Born in Toronto and raised in Markham, Ontario, Douglas earned a B.A. in Political Science, with a focus on International Studies, from Waterloo Lutheran University, now Wilfrid Laurier University, in 1972. He received an M.A. in Comparative Foreign Policy from the University of Toronto in 1979.
Professionally, he spent 30 years as an elementary teacher with the Toronto Board of Education. He also held senior leadership roles in opinion research and public policy development, serving as Vice President of Campaign Group Inc. and later as Co-Founder and Vice President of Field Testing Services Toronto.
He has been actively involved in public policy, political organization, and international affairs for many years. A continuous member of the Progressive Conservative and Conservative parties at the federal and provincial levels since 1969, he served as President of the St. George-St. David Provincial Association from 1988 to 1990 and President of the Rosedale Federal Association from 1996 to 1997. His longstanding involvement in global issues includes participation in the Canadian Institute of International Affairs and the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, as well as service in executive roles with the NATO Association of Canada since 2012.
His interests include current events, world affairs, competitive politics, applied science and technology, industrial history, and sports. Outside of his professional and civic work, he enjoys golf, scuba diving.
