CESO|SACO appoints new President and CEO

Toronto, Ontario, February 27, 2006 -- The Board of Directors of CESO|SACO is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Paul van der Wel to the position of President and CEO. The appointment is effective April 1, 2006.

Mr. van der Wel brings to CESO|SACO over 30 years of experience with major national and international organizations, 14 years of which were as CEO of McCain Foods in Continental Europe. Through his proven achievements he has demonstrated a wealth of leadership expertise in the areas of finance, organizational development, strategic planning and branding.

“Paul’s depth of experience and collaborative leadership style will bring the right mix of skills and knowledge to CESO|SACO,” said Keith MacDonald, Board Chair and Interim President and CEO. His substantial experience will also complement the strengths and expertise of CESO|SACO’s senior management team.

Mr. van der Wel holds an MBA from McMaster University, a B.Sc. from McGill and a degree from the State Agricultural College of Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Reporting to him will be Ms Agnès van’t Bosch, Vice President – International; Mr. Bob Dickson, Vice President – National; Mr. Terry Brackenridge, Secretary, Treasurer and CFO, and Ms Shelley D’Angelo, Director, Development and Communications.

About CESO|SACO

CESO|SACO is a not-for-profit organization established to build proud, self-sustaining communities by providing economic development and governance expertise to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in Canada and abroad. Founded in 1967, CESO has successfully completed over 40,000 projects in more than 50 countries with the help of the more than 3,000 Volunteer Advisers that generously provide their professional expertise to CESO|SACO projects.

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For more information:
Shelley D’Angelo
Director, Development and Communications
Tel: (416) 961-2376
sdangelo@ceso-saco.com