse group of guests. Even Greg Sanders, a 17 year old entrepreneur and business owner made the trip from Atikokan to gain new contacts while promoting his beef jerky production company “What’s Your Beef?”.

More and more individuals as well as employers are recognizing the importance of attending networking events and SHIFT Thunder Bay’s Young Professionals Network is thrilled to offer unique networking opportunities in our community. While email and social networking tools are great, people still see the value in making those face to face connections, even if it is only for two and a half minutes at a time during the speed-networking shuffle.

During our Annual General Meeting, we held an election where attendees helped vote Barbara Gauthier, Jon Hendel and Willow Lem to our Board of Directors for a two year term. Thank you to all 5 candidates who ran for these positions including Keith Anderson and Michael Beggs.

As a result, we had to say good-bye to three of our long-withstanding board members and founding members of SHIFT Jennifer Cleaveley, Sherilyn Krentz and Kobi-Lynne Perry. Although they are leaving the board they will still remain actively involved with SHIFT sitting on various committees and more.

Our current SHIFT President, Nathan Lawrence is very excited for the year ahead and has many great ideas to keep moving our organization forward. Nathan along with fellow SHIFT Board members really pride themselves in engaging our membership to help to strengthen the future of Thunder Bay.

This event was a great success and we would like to extend a special Thank You to Herp Lamba and Investors Group Financial Services Inc. for sponsoring this event and donating a prize of a $100.00 gift certificate to Future Shop. We would also like to thank the staff from the Travelodge Hotel Airlane for their great service and for providing us with a great door prize of a one night stay in an executive room.

Shelby Ch’ng captured some fabulous photos from the evening so be sure to have a look. Thank you Shelby and thank you to the SHIFT Board members for all of your contributions. See you at our next event!

Photos by Shelby Ch’ng

Photo by Shelby Ch’ng

It is with great excitement that the SHIFT Board of Directors is announcing that SHIFT now represents 1000 members.  SHIFT has seen significant growth over the past year as a direct result of the leadership of our past and current Board of Directors, SHIFT Interns, sponsors and our tireless volunteers.

As we look forward to a bright future for SHIFT, we are diligently working to provide our membership with value-added events that reflect the 5 pillars of SHIFT, Community, Social, Business, Environment, Personal and Professional Development.

“As SHIFT continues to grow, so does our strength as leaders in the community.  I have had the opportunity over the past year to meet, talk and work with many of our amazing members.  The more time I spend speaking with fellow SHIFTers, the prouder I become of SHIFT, our accomplishments and all of the hard work our members do to make Thunder Bay an even better place to call home.  Looking forward, I see SHIFT having the opportunity to truly represent our members by becoming the Strongest Voice for Young Minded Professionals in Thunder Bay.  Working together, with a common purpose and set of beliefs, SHIFT will take Thunder Bay to new heights. If you have not already joined SHIFT, there is no better time than now to become a SHIFTer.  Help us make a difference in our community. ” -Nathan Lawrence, President of SHIFT

SHIFT is Thunder Bay’s home for young-minded professionals who understand that moving their community forward means more than just doing business. It’s the big picture, from social and environmental concerns to personal and professional development. Together, we can move forward. Join us on Facebook to be notified with new event details, invites and more!

SHIFT’s Business Dinner Etiquette & Speed-Networking Tutorial was another sold out SHIFT event! On Thursday April 5th, nearly 75 SHIFTers joined us at Rumours Dining Hall in Confederation College for a fabulous 3 course meal and personal / professional development.

Attendees enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by ARAMARK, great dinner service that featured students from Confederation College’s Hospitality Management program and two dynamic local guest speakers. Tim Matthews, an award winning chef, culinary connoisseur and educator shared an array of valuable dining techniques with attendees surrounding proper business dinner etiquette.

In addition to being a Certified Chef de Cuisine and earning his chef’s papers in England and Canada, Tim is a graduate of Confederation College’s Culinary and Hotel Management Programs and he also has a degree in Business Administration. Presently Tim is the Program Coordinator for the Culinary Management and Chef Apprenticeship programs at the College and we are thrilled to have had him among our special guest speakers.

We are also very pleased to have had Michael Nitz, networker extraordinaire as a guest speaker who shared his perspective on the importance of networking, how to get the most out of speed-networking opportunities and more. Michael is a young professional who wears many hats in the community. He is the Branch Manager of the RBC on Arthur St. and Ford, current Chair of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, past President of SHIFT and sits on many different committees.

There was a lot to learn from these experts and we are thrilled to have collaborated with the Student Union of Confederation College (SUCCI) and our sponsors Confederation College and RBC to bring young-minded professionals together for this great evening. (View Photo Album)

Photos by Shelby Ch’ng

Start networking and gain new social & business contacts while engaging in our value added monthly events! Contact Dayna at info@shiftnetwork.ca or 807.624.2628 for more event details and information on how your business can become an event and/or media sponsor!

SHIFT’s 3rd  Lunch & Learn Event was a great success!

Over 30 SHIFTers joined us at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery on Tuesday March 20th for our third edition of our first Mentorship Speaker Series. This lunch and learn event presented by Dominion Lending Centres Lakehead Financial (Nathan Lawrence, Mortgage Agent & Lease Professional) featured Tracy Buckler, the President & CEO of St. Joseph’s Care Group. Tracy shared her perspective on leadership and mentorship while SHIFTers enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by ‘A Fine Fit Catering’.

SHIFT is extremely pleased with their first Mentorship Speaker Series and is delighted to have had Tracy Buckler as one of the great mentors featured in this series. All proceeds from these three lunch and learn events will be going to the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Thunder Bay organization. Thank you to all who came out to hear from Jim Madder, Silvio Di Gregorio and Tracy Buckler while supporting a great cause!

SHIFT’s 2nd Lunch & Learn was a SOLD OUT Event! 

Presented by Sun Life Financial, the February 21^st, 2012 edition which featured Silvio Di Gregorio (Bruno’s Contracting, Whitewater Golf Club) at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery was another sold out SHIFT event! Silvio is a very accomplished businessman who has worked very hard to build his success. While enjoying a nice lunch catered by ‘A Fine Fit for Catering’, Silvio shared his personal experiences, highlighting his entrepreneurial career path plus more with attendees. There is a lot to learn from this great community leader and we are so fortunate to have had him as our February mentor!

SHIFT’s 1st edition of the 1st Mentorship Speaker Series Lunch & Learn was a great success!

Jim Madder, President of Confederation College joined over 30 SHIFTers at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery on Wednesday January 25th for a nice Lunch & Learn event catered by ‘A Fine Fit Catering’. Jim outlined his career paths and shared his personal experiences while engaging the group to think about and discuss the central theme of Leadership. SHIFT’s Mentorship Speaker Series was developed by the organization’s Professional & Community Development Committee and the first edition was successfully executed with a great Mentor as our featured speaker.This event was proudly sponsored by Thunder Bay Insurance and all proceeds from the Mentorship Speaker Series will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Thunder Bay.

 Photos by Dayna Bobrowski-Vogt & Willow Lem

The Northwestern Ontario Visionary Awards Gala was a great event for celebrating the successes of 66 incredible nominees and honouring the top 20 under 40 from Thunder Bay and across the region!

On Saturday January 21st, nearly 250 guests joined SHIFT, the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and NOACC at FW Historical Park for this exciting regional event.

The evening began with an exclusive nominee pre-reception sponsored by Ambassadors Northwest with wine, champagne and hors d’oeuvres. This was a great opportunity for the organizing staff, Ambassadors Northwest, nominees and their guest to meet with one another and learn more about each other.

As guests walked the red carpet they could stop and pose for the paparazzi, our official photographers for the evening Nik & Dana Fiorito of ilo photo and enjoy a complimentary glass of NOV-Aide a signature drink created by Lis Masdea and sponsored by Raymond Nadeau, General Manager of the Victoria Inn for the event.

Guests enjoyed a fabulous four course meal prepared by the Victoria Inn’s Head Chef Franco Masdea and crew while singer, songwriter and musician Mary Walker graced us with beautiful dinner music. Between courses, the top 20 under 40 were announced in groups of five, maintaining great suspense as the night continued. A special thank you goes to Chris Ficek and his crew from Maverick Entertainment for their audio/visual expertise.

After announcing the final 5 of the top 20, all winners were called on stage and experienced a flood of applauses when our Master of Ceremonies and fellow nominee Jeff Walters introduced the group as the Top 20 under 40.

Each nominee is unique in their own way but one thing that all the nominees have in common is that they are all true visionary leaders in their community. It is such an accomplishment to be nominated for such a prestigious award and we would like to congratulate all 66 nominees for all their achievements, community involvement and much more!

Thank you for joining us at the NOVAs Gala presented by tbaytel and RBC and sponsored by Thunder Bay Insurance and Ambassadors Northwest.

Here is your Top 20 under 40:

Marcia Arpin
Stephanie Ash
Chantal Brochu
Doug Carlson
Elliott Doxtater-Wynn
Jonah Dupuis
Justin Frape
Keely Hartviksen
Shy-Anne Hovorka
Sean Irwin
Genevieve Knauff
Jason Komoski
Herp Lamba
Joseph LeBlanc
Duncan F. Macgillivray
Neil McLeod
Eric Pietsch
Jake Satten
Matt Simeoni
John Thompson

(Complete list of nominees is below)