I am a 33-year resident of Markham’s Ward 1 having chosen Thornhill as the place I wanted to live after graduating from university. It’s here that I raised my family, operated a business and volunteered.
Markham is a well-managed city with great services and I am proud to live here, represent our community on Council, and work hard every day to make it better.
My background includes being elected at age 26 as a Public School Trustee on the York Region District School Board where I served for six years. In addition, I have served:
As a Board member and Chair, Planning & Finance Committee of the Markham Theatre
As a member of Markham’s Heritage Committee
As a member of the Parent Advisory Council of Thornhill Secondary School
As a member of the citizen panel responsible for rewriting the Thornhill Heritage District Guidelines
As an executive member of the Ward One South Resident’s Association
As a member, from 2014 to 2019, of Markham’s Advisory Committee on Accessibility
As a member of the Society for the Preservation of Historic Thornhill (SPOHT) since 1988
Since January 2017 I have been a member of The Heintzman House Board of Directors and served three years as Chair from 2018 to 2021. I count having coached hockey with the Thornhill Community Hockey League –playing at the Thornhill Community Centre and Clatworthy arenas – for six years, and sponsoring a team, as the highlight of my community involvement.
I began my career with Canadian Pacific Limited where I held a number of progressive management positions culminating in Senior Manager, Public Affairs with Canadian Pacific Railway. Before starting my own business in 1998, I served as Vice President with Canada's largest independently owned public relations firm. Prior to that, I was Director of Corporate Communications in the Canadian office of one of the world's largest public and government relations agencies.
For the past 23 years I have owned and operated my own Thornhill-based corporate communications consultancy, providing strategic communications counsel, advice and writing services to clients across a number of industries including retail, pharmaceuticals, technology, telecommunications, transportation, banking and renewable energy. I have written on a variety of subjects for "Special Editorial Reports" in The Globe & Mail. I am also a guest presenter for the “Introduction to Professional Practice” course at Ryerson University that introduces students to the practice of professional communications.
Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village— February 2021
Keith discusses the York University Markham Centre Campus, the first public university campus in York Region in the February issue of Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village magazine.
Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village— January 2021
Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village— October 2020
Keith discusses the German Mills Meadow and Natural Habitat, who many may not realize was a former landfill site, in the October issue of Neighbours ofOlde Thornhill Village magazine.
Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village— September 2020
Keith discusses the proliferation of illegal rooming houses in Thornhill and communities across the GTA and what can be done to address this issue in the September issue of Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village magazine.
Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village— August 2020
Keith discusses Bill 108, the More Homes, More Choices Act that was introduced and passed by the provincial government last year and its impact on communities across the GTA in the August issue of Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village magazine.
Keith discusses the history of the seemingly abandoned heritage home at 8127 Bayview Ave. next to Thornlea Secondary School and whether it can be saved in the April issue of Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village magazine.
Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village — March 2020
Keith discusses a motion that came before Markham Council seeking endorsement of a "Declaration for Immediate Action on Single-Use Plastics & Litter" in the March issue of Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village magazine.
Neighbours of Olde Thornhill Village — January 2020
