Hi, I’m Jeremy.

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I’m a dad, husband, athlete, writer, nonprofit leader, community builder, media contributor, and reluctant owner of an increasingly distinguished collection of grey hair.

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I’m also 6’9”.

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No typo.

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Yes, I played basketball. Yes, I got the memo that I am tall.

 

Basketball brought me to North Carolina, where I played at the Division I level, before I returned home to attend Western University, play alongside some of my closest friends, and complete my degree. I became the first male in my family to graduate from university.

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My original plan was to become a professional athlete.

 

I received contract offers, but seven operations on the same knee eventually changed the path beneath my feet.

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That was not the first time life had changed the plan.

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Why I care so much:

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I grew up in thirteen different homes, experienced abuse and domestic violence, and was eventually raised by a single parent living with a disability.

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As a child, I sometimes had to run to local shelters in the middle of the night.

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As an adult, I have spent years volunteering for, fundraising for, and supporting organizations that provide safety to women and children experiencing violence.

Those experiences shaped how I see the world and strengthened my instinct to protect, support, and advocate for others.

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Our circumstances may help explain us, but they do not have to define the mark we leave behind.

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I decided a long time ago that I could spend my life being angry about the hand I was dealt, or I could try to leave every person, interaction, organization, and community a little better than I found it.

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My work:

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For more than eighteen years, I have worked across healthcare, social services, and leadership.

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I have supported patients in adult and paediatric mental health settings, managed thousands of client files across Southwestern Ontario, developed support groups, built community partnerships, organized major fundraising campaigns, and helped people living with disabilities, mental health challenges, and other barriers pursue meaningful goals.

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Today, I coordinate a federally funded employment program where my team and I help young people facing barriers to employment build confidence, develop practical skills, connect with employers, and take meaningful steps toward work, education, and greater independence.

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The work is sometimes complicated, frequently unpredictable, and always human. That is exactly why I love it.

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I recently completed a leadership development certificate through Fanshawe College and am continuing my nonprofit leadership education through Western.

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Building community:

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In 2013, I co-founded Dad Club London.

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What began as an idea about helping dads become less isolated and more empowered grew into a registered nonprofit and a community of more than 1,600 local fathers.

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Together, we hosted hundreds of events, created spaces for connection and honest conversation, supported families in crisis, advocated for involved fatherhood, and raised more than $178,000 for local causes.

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One of our largest projects, DCL4AEDs, raised more than $53,000 to complete the placement of automated external defibrillators in every TVDSB secondary school, as well as more than twenty local elementary schools.

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I served as Dad Club London’s President for a decade and continue to support its work as Co-Founder and Past President.

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Across Dad Club, school communities, charities, community campaigns, and nonprofit organizations, I have helped raise, direct, or generate more than $1 million in charitable and community investment.

None of that was accomplished alone.

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The thing I am proudest of is not the total. It is helping people believe an ambitious idea was possible, bringing the right people together, and turning that belief into something real.

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Building consensus and leading by example can create some pretty impressive outcomes.

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Leadership and public service:

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I have served on the London Public Library Board since 2018, including terms as Chair and Vice-Chair.

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My work has included governance, strategic planning, financial oversight, executive evaluation, and helping guide one of London’s most important public institutions.

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I currently serve as Vice President of BNI Forest City, Treasurer of the London Executives Association, and a board member with Over 55 Skills at Work.

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Earlier in my community life, I spent several years leading Home and School and School Council initiatives, served on special education advisory committees for both local school boards, volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, coached basketball, supported accessibility initiatives, and worked with organizations addressing gender-based violence, disability, health, youth development, and poverty.

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In 2019, I received Peggy Sattler’s Community Recognition Award.

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In 2021, I was named to the Mayor’s New Year’s Honour List for Humanitarianism.

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Awards are nice, but the work matters much more than the plaque.

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Writing, speaking, and media:

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Writing has become one of the main ways I make sense of the world.

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I write about parenting, leadership, community, public policy, mental health, personal growth, and the strange comedy of trying to be a useful human while raising three children.

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I am a columnist with Mom & Caregiver Magazine and a recurring contributor to local radio, podcasts, panels, and round-table discussions.

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I regularly speak about municipal affairs, community issues, leadership, parenting, nonprofit work, and the decisions that shape life in London and beyond.

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I enjoy conversations where people can disagree without treating one another as enemies.

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I believe difficult subjects deserve curiosity, context, humour, and a willingness to listen before reaching for the flamethrower.

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The rest of me:

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At home, I share life with my wife, Joy, our three kids, and Duncan, our golden retriever and household Director of Unscheduled Excursions.

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When I am not working, writing, volunteering, attending meetings, or driving someone somewhere, I enjoy family time, basketball, fitness, reading, movies, coffee, food, travel, fragrances, trivia, stand-up comedy, and being one of the worst general managers in the history of fantasy sports.

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People who know me often describe me as kind, energetic, resilient, creative, curious, optimistic, and relentless.

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I try to live up to those words.

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Thanks for being here.

 

Enjoy the ride!