Business-minded Ajax resident looks long-term
Jan 29, 2010 - 04:06 PM
By Kristen Calis
AJAX -- A husband, father of three young kids and managing director for a real estate investment and management company has just added another big responsibility to his list.
Ajax resident Jim Ward is now in charge of overseeing fundraising for the hospital, and he's happy to do it.
"I'm kind of more excited than nervous," he said from his Ajax home.
Besides, he's a long-time supporter of both the Rouge Valley Health System's hospitals, Ajax-Pickering and Centenary, since he grew up in both communities.
"This is our cause," he said. "We donate to the hospital each year."
He was recently named chairman of the Rouge Valley Health System Foundation after outgoing chairman John Wiersma stepped down due to a move out of the area.
Mr. Ward has sat on the foundation's board of directors for a number of years, and became vice chairman in 2007.
He explained he chooses the hospital as his charity of choice because, while there are many other worthy causes in the area, the hospital helps the entire community, including people of all ages, genders, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
"Everybody uses the hospital so if you make that a better place, it helps the most people," he said.
Mr. Ward grew up in Highland Creek in Scarborough and moved to Pickering at the age of 17, completing grades 12 and 13 at Dunbarton High School. He's become well acquainted with both hospitals in that time.
"Between various broken limbs and cuts, I've been there," he said.
Two of his children were also born in Ajax.
Mr. Ward noted "Ajax is exploding" and the foundation will focus on its long-term priorities over the coming years. That also applies to Seaton, which is expected to bring an extra 70,000 people and 35,000 jobs to north Pickering.
He said the new emergency room and the current redevelopment of the Ajax-Pickering hospital will help serve the increase in both municipalities. He added the hospital could use some more equipment, such as a magnetic resonance imaging machine.
Overall he's happy with the hospital's economic situation, crediting RVHS president and CEO Rik Ganderton for leading the hospital out of severe debt.
"I think we're going to have to continue to be fiscally responsible," he said.
With 20 years in the commercial real estate sector, Mr. Ward is currently a managing director with Redcliff Realty Group, a fully integrated real estate investment and management company, where he focuses on providing commercial real estate debt solutions for clients.
He plans to approach more developers for hospital donations so they can give back to the community. Plus, they're building homes that are bringing in more residents, which affects the hospital. A huge part of his job, of course, is ensuring as many dollars as possible come to the hospital.
"It's going to be a huge challenge in the next couple of years because there's only so much money in the pot," he said.
He also hopes to reach out to new Canadians who may not be familiar with the hospital system.
"My overall goal will be to continue the great work John (Wiersma) and the board have started and really raise awareness in the community of the needs and how we're all in it together," he said.
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