There are many things I love about Woodstock:

• the small town feel
• friendly people
• safe neighbourhoods
• good housing prices
• older homes with great character and charm
• being in farm country – close to good produce

Living here as an adult, I see people my age moving out of Woodstock and businesses leaving our beautiful, charming downtown area.

I would like people to work with me (and the others who are already leading this process) to spur a renewal of the downtown core. That way people can stay in Woodstock and enjoy all of the benefits of a vibrant and exciting city. I believe in Woodstock. I believe that it has great value and that it is worth working to rebuild the culture of the downtown core. I believe that it can offer many things to many people.

My Woodstock Manifesto

A Healthy Woodstock Needs:

• An arts revival
• To become like Elora, Huntsville, Stratford – a city that gains from the depth of its vibrant culture of art
• To open up the old movie theatre and have it restored  – a great spot for a new community theatre (see the possibilities), concert venue
• More cafés and independent restaurants, with plenty of places to plug in a laptop and free wifi
• Businesses that celebrate the old architecture and don’t tear it down
• More downtown parks
• Downtown housing development and not just farmers field development
• To celebrate old brick buildings and not just new vinyl sided ones
• A culture of urban density not sprawl
• A culture of walking to work and to food not just walking by the river
• More downtown space for people with dogs
• More downtown space for people with young kids
• More artists
• More photographers
• A large scale visual arts project like Huntsville’s group of Seven paintings throughout town http://www.groupofsevenoutdoorgallery.ca/
• To feel like a town that is interesting to outsiders because of art and architecture
• To open up, celebrate the great down town buildings – classy old department stores, the theatre: brass and brick and hardwood
• An open mic night that draws in people from Cambridge, Brantford, Stratford, Kitchener, London
• A great chef, with a following, to take a chance on us
• A sandwich shop with an amazing atmosphere and and an even better coffee machine
• To make cool and innovative green economy products
• To be known to the outside world for something than just Toyota
• An amazing co-working space for people who work from home on their laptops to have a place to share and to find a sense of community
• Downtown industrial space that can be turned into artist’s lofts, before we tear them all down and replace them with drug stores
• Offices that celebrate the great old buildings that they are in
• Developers with a sense of history and a vision for the future
• Somebody to open a cool modern store (or 10) with old cabinets and displays, that is solar powered with kick-ass wifi
• Open wifi throughout the entire town
• iPhone and Facebook app developers to live and work here
• A location aware iPhone app (free) for the town that has 1 layer of history, 1 layer of arts businesses, 1 layer of the green economy and 1 layer of stuff to do for teens
• Better bar patios that open as soon as Bartley’s does
• To keep the free parking
• An immigration wave – new foods, cultures and businesses can only benefit Woodstock and make us more attractive to newcomers
• A youth centre like Ingersoll’s (which needs a website like nothing I’ve ever known)
• To use the old churches for new and respectful purposes, not tearing them down
• To expand the college downtown, not just out by the highway ( like Brantford  http://virtualtour.wlu.ca/page.php?id=5) with shuttle buses
• More people using transit so we can have better transit
• A covered pedestrian side street with cool shops:  closed to cars, open to people with strollers and dogs
• Bikes for rent like Montreal
• Downtown bike paths
• To celebrate the civic engineer who thought to put in all of those great walkthrough pathways in the neighbourhoods
• To celebrate our artists with innovative, even temporary, gallery space
• A great skate park that you don’t have to drive to (I love that this is already happening!)
• To grow the farmers markets
• To discover the 100 mile diet and appreciate our local farmers
• A green energy project like methane or grass- based bio fuels
• An architect to build homes that are efficient for the climate and interesting to look at
• Less lawns, more water-friendly landscaping
• To be known as a place with inexpensive eco-friendly homes
• Multimedia people working from here
• A multimedia approach to marketing
• Student-lead art projects
• An agricultural film festival- the “Festival of Agriculture Culture”
• A co-op for Makers: with tools, shared expertise, CNC machines, 3D printers (a great use for our empty factories)
• A MakerFaire (http://www.makerfaire.com/) on the Farm Show lands
• Facilities for a great outdoor music festival so the bluegrass festival can come back and we can more festivals
• Great loft condos (another great use for our empty factories)
• A brew pub
• A microbrewery
• A cafe/bar with an AMAZING jukebox and great patio
• A great photography studio space/co-op
• A good space to run small conferences (ie. http://barcamp.org)
• To be a great community for students and active adults

What does Your Woodstock Need?  Leave me a comment or send me a message: travis [at] travisallison.org or twitter.com/zoic

Awesome Local Resources Making Change

I thank all of those who are already doing their part, including, but not limited to:

Destination Downtown Woodstock

Woodstock Economic Development

Oxford Fresh

Tourism Oxford

Woodstock District Chamber of Commerce

Oxford Creative Connections

Everyday I get a stronger notion to just shoot everything to black & white.    Do you think it makes sense to be a B/W digital wedding photographer?

Hamburger Eyes from Nick Fogarty on Vimeo.

This is the way I like to spend my winter vacation time (LOVE the Yurt in the video).  Read about it here.

Holiday Snowshoe trip from Daniel Fox on Vimeo.

Please, take a moment to checkout and sign on to the Stem Cell Charter: http://stemcellcharter.org/

Stem cell research can make a difference in the way medicine works.

I signed because of Clay, my friends’ son with diabetes;

because of my Grandma Allison, with Alzheimers,

because of the camp dad I know who has MS, because of my cousin who has vision problems and because of all of the millions of people that will get their lives back because of this research.

You can also:

• Learn more about the Stem Cell Charter and stem cell research. (The side has some pretty cool content including 12 mini-videos by clicking on “Renew the World”. Trust me – the scientists are real, not actors.)
• Digg the site
• Post links on facebook (and become a fan of The Stem Cell Charter)
• Tweet using the hashtag #stemcellcharter (and follow @stemcellcharter)
• Blog about why you’ve signed the Charter and why you think others should (like I have)

(Sometimes there is just no understanding of how my mind works)

Bang your head
Metal health will drive you mad
Bang your head
Metal health will drive you mad

I’m frustrated and out-dated
I really wanna be over-rated
I’m a finder and I’m a keeper
I’m not a loser, and I ain’t no weeper
I got the boys to make the noise
Won’t ever let up, hope it annoys you
Join the pack fee the crack
Well now you’re here, there’s no way back!!!!!!

In 22 days  Beth will no longer be a camp director (or technically: Executive Director of a non-profit organization that runs children’s summer camps).   If you have ever watched her work you know that she is the best in the world at that job.   It’s like watching sunshine coming through clouds.

I’m very proud of you, Fae.

[From YouTube - Single Ladies - Beyonce]

KAAAAAAAANYE (Oops… I mean KHHHHAAAAAAN)

Man, every time I manage to get this song out of my head somebody keeps putting it back in!

At least this version is new. Pomplamoose (named after my favourite fruit) looks like just the kind of band I am looking to get into. As someone who is interesting in helping out a couple of young singer/songwriters they are very inspiring.

Curse you, Kayne!

Song of the Day: All The Single Ladies – Beyoncé

A senior leadership position in an organization that is using social media to spread the word about their world-changing product or programme. To support this objective I bring with me my 3 greatest skills: Leadership, Marketing and Project Management.  I hope to promote the growth of the organization for which I work, determine what other potential is there and show the world our ground-breaking product.

Travis’ Qualifications

A professional with 15 years experience as a director of a summer camp, executive director of a non-profit, a fire fighter, a full-time photographer and a consultant. Able to champion the customer to the organization in order to improve communication and become an influence in their purchasing decisions.  Brings to the position excellent mix of skills in:

•      Project Management
•      Creativity
•      Designing
•      Leadership
•      Speaking
•      Dealing with Pressure
•      Problem Solving
•      Initiating
•      Influencing
•      Marketing/Promoting
•     Decision Making
•     Human Resources

Travis’ Selected Achievements

•    Spearheaded, as Project Manager, the overall design, building, budgeting and staffing requirements for the construction of a brand new camp programme at Cairn. Result: In 100 days successfully transformed 20 acres of wilderness and created a complete living environment for 36 people.
•    As Camp Director took leadership role to teach 65 staff members to be conscious of the end-to-end liability and risks of the job of running a children’s camp.  Result: The staff compassionately dealt with incidences of reported child abuse every year, ran a safe programme and were often commended by clients for their polite and respectful manners.
•    Designed, communicated and implemented a procedural set-up and physical site plan that would allow the successful amalgamation of two unique programmes on one property while maintaining separate identities.  Result: Client satisfaction has increased substantially doubling the enrolment in client sessions, staff leadership experiences, morale and opportunities for growth were also increased significantly.
•    Utilized creative skills to photograph staff portraits for Cairn.  Result:  Unique pictures and videos that have driven traffic to the Cairn website. A promotional tool that has been seen all over the world, elevating the stature of the Cairn programme.
•    Facilitated presentation of “The Internet Will Make You A Better Camp Director” at the 3000 delegate Tristate international camping conference in 2009.  Result: Provided methodology for Directors to monitor communications regarding their organization on the internet. Established contacts within the camping industry in the USA, opened up networking for other camp directors, shared the methods of a successful social media marketing campaign.
•    As a fire fighter, quickly analyzed and made decision to break protocol and give life-saving medicine to a patient without an order from an officer.  Result: The patient had a successful recovery after a short stay in hospital. Recognized with the first ever Lake of Bays Fire Department Life Saver award.
•    Co-ordinated life-saving medical care on a patient while working under the pressure of intoxicated and agitated men who had to be removed from the accident scene to ensure patient safety and care.   Result: Diffused the anxiety of concerned peers, maintaining control of a life-threatening situation. Administered care to the patient until the ambulance arrived which ultimately resulted in his survival.
•    Utilized a very small marketing budget ($4000/year) in innovative ways to increase the growth rate of the organization.   Results: This translated into a 10-15% growth rate sustained for 10 years.
•    Influenced the growth rate of clients and staff at Glen Mhor Camp.  Result: Grew the business from 297 clients in 1995 to over 1200 by 2004, increased the staff from 35 to a staff of 55 seasonal employees and created completely new programme in Outdoor Education for students.
•    As the volunteer social media manager for Cairn utilized community-based marketing tools to market to their core target client audience of 12-40 year olds.    Result: 41% increase in brand new visitors to the website in the past 6 months. The strongest communication with alumni and donors in the organization’s history. A decrease in the bounce rate on the website from 63% to 32%.
•    Created a marketing plan for my Lifestyle and Wedding Photography business. Result: Increased business income by 500% over 2 years, expanded market to include corporate and headshot work.
•    Designed an innovative new conference model for the faltering Ontario Camp Leadership Workshop.  Result: A successful ThinkCamp conference in 2007 and another planned for 2009. The adoption of this successful model has resulting in ongoing workshops.
•    Ran an annual 3 day Adventure Leadership course for the Ontario Camp Leadership Workshop. Result: Taught staff from camps from organizations across Ontario and Quebec, raised skill levels of participants so they would excel at teaching and training in their own programmes.
•    Professional conference presentations at international conferences, known for impact and creative imagery.  Result: Excellent reviews from attendees, shared presentations that have been downloaded hundreds of times, Twitter links from camp consultants to the online versions of presentations.
•    Reduced the environmental impact of a organization spread over 200 acres with a staff of 65 and up to 1200 clients a year.  Result: Costs for waste removal, electricity and office supplies did not grow equal to the rate of expansion over 10 years; staff and children were taught easy ways to minimize their impact on the environment and Cairn was recognized as a leader in environmental stewardship.
•    Recommended for an officer position with the Lake of Bays Fire Department after only 2 years of service.   Result: Applied knowledge and experience from outside organizations to Fire Department skills.  Expanded knowledge within the members of the fire hall, provided calm leadership especially in emergency medical situations.
•    Orchestrated the change in the programme from a very traditional camp to one that included many adventure facilitation tools Result: In 3 years achieved a market leader position with exciting programmes that others in our category do not yet provide.
•    Co-ordinated an online and in-person response to a fallacious report that would have seen our organization closed.  Result: In 2005 Cairn was created as the professional non-profit organization to co-ordinate the camping programmes of 5 camps.  As Co-Executive Director of the new organization standardized procedures, reduced liability risks and prioritized staff time to promote a better place in which to work.

Travis’ Professional Experience

Owner, Principal Photographer, Subtlevox Photography
Ontario, Canada  2004 – present
•    Managing day to day administrative activities: organizing job bids, budgeting, client contracts & payment, hiring extra photographers and models.
•    Developed a comprehensive marketing strategy including print advertisements, mailings and online social media
•    Comparing and contrasting various online tools to determine the most cost-effective programs to benefit the business.
•    Developed customer specific packages to suit their photographic needs.

Co-Executive Director, CAIRN Camping & Retreat Centres
Muskoka, ON, Canada  2005 – 2007
•    Served as Co-Executive an a non-profit organization that was created to bring accountability and liability awareness to the camps of the Synod.
•    Supervised the writing of a Policy and Procedures manual and managed the training of a staff of 65 and 200 volunteers.
•    Developed a marketing plan that included creative design, trend analysis and a plan to use social media.
•    Managed a $600 000 operating budget and a $35 000 Capital budget.
•    Administered a year-long amalgamation project, brought together 2 children’s camp (each more than 40 years old) and planned and coordinated a complete relocation of one camp to the other property.

Co-Director, Glen Mhor Camp
Baysville, ON, Canada 1996 – 2005
•    Developed a marketing plan that sustained a 10-15% growth for more than 10 years.
•    Planned and trained staff on Emergency Response procedures
•    Leadership Training for 55 staff, including 14 days of orientation and inservice training.
•    Managed a property of 197 acres and over 30 separate buildings.

Co-Owner, Consultant, Walking Maverick Consulting
Huntsville, ON, Canada 1994 – present
•    Planned and prepared proposals specific to the needs of perspective clients
•    Developed plans with organizations to create programmes that addressed their desires to improve communication, using new media to market their programmes, developing leadership skills in staff and clients.

Research Assistant, Carleton U. – Psychopathology Laboratory
Ottawa, ON, Canada 1993 – 1994
•    Compiled and presented a wide variety of research projects
•    Data entry and compilation on project involving psychopaths in Canadian prisons.

Education

Carleton University  (Ottawa, ON)            Bachelor of Arts – Developmental Psychology, May 1997

Travis’ Skills and Certifications

Smart Serve (10/08) – Nutrient Application Technician (Licensed) – Ontario Driver’s License: DF Z – Firefighting: Lake of Bays Fire Department – Life Saving Award, 5 Year Service Medal, Auto Extrication Course – Advanced Adventure Facilitation – True Colours Certified Facilitator – Non-Violent Crisis Intervention – Wilderness First Responder (Wilderness Medical Associates): current – Ontario Water Systems Operator – Small Water Works Operator License (expired 1/08)

Travis’ Volunteer Work

•    CAIRN Presbyterian Camping & Retreat Centres: Volunteer Social Media Manager
•    Smiling Eyes Photography – professional photographers volunteering to take portraits of families touched by cancer (http://clickphoto.typepad.com/smilin_eyes/about_smiling_eyes/)
•    Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS) Infant Bereavement Photography – professional photographers who volunteer to take portraits of babies who die prematurely or who are not expected to live to leave the hospital http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/
•    Software Beta Tester – Typepad (www.typepad.com): online website and weblog building software – original beta tester, Customer Advocate Board (presently);  Vox (www.vox.com): weblog program
•    MS Walk for Super Cities (2008, 2009) – Woodstock photographer
•    Huntsville Fire Department – Firefighter (2006-2007)
•    Lake of Bays Fire Department – Firefighter, Baysville Stn. 40 (2001 – 2007)
•    Salvation Army Annual Food Drive – 2001 – 2006
•    Ontario Camp Leadership Workshop (OCLW)/ now Think Camp. – Director
•    Ontario Camping Association – Standards Accreditor (1995-2007)
•    Ontario Camping Association – Environmental Committee, Annual Conference Committee, Facilities and Maintenance Conference Committee, Skills Weekend – Skills Stream Leader: Programme
•    Canada Camps Magazine – Editorial Board

What I Know

How To:

- successfully bring together two organizations with completely different cultures and history
- sustain a 10-15% growth rate in an organization for over 10 years
- train High School and University students to responsibly take care of other people‘s children
- find creative solutions to a grow a company while working within a very small budget
- lead a non-profit organization to use the internet and social media for cost effective promotion
- create engaging presentations on Marketing or Best Environmental Practices or Human Resource Fundamentals for an international conference
- present a company effectively on the internet
- facilitate a group of coworkers to work together better using the True Colours communication system
- plan and lead a canoe trip for 25 people
- write and maintain a Policy and Procedures Manual for a non-profit organization
- remove someone from a car crash as quickly and safely as possible
- reduce a dislocated knee or shoulder
- purchase, help build and supervise running a high ropes course and climbing wall
- drive a tractor to work 200 acres
- make people feel comfortable in front of a camera while making them look like rock stars
- run a safe and friendly bar operation
- build better group dynamics through adventure programming
- run an efficient and happy organization while training all staff to be conscious of the liability and risks of the job at hand
- play guitar, mandolin and bodhran
- design custom tattoo artwork
- set up a system to monitor a company‘s online buzz
- create a Crisis Response Plan
- carve a new camp out of the bush in 3 months with minimal environmental impact

Where I‘ve Done It

- Subtlevox Photography (Woodstock, ON)
- Walking Maverick / Ceilidh Outdoor Experience Consultants (Woodstock/Muskoka, ON)
- CAIRN Presbyterian Camping & Retreat Centres (Muskoka, ON)
- Glen Mhor Camp (Muskoka, ON)
- Huntsville and Lake of Bays Fire Departments (Muskoka , ON)
- Woodstock Curling Club
- Terratec Environmental

How I Got This Knowledge

I grew up on a farm
I was a camp counsellor
I earned a degree in psychology
I ran a children‘s summer camp
I was the executive director of a non-profit organization with 70 seasonal staff and over 200 volunteers
I run my own photography business
I speak at international conferences
I consult with companies
I was a firefighter
I volunteer
I read everything I can get my hands on
If I am awake, I am on the internet

Who I Know and What They Know

Consultants: International Security, Business Development, Human Resources Management, Soil Technology, Forestry, Non-Profit Management, Leadership, Adventure Programming, Education
Business Owners: Real Estate, Hardware, Children‘s Camps, Interior Design, Architecture, Photography, Cartoonist, Veterinarian, Cloth Diaper Service, Garage, Towing Company, Adventure Leadership and Ropes Course Building, Underwater Photography, Social Media Campaign Design, Bed & Breakfast, Retirement Home, Stone Landscaping
Public Servants: City Recreation Director, City Services Director, Health Inspector, Teacher, Fire Chief, Firefighter, Police Officer, Sanitation, Recreation Facilities Manager, Librarian, Native Affairs
Health: Nurse, Doctor, Transplant Coordinator, Physiotherapist, Social Worker, Horticultural Therapy, Children‘s Health Researcher, Neuro-Endochrinologist, Camp Programmer for Special Needs Children, Recreation Therapist
Arts: Set and Costume Designer, Chef, Musician, Actor, Advertising Designer, Writer, Music Rep, Television/Movie Editor, Painter, English Professor, Website Designer, Music Therapist, Organist
Others: International Justice Advocate, Transportation Coordinator, Women‘s Safety Researcher, Farmer, Non-Profit Executive Director, Minister, Ski Resort Marketer, Hotel Manager, Corporate Hotel Sales, Fish Researcher, Fleet Maintenance Manager, Locomotive Sales Vice President, Tax Accounting Partner, Lawyer

What I Want to Learn

-to be a Wilderness Emergency Response Technician
-to build a straw bale house
-to play the bodhran (celtic drum) better
-woodcarving
-meditation
-to be a better commercial/lifestyle photographer
-energy conservation home refitting
-to drive a rally race car
-to sing bass in a choir
-more…

Who I Want To Meet

Craig Kielburger (anti-child slavery advocate, foundation starter)
Joe Rospars (Obama Social Media Campaign Manager)
Chase Jarvis (commercial lifestyle photographer, amazing marketer)
Cory Doctorow (author, blogger)
Bono (musician, Project RED Philanthropist)
Tara Hunt (social media marketing blogger, author)
Joe McNally (National Geographic photographer)
Gary Fong (entrepreneur, retired photographer)
Lance Armstrong (cyclist, survivor, foundation starter)
Lester Brown (environmental writer)
Leo Laporte (online media network owner)

What I Want to Create

- a film festival in Oxford County based on the model of the Banff Mountain Film Festival – The Oxford Festival of Agriculture Culture
- photography that changes someone‘s view of the world
- a custom house that I have designed for my family
- a book and art project with my wife, Beth, about real women doing great things called “180 Beautiful”
- a project to inspire people do something about the environment
- a website to teach everyday life skills to teens and young adults called “If You Won‘t Listen to Your Parents, At Least Listen To Your Camp Director”
- job opportunities to use my skills as photographer
- a camp for people who like to get dirty (ATVs, excavators, jack-hammers and “mudder” cars)

What Tools Would Help Me Be Most Productive

a Mac Computer
an internet connection
an inspiring idea
an intelligent and enthusiastic leader
a natural light- filled office
a constant flow of information
someone creative to bounce ideas off of
a staff that is committed to the ideals of the organization
a project I believe in

What I Believe

I believe that I can live my best life by using the 4 S Test when considering any task: (I must answer “Yes” to each question before doing anything) – Is it Safe (spiritually, emotionally, physically) for all involved? Is it good Stewardship of the environment ? Does it build others‘ Self Esteem? Am I being a Servant to others?

I believe that I must Consume Less and Create More.