DAVID FOSTER FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Family Relations
Job Titles:
- Director of Community Relations & Administration
Job Titles:
- Secretary to the Board, Director, Business & Stakeholder Relations
Allison's background includes more than 15 years with Fortune 500 companies in various roles including sales, business development and product management. Allison's role on the board is to strengthen strategic corporate partnerships and improve community and business relations. David's oldest daughter, Allison has an MBA from McMaster University and lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her husband Brent, and their two children.
Job Titles:
- Director, Medical Relations / Transplant
Anne I. Dipchand, MD is Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto and a Paediatric Cardiologist and the head of the Heart Transplant Program at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. Her clinical research activities are focused on paediatric heart failure and transplantation. Dr. Dipchand is a Past-President of the International Paediatric Transplant Association (IPTA), past-chair of the American Society of Transplantation Pediatric Community of Practice, and past-chair of the IPTA Education Committee. Dr. Dipchand was on the executive of the Canadian Cardiac Transplant Network, the past-chair of the Canadian Society of Transplantation (CST) Paediatric Committee, and the past-chair of the CST Education Committee. Dr. Dipchand is actively involved in clinical research. She is a co-PI for an NIH-funded consortium looking at alloantibodies in paediatric heart transplantation. She has had a major focus on registry-based analyses, having been the President of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study (PHTS) and the Associate Director - Paediatrics for the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Registry - the two major international registries for pediatric heart transplantation. She was the Chair of the International Pediatric Heart Failure Registry (iPHFR) and sat on the Executive Committee of the ISHLT Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (IMACS). Dr. Dipchand was the Founding President and CEO of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to advancing the science and treatment of children with end-stage heart failure listed for or following a heart transplant. She also actively spearheads opportunities for children and families of children with organ transplantation including educational symposia and written educational materials.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairman, Director, Policy Governance & Inter - Governmental Relations
Principal in Inner Harbour Consulting Inc. (a management consulting firm helping organizations plan and implement program, policy, business & organizational improvements) and Consulting Partner at Cascadia Strategy Consulting Partners (a local consulting firm that helps government and industry tackle complex problems through a focus on strategy, technology and economics). Derek has worked with clients in the public, private and non-profit sectors. A former Deputy Minister for the government of British Columbia, Derek was in the public service for more than 30 years, with experience in: strategic planning; organizational, program and business reform; legislative and regulatory improvements; innovation; transparency and accountability; finance; and management. Derek first joined the foundation board in 1995. His role on the board is focused on improving the board's relationships and partnerships with government and its agencies; governance; strategic policy and accountability; and developing projects to improve awareness about the importance of becoming a registered organ donor. Derek has a BSc from the University of Brandon and an MA from the University of Victoria. Derek and his wife Leslie have four children and live in Victoria, British Columbia.
Job Titles:
- Acting Consultant
- Director, Business Development & Corporate Relations
Gail Stephens is an acting consultant for a variety of organizations to assist in strategic planning, leadership development, change management, governance and community engagement. Ms. Stephens was the Interim Chief Operating Officer of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) having accepted the role in August 2013 to November 2014. As COO she oversees the finance/IT, communication/stakeholder relations, human resource, facilities and visitor services operations of this Canadian National Museum. Opening its doors for the first time to the public in September 2014, the Museum aspires to offer visitors inspiring encounters with human rights. Prior to accepting the COO role, Ms. Stephens was City Manager for the City of Victoria since July 2009. As City Manager she was responsible for all city operations including Fire, Engineering, Parks, Planning, Corporate Services, and Sustainability. She was previously the Vice-President of Finance and Services at the University of Calgary overseeing the finance, human resource, information technology and health, safety and security of university operations. Prior to this, she was Chief Executive Officer for the BC Pension Corporation, one of Canada's largest pension administrators. In 2004, the Pension Corporation won the Premier's Award for Excellence recognizing the demonstrable shift to a client focussed culture. Prior to accepting the position of CEO in 2003, Ms. Stephens was the first Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Winnipeg (1998-2003), replacing a Board of Commissioners. As CAO she helped lead a diverse team of departments including Police, Fire/Paramedics, Transit, Community Services, Water and Waste, and Public Works to become one of the most cost-effective city governments in Canada with a citizen satisfaction rating of over 92%. She was the City Auditor for Winnipeg before becoming CAO and has worked in both the private and public sector as Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Stephens received the Manitoba Gold Medal for the highest level of excellence in the CGA Program and graduated on the Dean's Honour List from the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba. She was named as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in 2003, 2010 and 2011 and won the 2006 Peak Performance and Excellence Award. She was named one of Canada's top 100 CGAs.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Fund Development
John Danson brings multiple skills and many years of experience to The David Foster Foundation. John has a Bachelor of Science in Business from Miami University of Ohio and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. Upon graduation, John worked with his father in the family manufacturing plastic extrusion and injection moulding business. John's entrepreneurial spirit has given him the opportunity to teach the entrepreneurship studies certification course at the Faculty of Education at both the University of Toronto and York University; initiate health and wellness programs in First Nation communities and elementary schools in the greater Toronto area, and be the co-founder of Cleveland Clinic Canada. With over 30 years' experience in the backrooms of federal, provincial, and municipal political campaigns, John enjoyed the connection to public service As a lover of the outdoors and working with children, John was the co-owner and operator of a children's camp. In his spare time, John enjoys staying active by playing golf and skiing with his family. John is also an avid runner who completed the Boston Marathon in 1987.
Job Titles:
- Director, Business Development & Corporate Relations
- President and Co - Owner of Nanaimo
Levi Sampson is President and co-owner of Nanaimo's largest private employer, Harmac Pacific, which employs more than 300 men and women. Levi was instrumental in saving Harmac from closure in the summer of 2008. Along with Levi's involvement at Harmac Pacific, he is also part owner of CHEK Television and sits as Chairman of the Board. Levi implementation of the employee-ownership model which is now in place at both Harmac Pacific, and CHEK Television provides all employees with a say in the future of their company, and a share in the revenue. The Nanaimo Daily News has twice placed Levi at the top of the city's annual 20 Most Powerful and Influential People list. He also received a Top 40 Under 40 award for British Columbia, along with a Vancouver Island Top 20 Under 40 award. Levi's belief in giving back to the community is an integral part of his life. He is described as a visionary, and an inspirational leader. Levi and his wife, Stacey, and their two daughters, Grace and Hope, live in Victoria, British Columbia.
Originally from Italy, Lorenzo has lived in Victoria, British Columbia since 1991. He is a founding partner of the law firm Hutchison, Oss-Cech & Marlatt, Barristers and Solicitors. Lorenzo specializes in commercial civil litigation and has experience in brain injury litigation, with a focus on catastrophic injury claims, medical malpractice, banking, employment and corporate securities litigation. With a long history of volunteering with many non-profit organizations in Victoria, Lorenzo is also past board chair for the YM/YWCA of Greater Victoria. He is a regular contributor to Access Pro-Bono, an organization which provides free legal services to qualified members of the public. Lorenzo spends his free time playing competitive soccer and raising his two stepsons with his partner, Petrina.
Job Titles:
- Chairman and Owner of One of Canada
- Director, Business Development & Corporate Relations
Jim Treliving is the Chairman and Owner of one of Canada's most beloved restaurant chains, Boston Pizza International. He is also well-known for his role as the encouraging, savvy, entrepreneurial spirit on CBC's Dragons' Den, Jim has a history rooted in integrity-one which has led him well in the world of business. One of Canada's most successful entrepreneurs, Jim has been at the helm of the Boston Pizza name for nearly 50 years which has received prestigious recognition, including Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies Platinum Club, Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures, the Henry Singer Award from the Canadian Institute of Retailing and Services and the Canadian Franchise Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. Jim was originally a multi-unit franchisee of Boston Pizza and through hard work and determination has expanded Boston Pizza to over 400 franchised locations throughout North America. Jim additionally has operations in the hospitality, food and beverage, manufacturing, real estate and service sectors, with annual system wide sales exceeding $1.4 billion. Jim and his wife Sandi are dedicated philanthropists supporting a wide variety of causes including mental health, the arts and entertainment and youth mentorship. In 1990 Jim founded the Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects which has raised in excess of $35M to support stronger and healthier communities across Canada and around the world. In 2019 Jim was appointed to the Order of Canada.
Job Titles:
- Director, Business Development & Corporate Relations
- President and Co - Founder of the RE / MAX INTEGRA Group of Companies
Walter Schneider is President and Co-founder of the RE/MAX INTEGRA Group of Companies. In 1980, alongside his partner Frank Polzler, Chairman and Co-Founder, Schneider acquired the Eastern Canadian rights to RE/MAX, establishing both the brand and their head office in Mississauga, where it currently resides. In the following years, he and his partner continued to acquire the rights to multiple regions throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Today Walter and Frank own and operate the RE/MAX brand in 36 countries worldwide, with approximately 3,000 operating offices and an agent count of more than 41,300, which equates to nearly 1/3 of the entire RE/MAX network selling a property every 65 seconds. He is also Co-Founder of Ipromoteu; a Boston based promotional products company; that booked sales in excess of $125M in 2017. It was sold in 2018 and Walter sits on the Board of Directors. Over his 38 years with the company, Walter has received nearly every RE/MAX award offered. In addition, he has been named CEO of the year by the Financial Post, received the Queens Diamond Jubilee Award for his work with the Canadian Forces, and most recently the T. Wilson Award from his alma mater, University of Toronto, which recognizes outstanding achievement by alumni in business and charitable work. Schneider also plays a very active role in the community, sitting on three diverse boards, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Team Up Foundation, Canada's Walk of Fame Foundation and The David Foster Foundation. During the 30th Anniversary Gala of the David Foster Foundation in October 2017, he received the prestigious National Business Leader of the Year Award. In 2016, Walter was appointed Honourary Consul General for Austria in Toronto. Walter is very active in numerous sports, but his favourite past time is playing hockey in a recreational hockey league. Walter was born and raised in Toronto, the product of Austrian immigrants who came to Canada after WWII. He and his wife Maria have been married for over 30 years and they reside in Toronto. They have three children, Shelby, Conrad and Simon. Shelby and Simon are also RE/MAX'ers. She serves as the Vice President Corporate Synergy and Simon is a Franchise Sales Consultant for the INTEGRA Group. Although he has traveled the world, Schneider says his favourite place is the family Lake House in Muskoka, Ontario.