Welcome to JJ-365 Salutes. Over 2018, we pay tribute daily to one of “The Good Ones”. Today we are shining the light on Gord Harris.

I heard about Gord way before I met him. For quite some time he was running a few radio stations in London Ontario and was also a professor at Fanshawe. One former student of his after another talked affectionately about Gord and how giving he was with his time. The knew that he was in all of this for the right reasons. I needed to meet this guy and he sure sounded like leadership bench strength to me. He didn’t disappoint.

In the 60’s (yes, he swears he remembers them-??), he studied economics and political science at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) in Montreal. His first radio job was evening news at CFBC Saint John New Brunswick. After a week he was promoted to the morning show.Legendary NB broadcaster/talk host Dave Lockhart was his mentor. Dave’s brother Bob was the Mayor and Station Manager so Gord says he rapidly learned the skills of navigating the dangerous waters of conflict of interest.

From there, after a term covering the legislature in Fredericton, morning news was boring, so Gord followed morning show big shot Doug Pond and moved to CJBK In London to be a reporter.

That lasted only a few months until a consultant moved him back to morning news and he says they threw some solid cash his way as incentive to get back on the air.

Soon it was News Director, at a time when he turned down several offers to move to Toronto at CFRB and CFTR.

In the 80s, in his spare time he started teaching in the Journalism and Radio programs at Fanshawe College and became adjunct professor in the Masters of Journalism Program at Western University. There are literally hundreds of his former students active in media today and all never forget Gord. Some names you may be familiar with: Heather Hiscox the morning anchor at CBC News Network, Stephanie Smyth at CP24, Greg Brady morning show host at Toronto’s Fan590, Cheryl Hickey host at ET Canada, and Jeff McArthur host on The Morning Show on Global.

He said the 90’s brought him his first ‘downsizing’ which came in 1992. Luckily that unemployment blip lasted less than a week as he was picked up by the competition (he thanks to GM Bill Brady and ND Gary Ennett for the opportunity to stay in radio) soon to do morning news again and eventually become News Director and talk show host.

In the 2000’s after the CORUS purchase of Blackburn, AM980 PD and 365’er Scott Armstrong said it was time for him to stop ‘doing’ and start ‘leading’. Gord appreciated the feedback and never afraid of learning or hard work, he got to it. He became the Program Director of talk radio (AM980), and soon they added Classic Rock- The Hawk to his duties.

In 2005 Scott Armstrong had moved on up in CORUS to a GM role in Cornwall and it was time to hire his replacement at 640 in Toronto -“The Home of The Leafs”. I didn’t have to look very far as I had Gord at the top of my list for awhile. He said it was a challenge he could not resist: “Never mind the fact the hotel room JJ got for me before the breakfast interview was…’640’. Serendipity or JJ’s clever manipulation?”

The job wasn’t easy working for me, in head office and in a tough market. He says the best advice I gave him was to ‘be in the moment’. Gord said: “It was helpful not only as I tried to get my arms around the complexities of handling the Maple Leafs contract and talent like John Oakley, Bill Watters, Mike Stafford, (and John Hayes on the 25th floor at the time), but also in my personal life, which too many people I have known in radio allow to suffer due to the passion for their career.”

The mandate at AM 640 was shedding the rejected but still popular MOJO image, and re-building the brand from “the Leafs station that does talk” to a “talk station that carries The Leafs”. The ratings were slow to improve, but eventually more than tripled thanks to a dedicated, passionate, talented team and support from the most senior levels of the company including and very importantly John Cassaday.

Gord's career path was headed was straight towards a GM role but that was before GMs at CORUS became an endangered species.

He decided in 2015 that the time was right to walk away from the business and focus on his passions: family, travel and the love that got him into Radio to begin with - music (playing drums).

Gord was recognized many times over his career including several regional and national RTDNA awards for newscasts and commentaries in the 70’s and 80’s. In the 90’s he won a silver medal for commentary from the Radio Festivals of New York (some guy named Dan Rather won the gold-??) and in 2008 the RTNDA rewarded him with the it's highest honour, The Lifetime Achievement Award.

Since hanging up the headphones two and a half years ago, he’s continued travelling around the world with Judy his wife of almost 47, spending quality time with his (almost) three-year-old grandson, his daughter and son-in-law, and feeding his creative passion playing the drums.

Summing up Gord says: “I had a wonderful career in what was an amazing era to be in radio, and have many people to thank for their support, encouragement, trust and confidence in me. However, back to being ‘in the moment’, as Don Henley sings on his Cass County disc (released just after I retired): “Nostalgia is fine, but I respectfully decline, to spend my future living in the past” and “I like where I am now”.

When I finally got to hire and work with Gord he ended up delivering way more that the high expectations I had for him. He is smart, cared about his people, a great teacher, an astute student, he worked his butt off, always professional, appropriate, and respectful and friendly and fun. This is a great leader and person who has given un-selfishly to so many to make then better people and broadcasters. We’ve been lucky to have him. Thanks Gord.

Thank you, Gord Harris, one of the “The Good Ones”. Feel free to like and share Gord’s positive story. Who is the subject of tomorrow’s JJ-365 Salutes? As they say, stay tuned.

Jim JJ Johnston is the CEO, President and Chief Talent Coach for JJIMS INC. and works with talent in many different industries worldwide. He can be reached at [email protected].