Speakers and Meetings

Speakers

January 14, 2026
Guest speaker - John Walsh
Associate Professor of Classical Studies and Director of the School of Languages and Literatures at the University of Guelph.

His scholarly work focuses on ancient political thought, war, leadership, and the relationship between education and civic authority. His peer-reviewed research examines how classical societies understood citizenship, military obligation, and the moral limits of power, with particular attention to the ways states use history, ritual, and commemoration to sustain political order in times of strain.

John is the co-founder of the Serving Scholar Program, which supports members of the Canadian Armed Forces pursuing higher education and strengthens civil–military relations within the university. His talk, Arma et Litterae: the Serving Scholar Program, will discuss the intellectual origins and practical aims of the Serving Scholar Program, as well as Project Reunion, a commemorative scholarly initiative that will take students who are serving members of the Armed Forces to WW1 battlefields and memorials as the culminating academic and civic project marking the 100th anniversary of War Memorial Hall.

February 11, 2026
Guest speaker - Kim Shippey
National Director of Development for the Homes for Heroes Foundation.

Kim Shippey brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with expertise in capital campaign management, major giving, organizational strategy, and branding and communications. With a personal connection to the military through her family, Kim is committed to advocating for the challenges faced by Veterans. Her passion drives her to deliver impactful solutions that meet their needs. In addition, Kim has successfully led several multimillion dollar fundraising initiatives and capital campaigns.

Before joining Homes for Heroes, she held key roles in social service agencies, post-secondary institutions, arts organizations, and independent schools. A firm believer in the power of collaboration and relationship-building, Kim works to cultivate meaningful connections with donors and stakeholders, ensuring every contribution has a lasting impact including; empowering Homes for Heroes to advance its important mission.

Kim holds a Master of Music degree from Western University and the Royal College of Music, U.K., and proudly serves as a board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Horseshoe Chapter and is the Chair of the Government Relations Committee.

March 11, 2026
Guest speaker - Andrew Service
Business Development Manager at General Dynamics Land Systems London (GDLS).

Andrew Service is the Manager for Strategy and Business Development for General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada responsible for the Canadian market, appointed in May 2023.

Mr. Service’s responsibilities in this role include building trusted customer relations, developing a detailed understanding of the Canadian Armed Forces security priorities and defence requirements, and promoting the company’s range of combat-proven technologies, platforms and services. Mr. Service works with GDLS teams (Program, Engineering, Supply Chain, Production and Sustainment) across the organization to inform customer requirements and position GDLS’s products and services for future new business opportunities. Andrew is based in London, Ontario, Canada.

Andrew brings to this position more than 25 years of experience in the defense industry. Prior to his current role, Andrew was the Project Engineering Manager for GDLS-C’s USMC, US Army Stryker, FMS and International contracts. In this position, he managed the development and test of our most networked, light weight and digitally advanced platform; this platform was selected by the USMC for the ARV program. Andrew was previously the Program Manager for the Canadian LAV UP Program from the Definition phase through to the LORIT extension. Previous to that, Andrew was posted in South Africa and held Engineering and Program Management positions on the MRAP program.