Rural Healthy Democracy June 11, 2025 Forum: Presentations

Thank you for your participation in AMO's Rural Healthy Democracy Project Forum, June 11 in Mississippi Mills. Links to shared presentations are below.

• 8:40am - 9:00am: AMO’s Healthy Democracy Project
  • Petra Wolfbeiss, Director, AMO Membership Centre
  • Stewart McDonough, Lead, AMO’s Healthy Democracy Project
• 9:00am - 10:15am: Let’s talk social health
  • Pete Bombaci, Founder & CEO, GenWell
• 10:45am - 11:45am: How to survive and thrive in the current political environment as a community leader
  • Jordan Simmons, Co-founder & CEO, Nominee
• 11:45am - 12:00pm: Elect Respect Initiative 
  • Esther Gibbs, Policy & Community Support Specialist, Office of Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, City of Burlington
• 1:00pm - 1:40pm: Engaging youth in local democracy
  • Henry Khamonde, Intern, AMO's Healthy Democracy Project
  • Stewart McDonough, Lead, AMO’s Healthy Democracy Project
• 1:40pm - 2:20pm: Finding solutions to shared democratic challenges
  • Dr. Chris Erl, Researcher, Democratic Engagement Exchange, Toronto Metropolitan University
• 2:20pm - 3:00pm: Levelling up civic education in your community
  • Mayor Jamie McGarvey, Town of Parry Sound 
  • Julie C.P. Hoyles, Grade 5/6 Teacher, Manor Park Public School
• 3:30pm - 4:20pm: Ways to improve the candidate experience in Rural Ontario
  • ​​​​​​Moderator: Petra Wolfbeiss, Director of AMO’s Membership Centre led the development of AMO’s research

  • Panelists

    • Dr. Erin Tolley from Carlton University is the Canada Research Chair in Gender, Race, and Inclusive Politics and guided the Black on the Ballot initiative
    • Laura Wood is the co-founder of electHER Now, a candidate attraction and support organization that is committed to the gender balance of elected municipal leadership in Grey Bruce 
    • Sharmila Setaram, Councillor, City of Welland
• 4:20pm - 5:00pm: Clearing the collision at the intersection of voter turnout, civic engagement, and incivility 
  • Dr. Chris Erl, Researcher, Democratic Engagement Exchange, Toronto Metropolitan University
  • Stewart McDonough, Lead, AMO’s Healthy Democracy Project