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United Way Oakville Raises $4.31 Million and Announces New 2016 Campaign Chair

Moon Rising over Oakville Lighthouse  &  Pier | Brian Grey
Moon Rising over Oakville Lighthouse & Pier | Brian Grey

On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 United Way Oakville proudly announced that the Oakville community raised $4.31 million for its 2015 fundraising campaign.

“Three weeks ago, we reached out to the community asking for help to reach our campaign goal, and Oakville came together to make sure we crossed the finish line together,” commented Rob Lister, President and CEO of Oakville Hydro.

The announcement was made at United Way Oakville’s Community Celebration Night at the Oakville Conference Centre, which featured Chris Mei as emcee, from The Weather Network, and a lively musical performance by staff from GE Water & Process Technologies, in addition to the traditional awards ceremony. With nearly 400 people in attendance, the event honoured local organizations and individuals for their outstanding contributions to United Way.

“It was a challenging year,” Brad Park, CEO of United Way Oakville, reflected. “But we’re fortunate to work with incredibly driven organizations and donors who are committed to helping our community.”

United Way Oakville also welcomed Terry Smith, as its 2016 Campaign Chair. Smith has been a dedicated member of the Campaign Cabinet for the past four years most recently chairing the Manufacturing Division.

Terry Smith expressed enthusiasm to take on this new role, “With Rob as Past Chair, the Campaign Cabinet, and the Oakville community, I am confident we can continue to increase our reach to help those in need.”

white male with brown hair wearing glasses |  Terry Smith become the United Way 2016 Campaign Chair for Oakville.
white male with brown hair wearing glasses | Terry Smith become the United Way 2016 Campaign Chair for Oakville.

Terry brings to his current occupation over 30 years of varied business experience. His early career was in senior marketing positions with BristolMyers and Cadbury Schweppes, where he managed some of the largest brands for these two companies. This was followed by 4 years in marketing consulting, where he was president of a small consulting firm. He then spent 3 years in mergers and acquisitions advisory roles, followed by 13 years in merchant banking, where he was a managing partner of HSD Partners, a small firm in Toronto. During this time, Terry was CEO of the Upper Canada Brewing Company and Gruen Inc. (a US eyewear chain) and sat on the board of a number of other HSD investee companies. After leaving HSD Partners in 2007, Terry started and operated a small custom home construction company, specializing in very high-quality, heritage-inspired homes. He began selling residential real estate for Re/Max Aboutowne in 2010. He was the #1 highest selling individual agent for Re/Max Aboutowne in 2015, and ranks among the top 1% among Re/Max agents in Canada.

Terry is very active in the community, including several years as chair of the Heritage Oakville Committee for the Town of Oakville, a board member of Goodwill Hamilton/Halton, a founder and board member of SOAAR for Autism, and a member of the United Way Oakville Campaign Cabinet.

United Way Oakville’s goal for its 2015 fundraising campaign was $4.31 million, and it funds 31 local human and social service agencies supporting over 34,000 people in Oakville.

Men and women dressed in business attire on stage in a line |  Campaign Cabinet of United Way Oakville which includes: Rob Lister – Campaign Cabinet Chair, Andrew Boyd, Carol Crowe, Rory Doucette, Nardine Flaro, France Fournier, Deborah Gattenby, Geoff Gibson, Ishrani Henry, Terry Smith, Catherine Wiley, and To...
Men and women dressed in business attire on stage in a line | Campaign Cabinet of United Way Oakville which includes: Rob Lister – Campaign Cabinet Chair, Andrew Boyd, Carol Crowe, Rory Doucette, Nardine Flaro, France Fournier, Deborah Gattenby, Geoff Gibson, Ishrani Henry, Terry Smith, Catherine Wiley, and To...

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