Future Energy Oakville Names Richard Thomas as Executive Director
Highly accomplished leader with track record driving performance and community engagement to lead launch and growth of local organization.
OAKVILLE, ON, Oct. 19, 2022 /CNW/ - Future Energy Oakville announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Richard Thomas as FEO's inaugural Executive Director, effective August 29, 2022.
Mr. Thomas, a long-time Oakville resident, provides over 30 years of experience in organizational leadership, community engagement and corporate strategy within several sectors including management consulting, financial services, technology, real estate, construction and higher education. Most recently, Mr. Thomas served as the managing director of a local management consulting firm. Prior to that, Mr. Thomas served as President and CEO of an Oakville-based construction company.
"The FEO Board is confident that Richard is the ideal Executive Director to lead Future Energy Oakville from its current startup phase through our ongoing growth and success," said John Matthiesen, Chairman of Future Energy Oakville's Board. "We value Richard's strong track record of innovation, execution, and operational excellence, as well as in his proven ability to build teams and engage stakeholders that lead to tangible results. Richard has consistently delivered success during rapid periods of industry disruption, consumer change, and technological advancement. He is a world-class leader, and we are excited to welcome him to lead our organization."
Future Energy Oakville is driving energy transformation in the community and forging a path for other municipalities to follow. Established in 2021, FEO is an independent not-for-profit organization supported by the Town of Oakville and a growing number of forward-thinking investors, community sponsors, and partners.
"I am honoured to join Future Energy Oakville as its inaugural Executive Director," said Mr. Thomas. "I have long been committed to making Oakville an ever better community in which to live, work and invest. I believe Future Energy Oakville has a tremendous opportunity to bring real solutions to our community's energy challenges and the positive results those solutions will have on our environment and quality of life."
Mr. Thomas said that he will focus on achieving the key goals as set out by the Community Energy Strategy, a roadmap compiled by The Oakville Energy Task Force and endorsed by Oakville Town Council. The Community Energy Strategy defines a path toward achieving three key objectives by 2041: increasing Oakville's cumulative energy efficiency by at least 40 percent; decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent; and generating at least $7billion in community-wide energy cost savings.
To accomplish these three goals, the Community Energy Strategy has incorporated Future Energy Oakville as a registered not-for-profit corporation. FEO's mandate is to facilitate the implementation of 18 priority projects that will require the active participation of Oakville homeowners, community organizations, businesses, and local government.
"I look forward to working with all community stakeholders to implement practical, environmentally beneficial, and cost effective energy solutions across Oakville," Mr. Thomas said. "Together, we all have a role to play. And together we will succeed."
Mr. Matthiesen acknowledged the leadership provided by members of the Oakville Energy Task Force, including Sheridan College, Siemens, Hatch, Ford Canada, Oakville Hydro, Enbridge, Mattamy Homes and more. "Their commitment to making Oakville a more energy-resilient and environmentally healthy community is demonstrated by the extensive contributions they have provided to Oakville's Community Energy Strategy."
About Richard Thomas
Mr. Thomas is a long-time resident of Oakville and has been actively involved within the community, both as a business owner and as community volunteer in youth sports. Over the past 35 years, Mr. Thomas has served in several senior leadership roles in operations, marketing, and business development for a number of corporations both Canada and the US.
Mr. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Literature from the University of British Columbia, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario.
About Future Energy Oakville
Future Energy Oakville's story began in 2018, when the Town of Oakville and Sheridan College assembled the Oakville Energy Task Force, bringing together local leaders from business, government, utilities, schools, and citizen groups. Together, this task force undertook extensive consultations with the community on how to enhance Oakville's sustainable energy landscape.
Grounded in evidence and data
The Oakville Energy Task Force drew on the latest data and global best practices to set evidence-based goals. With the help of a project team that included national and international consultants, they established baselines, analyzed current energy use, developed projections of future energy use, identified proven solutions, and conducted energy efficiency simulations. From that foundation, they created a community energy strategy, identifying key priorities and recommendations.
Focused on the future
In 2020, Oakville Town Council unanimously endorsed The Community Energy Strategy—including the recommendation to create an independent not-for-profit organization to bring the strategy to life. This is where Future Energy Oakville was born.
Today, Future Energy Oakville is working to:
Coordinate and scale projects.
Our team plans and coordinates projects with delivery partners, identifying ways to accelerate and scale up effective and cost-effective implementation initiatives. We offer strategic support, as well as access to subject matter experts and a global knowledge sources.
Ensure transparency and accountability.
Future Energy Oakville cannot succeed without community buy-in and multi-sector support. That's why we regularly engage with the public, stakeholders, and funding partners to share progress updates while maintaining credibility by validating business cases and verifying results.
Enable financial self-sufficiency.
To maximize our impact, we're rallying a diverse network of partners and securing funding opportunities from private and public sectors.
Remain primed for success.
Future Energy Oakville connects local talent, tools, and innovative thinking with partners, investors, and funders committed to our community's energy transition. Together, we are making Oakville a model for climate action and ensuring our community continues to be Canada's most livable town.
Related Links:
https://www.FutureEnergyOakville.ca
https://www.oakville.ca/assets/general%20-%20environment/Community-Energy-Strategy.pdf
https://www.oakville.ca/assets/general%20-%20environment/Final-2019-Engagment-Report.pdf
SOURCE Future Energy Oakville
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