User:Jimdiodati

Family: Jim Diodati is a 44 year old life-long resident of Niagara Falls, Canada. He is married to Yvonne (Benyo) Diodati, a Program Resource Teacher with the Niagara Catholic District School Board. They have three children, Olivia is 8, Mya is 6, and Jimmy Jr. is 3. Jim’s father, a retired corporate executive, Jim Sr., and mother, Mary Ann, are also life-long residents of Niagara Falls. Jim has two brothers and a sister. Rich is a 23 year veteran Constable with the Toronto Police Service, Ryan is a Sergeant with the Hamilton Police Service, while Julie Manages in the Tourism and Hospitality industry in Niagara Falls.

Career: Jim is in his seventh year of serving on Niagara Falls City Council. Jim has been self-employed for over 20 years, currently operating a web-based health and wellness direct marketing business. He is the former owner/operator of Diodati Distribution, an independent food distributor and broker, handling such brand names as Little Debbie Snacks, Specialty Bakers Desserts, Gaudet Sweet Goods and Maison Gourmet Fudge to major food retailers such as Wal-Mart, Zehr’s, Food Basics, A&P, No Frills and Sobey’s to name a few. As well, Jim coordinated the distribution across Ontario and developed sales and advertised features for the key accounts.

Past Professional Experience: General Manager of the 1995 Ontario Winter Games under the auspices of the City of Niagara Falls and the Ontario Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation; Owner/Operator of California Dance Bar, as well as a Club 404, the Niagara Region’s first non-alcoholic teen club franchise and a former College Pro Painters franchisee.

Education: B.A. from the University of Western Ontario (Psychology/Business).

Volunteer/Community Experience:

•Member/Tent-mate of the ’10 Men in a Tent’ fundraising event that raised over $300,000 in food and cash donations for Project Share (2009) •Creator/Coordinator of the ‘Sleep Cheap, Charities Reap’ fundraiser where local residents can stay at Niagara Falls’ finest hotels for prices starting at $35/night. This yearly event has already raised over $700,000 for local charities with 100% of the money raised going to the charities (2005 - present) •Organizer/Emcee for the ‘Night of Foolishness’ local celebrity hypnosis event with Danny Zzzz that raised over $22,000 (2009) •Initiated the ‘Residential Convenience Parking Pass’ where residents pay a flat fee to park at on-street parking meters (2009 – present) •City of Niagara Falls Recreation Committee (1992 - 1997, 2004 - present) •Emcee/Auctioneer for Annual FACs golf tournaments (2007 - present) •Niagara Falls Trails and Bikeways Committee (2007 – present) •Shaved head in Council Chambers along with Councillor Vic Pietrangelo and Michael DiCienzo to raise $18,000 for ‘Terry Fox’ (2008) •Coordinator of Niagara Falls’ yearly participation in ‘Earth Hour’ whereby residents and businesses are encouraged to turn off all unnecessary lights to participate in a one hour global campaign (2008 – present) •Organized Niagara Falls’ bid for the ‘Kraft Hockeyville’ contest (2008) •Coordinated City Hall’s participation in the ‘CBC Seven Wonders’ contest that Becky Puddicombe drew attention to (2007) •Initiated the yearly ‘Toys for Tickets’ program which gives residents the opportunity to buy a Christmas toy instead of paying their parking ticket (2007 – present) •Architect of the Niagara Falls ‘Civic Pride’ Award through the Niagara Falls Recreation Committee, which recognizes Niagara Falls residents who go above and beyond the call of Civic Duty, to help make the City a nicer, cleaner place to live in (2007 to present). Click…to learn more… •Co-chair of the A.N. Myer Secondary School 50th Anniversary Celebration (2007) •Chair/coordinator of the City’s ‘100th Birthday Celebration’ (2004) •Winter Festival of Lights Board of Directors (2004 – present) •Niagara Falls Tourism Board of Directors (2004 – present) •Women’s Place of South Niagara/Nova House Community Fundraising Committee (2003 – 2004) •Niagara Falls Transit Commission (2002-2003) •Our Lady of the Scapular 50th Anniversary Committee (2000 – 2001) •Our Lady of the Scapular Pastoral Council (1998 – 2001) •Niagara Falls YMCA (1992 – 1997) •A.N. Myer Secondary School Parent Council (1995 – 1997) •University of Western Ontario Alumni Student Advisor (1992 – 1996) •McDonald’s McHappy Day for Children’s Charities (1988 – present) •Ontario Municipal Recreation Association Convention Director (1996) •Niagara Falls Lightning Gymnastics Liaison (1996) •Ontario Winter Games Organizing Committee (1994) •City of Niagara Falls Program and Public Relations Committee (1992 – 1995) •F.H. Leslie Accessible Playground Committee (1994) •City of Niagara Falls Parks and Recreation Master Plan Committee (1993 – 1994) •A.N. Myer Secondary School Reunion Committee (1991 and 1994) •City of Niagara Falls Corporate Challenge (1993 and 1994) •City of Niagara Falls Project Green 2000 (1992 – 1993) •City of St. Catharines Corporate Challenge (1992) •The University of Western Ontario Entrepreneur Club (1984 – 1987) •A.N. Myer Secondary School Students’ Council President (1983 – 1984)