Board Members
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David Kennedy is a retired Municipal CAO with over 40 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors. He was employed for over 30 years in the Municipal Government sector, 25 years with the City of Guelph in various senior management positions and the last five as acting CAO for the Municipality of Meaford. Subsequently, he was employed by Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health as Director of Corporate Services.
David has spent over 20 years serving on various boards, including President of the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada. He joined the Guelph General Hospital Board in 2013 and is presently the Chair of the Administration and Facilities Committee and the Audit Committee.
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In June 2017, Terry Campbell retired as the President of the Canadian Bankers Association representing the banking industry in Canada. As CBA President, he was also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Banking Federation, a forum addressing global banking issues. During his tenure at the CBA, Mr. Campbell was involved in mentoring programs for recent immigrants to Canada, and served as Chair of the Banks Division for United Way Toronto.
Prior to joining the CBA, Mr. Campbell had a 16-year career in the Ontario public service, and also served on the Guelph Museums Board of Management and the Board of the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario. In August 2018, he became a member of the Board of Guelph General Hospital. He graduated with a Masters degree in History from Queen’s University and completed his undergraduate work at the University of Toronto.
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Mark Walton is a mission-driven, seasoned health system executive with over 30 years of progressive, transformative leadership in the Ontario health care system.
Mark most recently served as the Senior Vice-President, COVID-19 Pandemic Response as well as the Regional Lead and CEO of Local Health Integration Networks in the region with Ontario Health.
Throughout his extensive career in health care, Mark has developed deep relationships within the province, and beyond; leading key initiatives to support the transformation of health care in Ontario. He is very familiar with the Guelph-Waterloo region in particular, having spent the past two years working closely with key organizations and individuals on a number of strategic initiatives.
Mark brings a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing community hospitals today. He is a collaborative, approachable leader known for his authenticity and innate ability to inspire action. Mark has a reputation for achieving results by establishing trusting relationships built on transparency, respect and a sincere interest in seeing people, services, and organizations thrive.
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Omar Aboelela is the Assistant Vice President, Partnerships with CBI Health. He began his career as a Physiotherapist and has been working in the healthcare industry for over 15 years. Omar joined CBI Health in 2013 as a Regional Director, and took on the Assistant Vice President role in 2020. He is also a member of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee at CBI Health.
In addition to working at CBI Health, Omar is an Assistant Professor (Part Time) at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at McMaster University. He co-instructs the HM708 course, Leadership in Healthcare Organizations, in the Master of Health Management program.
Omar is highly engaged in the development and implementation of Ontario Health Teams and broader health system transformation, working with funders and local groups to develop innovative healthcare programs and solutions.
Omar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences (University of Guelph), a Master of Science degree in Physiotherapy (McMaster University) and a Master of Health Management degree (McMaster University).
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Dr. Alex Ferguson was previously the chief of emergency medicine at Guelph General Hospital. As an emergency medicine physician, Dr. Ferguson joined the hospital in 2012 with the goal of transforming the care experience for patients, families, caregivers, staff, and physicians. Since then he has had oversight over several portfolios including emergency medicine and psychiatry.
Amongst his many accomplishments, Dr. Ferguson most recently led a team that despite very challenging health human resource conditions continued to drive recruitment by creating a culture of teamwork, quality of care, collaboration, kindness, and support. Dr. Ferguson and his team were adaptive and willing to try new things that ensured emergency medical services were available to the Guelph-Wellington community.
In 2021, Dr. Ferguson completed the Advanced Health Leadership Program from the Rotman School of Management. He is currently one year away from receiving the designation of Canadian Certified Physician Executive.
Dr. Ferguson has also been the emergency department lead for the Ontario Health West Region since 2021 and a special advisor to the Rotman – OMA Physician Leadership Program.
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Dave is a finance executive at The Co-operators Group Limited where he is responsible for setting the strategic direction and ensuring operational success of the Co-operators shared service financial functions.
He has 8+ years of insurance experience with a focus on financial reporting, operational accounting and financial systems. Prior to this he worked in the auditing of manufacturing and not-for-profit sectors for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Dave is active in the community through involvement as the president of a local nursery school co-operative as well as a Guelph Minor Soccer coach.
Dave joined the Guelph General Hospital Audit Committee in 2013 as a community member and then the Board of Directors and the Admin and Facilities Committee in 2017.
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Cam Guthrie was elected Mayor of Guelph in 2014, after serving as a Councillor for Ward 4 from 2010 to 2014.
He currently serves as the Chair of Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), a group of 29 Mayors of cities with 100,000 people or more, who collectively represent 70 per cent of Ontario’s population.
In March 2022, he was appointed to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) Board of Mayors, representing North America.
Cam was a licensed insurance broker and local entrepreneur for 16 years before becoming Mayor. An avid community volunteer, Cam has served on the Boards of several local not-for-profit organizations and mentored startups and small business owners through the Business Centre of Guelph-Wellington. He holds a business diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming College.
An accomplished drummer, Cam has been a member of local bands, played on several studio recordings, and produced or co-produced several albums.
Cam’s roots in Guelph stretch back to 1919, when his great-grandfather founded Guthrie’s Bakery on Quebec Street in downtown Guelph. Cam and his wife Rachel are proud parents of two children, Anakin and Adelaide.
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Rena recently retired from a 34-year career with the Ontario government and brings experience as a proven public sector leader who was able to effect change, manage risk and get things done.
She spent over 25 years in the area of food safety policy and food inspection systems that included responsibilities with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs as the Director of the Food Inspection Branch. She was accountable for the delivery of provincial food inspection programs for meat, dairy, and foods of plant origin.
Also in her role as the Chief Administrative Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister of Research and Corporate Services Division she was accountable for $1.1 billion annual Ministry budget and 175 division staff and provided strategic leadership, planning and delivery of core businesses in: financial management and business planning, Human Resource and labour relations, emergency management and business continuity and agriculture, food and rural research through funding and transfer payments with various partners.
Rena joined the Guelph General Hospital Board in March 2017 and is a member of the Quality Committee.
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Liz Sandals was elected as Guelph’s Liberal MPP from 2003 to 2018. Liz served as Parliamentary Assistant in several Ministries including Education, Transportation and Health. While at the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Liz worked on files such as Rural and Northern Health Care and Prescription Opioid Abuse.
Liz also served as Chair of the government’s Safe Schools Action Team whose work led to Anti-Bullying Legislation and the modernization of the Sex Education section of the Physical and Health Education curriculum. Liz was also a member of the Legislature’s Select Committee on Mental Health and Addiction.
In 2013 Premier Wynne appointed Liz as Minister of Education with responsibility for elementary and secondary education and child care. Her mandate included introduction of the modernized Sex Ed curriculum, the creation of new centralized collective bargaining legislation for the school board sector and the first major rewrite of child care legislation in 25 years. In 2016 Liz was appointed President of Treasury Board.
Prior to serving as MPP, Liz represented Guelph on the Upper Grand District School Board from 1988 to 2003. During her career as a Trustee, Liz also served for many years on the executive of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA). Liz was president of OPSBA from 1998 to 2002.
Liz is a graduate of the University of Guelph with a BSc in Mathematics, and of the University of Waterloo with an Masters in Computer Science.Biography coming soon
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Sara Sayyed is the current Principal of Meezan School. Sara also volunteers as a Community Services Director at the Muslim Society of Guelph where she conducts outreach sessions and seminars for the centre on a regular basis and consults with various community partners on how equity and accommodation measures can be adopted within organizations and workplaces. Previous to this, Sara was a Director of the Guelph Refugee Consortium and currently also sits on the Guelph Community Foundation Grants Committee. Sara holds a Bachelors of Environmental Science from University of Guelph. She joined the Guelph General Board of Directors in 2017 and also sits on Quality Committee.
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Shakiba and her family immigrated to Canada from Iran and settled in Guelph. She became an engaged community citizen early through her involvement in community events and local volunteer opportunities. Shakiba later acquired a keen interest in global politics.
She graduated from the University of Guelph in 2010 with an Honours BA in Criminal Justice and Public Policy followed by a post-graduate certificate in International Development from Humber College in Toronto. During her studies Shakiba worked with international development agencies and spent time delivering federal social service programs at Service Canada.
Inspired by her international and national opportunities, Shakiba spent time matching Northern Canadian high school students with mentors who work in their aspired "dream careers" with a Canadian non-profit called Dream Catcher Mentoring. She then returned home to Guelph to work at United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin as Director of Community Investment. For 7 years Shakiba successfully monitored and met pressing needs to build community capacity.
In September of 2019 Shakiba was named President & CEO of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce where she advocates, connects and convenes on behalf of the business community. As a true champion of the Chamber’s members, Shakiba works diligently with many local stakeholders to contribute to inclusive economic prosperity. Informed by our diverse business and community voices, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce creates value for members by advocating, connecting and convening with the aim to grow Guelph-Wellington's economic prosperity. Activities include networking events, educational sessions, policy roundtables, provide cost-saving opportunities and more.
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Melissa Skinner, RN, MN, MHSC, is a Registered Nurse who completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario. Her nursing career includes roles within Long-Term Care and Acute Care. Melissa spent 12 years as a Nurse at SickKids hospital where she assumed a number of front-line and leadership roles. Melissa joined Guelph General Hospital in 2009 and spent almost 10 years in the role of Director of Quality and Professional Practice. In 2019, Melissa became Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Executive.
Melissa is passionate about building a culture of patient and family engagement and supporting staff to provided the safest and highest quality of care.
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Leslie Fleming is a successful financial services executive with almost thirty years in the insurance industry. She held various roles in Operations, Reinsurance, Risk Management, Sales and Underwriting and has been responsible for operations in the USA, UK and Canada. While in the insurance industry she was actively involved serving as Chair of the Canadian Institute of Underwriters, President of the Life Underwriting Board for North America, as a member of the Risk Advisory Board for MIB, Chair of the Canadian UW Meetings and a committee member for the Association of Life Underwriters.
In 2019, Leslie took her risk management and operations expertise to start her own consulting company. Along with consulting she is also VP, Client Experience for Home Group Realty Inc, a "Fiercely Local" Guelph Real Estate Brokerage.
Leslie has her Bachelor of Arts Honours from Queen's University and her Master of Business Administration from Dalhousie University. She joined our Board of Directors in 2019 and is a member of the Quality Committee.
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Lise Betteridge has lived in Guelph since 1994 and raised her two children here. A social worker by profession, Lise has experience with various health, social service, arts and other community organizations. Lise is proud to have the opportunity to serve her community and the hospital through her involvement on the Quality Committee of the Guelph General Hospital, as both she and her family have benefited from the hospital’s care and services over the last 19+ years. Lise brings an additional perspective to the Quality Committee as she is currently the Registrar and CEO of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers – the regulatory body for social workers and social service workers in Ontario.
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Dr. Digby has lived in Guelph with his family since 2001. He is an Emergency Physician who started at GGH in 2002 and was Chief of Emergency Medicine from 2011-2019.
Dr. Digby is President of the Professional Staff Association for 2023-24 and Physician Lead for Guelph Wellington Physician Association.
Dr. Digby is passionate about creating excellent patient experience, high quality of care, efficient resource utilization and healthcare provider wellbeing.
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Shawn is a dedicated and driven people leader at Scotiabank with over 25 years of success and he brings significant experience in sales leadership, developing and leading large high-performing teams. Shawn is currently the Regional Vice President for Ontario Region, where he leads a considerable workforce of Scotiabank branches delivering customer-focused financial advice and expertise across the province.
Prior to his current mandate, Shawn has successfully held a variety of Vice President positions at Scotiabank, where he led teams to deliver new and innovative solutions in Retail Deposits, develop best-in-class rewards programs with Credit Cards, and significantly advance customer experience with the Contact Centre.
Beyond the impact he makes with employees and customers across Scotiabank, Shawn is committed to making a difference in his community and taking action to support positive social impact. Shawn serves as a Board Member at Second Harvest, as well as a mentor with McKinsey’s Black Leadership Academy.
Shawn holds an MBA from Dalhousie University, and he has further enhanced his leadership acumen by successfully completing executive leadership programs at both Duke University and Columbia University.
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Robert is a local lawyer, currently serving with SV Law in the County of Wellington. His practice focuses on corporate and commercial law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings, day-to-day commercial matters, commercial contract drafting, corporate restructuring and business succession planning. Robert represents commercial and residential property owners in a wide variety of transactions, including acquisitions, sales, financing and leasing. He also advises on estate planning matters and assists with estate administration.
Robert focuses on delivering practical advice and solutions in a cost-effective manner.
On a personal level, Robert works with local charitable and not-for-profit organizations on a pro bono basis with the aim of giving back to the community. He joined the Guelph General Hospital Board in 2022 and is presently a member of the Administration and Facilities Committee and the Governance Committee.
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Shawn is the vice president at Co-Operators Group Limited, where he oversees the strategic direction of real estate and workplace services and operational success of the Co-operators real estate portfolio nationally, including planning, design and construction.
Additionally, Shawn holds 11 years of experience in the insurance industry, focusing on strategic procurement, contract management, vendor risk manager and real estate / facilities. Before this, he dedicated eight years overseeing similar responsibilities for large Canadian retailers.
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Catherine's journey into the legal profession was fueled by her desire to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals facing challenging circumstances.
Throughout her career, Catherine has consistently demonstrated her legal acumen, exceptional negotiation skills, and a deep understanding of the nuances of personal injury cases. Her track record of successfully representing clients who have experienced accidents, medical malpractice, or other unfortunate incidents is a testament to her expertise.
Catherine is not only a skilled litigator but also a caring and empathetic professional. She takes the time to understand the unique circumstances of each client, providing them with personalized legal strategies and unwavering support throughout the legal process.
She is a recipient of the Best Lawyers Canada One to Watch award in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Catherine is a also board member of the Birth Rights Bar Association Canada and the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. She is the host and creator of The Happy Lawyer Podcast aimed at illuminating issues of mental health in the legal profession and supporting the advancement of women in law.
Catherine Shearer's commitment to her clients, her community, and her profession makes her an invaluable addition to our Board of Directors. Her legal expertise and dedication to ethical and compassionate representation will undoubtedly contribute to our organization's mission and values.
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Bio and photo to come.
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Jarrod currently serves as the Vice-President, LTC Asset Management at Axium Infrastructure, where he is responsible for overseeing and supervising their long-term care assets. With over a decade of experience in strategic growth, development, and operations management within the health care sector, Jarrod brings significant expertise to his role.
Prior to joining Axium, Jarrod managed retirement and long-term care operations at various operators within Ontario. In these capacities, he was responsible for optimizing financial performance, leading Ministry compliance and operational strategies .
Jarrod's educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Economics from McMaster University and a joint MBA from Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University and Schulich York University. He also has post graduate certificates in Long Term Care Management and Gerontology.
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Nick has been a resident of Guelph for 5 years, moving here from the UK in 2018. Prior to this he lived and worked in several countries, including Denmark, Brunei, and Hong Kong. Nick has a background in the education and government sectors, with experience in teaching, assessment and educational technology. He has also worked as an IT project consultant in the non-profit sector.
He is active in community work in Guelph, and has been a board member for the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation.
In addition to being a qualified teacher, Nick holds a BSc in mathematics from University College London, as well as a MSc from Hong Kong University and a post graduate diploma in educational leadership and management.