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PELA executive director accepts new position in Kingston

Craig Desjardins

Craig Desjardins

Following more than a decade with PELA CFDC in Picton, executive director Craig Desjardins will be moving on to Kingston in the city’s newly-created position of Senior Manager of Innovation and Institutional Partnerships.

The Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC) is a community-based, non-profit corporation that encourages entrepreneurship and economic development, providing grants and loans, advice and business planning free of charge.

PELA’s board chair Angela Miller announced Desjardins’ departure Thursday morning wishing their executive director great success as he moves forward in his career.

Desjardins came to PELA CFDC in 2004 as a program co-ordinator and rose to the position of executive director.

In a statement, Miller noted that during Desjardins’ 12 year tenure, the organization executed its economic development mandate through delivering programs such as the Eastern Ontario Development Program “EODP”, the Empowering Youth Entrepreneur program “EYE” , the Ontario Self Employment Program “OSEB”, the Upper Canada Equity Investment program as well as providing business advisory and financial assistance through its investment portfolio.

“Our staff and board of directors have confidence the organization will continue to find innovative ways of building the economies of our communities,” said Miller. “This change in management is timely as we are currently reviewing our strategic plan. We can take time to properly assess our management requirements as Debra S. Marshall, a 12-year PELA CFDC veteran board member will assume the role as Interim Executive Director.

Following the announcment, Desjardins shared the news with friends on social media.

“My time at PELA CFDC has been some of the most rewarding of my professional career and is the result of the amazing people that I have worked beside and the customers and communities that I have had the honour to serve,” he said thanking all those he has worked with over the years. “Thank you for sharing your ideas, challenges and dreams and allowing me to support you as you grew and prospered as communities and businesses. I will continue to value our relationships as I transition into my new role in the region.”

He noted the move is a perfect match to his philosophy.

“The City of Kingston’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship as the cornerstone of economic and community development is a perfect match to my own philosophy and I look forward to working with the Kingston community.”

Filed Under: Local News

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