Leadership and Entrepreneurism

I have been fortunate to receive many supportive messages from people throughout our community. I appreciate them all - some make me smile, others are very humbling, and some offer me great hope for the future of our town. Such was the case when I read the following words from Colin Pape (ShopCity, ShopMidland). Colin is a young entrepreneur who was born and raised in Midland, left for a while, and then came back to start a business in his hometown.

"I've had many discussions with Gord McKay about ways to grow our business and bring more jobs to the area. Gord has been instrumental in helping us cut through red tape and move our company forward. We now employ 15 people in Downtown Midland, and with an experienced leader like Mayor McKay, who's already grown a company from a handful of people to hundreds, I know we can employ many more. A vote for Gord is a vote for real economic development.

In today's day and age, with smartphones, the internet, and Facebook at the core of our communications, it's imperative that we have a leader who understands and uses these powerful mediums to engage the community, seize opportunities, and communicate the potential of our community to the world. Gord gets the importance of innovation and knows how to leverage technology better than anyone else running."

Colin's enthusiasm and his entrepreneurial spirit are indicative of the potential that we have in our community. And fortunately, he is not alone. I have met with many other ambitious people with similar aspirations including: John P. Cipressi (manufacturing), Christine Taylor (retail), Jim Brown (computer technology), Bob Kafato (communications), and Barb Rowlandson (event management). With people like this committed to economic development in our town, I am confident that we can move Midland forward over the next four years and beyond.