Speakers Bureau

Ken Wong is a faculty member and the Commerce '77 Fellow in Marketing at Queen's School of Business, where he has held both teaching and administrative positions. He was the principal architect of the first full-time degree program in Canada to operate completely outside of government subsidy: a distinction that earned him the cover of Canadian Business in April 1994. (The new Program has been rated by Business Week as #1 worldwide among non-US MBAs in the last three bi-annual rankings). Ken is also the Vice President, Knowledge Development for Level 5, a marketing consulting firm focused on brand strategy and execution.

George Scott is the founder and CEO of Scott Environmental Group Ltd. (SEG) and is a recognized expert in the application of leading-edge organic recycling technologies that enable municipalities to divert green waste away from landfills. He is also the key driver of Norterra Organics, the first of its kind organic recycling facility in South Eastern Ontario.

Mr. Scott is a sought after industry speaker on topics related to organic recycling, green waste, return on the environment and environmental best practices. He is a graduate of Queen’s University. His company, SEG, is privately-held and based out of Kingston, Ontario (Canada).

John teaches undergraduate courses in 'Leadership' and works in the area of executive development at the School of Business, Queen's University. He speaks on wellness, wholeness, and life-work balance. John has been recognized by the students for his strong interest in their overall development by being awarded the 2005 and 2006 Honorary ComSoc President Award.

He worked in professional hockey since 1994 as a coach in the American Hockey League, scout and player development. He has worked for the Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers and is currently working with the Vancouver Canucks in the area of sports psychology and team effectiveness. He has worked with many different organizations including most recently, Team Canada men's ice hockey 2006 Olympics, the Canadian World Cup Champions 2004 and the Canadian Men's Olympic Gold Medal winners in Salt Lake City 2002..

John has spoken to a variety of organizations across Canada in areas of leadership, team effectiveness, and life and work balance.

He is actively involved in rugby as a coach and is a former Captain of the Men's Canadian Rugby team and always looking for a game of squash.

Dr. Brian Osborne is Professor Emeritus of Geography at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where he has taught since 1967. He is also an Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton University, and Visiting Adjunct Professor at Curtin University, Australia. Professor Osborne's research areas include aboriginal history, settlement history, cultural landscapes, and the role of the "culture of communications" in the development of a Canadian sense of place. He has published extensively on the Kingston area, his most widely read piece being the volume he wrote with Donald Swainson, Kingston: Building on the Past (1988) which he is reworking into a new edition. His most recent volume is The Rock and the Sword: A History of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Kingston (2004) which in 2006 won The Prebysterian Church in Canada's Melville T. Bailey Prize for Congregational History. Professor Osborne's current research considers symbolic landscapes, monumentalism, and performed commemoration as contributors to the construction of social cohesion and national identity. This also relates to the role of the commodification of heritage and culture in post-industrial societies, and the impact of tourism as both an economic opportunity and a threat to sustainable communities. He is currently working on two volumes: Constructing Canadian Identity in a Trans-national World ; Canada's Countryside.

Dave Neely, the president of D.K. Neely and Associates, is a Kingston-based training consultant. He has delivered Client Service seminars for The Knowledge Institute for several years. He attended Royal Military College, and has a B.A. in Psychology from Queen's University. He spent 18 years with IBM Canada, in the Customer Service and Education Divisions. As an organization, D.K. Neely and Associates is in the business of providing customized processes designed to help individuals and teams to maximize their performance. Dave has a unique ability to combine his academic and work experience with a pragmatic approach. His energy and boundless enthusiasm make Dave a popular facilitator for a wide variety of clients. Dave's passion and enthusiasm ensure that you leave his workshop energized and ready to apply the new concepts you have learned.

Sherri Agnew is the Chief Executive Officer of J.E. Agnew Food Services Ltd., operating 16 Tim Hortons locations in Kingston. She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario from The Richard Ivey School of Business. Her community involvement includes the Rotary Club of Kingston, the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation and judging Synchronized Skating. Sherri is a role model for other entrepreneurial women because of her commitment to excellence, her dedication to providing a great workplace for her employees, and always giving back to the community and the people that support her business.