CEPCP - Key Persons
Bill Sims is from Bowmanville and is Vice Chair of the Resources Committee. He is the president and owner of Durham Medical, located in central Oshawa and has been President of Durham Mental Health Services Board of Directors since 2009.
His experiences with both have given him a working knowledge of the community health care and mental health care systems and exposed him to the accreditation, governance and strategic planning processes. Bill graduated from McMaster University with a Mechanical Engineering Degree.
He started his work career with Johnson Controls, a large multi-national company involved in commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. This gave him experience in large building construction, maintenance, and operations while providing him with a solid business foundation to run and grow Durham Medical.
Job Titles:
- Health System Executive, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer
Chris is an accomplished health-care leader with over 13 years' experience in financial and support services leadership.
Prior to his arrival at Lakeridge Health, Chris most recently served as the Vice President of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer at Western Health, one of the four leading integrated health authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador responsible for the delivery of integrated health services to a diverse population across the entire continuum of care. In this role, he was responsible for financial services, capital planning and redevelopment, health records, food services, environmental services, and facilities and equipment operations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Elected Community
- Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Cordelia Clarke Julien is from Pickering, her home for over 20 years.
As a self-professed change agent, Cordelia has held several executive roles in the Ontario Public Service focused on change and transformation including, but not limited to, leading teams as a senior executive in the Ministries of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Labour, Training and Skills Development; Finance Revenue; and the Office of the Premier and Cabinet Office. She is currently the Assistant Deputy Minister in the Social Assistance Programs Division of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
As a former publicist with an extensive policy and change management background, Cordelia has put her communications, policy, and strategic planning skills to work for not-for-profit organizations in her community, including as a past Director of the United Way of Ajax, Pickering, and Uxbridge prior to amalgamation, as well as providing supports to organizations promoting mental wellness.
Cordelia has a Master of Arts in Political Science and International Relations with specialization in Public Administration and a Double Major Honours Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Political Science. In addition to her role as a part-time Professor in the Master's in Public and International Affairs (MPIA) program at York University, she is also a certified project manager, change management specialist, and public relations practitioner.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Appointed
- President
- Registered Nurse
Cynthia Davis joined Lakeridge Health as President and CEO in January 2021.
Cynthia is a registered nurse by profession and has over three decades of health care experience. She brings a mix of leadership skills and operational experience acquired through her progressive leadership roles in Ontario and Newfoundland. Her career began as a frontline nurse in a variety of settings in Canada and the US. Upon returning to Canada, Cynthia began work at St. Michael's Hospital where she had the opportunity to work as a Manager in the Surgical and Cardiac programs during a time of change for the organization. She joined St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener Waterloo and led the development of a new tertiary level Cardiac program.
Upon return to her home province, she joined Western Health, one of four leading integrated health authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador responsible for the delivery of integrated health services to a diverse population across the entire continuum of care. She served eight years as the Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer, before being appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. Cynthia has a passion for patient-centred care, which she fosters through engagement and partnerships. Through her PhD studies she is focusing her efforts on advancing the transformation and integration of health services to support vulnerable populations, such as care of older adults.
Cynthia is a graduate of Western Regional School of Nursing diploma program. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Nursing) from Dalhousie University, and a Master of Science from the University of Toronto. She is a member of many provincial and national health care engagement groups and a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer and Regional Chief Medical Information Officer, Central East Ontario Clinical Information System
Dr. Ilan Lenga joined Lakeridge Health in 2004 and has dedicated his career to advancing the organization in medical information management and technology, promoting standardized care, and improving data quality.
As the CIO, he is responsible for Digital Transformation at Lakeridge Health. Dr. Lenga has played a key leadership role in the procurement of the Clinical Information System for the hospitals across Ontario's Central East Region and continues to lead the implementation and governance of this system for both Lakeridge Health and the Central East Region. In addition, he serves as the Digital Health Lead for the Durham Ontario Health Team, which is advancing virtual care, data sharing, and analytics throughout Durham Region.
He is a computer programmer and has written and developed health care related computer and mobile phone applications.
Dr. Lenga is also a practicing nephrologist at Lakeridge Health, a lecturer at the University of Toronto, and an adjunct assistant professor at Queen's University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Appointed
- Vice President, Medical Staff Association
Dr. Francis is a Gynaecologic Oncologist with more than 15 years of experience. Originally from Toronto, she started her academic career at Harvard and Yale Universities, before returning to Canada to complete her residency in obstetrics and gynaecology at McMaster University and her fellowship in oncology at the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Francis spent the first 10 years of her career in Gynaecology Oncology at Queen's University, becoming the Division Head there before joining Lakeridge Health where she founded the Gynaecologic Oncology program at the Durham Regional Cancer Centre.
As one of the first Gynaecology Oncologists in Canada trained on the DaVinci robot, Dr. Francis has a keen interest in robotics and the development of the robotics program at Lakeridge Health.
She is also interested using technology to further care in under resourced communities. To this end, Dr. Francis holds privileges at the Weeneybayko Health Authority, and is a faculty member at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Appointed
- General Surgeon at Lakeridge Health
- Member of the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee at Lakeridge Health
- President, Medical Staff Association
Dr. Megha Suri is an Endocrine and General Surgeon at Lakeridge Health and has been in practice since 2017. Dr. Suri completed medical school at the University of Western Ontario in 2008 and General Surgery residency at the University of Toronto in 2015. During her residency, Dr. Suri obtained a Master of Science degree through the Surgeon Scientist Program at the University of Toronto. Dr. Suri went on to complete a fellowship in Endocrine Surgery at Johns Hopkins University in 2016 and has subsequently helped to increase accessibility and establish excellence in the practice of thyroid and endocrine surgery at Lakeridge Health's Port Perry Hospital and in the Durham Region.
Dr. Suri is a member of the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee at Lakeridge Health and has a keen interest in promoting equity for women through their advancement in leadership roles.
Dr. Suri has received numerous awards for both her research and teaching of medical trainees.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff
- Member of the Appointed
- Lakeridge Health in 2010 As Section Chief
Dr. Wax joined Lakeridge Health in 2010 as Section Chief of Critical Care, helping to evolve the service into an expanded regional academic critical care site and Clinical Teaching Unit with Queen's University in Oshawa, and led the formation of a multi-site department at the Ajax Pickering and Bowmanville Hospitals. He also serves as the Medical Director of Academic Affairs, having held this position since 2010, as well as the President of the Medical Staff Association, having previously served on the Executive.
He is also the Central East Sub-Region Lead for Critical Care in conjunction with Ontario Health. In addition, Dr. Wax has worked as a Transport Medicine Physician with Ornge, Ontario's air ambulance and critical care transport service.
Within academia, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Critical Care Medicine and the Regional Director of Clinical Education with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen's University. He also serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and has held an adjunct faculty role at Ontario Tech University.
Dr. Wax is an active researcher and has lectured extensively. He has published numerous papers and book chapters on a variety of topics. One of his papers on COVID-19 patient care has been downloaded more than 100,000 times around the globe and cited in more than 1,000 research papers.
Dr. Wax has received specialty certifications in Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Emergency Medical Services. He has also been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine and has received numerous awards from the Society of Critical Care Medicine for his leadership in education, clinical care, and international disaster management. As well, he was selected by the Canadian Association for Medical Education to receive the 2018 Certificate of Merit Award for his commitment to medical education.
Job Titles:
- Ontario Tech University As Its Fourth President and Vice - Chancellor
Dr. Steven Murphy joined Ontario Tech University as its fourth President and Vice-Chancellor on March 1, 2018 and was reappointed for another term beginning July 1, 2023. He envisions the university as an active space to reinvent learning while championing diversity in all its forms. He believes experiential and co-operative learning opportunities are fundamental training for successful careers.
Dr. Murphy is renowned for his organizational and human behaviour expertise across business and industry. Even more notably, his dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusiveness underscores every facet of how he lives his life. Beyond the lens of race and gender, he believes firmly in the diversity of thought and ideas that underpin civil society.
Dr. Murphy's vision for positive change influenced Ontario Tech's Strategic Research Plan, supported the creation of the Integrated Academic Research Plan, the establishment of the President's Equity Taskforce, and reaffirmed the university's commitment to Indigenous Reconciliation. Dr. Murphy also rapidly guided the university's evolution toward a distinct and bold new identity, a process that included renaming the university, and refreshing the brand and accompanying university and spirit logos.
He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Research Council of Canada; Co-Chair of eCampus Ontario; Chair of Council of Ontario Universities Audit and Budget Committee; Chair of Ontario University Athletics; a Director of U Sports; and as a member of the Universities Canada Education Committee.
He earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Human Resource Management, a Master's in Management Studies (with Distinction) in the Management of Technology, and completed his Doctorate in Management, Organizational Behaviour at Carleton University.
Duncan Mathieson is a retired investment professional currently living in Pickering. He and his wife have resided in the Durham community for almost 40 years, actively engaging in community sports, arts, and activities while raising a family of four children.
He has an extensive financial background having spent his 40-year career in the Canadian capital markets either advising institutional investors or directly managing institutional investment portfolios. As the lead manager of multibillion-dollar investment portfolios, he developed and employed a team-based investment process based on rigorous fundamental financial analysis to ensure portfolios exceeded the expected benchmark performance within an acceptable risk profile.
Duncan has well developed corporate governance skills through his participation on both corporate and not-for-profit health charity boards. He served on the board of Arthritis Society Canada for 10 years holding several leadership positions and recently completed a three-year extended term as Board Chair. He is currently on the corporate board of Valverde Power Solutions, a Canadian green-energy start-up company focused on developing leading-edge technology to deliver carbon-free electrical generation and carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS).
Duncan holds a Bachelor of Commerce (honours) degree from Queen's University and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Strategic Communications
With more than three decades of hospital and health-care communications experience, Holly-Ann is an award-winning, senior communications professional with an extensive background in public sector, not-for-profit, corporate, and agency environments. She brings a wealth of experience, including expertise in high-return communications, community engagement, media campaigns, issues management, branding and corporate identity programs, event planning, management, and execution, and relationship building with internal and external stakeholders.
Most recently, Holly-Ann was Executive Lead, Communications and Government Relations for the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA), where she provided vision and strategic leadership for all facets of the organization's communications, marketing, branding, and government relations initiatives.
Prior to her role at the ONA, Holly-Ann was Interim Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Relations, at St. Joseph's Health Care London in London, Ontario, where she was the lead communications strategist accountable for the development and execution of communications and stakeholder engagement strategies that reflected the organization's mission, vision, and values.
In addition, she served as Director of Communications and Engagement for The Scarborough Hospital, providing strategic communications leadership throughout the organization's merger discussions with the former Rouge Valley Health System, and ultimately the creation of the newly formed Scarborough and Rouge Hospital, now known as Scarborough Health Network.
Holly-Ann also held various senior positions with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto East General Hospital (now Michael Garron Hospital), and Ross Memorial Hospital, where she also held a leadership role with the respective Foundations.
She has earned a Certification in Foundations in Effective Public Participation from the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). Her awards include a 2017 APEX Grand Award, a 2017 APEX Award of Excellence, a 2016 International MERCURY Award and several International ARC Awards.
Holly-Ann is also a community volunteer, having been involved with various school councils, theatre productions, a homeowners' association, and a newspaper editorial board.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Government and Community Relations at York University
Ijade Maxwell Rodrigues is from Brooklin and a member of the Quality Committee.
Ijade is the Chief of Government and Community Relations at York University, one of Canada's largest and most diverse universities. Ijade has over two decades of experience in the areas of: strategic planning, community engagement, issues management, reputation building, finance, human resources, communications strategy, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. In 2018, Ijade received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education in recognition for her service to the organization.
Ijade is active in the community, recently serving on the Board of Directors for Carea Community Health Centre as the Chair. She also has served on the Brooklin Community Connections Board and as a volunteer writer for the local Brooklin Town Crier newspaper.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Health System Executive, Regional and Community Care
Kirsten is an accomplished leader with significant experience in health care, academia, and research in both tertiary and community hospitals. She has taken on many diverse hospital leadership roles over the years in the areas of research, academic affairs, patient experience, inclusion, diversity and equity, and oncology, and is an adjunct professor at Ontario Tech University.
Kirsten has been a leader within the Cancer program at Lakeridge Health for over ten years. Since 2019, she has served as Ontario Health's (Cancer Care Ontario) Regional Vice President of the Central East Regional Cancer Program (CE RCP), which includes the Durham Regional Cancer Centre at Lakeridge Health. In 2021, her role was expanded to Health System Executive, Regional and Community Care. In this position, Kirsten has oversight of the CE RCP, Regional Nephrology and Diabetes, and Mental Health and Addictions. She also serves as Lakeridge Health's Executive Lead for the Durham Ontario Health Team. Kirsten works with many partners across the continuum of care to create and advance synergies between acute care, primary care, and many community-based programs at a regional and provincial level.
Kirsten received her Bachelor of Kinesiology and PhD in Physiology from McMaster University, and is a graduate of the University of Toronto's Advanced Health Leadership Program, Rotman School of Management.
Lewis Hooper has worked in the health-care sector for the past 40 years. He began his career as a hospital pharmacist, working in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. He immigrated to Canada, obtained a Master in Health Sciences Administration at the University of Toronto in 1987 and began working in an executive capacity in Ontario hospitals. He has worked in both small and large hospitals in a variety of senior executive level positions, having most recently retired as the Chief Information Officer at Markham Stouffville Hospital.
Lewis also participated on provincial-level planning committees and as an independent consultant in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia, working on determining the size and scope of services at hospitals in these provinces. He has helped to develop planning guidelines for long-term care and continuing care services in Nova Scotia and Ontario. In Ontario, Lewis oversaw the reorganization and initial governance processes for several Ontario hospitals and has focused on information systems, especially in shared environments.
In addition, he has served on the Board of Directors for Yee Hong as the Chair of the Quality Committee and as a member of the Resources Committee. He has also published research on the focus of hospital boards and their impact on hospital performance.
Lewis became a Canadian citizen in January 2013 and has lived in Pickering for 35 years.
Mark Mulima is from Ajax.
Currently, he is the Vice President and Senior Legal Counsel for State Street Trust Company Canada. He has more than 25 years of legal and compliance experience in the financial services sector and held progressively more senior legal and compliance roles in both the public and private sectors, including working with the Ontario Securities Commission and acting as General Counsel for several financial services companies. Further, Mark has more than 10 years of board governance experience acting as Corporate Secretary for the boards of two different companies.
Mark received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Carleton University and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Ottawa.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Mary E. Flindall-Simpson is a long-time Durham resident with more than 30 years of experience working in the municipal public service and with not-for-profit, public-sector Boards of Directors.
A respected leader with senior level management experience, particularly in areas of financial planning and innovative initiatives, Mary has held various leadership positions in the Finance Department of the Regional Municipality of Durham. She currently holds the position of Director, Risk Management, Economic Studies, and Procurement for this department at the Region and acts as the Deputy Treasurer and Acting Commissioner of Finance when required.
Mary currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Robert McLaughlin Gallery and as a member of the Board of Directors for Durham 9-1-1. She has also served as a Board member for Ontario Tech University (then University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)) and Durham College.
Mary holds a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Toronto and a combined Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Mathematics from Glendon College, York University. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds various certificates, including a Risk Management Certificate from the University of Toronto.
Nicole Blackman, DNP, MN, RN, identifies as an urban Indigenous Kwe (woman) with both Anishinaabe and German ancestry. She is a proud member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and actively involved in health equity advocacy efforts at the provincial level, as well as within her local community of Durham Region.
Nicole is a Registered Nurse holding a Doctor of Nursing Practice attained through Walden University in Minneapolis, MN, and has focused her academic and professional career on Indigenous health and the incorporation of the model of wholistic health and wellbeing.
She has over 13 years' experience working in leadership positions with an Indigenous focus, including Director of Professional Practice for Weeneebayko Area Health Authority in the James and Hudson Bay region of northeastern Ontario, Indigenous Lead at the Durham Region Health Department, and Health Director for the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. Nicole is currently the Provincial Director of the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council.
She has dedicated her advanced practice nursing career towards working collaboratively with the Indigenous population to strengthen health and social outcomes, recognizing the importance of culture as healing in all forms of Indigenous health care.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Appointed
- Member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario
Peter Hobb is from Bowmanville and a member of the Resources Committee.
Peter was a partner of Baker Tilly KDN LLP, a public accounting firm, for thirty-four years retiring in 2017. He was also President of Baker Tilly KDN Consulting Inc. from its inception in 2006 until his retirement. He continues to work on a part time basis as an associate with the firm.
Peter is very active in his community. He is a former member of the Bowmanville Lions Club, served on the Board of Directors of the Bowmanville Chamber of Commerce (now Clarington Board of Trade), and coached minor league hockey and soccer teams. He is currently doing a second term of service with the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation, serving as its Treasurer. During his first tenure with the Foundation, he chaired its Planned Giving Committee, which was responsible for developing a planned giving program, which launched in 2011. He also chaired its Leadership Committee, which had the task of revamping the Foundation's governance model in anticipation of the new Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act taking effect.
Peter has been published in CPA Magazine (Pivot), Baker Tilly, and other local publications, writing on a wide range of business and financial topics. He has also presented on a variety of business and financial topics to small and medium sized business owners and advisors to these businesses.
Peter is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Ontario. He graduated with a Business Degree from Ryerson University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Appointed
- Health System Executive, People, Quality and Practice and Chief Nursing Executive ( CNE )
Petrina is an accomplished health-care leader with extensive experience leading change and driving results within complex health-care environments. Throughout her career, Petrina has been a committed leader, educator, and researcher in the areas of patient- and family-centred care, quality, safety, and interprofessional practice.
Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of Quality and Safety for the Saskatchewan Health Authority, which delivers health care to 1.2 million people with 43,000 staff and 2,500 physicians.
Throughout all phases of the pandemic, Petrina provided invaluable service and support to the Province of Saskatchewan's pandemic response as the Safety Officer in the Emergency Operations Centre while continuing with her Executive Director responsibilities.
Petrina sits on the Board of Healthcare Excellence Canada. Created in 2020, the Board brings together the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute.
Petrina received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan, her Master of Nursing at the University of Toronto, and her PhD in Human and Organizational Systems from the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California.
Rachel Traoré-Takura lives in Bowmanville and is a member of the Governance and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee.
Rachel has been a public servant with the Ontario Public Service for over 15 years and has held a variety of portfolios with different ministries. Her passion for improving the lives of Ontarians throughout her career, commitment to achievement and excellence has been recognized by receiving the ACE Award at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term (MOHLTC) and the Stella Award at the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
Rachel has been Chair and now is the vice-Chair of the Clarington Diversity Advisory Committee, which provides advice, and recommendations to Council and municipal staff on issues affecting diversity in Clarington. She also served as a treasurer on the board of trustees for Le Réseau franco-santé du Sud de l'Ontario (RFSSO)
Rachel holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Sheffield in the UK as well as a Bachelor in Health and Society from York University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Digital Innovation and Chief Information Officer at Humber College Institute of Technology
Scott Briggs and his family are long-time residents of Whitby.
Scott is Vice President, Digital Innovation and Chief Information Officer at Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Scott joined Humber in 2008 and is responsible for the development of institutional digital strategy and the delivery of digital services to the college community. Prior to joining Humber College, Scott held several senior leadership roles in the Ontario health-care sector, including Chief Information Officer at Markham Stouffville Hospital.
Scott serves on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Colleges Library Service and is a member of the Executive of the Ontario College Council of Chief Information Officers.
Scott holds a Master of Management Sciences and Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo. As a graduate of The Director's College at McMaster University, he is also a Chartered Director (C.Dir.).
Shashi Bhatia is a leader and a community builder who resides in Pickering. She is committed to promoting tolerance, understanding, and inclusiveness for all. A founding Chair of the Indo-Canadian Cultural Association of Durham (ICCAD), Shashi is a driving force behind the highly successful "Roots and Drum" concerts in support of the Durham West Arts Centre and a member of a multi-faith community of Durham Region.
She is a member of the Durham Regional Service Board, the Ontario Philharmonic Board of Directors, and Rotary Club of Pickering. Shashi is also Co-Chair of Lakeridge Health's Ajax Pickering Community Advisory Panel, an Associate Member of Royal Canadian Legion #606, a member of the Community Advisory Committee, a Community Durham Ambassador (Influencer) with the Canadian Armed Forces, and a member of the Ajax-Pickering Hospital Foundation Gala event.
Additionally, she has co-founded various cultural and heritage grassroots organizations in Durham Region and created the Durham Advisory Committee, which brings together various multifaith and multicultural organizations under one banner.
Shashi has served on many provincial and federal quasi-judicial boards and tribunals, including the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Consent and Capacity Board, and the Social Benefits Tribunal.
She is the recipient of numerous awards, recognitions, and commendations for her service to the community, including a leadership award from Toronto Police Service, a Lifetime Achievement Award (Pickering), and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. She also appeared as a trail blazer in the East Magazine of Durham Region.
Job Titles:
- Health System Executive, Clinical
As Health System Executive, Clinical, Sonya's areas of focus include the Medicine Program, Emergency Services, Critical Care, and Long-Term Care.
Prior to joining Lakeridge Health, Sonya was the Senior Clinical Program Director overseeing the Emergency Department, Medicine, and Intensive Care Unit at Unity Health Toronto, St. Joseph's Health Centre site.
Sonya started as a Registered Nurse in downtown Toronto before transitioning to a Patient Care Manager role at Toronto Grace Hospital. Following this, she pursued a Quality and Risk Management role and then moved on to a Project Manager position with the Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto, followed by an opportunity at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care where she helped to coordinate province-wide quality improvement initiatives, including "The Flo Collaborative" and "Releasing Time to Care."
Sonya later returned to the hospital setting as the Director of Quality and Infection Prevention and Control at Trillium Health Partners. During her eight years at Trillium, she supported the organization during times of transition by taking on other roles, including Medicine, Emergency Department, Mental Health, Flow, Patient Relations, Education, and Enterprise Risk.
Outside of work, Sonya is the mother of three kids, a pretend chef, and an amateur photographer. She is also an avid traveler and considers New York City her favourite place in the world (with up to 30 visits and counting).
She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Toronto Metropolitan University and a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, York University. Sonya has also completed formal training in Lean Six Sigma and Workplace Investigations and has completed the San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program and Rotman's Healthcare Leadership Program.
Job Titles:
- Health System Executive, Clinical
As Health System Executive, Clinical, Tabitha's areas of focus include Surgery, Women's and Children's Health, Ambulatory Care, Laboratory Medicine, Diagnostic Imaging, and Pharmacy.
Prior to this role, Tabitha served as Lakeridge Health's Director of Surgery. In this role, she worked closely with the Chief of Surgery to create a surgical plan that aligns with the organization's strategic plan; in partnership with Capital Planning and Development, established a clinical model of care for the Jerry Coughlan Health & Wellness Centre; led the surgical team through the transition to Epic and established a strategy to optimize Epic within the surgical program; developed a surgical recovery strategy to support Ministry of Health directives on long wait times and surgical back logs; and in partnership with surgical dyads, led the surgical team in quality to be awarded a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) award of meritorious performance in surgical care.
Tabitha has served in various leadership roles over the past decade with experience in both regional and community hospitals. Previously, she served as the Director of Peri-operative Services, Ambulatory Care, Obstetrics, and Pharmacy at Ross Memorial Hospital where, among many initiatives, she led the pharmacy team through Ontario College of Pharmacists accreditation and collaborated with community partners to develop a COVID-19 response plan, including for long-term care and retirement facilities in the area.
Job Titles:
- Advisor to Several TELUS Health
Thushyan Kayilas is a resident of Pickering and serves as the Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) at TELUS Health (formerly LifeWorks). In this role, he is responsible for driving the organization's global DE&I strategy, partnerships, and governance for more than 10,000 employees across North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe.
Thushyan also serves as a trusted advisor to several TELUS Health clients building transformational DE&I- and wellbeing-focused human capital plans.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Elected Community
- Treasurer of the Elected Community
- Chairman of the BentallGreenOak Prime Canadian Property Fund Advisory Board
Tom McCulloch lives in Pickering and is Chair of the Resources Committee.
He has been active in the commercial real estate industry in Canada for over 35 years. Tom has recently retired as the head of Real Estate Investments at the Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan. The Plan has assets in excess of $28 billion and Tom had been building Canada Post's Pension Investment real estate portfolio for the past several years. The portfolio has $3.8 billion in commercial real estate assets throughout Canada, the U.S., and Western Europe.
Tom is currently the Chair of the BentallGreenOak Prime Canadian Property Fund Advisory Board. Previously, Tom worked in the investment divisions of Crown Life and Aetna Life, and at Real Fund REIT and Morguard REIT, both publicly traded entities.
Tom is a graduate of Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) with a BComm degree in Finance.