Board of Directors

Diana has over 30 years in senior leadership roles for major technology companies. She spent 19 years with Microsoft where she built and grew pioneering business units. This included founding the national Mid-Market Customer Sales and Marketing group, the Solution Provider Partner Channel, and leading Microsoft Canada’s Intellectual Property Advocacy and Anti-Piracy initiatives where she was part of their Global Compliance team. She was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a global legal industry software company, and is currently President of Axyum Group where she consults technology companies on growth and governance.

Diana is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and holds an Executive MBA from Ivey School of Business at Western University. She is passionate about business results and committed to making a positive difference. Diana is also a director on the Lake Joseph North Association and a business coach for the Ivey International Leader Project.

Frances has broad experience in the financial markets beginning as an investment analyst in the 1970s with Pitfield Mackay Ross, then as a pioneer in Investor Relations. Frances founded The Canadian Investor Relations Institute which has grown into a large, multi-chapter organization across Canada. In the late 1980s she served two terms as a Commissioner of the Ontario Securities Commission, the first woman to be appointed. Her career includes executive positions at John Labatt Limited and Manulife Financial. In the 1990s she established Equity Link, a strategic management consulting firm with offices at the Boston Consulting Group. Equity Link subsequently branched into the sourcing and acquisition of private transactions and enterprise developments.

Frances has served as a director of several private companies in the United States and Ireland. She is currently on the Board of the Minstrel Foundation and Lake Joseph North Association.

Michael is a commerce graduate of the University of Toronto and a CPA, Chartered Accountant. Now retired in Collingwood and at the cottage in Muskoka, he worked in several Canadian publicly listed companies as Treasurer and Head of Finance over his 35 year career. He continues to consult on finance from time to time and is pursuing a new avenue as a Designated Executor Advisor (wills and estates).

Dale has over 30 years experience in finance, holding several progressive roles, retiring following many years as a Certified Financial Planner.

As a teen, Dale helped her parents build their cottage in Burks Falls on Proudfoot Lake. As a young family, she, her husband and her family purchased lakefront property on Lake of Bays. After retirement Dale and her husband moved to Huntsville to be closer to their cottage. The Muskokas have always been a significant part of her life. She is passionate about environmental conservation and community engagement.

Her prior board work was with Enliven Cancer Care Muskoka where she volunteered her time administratively and on a communications committee. Enliven brings programs and support to those living with a cancer diagnoses, their caregivers and health care providers.

She also continues to give her time to many recreational programs supporting the Muskoka community.

Nancy Cohen has been a lifelong volunteer and watersports enthusiast. She was a certified Windsurfing instructor in her university years and is a canoeist and sailor since childhood.

She has a wealth of volunteer leadership experience and has been an active volunteer at the Toronto French School for over 20 years. This includes President of the Parents’ Association, Board member, and a long list of leadership roles in school events, galas and fundraising activities. Currently, she serves as a Director of TFS Foundation Board and President of Lake Joseph North Association.

Patricia has extensive experience in both Corporate Canada and in the Entrepreneurial world through the creation of a very successful Marketing Venture. A graduate of the Ivey School of Business, Western University, She has held Executive positions at Maple Leaf Foods, Tambrands, and Mattel with strengths in Strategic Planning, Consumer-goods product marketing, and new product development. In 1995 she created The Women of Influence Luncheon Series, Links For Women Golf Schools, and The Canadian Women Entrepreneur of the Year Awards along with many other successful properties. Here, she combined her marketing skills with extensive experience in specialty-interest group marketing, special event creation, and an ability to create and nurture long-term sponsorship and client relationships.

Patricia is an active volunteer and currently serves on the Boards of The Foundation of Canadian Women Entrepreneurs, The Toronto Ladies Tennis League, The Women’s Golf Association of Ballenisles and The Board of Challenge Cup.

Rob has been coming to Muskoka all of his life. His family have been cottaging here since 1884. He retired at the end 2015 from a publicly-traded high tech start-up company based in Markham and Palo Alto where he was CFO. Previous to that he worked for IBM in various senior management financial roles including international experience in Brazil and the Caribbean.

Rob Served for eight years on the board of the Muskoka Lakes Association. From 2018 to 2022 he served on the Committee of Adjustment for the Township of Muskoka Lakes. In the fall of 2022 Rob was elected as Councillor for Ward C in the Township where he now Chairs the Planning Committee.  Since retiring Rob spends most of his summer on Tobin Island, Lake Rosseau as well as a number of weeks during the winter enjoying snowmobiling. He has one daughter and 2 grandsons.

Nancy has a diverse background of senior leadership roles as a successful entrepreneur, senior executive and industry leader. She spent the first part of her career building a successful public relations firm which she subsequently sold to a mulit-national organization and stayed on to run the Canadian operation. She also founded a television production company which she eventually sold. Most recently Nancy was the CEO of Food and Consumer Products of Canada, Canada’s largest association of food, beverage and consumer packaged goods companies. As CEO she sat on the Board of Directors, oversaw the Association’s operations, and liaised with trading partners and senior government officials.

Nancy is an institute-certified Board Director and has sat on the Boards of public and not for profit organizations. She is currently Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Board for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Founder and Director of the Desmoid Tumour Foundation of Canada and a Board member of Safe Quiet Lakes. She is passionate about keeping Muskoka lakes safe, quiet and maintaining the beauty for generations to come.

Colleen is a lifelong Muskoka cottager spending her summers as a teen working at Foodland, teaching swimming lessons at Hanna Beach, and working at the MLGCC. When she is not enjoying time in Port Carling she lives in Toronto with her husband and teen girls. She is the Executive Director of the Canadian Club Toronto an over 123-year-old non-profit dedicated to engaging Canadians in what matters most. The Canadian Club hosts dozens of live and virtual events with business leaders, civic leaders, CEO’s, nobel laureates and politicians each year. Her previous career saw Colleen leading sales and marketing teams at Corus Entertainment including YTV, CMT, and W.

Along with boating safety Colleen is passionate about public education and has served on many school parent councils in a variety of roles including Chair and even ran for School Trustee for the TDSB.

Val has called Muskoka home for fifteen, having arrived here from Kingston and never looking back.Val Hamilton is the Executive Director for Muskoka Tourism, the official destination marketing organization for Muskoka. She passionately shapes the brand to position Muskoka as the must-experience destination in Ontario. In her role, Val oversees domestic and international campaigns, manages public relations, cultivates partnerships, and handles media relations. With a profound affection for Muskoka developed over 15 years in the region. Prior to joining Muskoka Tourism, she held marketing leadership roles at Horseshoe Resort and Muskoka Brewery. Her innovative strategies have significantly elevated the organization's marketing impact, evidenced by consistent year-over-year increases in reach. Val spends the best part of her day with her husband Jesse and stepdaughter Libby, exploring Muskoka every season of the year.

Val is passionate about safety on the waterways, particularly the issues of speed, safe boating and wakes on the Indian River in Port Carling.

Lawton has been  a cottager since 1949 and has been living in Muskoka full time since 2009,and has been involved in The Muskoka Community intensely since.  In particular Lawton has been fortunate to be on The Safe Quiet Lakes Board. Lawton is also  a Past President of The Muskoka Lakes Association, a  member of The MLA Antique Boat Show Committee, on The Board of The Antique and Classic Boat Association and former Volunteer Coordinator of their Boat Show. His Not For Profit areas of focus include Nominations, Human Resources, Governance and Volunteer Recruitment.

Barb has a B. Comm (Carleton University) and MBA (University of Miami). Her business career entailed government, owning a life insurance brokerage, and teaching at Sheridan College. Once retired, Barb served one term as a municipal Councillor in the Township of Muskoka Lakes.  Barb currently sits on the Township Committee of Adjustment and Muskoka Lakes Library Board. Her volunteer experience began with the Canadian Cancer Society. Over the years it has included: President of Mansfield Ski Club, the executive of the University Women’s Club of Brampton, Board member of Heart House Hospice, Golf Committee fundraising on Brampton-Caledon East Community Living, fundraising and a volunteer for Wellspring Cancer Network. Currently, Barb is Chair of RAMP (Residents against Muskoka Poverty), an advocacy group raising awareness of the programs available in Muskoka to break down systemic generational poverty.

Barb was a seasonal resident of Muskoka for 55 years. Barb’s family property on Lake Rosseau near ClevelandsHouse became her full time residence in 2018.