Stacy Dobbin is the new general manager at the North Bay Granite Club.
Dobbin, who was the office manager at the facility for the past two years, joined the club in 2014 as a participant in the newly developed Adult Learn to Curl and Rookie League program aimed at preparing novice curlers for integration into regular club programming.
Dobbin replaces Bobby Ray, who held the position for 10 years. Ray accepted a new role as Executive Director of the Northern Ontario Curling Association earlier this summer.
Dobbin, who is a mother to four daughters and grandmother of three, was working from home and needed to meet people so, when she heard an advertisement on the radio calling on the public to try curling, she was compelled to act on the advice of an old friend who had been trying to get her and her husband Mark to take up the game. Ever since Dobbin has climbed the ranks from beginner league to ‘A’ Division, competing in the Scott Patterson Memorial League, and even participating in a Northern Ontario provincial championship. She’s traveled the province to participate in adult curling camps and play in bonspiels as far away as Wallaceburg, near her hometown of Oil Springs.
Off the ice, Dobbin got her first taste of volunteering when the 2018 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship came to town. A wave of interest generated from this record-breaking event enabled the club to hire additional support; and Stacey’s administrative experience, paired with her fresh perspective and growing passion for the sport, made for a perfect fit. After two years and another major event hosted at Memorial Gardens, Dobbin’s appointment to the corporation’s most senior-level staffing position has been well earned and deserved.
While Dobbin will continue to maintain the financial and administrative functions of the club; a call for applications went out in August for a Sports Coordinator to fulfill a gap in league, event, sport programming, and marketing expertise.
Following a thorough search, the Granite Club is excited to welcome former Assistant Captain of the Nipissing Lakers Women’s Hockey Club, Laura McKenzie, to their team.
McKenzie, who is originally from Owen Sound, graduated with honours from Nipissing University’s Bachelor of Physical and Health Education program before completing a Master of Human Kinetics in Sport Management at the University of Ottawa in 2019.
Through her higher education, McKenzie completed a 600-hour internship with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group where she focused on corporate partnerships for the Ottawa REDBLACKS, Ottawa Fury FC, and the Ottawa 67’s. Most recently this award-winning student-athlete and leader has been working as a Research Coordinator for Dr. Mark Bruner’s Groups for Youth Development Laboratory at Nipissing University.
