Board of Directors

Aggie Armstrong is a multidisciplinary, mixed media artist. She merges pigment and fibre arts (embroidery) together. Apart from being a professional artist, Aggie recently became a tourism experience operator by starting Perennial Palettes, where she teaches art workshops in the perennial garden that she planted herself on the farm property she lives on with her husband and daughter in Oxford County.

Aggie graduated with a BFA at Western University, and has served on various Arts Boards, including the London Arts Council. She has shown and sold her art through Artist Project and One of A Kind shows in Toronto, as well as a number of brick-and-mortar/online galleries and private collectors.

Aggie brings an arts and new tour operator perspective to the board, and working directly with other Board Members and the swotc staff to assist the local tourism industry and tourism operators, is something that she is newly passionate about.

Leanne Gauthier-Helmer is a photographer, naturalist and environmental educator who focuses on experiential learning to help people appreciate the fascinating history of the natural world around us.

When Leanne is not teaching with the creative crew from Fanshawe College’s Adventure Expedition program, where she has taught for the last 8 years, she can be found on a guided hike, putting on a workshop or even instructing from a kayak!

Leanne is excited to be joining the board at Ontario’s Southwest and can’t wait to see where this adventure will lead her.

Craig Goyetche is currently the Sports Centre Business Manager at the Western Fair District in London. Having served in various roles within the Western Fair Association, Craig has been involved in Event Sales, Planning and Operations for various events such as the Annual Western Fair, London Wine & Food Show, London Farm Show, Trackside Music Festival, and many regional, national, and international sporting events. Craig has also served as a member of the SWOTC Conference planning committee since 2019. He looks forward to working with the SWOTC team and bringing his passion, dedication, and integrity to his role in serving SWOTC.

Troy Loop is the co-owner and CMO of JACKS HOSPITALITY GROUP in Kingsville Ontario, Canada‘s most southerly town. Troy, alongside of his three younger siblings manage JACKS GastroPub, Banded Goose Brewery & Taproom, BlackJack GastroVan and three unique accommodations properties under the umbrella of Distinctive Inns of Kingsville.

Troy’s passion is promoting each of the businesses that create Windsor/Essex’s incredible Farm to Table Culinary Tourism, EPIC Wine Route & the Barrels, Bottles & Brews Trail as part of Ontario’s Southwest Destination market.

Danielle brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our board. With a degree in MIT from the University of Western Ontario, she has spent 18 years in the not-for-profit sector, where she excelled in planning events of all sizes and cultivating relationships with major gift donors, sponsors, and volunteers.

After a successful career in the not-for-profit sector, Danielle embarked on an entrepreneurial journey, demonstrating her versatility and drive. She launched a subscription box for kids and now owns and operates a charming Airbnb on the water in the beautiful town of Colchester, alongside her husband and friends.

Her entrepreneurial spirit doesn't stop there. Danielle has also made significant strides at Wolfhead Distillery, where she serves as the Director of Marketing & Business Development. In this role, she has further honed her skills in strategic planning, marketing, business growth and attracting tourists to the Distillery.

Living in Amherstburg, Ontario, Danielle is deeply connected to her community. In her free time, she dedicates herself to coaching travel soccer with the Amherstburg Soccer Club, fostering teamwork and athleticism in young athletes and her kids. Danielle’s diverse experiences and commitment to both professional and personal development bring a unique perspective and a broad skill set to our board.

Born and raised in Tillsonburg, Ontario (yes, that Tillsonburg from Oxford County, aka Canada’s Dairy Capital), Gabrielle Mueller has always had a thing for great food, great stories, and making people crave both.

As the Marketing Manager at the Culinary Tourism Alliance, she leads a powerhouse team of marketing specialists dedicated to telling Canada’s taste of place story from coast to coast to coast. Before that, they spent six years as Tourism Officer at Tourism Oxford, helping put Oxford County on the map for cheese lovers, farm-to-table fanatics, and anyone who appreciates a good bite with a great backstory.

A Certified Experiential Development Coach through Earth Rhythms’ Train the Trainer program, Gabrielle knows that tourism isn’t just about seeing a place—it’s about savouring it and getting to know the people that make each destination special. Whether she's crafting hands-on storytelling workshops or convincing skeptics that winter adventures are best enjoyed with a local brew, she's always cooking up ways to make food tourism more flavourful (and fun).

Aileen Murray has worked for 15 years in municipal economic development, including tourism and has extensive board experience. Currently, she works as a private consultant specializing in economic development and strategic planning. Additionally, she is the Past-President of the Economic Developers Council of Ontario, and is now the Vice-Chair of the Economic Developers Association of Canada. Aileen also served on the SWOTC transition governance team setting up RTO 1.

Is the owner and operator of Walpole Island Riverfront Cottages & Waterway Tours a First Nation owned company.

Stephen has travelled across North America speaking about business development and encouraging Nations to build business opportunities for the next seven generations. Stephen is currently working with Indigenous Tourism Ontario through their business development workshop series. When Stephen isn't building business, you can find him walking the fairways of the nearest golf course, he is currently a member of the Professional Golfers Association of Ontario and competes on a regular basis as a golf professional. Stephen is delighted to serve as a board member for Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation.

Prior to retirement Peter spent 30 years working for and consulting to Ontario municipalities on a range of Economic Development / Tourism Programming. The majority of his activities related to the development and execution of integrated marketing programs that targeted specific business sectors, demographics and geographic areas. Currently Peter is also involved with two municipal committees and on the board of a music recording studio.

Denny Vervaet is one of the Owner-Operator’s of Red Barn Brewing Co. located just outside of Blenheim, ON which is Chatham-Kent’s first farm brewery.

Denny graduated from Lakehead University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and has spent the past 15 years in various industries including managing sport and entertainment events at the John Labatt Centre (now Budweiser Gardens) in London, ON, multinational logistics companies, and most recently took the full leap into running his brewing company from working in the Agricultural sector.

Denny has been immersed in tourism his entire life by growing up in Port Dover in Norfolk County. He has a strong passion for networking and collaboration and bringing new ideas to their fullest. The big picture and going ‘grand’ are a common theme in most of his plans as he looks to create memorable experiences and memories for guests and visitors.

Lynne Warriner is a co-owner of Hat Trick Farms along with her 2 brothers. Hat Trick Farms is their family farm located near Blenheim, Ontario, where they have recently added agrotourism experiences. They invite the public to their farm seasonally during the maple syrup, tulip and winterberry seasons.

Lynne is excited to join the SWOTC Board of Directors this year and looks forward to being part of the team that both helps tourism businesses prosper and showcases to tourists the many hidden gems in southwestern Ontario.