The Agenda for the AGM
Minutes of Last year’s AGM
OCF 2017/18 Annual Report
Below are introductions to the OCF members who are running for election to fill one of the three (3) board positions coming open as of June 1, 2018.
Voting will take place between the qualifying routes during Difficulty provincials at True North Climbing. If you are an OCF member and are not able to attend the meeting, but would like to have your vote recorded, you can obtain a proxy authorization form here.
Please note that minors are not able to sign their own proxy authorization forms – such forms must be authorized by their guardian.
Davis Barton
I am an MBA graduate with over 17 years’ experience in marketing, operations and management roles. I am currently retired and now have the time to take on additional volunteer roles. I have Board-level experience in the not for profit sector, serving in various capacities (Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-Chair). Currently, I serve on the Board of my local gymnastics club where I am the parent of a competitive gymnast. I also have volunteer experience organizing competitions, events, volunteers and fundraising. I am relatively new to climbing, however I believe this would allow me to bring new perspectives to OCF discussions. As the mom of a Youth B climber, I would also bring a parent perspective to the Board. I would like to contribute to the climbing community in a more active way, and I believe serving on the OCF Board would be a good fit for my skills and experience.
Will Johnson
I have been an active climber in the Ontario climbing community since 1995 when I started at the Guelph Grotto. Since then I have taught introductory and technique lessons and climbed at various gyms in Ontario with a focus on training for and competing in local, national, and international competitions. In 2016 I represented Canada at IFSC Bouldering World Cups in Switzerland, Austria, India and USA and Moscow in April 2018. I was recently involved in the development and deployment of a new member registration system for the OCF (member.climbontario.ca) and as a member of the OCF board I will do my very best to represent athletes, volunteers, parents, coaches and gym owners in all areas of Ontario climbing. I am an avid climbing photographer and can be found spending many evenings and weekends training with my teammates and friends at Joe Rockheads and Up The Bloc.
Laura Neusken
I am an engaged member of the climbing community in Southwestern Ontario and have worked at London’s Junction Climbing Centre for the previous 2 years. I am also a mother of two daughters who are youth competitors (C and B category) in their third and first competitive season. For the past year, I have been an active volunteer judge for the OCF. Although our family is relatively new to the sport, we have quickly developed a passion for it since we first discovered it three years ago. I would like to see the sport and its community advance strong, with solid foundations for future growth in light of climbings’ increasing popularity. For that reason, I would love to support and involve myself more with the OCF by becoming a member of the Board. My past engagements in community initiatives, include serving as a school council member, aiding as a foster parent for the local CAS and facilitating a weekly parent-toddler group. I am also a trained foreign language correspondent and have been the sole proprietor of a small side business for the past 6 years. Prior to moving to Canada in 2007, I had been heavily involved in the sport of kayaking in Germany, as a whitewater slalom competitor, coach, competition judge and volunteer. I also gained Board-level experience over the course of several election periods, as a member of the local Youth Kayaking Board as Treasurer, Secretary, Event-Coordinator and Vice-Chair. Although the sports of climbing and kayaking are very different from one another, they have many similarities when it comes to the challenges each sport faces. I believe that my knowledge and prior involvement with whitewater kayaking will be beneficial for the OCF in regards to the accommodation of the growing popularity of competition climbing and all the demands and logistics this entails. As it became apparent that climbing has now become just as important a part of my family’s live as kayaking used to be for me in the past, I have a vested interest in seeing competitive climbing continue to develop, as well as assisting the sport and its community to reach its fullest potential, both, for the benefit of existing and future generations of competitive climbers. I would be honoured to dedicate my time to the OCF to support our current and future athletes’ passion for climbing and I believe that my experience and involvement with the OCF, the climbing industry, community initiatives and governance will allow me to bring valuable skills and insights to the Board.