In Recognition of 30 Years dedicated to the Community Futures Program

There is no one as passionate and dedicated to the Community Futures Program as Diana Jedig. For three decades, she has wholeheartedly devoted herself not only to the program itself but also to the numerous businesses supported by CFDCs in Ontario and across the nation. Diana, congratulations on being the most fervent advocate of the program; your commitment is truly commendable.

(Below is the Acknowledgement presented by Allan Simm)

Allan Simm, President of Community Futures Ontario:

So, of course, nothing happens without our CF Ontario staff and the work that they’ve done. And, you know, I just want to before we conclude I just got some special words and an award for one of our longtime colleagues, whose name is synonymous with investment in our communities.

This woman has been involved with Community Futures Ontario for an incredible 30 years. She is well known provincially, nationally, and even internationally for her work and community development.

She has already received awards for her extraordinary life work for her exceptional contributions toward economic development in Canada. She has been involved in more than 60 news conferences with local MPs, announcing project loans and bragging and boasting about our program.

She has helped deliver 29 CF Ontario conferences, and seven CF national conferences and hosted two national events. As part of the masters of Economic Development Program at the University of Waterloo, she has made 19 presentations to students based on her long career in economic development, inspiring these economic developers and letting them know about our program.

She is also well known in the political circles having many, many ministers and deputy ministers with responsibility for the Community Futures Program. I can go on for another hour listing all of her accomplishments. But let’s just show her our appreciation. She is working hard and diligently for 30 years. For you, the members CF Ontario thank you for your loyalty and dedication to the program Diana Jedig.

Diana Jedig, Executive Director Community Futures Ontario:

Thank you for acknowledging the work that has been my life’s career since October 1988 – the year I turned 30.

I always knew I would have a career that involved small business because I came from family business environments in Paris and Brantford, Ontario.  What I did not imagine was that I would end up supporting entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams and supporting organizations that help those entrepreneurs.

Thanks to the Board at Enterprise Brant for hiring me as their first manager to set up the Business Development Centre, we were number 48 of the eventual 61 offices in Ontario.  Those early years of meeting other BDC managers to share best practices are what led to forming the provincial association in 1994 and earning your trust to become the first Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Business Development Centres now Community Futures Ontario.

The rest is history and here we are 35 years later.  Thanks for a lifetime of great memories working with all of you, for the chance to travel all over Ontario and almost every part of Canada, for the ability to grow from these experiences and use my strengths to support the Community Futures Program. The best part of this job has been speaking about your successes and actually meeting the real Miss Vickie when we brought her to the 2002 provincial conference in Collingwood to honor the CF manager who gave her the first loan for a kettle frier to make her chips.

Best day ever, even though it was at the cusp of the “before time” as my grandkids call it, was April 17, 2020 when the Prime Minister of Canada announced on National Television, that the Community Futures Program would be delivering the Regional Relief and Recovery Funds, which eventually became more than $500 million of support you provided to businesses in need.

Thank you to all the volunteers and staff in the Community Futures Program for giving of your time to serve at the local level and provincially to make this the largest Community Economic Development movement in Canada.  It is my honor to work with all of you and our partners to support rural entrepreneurs and communities.