Vern, born in Northern New Brunswick, is fluently bilingual (French, English) and began his career in Montreal, Quebec as an inside sales representative for an Electrical Equipment Manufacturer. He was promoted to outside technical sales and after 2 years in this role was transferred to Winnipeg and in turn to Vancouver as the Pacific District Manager overseeing a staff of eight. He returned to Montreal after 8 years in Western Canada and eventually became the National Sales Manager for an Electronics Component Supplier located in Markham Ontario. He left this company in 1988 to start Alutron Modules Inc., a manufacturer of electronic controls.

Cube Investments Ltd. was incorporated in 1994 and became the parent company of Alutron Modules. Vern is currently the President of Cube Investments Ltd. focusing on commercializing the many patents and designs owned by Cube Investments. There are over 30 patents and patent applications in various stages of completion.

Since his retirement, Vern has been active in the community by volunteering. He is a grief facilitator for Hope House Hospice and Bereaved Families of York Region and has conducted a group session for Doane House. He is the past president of the Probus Club of Aurora and has been a board member for the Optimist Club of Aurora. He is currently on the board of the Aurora Economic Development Committee, the Aurora Whisky Society, The Probus Club of Aurora and the Aurora Seniors Association.

• Moved to Aurora 1986
• Married to Anna – 2 grown sons and 2 grandchildren
• Member of Aurora Senior Centre since 2018

Volunteer experience

• Regency Acres – 1989 established Parent Teacher’s council
• Aurora Minor Baseball Association – coached rep baseball for 3 years
• Newmarket Lacrosse Association – rep team parent member
• Optimist Club of Aurora – 1989- present (33 years) Past President, Vice President, Secretary, member of the Board of Directors

Responsibilities with the Optimist Club of Aurora

• Essay Contest Chair
• Marshal for Aurora Santa Claus Parade
• Co-Chair of Float Building Entry into the parade Judge at our Annual Chess Tournament
• Volunteer with our Fund-raising Mobile Kitchen events, “Haunted Forest”, Arctic Adventure, Aurora Home Show, Aurora Clean-up Day etc.
• Judge at our Annual House League Hockey Showcase
• Co-chair for club fundraiser for “The Run for Southlake” for Southlake Regional Hospital Committee for our upcoming “Night with the Hypnotist” at the Legion on April 1st
• Participated in community service events at the Aurora Seniors Centre
• Participated in serving the Pancake Breakfast on Canada Day events at ALC.
• Volunteered at the Aurora Food Pantry

I also served on the York Region Youth Justice Committee as a judge, hearing youth minor criminal cases.

I am a co-founder of our “Sugaring Aurora Project” also known as S.A.P. for the past 5 years as a community project with 19 other families. We made 122 litres of maple syrup last year!

I am retired but served the majority of my career as a Human Resources Director and Operations Manager in the automotive sector.

Outside activities include playing ice hockey, curling, cycling, golf and some woodworking.

I have extensive experience working on volunteer boards of directors.

Thank you for your consideration!

• My wife and I have lived in Aurora since 1980. We have two children and five grandchildren.
• I am retired having worked most of my career with Toronto Parks and Recreation in programming and Facilities Management.
• I coached and played hockey in Aurora for many years, and I am a past member of the Board of Directors of Aurora Minor Hockey.
• I coached our sons through T-ball to hardball and I am a founding member and Past-President of the Aurora Mens’ Slo-Pitch League
• I have been a member of the Optimist Club of Aurora for 18 years and am currently serving as the Club President. The club supports youth in the community with funding for Healthy Snacks in schools. KIND – Kids in Need Delivered distributing hats, mitts, coats, and school supplies, camp programs, school scholarships and much more.
• I have been a member of the Seniors Centre for seven years and participate in various exercise programs and Conversational French.
• I have been a member of the Board of Directors of the Aurora Seniors’ Association since June 2022.
• I represent the Board on the Operations and Activities committee.
• I am currently on the committee to re-negotiate the agreement between the Town and the Aurora Seniors Association for use of space at Aurora Seniors Centre.
• I am seeking a three-year term as a Director on the Board of the Aurora Seniors Association.

My name is Rob Ishoj, and I’m looking to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Aurora Seniors Association (ASA). Below is a summary of ‘me’ that may be useful in determining whether I should be considered Board-worthy:

• 63 years old and retired.
• Born in London Ontario, but mostly grew up in Thornhill. Attended Thornlea Secondary School.
• Graduated from U of T with a B. Comm. in 1983. Worked for a ‘Big 4’ CA firm (Deloitte) and obtained my CA designation (now called CPA) in 1985.
• Worked for accounting firms (auditing and tax) before moving to the corporate world. Was a controller, VP Finance and CFO (and partner) at an international commercial real estate group of companies headquartered in Toronto. Worked there from 1993 until I retired in 2017.  I was part of the ownership group.
• I currently work part-time as a starter at St. Andrews Valley Golf Club in Aurora.
• Joined the ASA in the year I retired (2017).
• We lived in Richmond Hill for 17 years before moving to Aurora about 16 years ago.
• I have volunteered over the years, including Big Brothers, Nature Conservancy, the Aurora Public Library, CRA (preparing tax returns for low-income taxpayers free of charge), the LPGA tournament at Magna (marshal), a not-for-profit housing corporation in Newmarket (am on the Board and am the treasurer) and the ASA.
• I have worked with Cheryl Rines, the treasurer of the ASA, for the past 10 months with the goal of stepping into Cheryl’s role.
• I have significant experience in systems, accounting, auditing, financial statement preparation and analysis, tax, budgeting, administration, personnel, risk management, Board reporting and involvement, and day-to-day management and leadership.
• I have two grown daughters – one working at my old company in Toronto and the other for an insurance company in Bermuda. I am separated but am in a wonderful long-term relationship with a retired high-school teacher.

In summary, I feel I would be well suited to represent the members of the ASA on the Board of Directors and to also assume the role of treasurer. I have decades of financial experience and have worked closely for years with/for Boards. I communicate well, am a strong believer in teamwork and look forward to assisting the ASA during these post-Covid times. I am keen to represent the members as a member of the Board.

By the way, my very unusual last name is a very unusual Danish name. Pronounced “Esoy”. (No worries if not pronounced correctly… just call me Rob.)

Louis retired as a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2014, after 35 years with the firm, and thereafter continued to provide consulting services to P C for an additional six years.

Prior to his retirement Louis was a tax partner at PwC’s Toronto office and a member of the firm’s Consumer and Industrial Products Group. During his career at PwC, Louis provided business and tax advice to a broad range of companies in the manufacturing, consumer products, technology and entertainment industries, and had significant involvement with Canadian public and private companies.

Louis served as amember of the PwC Canada Board from 2007 to 2011, having been elected to the Board in 2007 for a four-year term.

Louis began his career in Montreal, and qualified as a CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) in 1977. He joined PwC in 1980, and was admitted to the Partnership in 1989. In Montreal, Louis lectured part-time at McGill University’s Taxation of Partnerships program.

He transferred to the PwC Winnipeg office in 1993, and from 1993 to 1997 was tax leader of that office. Louis was chair of the Taxation Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba in 1995/6.

In 1997 he transferred to the Toronto office and in 2002 became the National Tax Quality and Risk Management partner, a position he held until his retirement in 2014.

Louis has lived in both Newmarket and Aurora since moving to Ontario in 1997, and has called Aurora home the past 10 years. Louis believes strongly in helping those less fortunate, and has volunteered with non-profit organizations most of his career. Most recently he was a board member and ultimately President of the Board of Family Day Care Services from 2013 to 2020, an organization that provides day care services and early childhood learning to thousands of families in the GTA. Family Day is one of the larger childcare providers in the GTA, with over 50 daycare centres and over 300 employees, a significant portion who are unionized. Louis has in the past volunteered with United Way in Toronto, The Juvenile Diabetes of Manitoba, and a number of other non-profit organizations in Montreal.

I graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Veterinary Medicine. I practiced in both Toronto and York Region for my whole career and owned three Veterinary Hospitals. I retired in the early 2000’s. During my career I was active in the Toronto Academy of Veterinary Medicine, The Rotary Club and the Association of Veterinary Practice Owners. I was an assistant coach for my son in the Aurora Hockey Association and spent countless hours travelling to horse shows in York Region following our daughter.

My wife Linda and I moved to Aurora in 1984 with our four children. Happily, three of our children continue to reside in the Aurora area with their families which includes six grandchildren.

I joined the Aurora Seniors Association in 2010 primarily to play bridge; however, I was so impressed with the organization that I eventually ran for the Board where I have served for the past 6 years and have been honoured to serve as President for the last 5 years. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life.

As well as serving on the Board I have been chairperson for the Town/ASA Agreement Committee and for the Operations & Activities Committee. I am the liaison for Community Development Committee and started and coordinate our Snooker League.