2023 Kingston Business Awards Committee

As a lifelong resident of Kingston, Christi is proud to have spent more than 15 years of her career at Empire Life. She is a graduate of the Business Administration program at St. Lawrence College and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Ryerson University. As the Vice President of Group Operations at Empire Life, Christi works with small to mid-size companies to understand the trends and pressures affecting their business and to support the financial health of their employees. Christi is hopeful to offer these unique insights and other positive contributions if re-elected to the Chamber Board of Directors for another term.  

Christi is an active volunteer and her family is involved with many local organizations in our community. Christi and her family share a love of hockey, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Nancy is proud to have spent her entire career in Kingston, having been with DigiGraphics for more than 20 years.  She has been a key part of the local business community and recently she became one of DigiGraphics' owners and managing partners. 

Nancy brings with her a wealth of valuable experience and a new perspective to the board.  She has long been a Chamber supporter and values its impact in Kingston, confident that her contribution can help to grow and strengthen its efforts in the community.

A firm believer in the 'local first' approach, Nancy not only supports local businesses but has, for many years, supported and volunteered for a variety of local causes. She is the founder and managing director of Connect Fit, a unique not-for-profit club focused on women's health and fitness.  In her spare time, as a certified group fitness instructor, you can find her leading several fitness and wellness classes per week.  She is a proud hockey and football mom who also enjoys all sports, cooking, family and friends.

An industry veteran with 22 years of considerable experience in the hospitality and tourism industry, Brian Hope began his hospitality journey at the Fairmont Château Laurier and has held Sales positions at the Fairmont Royal York, Marriott Canadian Sales Office and JW Marriott, The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa.

Hope joined Diamond Hotels Management Inc. in 2016 as the Sales Manager for the Delta Hotels by Marriott Kingston Waterfront, bringing high levels of motivation and professionalism to the group. In April of 2021, after continually exceeding sales targets, Hope was promoted to the Director of Sales where his primary focus was growing the corporate, association and education markets for the business. In August 2022, Hope was promoted to the Regional Director of Sales position and now oversees the Sales efforts for all Diamond Hotels Management properties in Kingston and Sault Ste. Marie.

 Hope has obtained tremendous experience in hotel sales and leadership roles, which has shaped who he is today and helped him build and maintain a large local and national network. He is known for his high levels of energy, amiability, and his ability to come up with innovative and creative ways to assist the company achieve their long-term goals and objectives. He believes these skills will be valuable as a member of the Kingston Chamber of Commerce Board.

 Hope and his family moved to Kingston in 2010 and quickly fell in love with the city and community. They are all regulars at Queen’s Gaels basketball games, football games and Kingston Frontenacs games. Both son and daughter play basketball competitively and Hope is currently the head coach of the Kingston Impact U12 Girls competitive basketball team.

As for activities/interests, Hope is an avid runner and has participated in seven marathons over the past five years. And on a unique note, Hope is a professional comedian and has performed all across Canada. He was selected to be a part of “Team Canada” (along with Guy Lafleur and Paul Gross) to travel to Afghanistan and perform for the Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan in 2010.’

Andy Larin is the CEO and CTO of allCare IT. A true entrepreneur at heart, Andy created and successfully ran multiple businesses from his childhood on.  Before graduating as a Certified Novell Engineer, Andy started his own IT company in 1996, which rebranded as allCare IT in 2014 when he and his business partner joined together to create Kingston’s premier IT services company. 

Andy is notorious for his deep understanding and passion for all things IT related.  His work ethic, honesty and demand for excellence are deeply appreciated by his loyal clients.  With his inquisitive spirit and love of learning, Andy has risen as a leader in the field of Cybersecurity.  This has led him to create a company focused on providing top of the line IT services that specializes in Cybersecurity