TORONTO, Oct. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aurora Strategy Global is pleased to announce today the addition of four new veteran government officials to the Municipal Practice Group. The new members include Dave Ryan, Jack Heath, Alan Shefman and Vince Nigro.
Aurora President and Chief Advocate Marcel Wieder noted “Local government has a tremendous impact on communities and local economies. We are seeing more clients who want to access municipal government for a wide variety of issues to make life better for their constituents, including procurement, development, safety, transit, infrastructure, and more.
“Each of these team members brings with them experiences and skills that will assist our clients in delivering their message to government, the media or stakeholders,” Wieder pointed out. “I am truly honoured that they have chosen Aurora as their home.”
The municipal practice team features the following new members:
Dave Ryan was the longest serving Mayor of the City of Pickering as well as having served as a Councillor prior to taking on the position as Mayor.
Jack Heath served for more than a decade as Deputy Mayor for the City of Markham. He was also a member of York Region and served as Chair of Markham District Energy and Housing York.
Alan Shefman has served five terms at Vaughan City Council and prior to that, two terms as school board Trustee. Amongst the many roles he had as Councillor were Budget Chief and Chair of the Ethics and Integrity Committee.
Vince Nigro has a long and distinguished career advising Mayors, Ministers, and politicians at all levels. He has served as Senior Vice President of the Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO).
They join the existing Aurora team members:
Chris Collins, practice lead, was the former Minister of Local Government in New Brunswick and has served on Moncton City Council.
Lou Rinaldi is a former Member of Provincial Parliament for Northumberland and Quinte West where he was Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Prior to his election to Queen’s Park he served as Mayor of Brighton.
Jacqueline Biollo served two terms as a Councillor in her hometown of Beaumont where she has been active in the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. She previously sat as a Presiding Officer on the Land and Property Rights Tribunal in Alberta.
“This is a dynamic team that knows and understands the issues facing municipalities,” said Wieder. “We want to help clients navigate the bureaucratic, political, and stakeholder factors in getting their message delivered at every opportunity.”
Aurora Strategy Group is a public affairs, government and public relations firm based in Toronto, with affiliates in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Moncton as well as Washington DC, Florida, California, and Israel.
