2015 Richmond Hill
Nominated by the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce
“For me, the benefit of giving back is the personal satisfaction that comes from helping someone solve a problem that they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to do.”
Gordon Klein was born in Toronto and lives in Newmarket. He has always been interested in Information Technology (I.T.) since elementary school. He found himself helping others with their computer problems and discovered that not only did he have a knack for it, but he enjoyed doing it as well. Although his company In-Touch I.T. Solutions was founded in 2012, he has been helping and teaching others for many years.
Gordon has dedicated a large portion of his life to I.T. and technology, and his knowledge comes from taking a personal interest in it. Staying on the forefront of the ever-changing technology landscape is a full time job by itself. Gordon also finds enjoyment from being a volunteer expert on online message boards, where he shares the knowledge he has accumulated over the years with others who do not have the necessary background to understand the complicated nature of computers today.
Gordon works with some non-profit clients and gives them top notch quality service, often going above and beyond. When he saw the computers at the Krasman Centre’s Alliston drop-in centre were decades old, he donated three brand new computers to them. The centre offers peer support, mental health recovery and social service programs where guests can make use of the computers.
Gordon originally became involved with the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce while working for a company that taught video game programming to kids at the RHCOC premises. When the Chamber’s computer systems got infected with a virus, Gordon helped clean up the infected computers and has been taking care of the Chamber ever since. He became a member and has now been on the Board of Directors for two years. In addition, Gordon assisted the Chamber with the technical challenge of migrating their member database and website from one integrated system to another. He has been heavily involved with the Richmond Hill Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs Committee (RHYPE) which is a committee focused on engaging young people in business networking. The RHYPE committee has put on networking events in the past, but in 2015 they revamped the committee and redefined its purpose to reach out to young professionals and find out specifically what their needs are. Gordon’s portrait was taken at the RHCOC offices where he has dedicated many volunteer hours to help the Chamber and in doing so, the community.
Gordon’s most memorable moment of giving back was in 2009, when he helped to host a not-for-profit video game tournament in collaboration with SilverCity Newmarket Cinemas & XSCAPE Entertainment Centre. “The XSCAPE arcade had recently opened, and there was a thriving community of enthusiasts, including myself, who would play the dancing rhythm game ‘In The Groove’ and took it pretty seriously,” Gordon explained. “On Halloween of 2009 we organized the first ever ‘In The Groove’ tournament to be hosted in Newmarket called Zombie Feet.” Gordon helped to publicize and run the tournament, take registrations, keep track of the scoring, and to liaise with the arcade management. He was also responsible for preparing the song list for the day and the maintenance and tuning of the video game equipment to ensure it was in perfect shape for the tournament. Gordon recalls, “It was a tremendously rewarding experience to see some of the most talented players in Ontario and Quebec come together to play a game that they all loved, and it was great publicity for the XSCAPE theatre.”
The best way that Gordon gives back is to take the knowledge that he has and pass it on. He is a wonderful example of how companies can give back in their areas of expertise to benefit the community.