Andrea Gardi joined RTO4 as a Project Manager, and is thrilled to be putting to good use her undergraduate degree in Honours Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business and a Master’s degree in Tourism Policy and Planning from the University of Waterloo.  Her professional background includes positions with economic development and destination marketing organizations across Ontario.  Using strong organizational and analytical skills, she has a passion for growing the tourism industry in the region she was born and raised in.

Selected as one of Destination International’s 30 under 30 in 2017, she also received the AACB Scholarship to represent the group in Hobart, Tasmania.

Marie Zimmerman has worked for five Canadian arts festivals in music, dance, jazz, film, and literature, acting as Artistic Director, publicist, HR consultant, emergency plan architect, strategic planner, Treasurer, and Executive Director.  She is one of the founding members of the Guelph Fab 5, a collective of local arts festivals.  She has managed carbon measurement and reduction projects, helped festivals achieve net carbon zero and thus win national and international sustainability awards, spearheaded community engagement projects, award-winning tourism initiatives, robust risk-management strategies, and powerful creative partnerships among businesses, not-for-profits, and government bodies.  She has a passion for the tourism industry as well as for sustainability, education, and arts and culture, which she brings to her new role as Interim Executive Director with RTO4.

Since 2012, Karen has worked at Ontario’s Regional Tourism Organization #4; a tourism destination development incubator with a key focus on growing travel destinations. Karen has been instrumental in the launch, training and operations of the RTO4 wide Regional Reservation System. 

In her role as Destination Project Manager, Karen works closely with tourism stakeholders and uses her skills to enhance the tourism destination by implementing projects that foster collaboration, build relationships, improve the tourism product, expand the network and market the destination.

Adventure travel, baking and doting on her toddler are three of her favourite things.

Charlotte is passionate about creating innovative ways to move the needle on improving digital as a whole within her home region of RTO4. She is a firm believer that you can make a lot with a little in the continually advancing digital world. Previous to joining the RTO4 team, Charlotte gained invaluable experience working in digital marketing at Guelph Tourism for 4 years. Her post-secondary background in Music as well as Non-Profit Management allows her to have a unique set of skills, combining creative thinking and project management expertise. Charlotte believes in empowering others to take control of their own digital path to success and working with Destinations to cultivate a new way forward in Tourism through digital hygiene, design and development. She is a lifelong learner, creative thinker, connected storyteller and cultivator of ideas while continually asking ‘why’.

A Huron County native, Leigh became a member of the RTO4 team in 2019 brining with her a diverse skill set. Leigh’s education and work experience has taken her through multiple internships with different sport organizations before finding a home as manager of a rural based YMCA facility where she spent the last three and a half years serving the local community.

 As a part of the RTO4 team Leigh is excited to support regional tourism initiatives with her problem solving abilities and operational management skills, with her ultimate goal being the delivery of quality experiences and solutions to the partners RTO4 serves.

Growing up in Collingwood, Ontario Tristin watched her hometown develop into a tourism hot spot and recognized early the need for sustainable practices in the tourism industry and the importance of community engagement. Years later as a varsity athlete and coach at Wilfrid Laurier University, she saw first-hand the unifying power of sport, and began working to ensure that Canadian sport organizations could be safe and inclusive for everyone. She completed her Masters in Recreation and Leisure with a tourism focus from the University of Waterloo and has since been working closely with LGBTQI2S+ sport inclusion organizations, mentoring athletes and individuals, training organizations, and writing policy that promotes inclusion in sport. Tristin is excited to merge her passions for community-based sustainable tourism and inclusion and diversity to help create new and exciting initiatives within RTO4.

Brenda joined the team in 2015 and quickly endeared herself to colleagues and clients alike. Her nonjudgmental and fun-loving personality makes her easily approachable by anyone. Her dedication and attention to detail supports both clients and colleagues.

Brenda has a strong background in bookkeeping with a diploma in accounting & small business management, experience from many years in agri-business having owned & operated dairy & poultry farms with her husband and bookkeeping experience from a variety of businesses.

A proud mother and grandmother, Brenda loves spending time with family and friends. And in the summer months touring with her husband on their motorbike.