Webpage Info for: Prosperity Council Application
© 2008 Bernie Slepkov (All Rights Reserved)
On Saturday, January 12th, 2008, in an unprecidented move, the St. Catharines Standard ran an editorial under the lead headline "We need a plan". Finally, an informed institution of the City of St. Catharines made a public declaration that we are in crisis and needed to bring the community together in getting serious about developing a plan. While in the midst of preparing my next Niagara Voices column slated for February 26, 2008, in which I expect to divulge my thoughts about what such a plan should include, I decided to post here, my April, 2007 application for Mayor McMullan's Prosperity Council. Although not accepted to the council, the St. Catharines-Thorold Prosperity Council's final report, "Paths to Prosperity", released in May, 2009, clearly reflected the directions I submitted in my application (below).(Disclaimer: I apologize for any links within any of my websites which may have become inactive over time.)
April 10, 2007 To Whom it My Concern; I respectfully request that I be considered for Mayor McMullan's Prosperity Council. The following will attest to my being a valuable asset to the objectives of the council. Bernie Slepkov
1-213 St. Paul Street,
St. Catharines, ON
L2R 3M6 Phone: 905.984.3493
i) My Occupation: From 1972 up until 1996, I was an accomplished, self-taught technical and computer draftsman. In the earlier '70s, I was amongst the country's first computer-assisted draftsmen, assisting in the conception and design of software enhancements which even until recently surpassed the capabilities of AutoCAD. During my 9 years at Comput-Draft, a division of Niagara Structural Steel, I managed subcontracted work for such firms such as Bechtel, Acres and Monenco (Montreal Engineering). I also trained new system operators, one of which went on in my absence from the country to become the head of Monenco's computer-drafting division. During all of the '80s I lived in Israel. There I worked for a number of high-tech and technical writing firms. When I left Israel in August of 1990, I was considered to be the country's top technical illustrator. For the past 10 years I have been on a disability. During that time I dedicated my energies and skills to researching, documenting and assessing emerging trends upon which I sensed our future prosperity could depend. Today, those trends are now defining our changing societies. In the earlier stages, I was instrumental in helping Mr. Augustino Menna conceive and establish The Community Education Group of Niagara Falls, the region's first experiential learning, and environmental entrepreneurship program. As well, I was closely involved with Ms. Sylvia Bambra in the concept phase of the region's first eating disorder clinic. For the past five years I have been involved in municipal, regional and provincial policy-defining initiatives, many of which pertain to local governance, urban renewal, smart growth, and sustainability.
