Derek Mitchell Email & Phone Number

Halifax Regional Municipality, Ns, Ca

As Executive Director of the Camping Association of Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island (CANSPEI), Derek is responsible for overall strategic planning, operational mangnagment and mission delivery of the Association's programs. The Association, established in 1941, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting and serving the development of summer stay-a-way overnight and organized camping in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Our Mission is to support our Member Camps’ delivery of enriching camping programs for nurturing the health, wellness and personal development of the children and young adults of our provinces.We support and help through:● advocacy & promotion of the amazing learning and character building benefits of the transformational camping experience● the formulation, publishing and promotion of safe camping practices and standards● the provision of education, training and leadership development programs for our Member Camp’s staff and volunteers, to increase professional competency skills in our recreational sector● fostering continuous improvement and excellence in camp programmingFor more information on CANSPEI please visit our website at: www.canspei.caDerek is also a past Board Director for the Canadian Camping Association (CCA), the National overarhcing organization supporting and mentoring over 700 summer residential and day camps across Canada.

As the President of Adventure Camp Challege, Derek is responsible for the overall governance and management oversight of the Camp's mission delivery, the overall plannning and the managment of all operational activities and the financial management of the Camp. Adventure Camp Challenge, a Registered Canadian Charity, imagines and creates fun experiential learning and personal developmental opportunities which are transformational for our campers and staff. Our Camp's Small Team based activity program empowers our campers and helps them become healthy, confident and independent people, who are socially responsible and striving to improve our communities.During the summer, Derek is also the Camp Director, where he spends his summer living in a tent at Camp and over-seeing the delivery of all daily prgramming.For more information on Adventure Camp Challenge please visit our website at:www.venturepartner.ca/camp

As the President of Venture Planning Partners, a strategic planning and public & private sector management consultancy, Derek is responsible for the overall management and delivery of client consulting services and he is one of the senior consultants.He has provided policy development and training support in strategic planning, community economic development, CSR and governance best practices, leaderhip training & team building for a broad range of corporate clients, government departments and community development NGOs as well as for a new businesses/new products, venture capital and export development initiatives. Derek has also recently worked in Bangladesh providing strategic planning and communications training to companies in the country’s communications, PR and advertising sector, as well as to the country’s Social Marketing NGOs, as part of a Canadian International Development Agency’s private sector development program.For more information on Venture Planning Partners, please visit our website at:www.venturepartner.ca

Halifax, Canada Area

Derek established and was the Advisor for the 2ND Halifax Scouts Canada Venturer program for teens living in low income households in the Halifax north end and inner city communities from 2001 to 2003. He subsequently was both the Club Program and Scout Leader from 2004 to 2008 and the Group Commissioner from 2009 to 2011, for the 2ND Halifax Group. Derek also served as a Nova Scotia Council Commissioner from 2011 to 2012.

Halifax, Canada Area

One of the Founding Directors of Saint Georges Youth Net, a children and teen mentoring and after-school programming NGO for youth from inner city low income households. In addition to being a Director, Derek was the organization's Treasurer and he also helped set-up and lead Youth Net's summer wilderness adventure programming for children and teens.

Saint John, New Brunswick

Prior to Venture Planning Partners, Derek was the VP Marketing for George Weston Seafoods (Connors Bros/Brunswick, BC Packers/Clover Leaf and Bumble Bee brands) for 7 years. Derek had overall responsibility for the export marketing and distribution of Weston’s seafood products in Canada, the USA as well as over 60 countries worldwide. He has traveled and worked extensively in the marketing and distribution of Weston’s seafood products in these international markets and he has lead many diverse teams in developing numerous strategic business development opportunities and supply procurement arrangements throughout the USA, Asia, Latin America, and the EU.