Terry Johnson
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In the 21st century, Chatham is no longer a remote community. It has the potential to be a center for world-wide business. In fact, this is already the case with Scribendi.com, the leading online editing and proofreading company. Scribendi.com is living proof that Chatham is a part of the global economy.
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Terry Johnson, Vice-President of Scribendi.com, grew up in a small town in southern England. He has a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Oxford and has also studied Theology and Engineering. Before immigrating to Canada, Terry worked for an association of leading European universities, developing Internet-based academic exchange programs, organizing international conferences, and editing the association's journal. He has also served on the board of the United Nations Association of the United Kingdom.
When he met his wife, Chandra, they had to decide if they wanted to call England or Canada home. They chose to build their future together in Chatham because the cost of living and the cost of running a business are much lower here. It’s also a pretty nice community!
One difference about living in England is distance. In England, when you drive for an hour you pass through several towns. Around here, that’s not the case. North America is more car-orientated, to which Terry has had to adjust. However, he is glad to see public transportation in Chatham-Kent has been improving since he moved here, and he is looking forward to seeing it get even better.
Chandra, an experienced news editor and journalist, identified a need for an editing and proofreading company and thus, Scribendi.com was born in Chatham-Kent in 1997. Terry brought a wealth of technical experience to Scribendi.com and has since overseen a complete web site overhaul and redesign. He provides both strategic and financial planning guidance.
In 2010, Terry earned a Distinguished Honoree medal for IT Executive of the Year at the International Business Awards, the only global, all-encompassing business awards program honoring excellence in business. “I'm proud to be able to bring this award home to Chatham-Kent,” said Terry. “Technology-based businesses are the foundation of a sustainable, prosperous future for our city, and I hope this will inspire other young entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities we enjoy here.”
Terry is committed to helping grow and improve the community. He is pleased to be able to say Scribendi.com has brought millions of dollars into Chatham-Kent through its worldwide success. He is very proud to be actively creating white-collar work opportunities in Chatham-Kent and is a local leader in promoting workforce diversity. Terry voluntarily runs small business seminars, actively supports local government organizations and political party riding associations, and inspires social change by supporting many local environmental causes, such as donating funds to the Chatham-Kent Greening Initiative and offering paid volunteer time to staff members.
Terry would like to convince other newcomers that Chatham-Kent is a great place to settle. “Don’t be afraid to buy a property instead of renting. This is the kind of community you want to be in,” he said. Terry also encourages everyone to see opportunities instead of weaknesses: “Chatham has a wonderful breadth of businesses and services, but if there is something the community doesn’t have that you want, then there’s your business opportunity.”