Karrie-Ann Jones, a registered nurse from the Sudbury and District Public Health Unit provided an overview of the health impacts of cannabis use both for recreational and medicinal purposes in light of the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada. One of the key messages was that the real picture of cannabis use will take years; however in the meantime its important to keep having conversations about cannabis use.
In addition to our speaker, we inducted our newest member Richard Picard.
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I help companies and their owners achieve their financial objectives
Q: What is your educational background?
A: I am a graduate of the Sports Administration program at Laurentian University and hold an H.B. Comm
Q: How long have you lived in Sudbury?
A: Most of my life and have been back full time since 2007.
Q: How do you spend your free time?
A: The free time that I do have is spent playing sports when I can (softball, hockey, golf) or spending time at camp with family and friends.
Q: Tell us about your family?
A: For me, family does not mean family in the traditional sense and includes important people in my life but here is a break down:
- My wife is Cindy Picard whom I’ve met through competitive softball and the reason I moved back to Sudbury. We have been together since 2006 and married in 2012. We currently do not have any children, however have a lovable stubborn husky named Mya.
- I have 2 brothers, Mike who lives in Sudbury and works construction and Daniel who currently resides in Germany and does research on cancer.
- I have many nieces and nephews
- I have several friends that I would also consider my immediate family.
- My parents Raymond and Karen are retired and are enjoying travelling the world.
Q: What is your favorite thing about your career?
A: The people, the clients and the challenges that I face on a daily basis and the flexibility that the job provides.
Q: What drives you every day to succeed / What motivates you to succeed?
A: My main focus is helping people. The more successful that I am the greater impact I have on businesses in this community, their employees as well as the community as a whole.
Q: What is your career goal for this year?
A: With 2018 coming to an end, my career goal for 2019 is to be recognized in the Desjardins Recognition program for outstanding performance
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: I have worked extremely hard to get to where I am today and therefore very happy with where I am now. That said, in 5 years, I hope to have kids and have progressed into a more senior leadership role within my career.
Q: Why did you choose your profession?
A: I needed a job to move back to Sudbury and it ended up being a natural fit.
Q: What is your proudest accomplishment and why?
A: Being offered a job to work with Eric Lindros’s agent at the end of my internship with International Management Group because despite the significant barriers to entry to becoming a sports agent, other agents in the office recognized my hard work, understood my passion and determination to achieving my dream and they wanted to make it happen for me. At the time, I turned down the opportunity in order to finish my H.B. Comm, however it taught me that hard work, perseverance and dedication does not go unnoticed.
Q: What is something that you are really good at?
A: Most people would say that I am really good at being a leader, softball and selling/building relationships
Q: What new talent or skill would you like to learn if you had the chance?
A: Learn a new language and how to play the guitar
Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
A: Australia
Q: What are you grateful for?
A: There are a few things that I am grateful for:
- The many opportunities that I have been afforded
- The people in my life
- Being able to participate in sports despite the many injuries that I have had
- A dyson vaccum (see Husky above)
Q: Who do you admire?
A: Having been on the Board of Rockhaven/Monarch Recovery Services for over 12 years, I have come to admire the men and women who struggle through addiction, overcome adversity and take back control of their life.
Q: What makes you feel accomplished?
A: The greatest feeling of satisfaction or accomplishment comes from when I succeed in helping someone or a company achieve their goals.
Q: What was your dream job growing up?
A: I had 2 dream jobs growing up:
- My first dream job was to be an RCMP officer – however, due to injuries I had to change my orientation
- My second dream job was to become a sports agent or an executive in the sports industry. I did have a chance to intern for the world’s largest sports marketing and athlete representation firm. After 8 months, it was evident that a career as a sports agent was not feasible. I did however work for Softball Canada as the Director of Marketing and Communications, however left that job to move back to Sudbury to start a life with my now wife.
Q: What are your tope 5 personal values?
A: Honesty, Integrity, Ambition, Determination, Being the Best
Q: What do you feel passionate about?
A: Sports, music, making a difference, being real and being a good friend
Q: What is the most valuable life lesson learned
A: There are a few:
- Never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience;
- If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change;
- Focus on the things that you can control
Huskies don’t shed, they explode… have a good vacuum