At last week's meeting, January 12th, Erik Barr (far-left) and Jeff Hoffman (second from-the-left) became the newest members of the Rotary Club of Guelph. We are so happy to welcome both of you to our club!
At last week's meeting, January 12th, Erik Barr (far-left) and Jeff Hoffman (second from-the-left) became the newest members of the Rotary Club of Guelph. We are so happy to welcome both of you to our club!
Erik was born and raised in Guelph before leaving to attend Carleton University in Ottawa where he completed both an undergraduate degree in Commerce and a Masters in Accounting. After graduating from Carleton, he obtained his CPA professional accounting designation which required 3 years of work experience and the completion of a 3-day examination. He has worked in the public accounting industry since 2018 working for EY and Deloitte in Ottawa, and currently is an audit manager for BDO in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Outside of his professional experience, Erik is an avid fan of American football attending a Green Bay Packers game each year. He is also committed to his physical health; he is a member of Crossfit 1827 and participates in multiple rec league sports to stay active. Erik is excited to join the Rotary team and use his accounting skill set to support the community and organization.
An alumnus from the University of Guelph, Jeff has spent his career working in the charitable sector. Jeff's professional life began at the Tim Horton's Children's Foundation, through a job advertisement he found on the board at the University of Guelph. Jeff started in a part time capacity, working in a data entry role. Jeff's career at the Tim Horton Children's Foundation expanded over his 15 years with the charity. Prior to leaving the foundation, Jeff was responsible for all of the revenue generating initiatives, including the incredibly successful Camp Day. In 2015, Jeff moved from a large national charity to a grassroots organizations supporting families across Canada that are impacted by Huntington Disease (HD). Jeff was with the team for three years and then spent two years with the Georgetown Hospital Foundation. At both of these organizations, Jeff led the fundraising and marketing efforts and helped both charities consistently punch above their weight. Jeff was recruited by the Grove to head the successful corporate fundraising initiative. He is currently the acting CEO of the Grove that is now getting close to opening the doors of the 8,000 square feet space on Woolwich St.
Jeff is actively involved with the local minor sports organizations. Jeff is the President of the Guelph Minor Baseball Association, a member of Baseball Ontario's Select Council, and Field Manager with the Midwestern Ontario Bearcats, a baseball program providing elite baseball opportunities for youth across the Intercounty Baseball Association. If you are looking for Jeff, You will often find him on a baseball diamond with his Fungo bat.
Jeff lives in the east end of Guelph with his wife Deborah and their two sons Rohan (15) and Cooper (13). Debb is the Human Resources Manager at a local automotive parts supplier to Honda and Toyota. Rohan attends John F. Ross and Cooper attends Ken Danby Public School. The boys have a busy life, playing both hockey and baseball. Jeff and Debb spend much of their free time as poorly compensated Uber drivers. Rotary has had a significant impact on our
community and internationally. Jeff is excited about the opportunity to support this work as the club moves forward.
Welcome to the club, Erik and Jeff!