Tony Lea has played a major role in establishing geographic/spatial analysis, geo-demography, and GIS as recognised and respectable approaches to business decision-making in Canada. Tony, by virtue of his intellect and drive for perfection, continues to convince major corporations that geography matters. In part, this missionary work is captured by his involvement in various private, public, and university sector committees and boards. These have included the Ontario Retail Sector Strategy Advisory Board; the editorial boards of GIS World Report and the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services; and a variety of academic committees associated with the CAG, AAG and IGU. As testament to his continued commitment to advancing geography as an applied discipline, Tony is a frequently requested speaker at both academic and business conferences across North America. This ability to crossover between the academic and business environments is one of Tony’s major contributions.
Tony, through his association with Compusearch, has been a mentor to scores of young geographers in the corporate sector. In association with his research team at Compusearch, Tony has introduced a new generation of applied geographers into the private sector and in so doing has help to assure the future of our discipline.
For the past 25 years, Tony Lea has served the discipline in variety of ways. He was the editor of the Operational Geographer between 1988-1991, he advanced the development of location analysis and research in Canada, and helped to created new and exciting employment opportunities for geographers. In addition, Tony has held full-time academic positions at the University of Minnesota (1976-78), University of Toronto (1978-85), and Ryerson Polytechnic University (1987-91) and continues to hold adjunct positions at both the University of Toronto and Ryerson. As a university teacher, Tony challenges students with real world problems and enriches his classes with constantly challenging lectures and assignments. Students who are fortunate to be exposed to the “Lea” approach have been beneficiaries of his special insights and his approach to complex spatial and locational problems.
Tony’s lectures and assignments are challenging and are characterized by his humor, energy, and expectation that his students perform at the highest level.
