In August 2009, the newly appointed president of the Federal Development Agency for Southern Ontario, FedDev Ontario, is contemplating the task in front of him. The region’s manufacturing sector, especially the auto industry, had been hit hard by the global recession of 2008; for the first time in its history, Ontario was now a “have not” province, and the federal government was hoping that enthusiasm for this new regional development agency would not only result in the creation of more jobs but would lead to support for the Conservatives in the upcoming election. The new president knew he would need to gain the confidence of his minister and political staff while developing a three-month short-term plan to get up and running as well as a one-year longer term plan to grow the agency and develop its programs. Expectations of both program and political success were high; the new voyage on which he was embarking would be the riskiest of his career.

In August 2009, the newly appointed president of the Federal Development Agency for Southern Ontario, FedDev Ontario, is contemplating the task in front of him. The region's manufacturing sector, especially the auto industry, had been hit hard by the global recession of 2008; for the first time in its history, Ontario was now a "have not" province, and the federal government was hoping that enthusiasm for this new regional development agency would not only result in the creation of more jobs but would lead to support for the Conservatives in the upcoming election. The new president knew he would need to gain the confidence of his minister and political staff while developing a three-month short-term plan to get up and running as well as a one-year longer term plan to grow the agency and develop its programs. Expectations of both program and political success were high; the new voyage on which he was embarking would be the riskiest of his career.