George Morris Centre executive director departs; organization undertakes core business review

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

by SUSAN MANN

The George Morris Centre’s board is reviewing the organization’s core business and future directions before it searches for a new executive director to replace Bob Seguin.

Barb Miller, interim co-managing director, says Seguin retired at the end of December after serving four years in the position. He is now Niagara Region’s director of economic development.

Miller is president and CEO of Woodwylde Inc., a consulting firm focused on strategy and business development. The other interim managing director is John F. T. Scott, an economist and retired CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers. He’s also on the board of the centre.

Miller and Scott are running the day-to-day operations of the independent agricultural think tank temporarily. But “we’re also stepping back and working with the George Morris Centre board and staff to look at the core business of the centre and the future direction and helping them think through some strategy to go forward.”

The organization is trying to get a handle on its core business and future priorities “and based on that it will determine what kind of executive director it needs” going forward, Miller notes. The board wanted to do this work first before recruiting a new executive director.

There isn’t a specific time line to hire the new director. Miller says the board should have “the bulk their thinking done” over the spring and then “there will be more to come.” BF