Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw to the attention of the House a constituent in my riding, Mr. Douglas Johnson, who resides in the town of Fenwick, Ontario. Mr. Johnson recently completed an assignment with the Canadian Executive Service Organization, or CESO, in Serbia.
CESO is a non-profit organization that works to build strong independent communities around the world. Over 2,700 volunteer advisers at CESO work to foster economic development by serving as mentors, advisers and trainers to their clients and partners at home and abroad.
As a CESO adviser, Mr. Johnson spent his time identifying potential export marketing plans and distribution networks in the U.K., Bulgaria and Romania for Serbian businesses, as well as proposing several structural changes to increase management effectiveness.
As a small businessman myself, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate Mr. Johnson for his efforts to promote the economic development needed in these tough economic times being felt around the world.