PROF I LE
Gilles Fournier’s door is always open
DIANE HUNTER diane.hunter@eap.on.ca
the corporate level or on a personal note, his door is always open. “You have to love what you do, and respect others,” Fournier said. “It is one of my values. Stick to who you are and be a good listener. It’s something I learned frommy dad. He was always a good listener.” Fournier’s father, Aurèle, was very active in the community of Vankleek Hill. He owned a restaurant, worked at themunicipal level, and was on several committees and boards. He was the mayor of Vankleek Hill for some time. “People would come in to the restaurant just to have a coffee and talk with my dad,” Fournier recalled. “One day after he had stopped working at the restaurant, I met aman that toldme howmuch hemissedmy dad. He said my dad would listen, and he’d always leave there feeling good.” Aurèle left the family business in 1999 after having a severe stroke that left him unable to continue working. Fournier kept the restaurant going until 2002 when he decided working more than 15 hours a day
Gilles Fournier was born and raised in Vankleek Hill, where he still lives today with his wife of 39 years, Joanne. Fournier, always has an open door, a sympathetic ear, and a kind word for everyone he meets. Fournier is the executive director at Groupe Action, a real estate agent, and sits on several community and municipal boards, and committees. Fournier was asked to join the board of the EasternOntario Health Unit (EOHU) by the province of Ontario in 2010, and has been elected board president for 2015. “I touch a lot of different things,” said Fournier. “It looks like a big plate, but you have to enjoy what you are doing. You learn frompeople youmeet and talk to every day. For me, knowledge is very important.” People who have worked alongside Fournier describe him as a kind man who is always willing to help out. Whether it is at
Gilles Fournier has been with Groupe Action for the past several years. He says it’s the people you work with that make the job what it is, and it’s great.
was just too much. Fournier was then offered a job by Jean-Louis Diamond, a former principal in Prescott Russell. Through a grant with the Ontario government, Ontario began operating 14 practice firms, and Fournier became the director of the one that opened in Hawkesbury. DL Practice Firmoffered people a place to gain experience and get back into the work force. “I enjoyed that experience,” Fournier recalled. “We had people coming in for periods of 12 weeks. It gave them the tools to get back on the work force. It gave them not only the tools, but also a place for someone to listen to their concerns. It helped them to gain their confidence back, just to be there for them. My door is always open to listen. I’m not a psychiatrist, but I will listen. In a small community like this, there is a need for that.” Unfortunately, funding for the program was cut, and Fournier found himself looking for work elsewhere. After returning to real estate full time for a period, he applied for the director’s position at Groupe Action in 2012. “I have a great teamhere,” said Fournier. “When you are surrounded by good people, the job is done.” Fournier continues to enjoy working in a career that helps people, and spending time with his family. With two children, and two grandchildren, Fournier keeps very busy. “I keep busy because I am a grandfather,” Fournier laughed. “We have a 3 ½ year old grandson, Jacob, and our granddaughter Leah is a year and a half. It’s different with grandchildren. You love them in a different way. If I don’t see them for more than a week, I start calling to make sure I spend time with them.” Fournier says he has values: be true to yourself, don’t try to be somebody else, and respect people. “My parents taught me respect,” he said. “If you respect people, they will respect you.”
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