Edward McDonnell joined the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and the Greenbelt Fund as CEO in October 2017, bringing more than 20 years’ experience as an entrepreneur, public sector executive and senior advisor to a broad range of public sector organizations.

Read his letter introducing himself to our stakeholders below:

I’m very excited to have joined the Greenbelt Fund as CEO. It is important to me to reach out to you, the Fund’s stakeholder community.

While I bring new leadership to the Fund, I am committed to continuing this important partnership with the Government of Ontario which has been so successful in supporting the province’s agri-food sector and increasing access to and sales of local food.

I have spent most of my career working with organizations to build healthier communities and improve individual health. What I have seen is that the most successful initiatives are the ones that effectively engage their stakeholders and use the knowledge and creativity they possess in their sectors and communities. The success of the Greenbelt Fund has clearly resulted from its engagement and partnerships with you.

I am also passionate about the interconnected systems that work together to determine the health and vitality of people and communities. There are connections between what we eat and where it comes from, and between the economic vitality of rural communities and the quality of life that residents enjoy. These connections are at the root of the work the Greenbelt Fund has been doing since its inception.

As I take the helm at the Greenbelt Fund, my goal is to build on the terrific work to date and continue to build partnerships and make investments that increase access to local food across the province and get more Ontario food onto Ontarians’ plates.

I look forward to working with each of you,

Edward McDonnell, CEO, Greenbelt Fund