The Downtown Milton Business Improvement Area (DMBIA) is governed by a volunteer Board of Management. This board is a standing committee of the Council of the Town of Milton. The board is elected by the DMBIA membership at the Annual General Meeting and then appointed by the Council of the Town of Milton. There are 10 board members appointed to the Board – two are elected Councillors for the Town of Milton and eight are elected by DMBIA members. The board’s term of office runs for four years, concurrent with Municipal Council.

All board members are volunteers and work to represent the interests of all members and achieve the vision and mission of the organization. Most importantly, they are a part of the Downtown Milton community. Feel free to contact us at info@downtownmilton.com to share any questions or recommendations for the Board.

Rachel is passionate about supporting small businesses and community engagement.  Her background is in strategic management, marketing and communications and she has worked extensively in the non-profit and public sectors. Before joining the Downtown Milton BIA, Rachel worked at Futurpreneur Canada where she promoted and managed programs to help young entrepreneurs start, buy and grow their businesses. Rachel has a degree in Communications from the University of Ottawa and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. She has volunteered with various community and business organizations.

Serial Entrepreneur Eric has business interests in real estate, retail and wholesale distribution. Since 1997, he has combined his passion for travel and design at Spareparts, a purveyor of clothing, fashion accessories and handicrafts personally selected from artisans located throughout the developing world. As a business operator and property owner, Eric has developed a keen understanding of the challenges that face Main streets across North America. Eric joined the DMBIA in 2010 to try to enhance Downtown Milton’s position within the broader community. He resides in Milton with his wife Ginette and their two children.

Sara is the proud owner of Bergsma’s Paint & Decor, an established home decor business that has been located in the heart of Downtown Milton for over 30 years. Sara’s involvement in the BIA is a natural fit as she endeavours to represent the voice of fellow retailers and their desire to ensure that they can all benefit from being located in a thriving downtown core. Sara is dedicated to helping to transform Downtown Milton into a popular destination for new and old Milton residents to shop, eat and visit regularly! Our town has grown exponentially and Sara believes that if we can entice people to support our community, we will attract more businesses and further expand the choices and reasons for visitors to come Downtown more often. Sara has been a part of the BIA Board of Management since 2012.

Miguel Gonsalves is an Associate Partner at Deloitte Canada with extensive experience in audit and assurance services. A Chartered Professional Accountant, he provides financial expertise and oversight in his role as Treasurer with the Downtown Milton BIA. Miguel is a long-time resident of Milton and passionate about contributing to the community.

Colin is the Regional Councillor for Ward 1 which includes areas North of Derry Road including the Downtown area.  During Colin’s many years of involvement with his local community, he has built a solid understanding of the history, challenges and opportunities in Downtown Milton.  His family owned and operated a downtown business for 26 years.  He has represented the downtown area for 25 years on local council and 11 years on regional council. He is also the Vice-Chair of the Regional Planning & Public Works Committee and is involved in a number of downtown events such as the Farmer’s Market, Santa Claus Parade and Downtown Milton Street Festival.

Kristina is Milton’s Ward 1 Town Councillor and a practicing lawyer. She was born and raised in Milton, is married to a local business owner, and is mother to four children. Prior to attending law school, Kristina worked as a funeral director at McKersie Kocher Funeral Home on Main Street. As a lifelong Milton resident, wife of a small business owner, and lawyer with a local practice, Kristina enjoys bringing her understanding of local issues to work for Milton’s downtown core.

Ian is lead pastor of Southside@Main church. He grew up in Northern Ireland and came to Canada as a teen. His undergraduate studies were at Cairn University in Philadelphia and his graduate studies were at Regent College in Vancouver. Ian has served on the boards of several not for profit organizations. Ian has four grown children – a high school teacher and three police officers. He is passionate about being part of a vital downtown community in Milton.

Eric is a graduate of The University of Guelph and has lived in Milton, Ontario for over ten years. He is a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual. He is a sales professional with over seven years of award-winning experience and currently works as an Account Executive Team Lead helping and assisting others in their sales goals. He has lived in multiple provinces across Canada since he comes from a military family. He is interested in having a positive impact on Downtown Milton.

Julie Rock has 10 years of professional experience as a portrait and branding photographer, but her love and passion for the art far pre-dates her founding Julie Rock Photography in 2012. A highly regarded small business owner, and the co-founder of The Studio in downtown Milton, Julie’s recognized ability to capture people’s authentic selves has branched out recently to capture her recent, very personal journey with cancer, at speaking engagements both behind and in front of the camera. Inspirational, real and selfless with her story, Julie’s passion for authenticity is equally expressed in her words as it is in her photography. She resides in Milton with her husband Tyler and 5 children. When not behind the camera or in front of a microphone, you can find Julie on the soccer field or at her favourite local gym.