CFICE is excited to welcome a new community co-lead to the team!
Jim Blake joins us from the U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research. He will be working with Stephen Hill as a community co-lead of the Student Pathways working group.
About Jim
Jim resides in Haliburton, Ontario where he works as a facilitator, consultant, project manager and educator. He is a Consultant for the Haliburton County Development Corporation, Curator of the Haliburton Sculpture Forest and a part-time faculty member at the Fleming College, Haliburton Campus. Jim also works as a facilitator and consultant for organizations and businesses throughout Ontario. He was involved in the cultural plans for the four lower tier municipalities in Haliburton County and serves on two municipal Cultural Resource Committees.
As a community volunteer, Jim is the president and co-founder of the Haliburton County Community-Co-operative, co-chair and co-founder of the U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research, board member of the Trent Community Research Centre, treasurer and co-founder of the SPARC Network, chair of Dance Happens Here Haliburton, chair of the Glebe Park and Museum committee of the Municipality of Dysart et al, co-founder of the Arts Council~Haliburton Highlands and serves on various committees of not-for-profit organizations.
In 2007, Jim was awarded the Fleming College Fellowship in Applied Education, in 2014 the Paul Harris Rotary Fellowship Award and the Fleming College Brian L. Desbien Community Service Award and in 2015 the Highlander of the Year awarded by the Chamber of Commerce for community service.
Through his company Haliburton Associates, Jim Blake has been providing consulting services for businesses and not-for-profit organizations since 1993.
This work has included facilitation, project management, business planning, event planning, strategic planning and training for provincial, regional and local businesses and organizations. Over the past fifteen years Haliburton Associates has worked closely with the Haliburton County Development Corporation assisting them with the establishment systems and protocols for the delivery of the Eastern Ontario Development Program, providing expertise in the area of community economic development, providing project development and management for economic development initiatives and facilitating strategic planning.
From 1977 to 1992 Jim was a manager of recreation and social services and of camping, outdoor and environmental education facilities in Ontario and British Columbia and was active on provincial boards in both provinces.
Jim is a professional storyteller who, over the past thirty years, has performed at festivals and events across Canada. He studied fine art at University of Guelph, York University and the New School of Art and exhibited his work as a visual artist from 1976 to 1984.
Jim holds degrees in Psychology and Education from York University.