2027 & 2028 Board of Directors Nominations
2027 & 2028 Board of Directors Nominees
Megan Boyd is Manager of Product Development and Investment Attraction at Destination Northern Ontario and a recognized voice in regional tourism and economic development. She led the development of Destination Northern Ontario's sustainability and accessibility strategy, aligning the organization with the Sustainable Tourism 2030 framework and embedding sustainability, accessibility, and equity into regional tourism initiatives. She has been an active contributor to EDCO's programming, serving two years on the Conference Planning Committee and currently on the Professional Development Committee. Her leadership is defined by a collaborative and approachable style that builds trust and support among colleagues and partners, an entrepreneurial mindset, a commitment to sustainable and accessible growth, and a deep understanding of the realities facing Northern communities.
With a background in small business ownership, Megan founded and operated Diamond Dogs, a dog daycare and grooming business in Victoria, British Columbia, for ten years before transitioning into regional tourism and economic development. She is working toward her Certified Economic Developer (Ec.D.) designation, currently completing Year 2 of the University of Waterloo's Certificate in Economic Development, accredited by EDAC. She also volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters in Sault Ste. Marie, where she has lived for five years.
Joani Gerber is the Chief Executive Officer of investStratford, where she leads economic development initiatives that support Stratford's diverse business community, fostering growth, expansion, investment attraction, and strategic partnerships. Known for her collaborative, community-first approach, her current focus areas include workforce development, attainable housing, and advancing smart and connected community technologies.
A Stratford native, Joani brings a strong local commitment paired with a global outlook, consistently championing excellence while ensuring economic growth aligns with community values. Her leadership and impact have been recognized with the Business Leader of the Year award from the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce. She holds a degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, United Way Perth-Huron, and as Treasurer and Past Chair of the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves on the Board of the Economic Developers Council of Ontario.
Brad Hammond has 30 years of progressive experience in municipal economic development. Brad has worked for the Cities of London, Kitchener, St Thomas and for the past 23 years the City of Woodstock where he now serves as Development Commissioner. Brad's economic development experience includes investment attraction, business retention and expansion, commercial real estate, downtown development, physician recruitment, and data analysis. Brad's academic accomplishments include a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and a Masters of Economic Development from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Bachelor of Education from Western University.
Brad served on the EDCO Conference Committee in 2024 and 2025. Other volunteer experience includes board membership with the United Way Oxford, Woodstock Chamber of Commerce, Oxford Community Employment Services, and the Ingersoll Community Foundation. Brad has also served as Board President for Community Futures Oxford, and the Oxford Community Health Care Centre. Brad is a founding member of the Oxford Invitation Youth Robotics Challenge where he has served as chair for the past 15 years.
Darryl Julott is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Peterborough, where he leads work focused on investment attraction, sector development, business retention and expansion, workforce initiatives, and strategic partnerships. His career in economic development has included work with municipalities, businesses, post-secondary institutions, and industry partners across Ontario and Canada. Darryl is also a former recipient of EDCO's Young Professional of the Year Award.
Prior to joining the City of Peterborough, Darryl served as Managing Lead for Digital Main Street, one of Canada's largest small business support programs. In that role, he helped lead national digital adoption initiatives that supported more than 100,000 businesses through partnerships with municipalities, BIAs, chambers of commerce, and industry organizations. His experience spans local and international investment attraction, small business development, economic strategy, and building partnerships that connect governments, industry, and communities.
Kyra Knapp-Lambourne is an economic development consultant and principal of KLB, a values-based firm that works with Indigenous communities, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and community-sector clients across Canada. Her work helps communities translate local priorities into practical strategies, partnerships, funding opportunities, and implementable projects. Kyra has experience working as a municipal Economic Development Officer in tourism and culture, as well as in broader economic development roles. She has also worked directly for a First Nation as the head of its Economic Development Department. Her practice spans economic development strategy, community engagement, tourism development, strategic planning, grant writing & management, investment attraction, and project implementation, and is grounded in respectful, relationship-based, and community-led approaches. Kyra holds a Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer (PAED) Certificate through the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO).
Kyra has served on the EDCO Board of Directors for two years and is the current Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She previously served as a Director of RTO 1, where she also chaired the Governance Committee. Through these roles, Kyra has contributed to inclusive governance, strategic oversight, and member engagement. She is seeking re-election to continue supporting EDCO's strategic direction, advancing DEI priorities, and bringing her practical experience in municipal, Indigenous, tourism, culture, and community-based economic development to the Board.
April Marshall is the Economic Development Manager for the Town of Hanover, where she leads initiatives focused on business retention and expansion, investment attraction, downtown revitalization, tourism development, workforce attraction, and cultural development. With more than a decade of experience in municipal economic development, April has successfully advanced projects that support local business growth, strengthen community competitiveness, and enhance quality of life. She holds the prestigious Ec.D. (Economic Developer) designation through the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC), demonstrating her commitment to professional excellence and leadership within the economic development field.
An active member of the economic development profession, April values continuous learning, collaboration, and the sharing of best practices. Through her involvement with EDCO and regional economic development networks, she has built strong relationships across Ontario and gained a broad understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing communities of all sizes. As an EDCO Board nominee, April is committed to supporting the organization's strategic priorities, advocating for the profession, and ensuring members continue to benefit from meaningful professional development, networking, and leadership opportunities.
Sharon Murcia, MBA, CITP®/FIBP®, is an economic development professional with more than 20 years of experience spanning municipal economic development, international trade, commercial banking, entrepreneurship, and post-secondary education. As an Economic Development Officer with Middlesex County, Sharon leads and supports initiatives in investment attraction, business retention and expansion, sector development, site selection, investment readiness, and regional collaboration. Her diverse professional background provides her with a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing businesses, municipalities, and economic development organizations. She is also a Director with the Southwestern Ontario Marketing Alliance (SOMA), where she contributes to regional collaboration, strategic marketing, and domestic and international investment attraction.
Throughout her career, Sharon has built strong relationships across municipal, provincial, federal, academic, and private-sector networks and has worked extensively to connect businesses and communities with opportunities for growth and investment. Her experience in Canada and internationally, combined with her Certified International Trade Professional (CITP®/FIBP®) designation and MBA, brings a global perspective to local and regional economic development. As a nominee for the EDCO Board of Directors, Sharon looks forward to contributing her experience, collaborative approach, and commitment to strengthening Ontario's economic development profession while supporting EDCO's members and communities across the province.
Luisa Sorrentino is the Economic Development Officer for the City of Quinte West, bringing over 15 years of leadership across municipal, regional, and non-profit sectors. Her background spans strategic economic growth, regional destination marketing, and downtown revitalization, including prior roles as Marketing Director for Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO, RTO11), Executive Director of the Belleville Downtown District BIA, and Marketing Coordinator for Hastings County. A champion for sustainable growth, quadrilingual with a Master's Degree in International Politics and a PR diploma, she brings a well-rounded, community-aligned perspective to the EDCO Board to support economic resilience and cross-sector collaboration.
Meet The Candidates Webinar Recording
EDCO's election takes place to fill vacancies created on the Board of Directors for a two-year term. This election will fill five vacancies created on the Board of Directors for a two-year term.
EDCO Members in good standing, received their voting ballot by email on October 15th with instructions on how to vote. Don't forget to check your junk folder. Didn't receive your voting email? Email us at info@edco.on.ca
Please review the 2026 Nomination Package in full before submitting a nomination.
