After four years in her role, human resources leader Glenda Boldt is leaving one local family-owned business to join another.
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After four years in her role, human resources leader Glenda Boldt is leaving one local family-owned business to join another.
On LinkedIn, Boldt recently announced that her time as vice-president of people and culture at Lee Valley Tools was ending as she began a new role as director of human resources for Thomas Cavanagh Construction.
“I joined Lee Valley knowing it was a special organization, but what I came to understand very quickly is that its greatest strength has always been its people,” she wrote. “Together, we tackled challenges, embraced change, had some difficult conversations, celebrated successes and continued to grow.”
She said her biggest accomplishment was building a partnership between the business side of the company and the people and culture side.
“Seeing our leaders turn to our team for coaching, guidance, problem-solving and support was incredibly rewarding,” she wrote. “We accomplished a lot together, and I am very proud of what we built.”
According to Boldt, the transition from Lee Valley to Thomas Cavanagh is made easier by the similarities between the two companies, which are both family-owned and operated.
“There is something very fitting about moving from one organization with deep family roots to another,” she wrote. “Cavanagh has been building in and around our communities for more than 70 years, and its values strongly resonate with me. I’m inspired by the organization’s commitment to giving back and supporting the communities in which its employees live and work.”
She added that working in the construction industry “feels a little like coming home.”
“I have a strong connection to the construction industry and previous experience working within it, so I’m especially excited to bring that experience together with everything I’ve learned and accomplished throughout my HR career,” she said. “I’m looking forward to getting to know the Cavanagh team, contributing to an organization with such a strong reputation and tackling the opportunities.”
Other people on the move
University of Ottawa alumnus Dana McNabb has been announced as the new chief executive officer of General Mills, effective Jan. 1, 2027. In a press release last month, the company said McNabb will succeed Jeff Harmening, who will become executive chair of the board of directors. McNabb, who first joined the company in 1999, has held a variety of senior leadership roles across the company in general management, enterprise strategy and marketing. She is currently chief operating officer, leading all four General Mills operating segments. She holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Ottawa and a master’s in business administration from the London Business School.
Patrick White, director of corporate programs at Solink, announced on LinkedIn that he will be leaving the company. Since joining the tech company in May 2025, White has led its government engagement and funding strategy. In his post, he said he is “actively looking for my next opportunity” in senior leadership. Prior to joining Solink, he spent nearly 12 years at Wesley Clover as managing director of its technology portfolio. White was also co-founder and managing director of L-SPARK and co-founder of the SaaS North Conference.
Baseball Canada has brought Brian Morris aboard as its new senior director of operations. Morris brings 20 years of experience in sports management and organizational leadership to the role, including five years in professional baseball. Prior to joining the organization, Morris spent 18 years with Senators Sports and Entertainment as director, then senior director, of communications. He has also been involved in delivering major sporting events, including two outdoor NHL games, an NHL All-Star Game and a Women’s World Hockey Championship.
Commercial real estate company Colliers has promoted Kevin Houlahan to associate vice-president. Houlahan, who joined the organization’s Ottawa office in 2022, is a specialist in local retail commercial leasing and sales. In a post on LinkedIn, Warren Wilkinson, Colliers senior managing director for Ottawa, said Houlahan had built a strong reputation and personal brand as “one of Ottawa’s leading retail real estate professionals.”
The National Arts Centre Foundation has appointed Susan Crocker as its new chair. Crocker, an arts leader and strategic adviser who was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2017, succeeds Susan Glass, who served as chair from 2022 to 2026. Over the years, Crocker has served as chair for a variety of arts organizations, including the Toronto Arts Council, Toronto Arts Foundation and board of management of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. She is currently vice-chair of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and chair of the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Theatre Foundation. From 2015 to 2018, she was chancellor of St. Francis Xavier University, the first woman and layperson to hold the position.
Abacus Data president Ihor Korbabicz is now a shareholder and co-owner of the company. In a blog post last month, Abacus CEO and founder David Coletto said Korbabicz first joined the organization nine years ago and has since become a “critical member of our executive team and, frankly, indispensable to me.” Before taking on the role of president in 2024, Korbabicz served as head of operations and project delivery, then executive vice-president. Prior to joining the company, he worked at several of Canada’s leading political polling and market research agencies.
Hats off!
The Ottawa Hospital is renaming its Kidney Research Centre to the Jones Family Kidney Research Centre. In a recent press release, the hospital said that the Jones family had invested an additional $10 million in kidney research and care, bringing the family’s total commitment to $21 million. The donations put Ottawa in a position to be a national leader in kidney research and innovation, according to the release. June Jones has lived with IgA nephropathy for more than three decades, relied on lifesaving dialysis for many years and continues to wait for a second kidney transplant. Alongside her husband, Russ, Shopify’s first CFO before his retirement, she’s committed to creating a better future for people with kidney disease, the release said. The donation also supports the hospital's $500-million Campaign to Create Tomorrow.
Local dealership Star Motors of Ottawa has been recognized through the J.D. Power 2026 Dealer of Excellence Program, which awards vehicle dealerships in Canada for high standards of customer service and satisfaction. The accolade comes after the dealership received the Mercedes-Benz President’s Circle Award, which is one of the brand's most prestigious recognitions. Vice-president and general manager Yves Laberge said in a press release that the awards together “reflect the high standards we strive to uphold every day and the commitment our entire team shares in delivering exceptional customer experiences.”
JCI Ottawa, an organization aimed at empowering young entrepreneurs and professionals, received six national awards at JCI Canada’s national convention in Montreal last month. The organization received three project awards and three individual awards, alongside three honourable mentions and one Top 5 national finalist recognition. The awards spanned multiple categories, recognizing local young people for leadership development, international cooperation, organizational growth, collaboration, public speaking and entrepreneurship.
Saunders Farm is celebrating its 50th season as a family run Ottawa business, while also marking its 35th Haunting Season this fall, with PumpkinFest and FrightFest running to Nov. 1. To celebrate the occasion, the farm is introducing a ferris wheel and has rebuilt the Shambles haunt with new sets and characters. This fall, the farm is employing around 400 staff members, including 100 actors, with 60 per cent of staff members returning.
Two Ottawa companies have been recognized by the Canadian Food Innovation Network, which unveiled the winners of its FoodTech Frontier awards program earlier this month. The program recognizes 40 fast-growing companies across Canada for their innovation in the food sector. Ottawa’s uDesign Solutions, a manufacturing solutions company, was recognized in the food manufacturing technology category, while Food Cycle Science was recognized in the food waste, circularity and cleantech category.
