Jeff Burke

jeff.burke@cgi.com

After university, I worked with my father in his window manufacturing business for about 6-months, while I got started on my own retail consulting company. This venture kept me going until I had a very bad car accident that put me out of commission for about a year. During that year, my world fell apart. My fiancé (at the time) left me, my car had been written off, my condominium was broken into and everything stolen, and I even lost the condominium itself. (Oh boo-hoo for me)

After all that, I was lucky to land a job at a software / production / financial industry company, where I have been ever since. Although I have gone through many acquisitions and takeovers, it is basically the same type of company. Currently, the company is called CGI Information Systems & Management Consultants. (until the next takeover) I am a Resource Manager who looks after about 80 eccentric high paid programmers and business people. It’s not the type of job I originally had planned back in school, but I do love my job, the hours and the people. I make a decent salary with great working hours. (I even get six weeks vacation a year)

Of course, as many of you may remember, I had a passion for theatre and music. Nothing has changed there. I am still actively involved in theatre in varying aspects. I have acted and directed over 100 productions throughout my community theatre life. I have been fortunate enough to have won 2 “Thea” Awards for best actor and 3 for best director, plus many nominations. I have been on the Association of Community Theatre’s Board of Directors for 16-years, as well as Theatre Ontario’s board for 5-years. I have volunteered the last 15-years to teaching theatre to youth (between 8 and 18). This past year, I was honored with the very prestigious “Maggie Bassett” award, honoring outstanding commitment and dedication to theatre in Ontario.

Now the most important part of my life…my family. After that brutal car accident, I met this wonderful person, Miriam. We have known each other for over 20-years now, officially married for over 18-years. Miriam is a paralegal for Cadillac Fairview. You know the old saying about each of us having a “soul-mate”, well that’s us. We have a great time together with our son, Devon (17-years old) and my daughter, Avery (14-years old). My son is graduating from grade 11 this year and my daughter is going into grade 9 next year. Both kids are good in school and love theatre and swimming. Devon loves to play soccer (now how did he get those genes?) while Avery loves acting. (I know where she got those genes) Both are beautiful. (said like a true parent). After seeing the other bios so far, I think I started my family a wee bit later than the rest of you. Who knows by the time my kids get to university-age, there may not be any university to go to.

I am very involved with my kid’s school-life. I am on the PTA of my kid’s school, I do the school’s monthly newsletter, I teach drama to grades 1-2-3 every Friday pm and am involved in many special events. It sounds like a lot, and sometimes is tough, but I enjoy every second of it. I firmly believe that all this activity keeps me happy. Most of our family time is spent up at our cottage in Wasaga Beach. All of us have many friends up there and thoroughly enjoy life while up there, away from the rat race.

I am truly looking forward to seeing everyone. Although many of you pop into my head every now and again, I haven’t really seen anybody since school. Now that I see all these names in front of me, all those wonderful school memories are flooding back to me. See you all on the 22nd. Love to all.