City names new advisors amidst North Market woes Skills-based appointees bring experience to Market board

Eric Morse –

After a brief search for candidates, the city has announced the members of the new program advisory committee for the St. Lawrence Market precinct.

Under the terms of reference laid out in the summer of 2012, the committee—reporting to the director of real estate services through the Market precinct supervisor—was established.

Its composition differs in significant ways from that of the Riverdale Farm group.

As Councillor Pam McConnell’s office noted to The Bulletin, the Farm body includes assorted relevant skill sets in a group drawn from both the broader community and the immediate neighbourhood, while the Market has a group of more directly vested stakeholders as well as the community that must be accommodated.

The committee members (obtained by The Bulletin from McConnell’s office on June 21) are divided into two categories: stakeholder members and public members.

The stakeholder members are already well-known to the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood and include Michael Besser of the North Market Farmer’s Association, Marlene Cook of the St.Lawrence Antiques Market, Odysseas Gounalakis of the South Market Tenant Association, Gary Miedema of Heritage Toronto, George Milbrandt of the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood BIA, George Pazmino representing St.Lawrence Hall and the Royal Bank, and Alan Seymour of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association.

The first of the public members, who were selected based on skills, include Steven Alikakos, senior vice president and senior manager, retail, Canada, for DTZ Corporate Real Estate and Corporate Services Management. He leads DTZ’s retail department across Canada and he has worked on several high-profile redevelopment projects. He brings an in-depth knowledge of retail leasing, foodservice and hospitality operations. His previous background is in managing high-end restaurants and bars.

Patrick Carnegie brings an extensive background in the not-for-profit and public sectors. From its opening in 2003 until 2010 he managed programming and events at Yonge-Dundas Square; he also participated in revitalization efforts for the Downtown Yonge neighbourhood and gained valuable experience in the operation of public space. He is currently senior manager of programme and event services for the Toronto International Film Festival. He has worked on events including Harbourfront Centre festivals, Celebrate Toronto, First Night, Nuit Blanche, NXNE, the Downtown Jazz Festival, the International Festival of Authors, Just for Laughs and Luminato.

Until 2012, Daniel Eldridge chaired the Riverdale Farm advisory council and played a role in the recent business plan development for the Farm. He believes that a strong agri-food sector is an integral part of a great city and he looks forward to working with the group to explore the myriad for opportunities that the St. Lawrence Market has ahead of it. Eldridge has over a decade of professional experience in the food industry and an MBA in Food and Agribusiness from the University of Guelph. As a member of a fourth generation family farming operation he believes in promoting the important role of those who make the food that feeds the city.

Elena Grouios is a food scientist in product development for the Cadbury chocolate brand under Mondelez International. She has experience in managing complex, large-scale experiments in manufacturing settings and co-ordinating product launches with larger teams. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in nutritional sciences and human biology and a Masters degree in management and innovation from the University of Toronto. Grouios also volunteers at Sick Kids Hospital.

Carol Mark is a registered nurse, humanitarian and media specialist. She has been actively involved in communities around health, policing and planning. She was appointed on the CPP tribunal by the Privy Council and nominated for the Premiers’ Award for her lifelong passion of social justice, human rights, social enterprise initiatives and international humanitarian aid work. Mark believes neighbourhoods are important landmarks in Toronto’s history and she has been involved in heritage preservation.

Phillip Levett is a Toronto native with an MBA in hospitality and tourism management from the University of Guelph. A chef by trade, he apprenticed at the Royal York hotel. His 15 years of experience in the foodservice industry includes teaching at Ryerson University and George Brown College. Front-line experience in food handling and operations has given Levett a clear understanding of the challenges of dealing with perishable food products, food safety issues and excellence in retail customer service.