How Mayor Jim Watson uses social media to connect with Ottawans

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson will discuss how he uses social media to connect and engage directly with the citizens of Ottawa. Mayor Watson has an active presence in social media; he posts regularly on Facebook and Twitter to keep residents informed about what’s happening at City Hall or what community event he is attending (he goes to over 2,000 per year). He uses social media to engage with residents on a wide range of City issues. In addition to hosting a monthly chat on his website, he recently took part in an AMA on Reddit inviting citizens to “Ask Me Anything”.

Agenda:

5:30 Doors open, meet new and old friends

6:10 Presentation, followed by Q&A session

6:45 Community mixer

About Mayor Watson:
Mayor Watson was elected as the youngest Mayor in Ottawa’s history in 1997 and was first elected as a Councilor in 1991. Mayor Watson is an active member of his community and has served on the boards or as honorary chair of several community organizations, including the Riverside Hospital, the National Arts Centre, the Christmas Exchange of Ottawa and the Forum for Young Canadians. He served as chair of United Way's 2002 campaign, which raised a record $21 million.

An avid volunteer with several groups, he has helped serve meals at the Shepherds of Good Hope, a local soup kitchen. His commitment to those less fortunate was evident when, in August of 2000, he contributed his entire municipal severance payment of $31,000 to Ottawa's Union Mission for Men.

About the City of Ottawa:
The City of Ottawa if governed by an elected 24-member City Council comprised of the Mayor, representing the city as a whole, and 23 Councillors, representing the city’s individual wards. The decisions made by the City Council have a direct effect on the residents of Ottawa and impact the type, level and variety of municipal services provided. City Council governs the city in three ways, City Council meetings, standing committees and advisory committees. Ottawa residents are welcome and encouraged to attend all Council and committee meetings and can find out when and where they are being held online, on the City page in Friday’s edition of Ottawa’s daily newspapers or by signing up the e-subscription to receive a weekly electronic advisory.

Thank you to our sponsors

Third Tuesday is supported by great sponsors - Cision Canada (http://ca.cision.com/) and Rogers Communications (http://www.rogers.com/) - who believe in our community and help us to bring speakers not just to Ottawa but to Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver as well. Without the sponsors we couldn't make Third Tuesday a truly Canadian affair. So, thank you to the sponsors of the Third Tuesday 2012-13 season: Cision Canada and Rogers Communications.

We want students to be able to attend

Third Tuesday is a great opportunity to hear about the latest developments in social media and to network with business and thought leaders. And we don't want students to miss out on this opportunity. So, if you are a student and would like to attend, don't let the admission fee stop you. Simply present your student ID card at the time you sign into Third Tuesday and we'll refund your admission fee, courtesy of Thornley Fallis (http://www.thornleyfallis.com/).