About Laurie
Experience. Leadership. Community Service.
Listen carefully. Understand the facts. Ask the right questions. Deliver practical results.
Over more than 20 years in senior leadership roles with JP Morgan, ABN AMRO, and CIBC across four countries, I worked in highly regulated environments where decisions required financial discipline, accountability, transparency, risk management, and long-term thinking.
Those same principles apply to municipal government.
For the past seven years, I have also worked through many of the same challenges municipalities face every day, including infrastructure, budgets, governance, development, contracts, legal agreements, and long-term planning.
As an elected volunteer board member and president, I earned the trust of neighbours who elected me three times. I learned firsthand that good outcomes come from preparation, persistence, respectful negotiation, and the patience required to work through complex issues until practical solutions are found.
What I Bring
- Sound financial judgment
- Budget oversight and long-term financial planning
- Infrastructure and capital planning experience
- Strategic thinking and risk management
- Accountability and transparency
- Complex problem-solving
- Consensus building
- Results-oriented leadership
Personal
A Little About Me
Like many residents, I care deeply about the future of Georgian Bay, our inland lakes, and the communities that make this area such a special place to live, work, and visit.
What drew me here is what draws so many others: the water, the natural beauty, the sense of community, and the people.
Protecting the natural environment is not simply about conservation. It is also about preserving the quality of life, local economy, and character that make this region unique.
I understand that both year-round and seasonal residents care deeply about the future of this area. I also recognize that communities across Wards 1 and 3 have different priorities and perspectives, from MacTier and Port Severn to Go Home Lake, Gloucester Pool, Six Mile Lake, and our surrounding shoreline and rural communities.
Community Leadership in Action
Community Leadership
As President of the Condominium Corporation in the Oak Bay community of Port Severn, I worked alongside fellow board members to:
- Lead complex negotiations involving infrastructure, community interests, financial obligations, and multiple stakeholders with competing priorities.
- Secure significant infrastructure improvements, including major road renewal and long-term infrastructure commitments.
- Strengthen reserve funding, budget oversight, and long-term financial planning.
- Improve governance, transparency, and organizational accountability.
- Protect residents' interests while building consensus and practical solutions to complex community challenges.
I learned that leadership is not about making promises. It is about doing the homework, understanding the facts, communicating clearly, and following through.
When the Data Was Missing, I Went and Got It
When a proposal was brought forward to relocate the Port Severn Library into the Baxter Ward Community Centre, many residents felt they had not been adequately consulted and important questions remained unanswered.
Rather than simply opposing the proposal, I focused on gathering evidence, understanding community priorities, and ensuring Council had access to meaningful resident input before making a decision. I organized a community survey, gathered and analyzed feedback, and presented the findings directly to Council through a formal delegation. The work helped bring community perspectives, transparency, and evidence into the decision-making process. It also reinforced my belief that strong outcomes depend on transparency, accountability, and ensuring residents have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them.
Residents deserve to be informed, consulted, and heard before important decisions are made. That is the same approach I will bring to every decision at both the Township and District tables.
Read the Full Case Study