Name: Chuck Thibeault
Email: cthibeault@centralcounties.ca
Phone: 905-940-9999 ext. 1

Started at CCT: September 2012

 

1. What’s your role at Central Counties Tourism? Can you explain what your role entails?

I am the Executive Director of Central Counties Tourism.  My role is to motivate the development of tourism capacity throughout the region.  I do this with an incredible staff and board who are passionate about the industry and truly believe that we can help businesses and communities benefit from tourism.

2.  If you had to describe your job in a hashtag, what would it be?

#TOURISMMATTERS

3. Can you describe a success you are most proud of during your time at Central Counties Tourism?

This was a tough question.  There are so many instances of success and accomplishment over the past six years – too many to pick just one.  But, once thinking about each of them, there is a common theme and that is ever-increasing stakeholder engagement.  Every year, we are able to push our business plan goals further because more of our operators and communities are building their tourism capacity and understand that we are here to help.  So, for me, the biggest success over the past six years is our ability to keep pushing the envelope with (and because of) the support of more and more stakeholders.

4. Where do you do your best thinking?

In the car, which is good because I spend a lot of time driving to and from meetings.  My car is my mobile office and much to the chagrin of my lovely wife Trish, I keep a messy office…

5. What are your favorite snacks?

Well, if calories weren’t an issue, then the perfect snack mix is a bag of ketchup chips and a Twix chocolate bar.  You start with some chips, then eat half of the Twix bar, then finish the chips and end with the last half of the Twix.  It is a perfect combination of tangy, sweet and salty.  That was a go to “dinner” of mine when I was a lifeguard back in the day.

And probably because of that, I am now in a position where healthy living is paramount.  So, as I struggle to get to a more manageable weight, my favourite snack is key-lime yogurt (0%) with raspberries.  I tried kidding myself that it was just as tasty as my real favourite but it didn’t work.

6. What are some of your passions outside of work?

Trish and the kids are one of my favourite passions and having three boys sometimes has me seeing red.  I have been a fan of lacrosse for years and have been a season ticket holder for the Toronto Rock since they played at Maple Leaf Gardens.  Two of my boys play high level lacrosse. My oldest has played for the Toronto Rock the last two years at the annual Jr NLL tournament.   I am proud to say that they won both times and he was the top goal-scorer for his team.

 

My middle son loves to cook, which is a passion we both share.  Every once in a while, I buy four random ingredients at the grocery store and host my very own version of Chopped.  Depending on the ingredients, the boys will have just 30 mins to make an appetizer, main or dessert.  Jude almost always wins with his flavours and creativity.

 

My other big passion in life is entrepreneurship.  Our family loves the notion of building things from scratch.  Trish built and owns a very successful sports medicine clinic in Oakville and is also the trainer for Team Canada Cycling.  She gets to travel the world keeping Canada’s best track cyclists healthy and in competitive shape.

I am one of the partners in a family entertainment centre called GlowZone 360 (glowzone360.com).  Our first location has been open in Brampton for three years and is doing really well.  Our second location will be open this month in Mississauga.  I get to spend some of my evenings and other free time executing the marketing strategy, writing expansion plans and hiring staff.

I use my experience as an entrepreneur to assist stakeholders grow their tourism capacity in Central Counties and likewise, I use my tourism experience to help grow my own business.

 

7. What is one thing you do almost every morning?

I take a long, hot shower and then get some computer work done before the kids get up.