ABOUT

David spent over 23 years as an educator and administrator at Niagara College. Prior to retirement he was the Associate Vice-President of Academic and Learner Services at the college and was engaged in numerous college and community initiatives.

Most recently he has joined The Centre for Leading and Living, where he provides consulting services associated with leadership development, strategic planning, policy analysis, quality assurance and curriculum development. He also teaches at Niagara University in their Ph.D. Leadership and Policy Program, and supports Master’s Thesis students at Royal Roads University.

David holds a Ph.D. in Leadership & Policy, MA in Leadership, BA (honours) in Geography, and a Diploma in Recreation Leadership. He is actively involved in a number of community boards and committees including; 2021 Canada Games, QUEST Community Health Centre, YMCA of Niagara, and the Welland Development Commission.

He lives with his wife Louise in Fonthill and enjoys hiking, baseball, and bridge. He joined the Leadership Niagara board in January of 2018 and is looking forward to supporting the development of community leaders in Niagara.

Mission Services

Nour Hage plays a role in youth empowerment as the CEO of Civiconnect, a non-profit focusing on skills training for young people.

His journey to leadership reflects a mix of professional skills, entrepreneurial drive, and a strong commitment to social impact. In 2021, Nour, alongside peers and a municipal partner, helped establish Civiconnect's Youth Skills Studio. Leading Civiconnect, Nour has worked on initiatives to equip young individuals with essential skills for today's world.

The organization has expanded its reach through partnerships with post-secondary institutions, community centers, and local businesses, tailoring programs to diverse youth needs. Nour's leadership has navigated Civiconnect through challenges towards sustainable growth, securing funding and partnerships.

Over the past three years, Civiconnect has trained over 710+ youth and completed 330+ projects for the community. 

• An academic and career background in human behaviour, performance management and leadership development.
• A life long Niagara resident who has a deep understanding of the communities challenges and opportunities.
• Passion for Diversity & Inclusion

Why do I care / why I am I involved with Leadership Niagara?

Katie McQuestion is an emergency manager with over 16 years of experience in the field. She has spent much of her career working with the provinces of Ontario and Alberta and joined the Niagara College community as the Emergency Management Coordinator in February of 2019.

Katie’s primary focus is the development and implementation of plans, policies, procedures, and training relating to the safety of students, staff, and visitors at Niagara College’s campuses. She was a key member of the college’s COVID-19 response team where she provided situational awareness, interpretation of legislation, mandates, and orders, facilitated departmental risk assessments, and contributed to the development COVID-specific policies, procedures, and training.

Prior to joining Niagara College, Katie worked as the Manager of Stakeholder Relations and Learning Design with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency and as the National/International Liaison Officer with Emergency Management Ontario. Throughout her career, Katie has had the opportunity to support many communities responding to significant emergency events, including the Fort McMurray wildfire, annual spring flooding, G8/G20, and severe weather events.

As a graduate of Leadership Niagara (class of 2021), Katie is pleased to join the PAC. She’s excited to work with the dedicated and talented Leadership Niagara team to continue to inspire and encourage Niagara’s future leaders.

• I am an Information Technology Professional in Niagara for almost 20 years with a wide variety of expertise
• I bring a level of tenacity and enthusiasm with my go-getter type of personality
• As a member and advocate of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, I bring a unique perspective on the world

Why do I care / why I am I involved with Leadership Niagara?

Mike Britton was born and raised in the City of St Catharines where his family has lived for over 5 generations.

Mike graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Double Major in Medical Science and Classical Studies.

At the age of 24, he was elected as the youngest City Councillor in St Catharines history.

Outside of government, Mike operated a Niagara property management business which oversaw buildings from across Niagara. He also works on political campaigns across the province. In 2020, Mike moved into the realm of digital media as an Associate Producer and Guest Relations Manager of a new national cable tv news show called ‘Canadian Justice’.

Mike is very involved in the community, serving on many local volunteer boards including Crime Stoppers of Niagara, Links for Greener Learning, The Facer District Merchants and Residents Association, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 24, the Royal Canadian Naval Association, Horse Cents for Kids, and the Paderewski Society Home.

He’s also a member of the St. Catharines Rotary Club, Junior Chamber International (JCI) St. Catharines, United Way’s GenNext Cabinet, Seymour Masonic Lodge, and regularly volunteers for Habitat for Humanity’s salvage team.

In 2021, Mike joined Leadership Niagara’s Program Advisory Committee because he wants Niagara to win and knows we need good leaders in all areas of society to achieve that. Mike is always looking for opportunities to contribute to our Region’s continuing success and believes investing in our upcoming leaders is a vital component: that is Leadership Niagara’s mission.

What do I bring to the team?

• Community building, development, and collaboration experience from my time as an elected official.
• Strong, long-term relationships with many Niagara community groups, agencies, and governments.
• A great deal of board experience with many Niagara not-for-profits and charities covering a diverse range of topics and services.
• Passionate commitment to help make our Niagara community an incredible place to live, work, and play.

• Background in Human Resources and Organizational Development with specific expertise in leadership development
• Experience in adult education, curriculum design and delivery
• A passion for inspiring learners through diverse experiences
• Commitment to building a community of leaders

Why do I care / why I am I involved with Leadership Niagara?

Julie Greco is a Niagara-based communications professional who is passionate about shining the spotlight on inspiring people, initiatives, and experiences.

She began her career in Journalism and has worked for print publications both in Toronto and Niagara for more than 13 years – as a reporter, writer, columnist and editor for newspapers and magazines. She worked her way up to senior editorial positions which included managing editor at Post City Magazines and editor-in-chief at Our Kids Publications.

After living and working in Toronto for about a decade, Julie returned to the Niagara region – where she grew up – in 2009. She worked at Niagara’s daily newspapers as an editor and as a reporter prior to transitioning to communications.

Since 2011, she has applied her expertise to communications roles at Niagara College, through periods of tremendous growth and change.

Julie is a proud graduate of Leadership Niagara’s Accelerate Civic Leadership program (Class of 2022) where she collaborated with a small team on a community project to assist the SPCA Niagara.

Her enthusiasm for the program sparked a desire to continue her involvement with Leadership Niagara and continue giving back. Soon after graduating from the program, she jumped at an opportunity to join LN’s dedicated PAC team. As a PAC member, Julie looks forward to the next chapter of her Leadership Niagara journey. She values the opportunity to be a part of the continued success of Leadership Niagara’s transformational programming and to help drive it forward into the future. Along the way, she hopes to inspire more local professionals to get involved in the Niagara community and to help make a difference.

• Leadership experience in a variety of healthcare settings, including committee work, policy and procedure development and quality improvement initiatives.
• Current perspectives and new creative ideas, always an out of the box thinker. Susan has a commitment to ongoing Adult Learning and as a nurse leader, wife and mother achieved a BScN (with distinction) in 2020.
• Critical thinking, an inclusive team approach and natural ability to mentor and support others. And always a positive can-do attitude!