Members
St. Joseph's Hamilton Joint Boards of Governors Membership
Ms. Barbara Beaudoin was an Automobile Dealer in the Southwest Ontario and Niagara Region for 31 years and is a member of the JBG. Ms. Beaudoin has served in various capacities on numerous Boards and Foundations in the Hamilton area for over 20 years, and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, and a recent graduate of the ICD.D program at Rotman School of Management.
A senior operations and engineering leader with over 25 years of experience in the high tech and medical device sectors. Ms. Lynn McNeil has held executive positions in Operations, Quality, Information Technology, Strategic Supply Chain and Technology Development. She has led technology development programs from concept to full production, major facility/capital design and build projects and several full cycle transformational ERP implementations. Lynn is currently Chief Operating Officer at ChipCare Corp and sessional lecturer at McMaster University. She holds a B.Eng in Engineering Physics from McMaster and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
Mr. Peter Szota has served in leadership roles for over thirty years, in a wide range of health service organizations. These have included academic health centres, community hospitals, community mental health, children’s health services and community health centres. He holds a B.Sc. and M.B.A from McMaster . He has served in volunteer governance roles with agencies in Hamilton, Brantford and provincially including roles as chair and treasurer. Peter has been a part time university instructor in health studies and enjoys acting as preceptor for students. A lifelong Hamiltonian, you can find him living, hiking and cycling in the Dundas Valley.
Mr. Leo Perri is the current Chief Financial Officer of Delta Bingo and Gaming Group of Companies and began his career in public practice accounting working over 15 years predominantly at PwC LLP. Mr. Perri previously served as the Treasurer and Board Member to the St. Joseph’s Hamilton Hospital Foundation and is a current member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee of Golf Canada. Leo obtained an Honours Bachelor of Accounting degree from Brock University and is a qualified CPA, CA. Having been born and raised in the City of Hamilton, Leo and his two brothers are all very proud St. Joseph’s babies.
Mike Heenan, PhD, was appointed President of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton in November 2023. A passionate supporter of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s mission to deliver high quality, equitable care, Mike returns to where he started his career 20 years earlier.
A three-time graduate of McMaster University educated with an MBA and PhD in health policy management, Mike has held senior executive positions in several hospitals as well as serving as the Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for hospitals through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mike is excited to reconnect with the entire organization, its community and academic partners to expand on St. Joe’s strengths and successes to further integrate care, improve access, quality and patient safety outcomes, expand research and teaching, and enhance physician and staff experience.
Mr. Rod Dobson is an active member of JBG with experience as a Senior Corporate Executive in Information Technology, Human Capital Management and Business Process Outsourcing in Canada, the US and globally. Between 2012 and 2015 he served as Chair of a leading Ontario hospital shared services corporation, helping to guide that organization through a corporate restructuring and the significant expansion of services. Rod has a BA from Carleton University, an MA from York University, and has qualified as a Chartered Director at McMaster University. He was raised on a family farm near Athabasca, Alberta.
Ms. Catherine Olsiak obtained her B.Sc. in Nursing from the University of Western Ontario. She nursed in three major Toronto hospitals in the cardiology department, trauma intensive care unit, and cardiovascular intensive care unit. Catherine obtained a Masters of Science in Community Health and Epidemiology from Queen’s University. She obtained her LL.B. from the University of Windsor and was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1998. Catherine is a partner at the law firm of Simpson Wigle Law LLP practising in the areas of Wills and Estates, Trusts, Incapacity Planning and Health Law. Catherine has maintained her nursing registration (non-practising) with the College of Nurses of Ontario and currently is a legal advisor on the committee for the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario – Legal Assistance Plan. Catherine has sat on various boards in the Hamilton community and is currently a member the St. Joseph’s Hamilton Joint Boards of Governors. Catherine is a member of the Hamilton Law Association, Wills and Estates and Health Law subsections of the Canadian Bar Association and Estate Planners’ Council of Hamilton. Catherine is also a member of the Family Firm Institute, U.S.A, and the International Association of Attorneys for Family Held Enterprises.
Dr. Laura Harrington currently serves as the Assistant Vice-President of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. In this role, Laura is the key liaison between the University and the Faculty on administrative issues and leads the finance, human resources, capital, space, facilities and risk management portfolios. With a background in both science and business, Laura has been instrumental in several strategic projects for the University and Faculty. Laura is a McMaster alumna, with her PhD in chemistry (2004) and her Master of Business Administration (2017).
Dr. Paul O'Byrne joins the JBG as the current Dean and Vice-President of McMaster University's Faculty of Health Sciences and Dean of the University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. He is a Distinguished University Professor of McMaster, an active Respirologist and a world-renowned researcher who has made significant advances on the mechanisms and treatment of asthma. Previously, for 14 years, he was both Chair of the Department of Medicine for McMaster and the executive director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
As a partner here at RLB, Bill oversees the Core Plus Team. In his practice, Bill handles a variety of work and is often involved with clients that have more complicated needs and are often positioning themselves for a defined result. Sometimes that is the sale of their business, other times it’s planning a strategic acquisition or achieving growth through financing. Like many accountants on our team, Bill was drawn to accounting because of a passion for problem-solving, specifically within the business realm. Working with clients to develop strategic business plans and helping them attain their business goals is what gets him out of bed in the morning. Bill holds an FCPA designation and is a C. Dir., which is key in advising clients on both their strategic and governance matters.
When Bill isn’t working to help his clients plan for and achieve their strategic goals, is actively perfecting his golf swing. He’s a fan of game itself but beyond that is passionate about the honour of the game. If he’s not on the green, he is likely with his family spending quality time together and making lifelong memories at the cottage.
Always a proud supporter of giving back to the community, Bill is the current chair of the Elliott and a board member on the St. Joseph’s Hamilton Joint Boards of Governors.
Rose began her career as a children’s librarian; however, her thirty-one-year professional career has encompassed work in a variety of public library settings and not for profit organization throughout southern Ontario. She was recently the Executive Director of the Canadian Children’s Book Center. Previously, she held the position as Director of Library Services for the Mississauga Library System for 5 years. Rose was also the Chief Executive Officer of the Brantford Public Library for almost 10 years.
She earned her Honours B.A. in English/History and a Master in Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario in 1991. She recently completed a Master of Public Administration from the University of Liverpool in the UK in December 2018. Rose is also completing a Public Leadership certificate from the Kennedy School of Public Administration at Harvard University.
Today Rose is focused on lending her expertise to municipal and not for profit organizations in the areas of governance, strategic planning and staff development.
She lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her family including their chocolate Labrador Retriever, Coco.
Toks Olaoluwa is the Chief Privacy Officer & Director, Partner Strategy at Messagepoint Corporation. He is also responsible for the company’s global data privacy program. Being a software company with regulated tier 1 customers across Financial services, Insurance and Banking sectors, He has oversight for the compliance functions as it relates to the collection, use and disclosure of data. In his other portfolio, he leads the company’s effort for generating indirect revenue through the global channel partner ecosystem.
Toks is a Governor at Tyndale University, the Chair, Strategic Committee at The Didi Society. He is also a Board Advisor to technology companies such as Huckleberry and HealthSmart AI. In the past, he served as Chair, Community Mission Council at the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
He holds a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto with a focus on Innovation, Law and Technology, Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), Certified Risk Manager (CRM), Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB), and Governance, Risk & Compliance Professional (GRCP) certifications.
Over the course of a 35-year career in municipal government, Martin Powell has held positions of progressive responsibility in transportation planning, transit operations and public works for the cities of Burlington, Hamilton, and Mississauga.
While at the City of Mississauga, where he spent most of his career, Martin served as Commissioner of Transportation and Works for 15 years. In this senior role, he provided leadership to a large Department of professional and operational staff providing infrastructure planning, public works, transit and enforcement services.
Following his retirement from the City of Mississauga, Martin joined Metrolinx as a Director of Fare Integration, where he worked with the Province of Ontario and municipal transit agencies within the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area to develop a regional strategy for transit fare integration. Although he has since retired from public service, he continues to work part-time as a consultant for the private sector on regional transit initiatives.
An engineer by training, Martin holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
Mr. Mark Abradjian continues to be the leader of Ross & McBride LLPs Commercial Litigation and Estate Litigation groups. He is a partner and has formerly served as Chair of the law firm. He was called to the Bar in the Province of Ontario in 1995. Mark presents regularly at professional conferences and has written and spoken on topics including advocacy, evidence, pleadings, and expert testimony. He has extensive trial and appellate experience, having appeared before a range of tribunals and courts, including all levels of court in Ontario and the Federal Court. Mark has been appointed by the Superior Court of Justice to act as Independent Supervising Solicitor in the execution of numerous Anton Piller Orders.
Mark has also been involved in numerous professional and community organizations, including having served as President of the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton, as board member of the Area Committee of the Legal Aid Plan, Treasurer of the United Way of Haldimand-Norfolk, board member of Hamilton Mountain Legal and Community Services, board member of the Rotary Club of Hamilton AM, a community member on committees of the Joint Board of Governors of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. He is a member of the Advocates Society, Canadian Bar Association, and Hamilton Law Association, having served on its Bench and Bar Committee. Mark received a BA in Administrative and Commercial Studies in 1990 and his LLB in 1993, both from the University of Western Ontario.
Christopher Yendt (he/they) is a researcher and academic whose work focuses on the re-centering of marginalized voices and experiences within the post-secondary landscape. Their previous research has focused on mental health literacy (MHL) among pre-service teacher education candidates in the Province of Ontario, alongside efforts to address MHL within the broader student population. As a research assistant, their current research focuses on campus climates and spatial justice, aiming to understand the ways in which physical and virtual spaces impact intersectional identity and oppression for those who are multiply marginalized.
Chris’ experience includes extensive involvement in student leadership and advocacy, in a career spanning over a decade, with leadership roles at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Most recently they served as the President and CEO of the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) at Brock University, where they were responsible for leading the development of a new strategic plan and securing student support for a seven-million-dollar building. In 2021 they were given the title of Honorary Member and President Emeritus for their work with the GSA.
In addition to the student government work, Chris brings a wealth of governance experience to the JBG cultivated within the community. Since joining their first board at twenty, Chris has amassed over forty concurrent years of board experience across the non-profit and public sectors, across working, operational and governance boards. This involvement has included terms on the Board of Trustees, Senate and Alumni Association of Brock University, Compass Community Health, Rainbow’s End Community Development Corporation, Canadian Mental Health Association-Niagara, and the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce.
Chris is a four-time graduate of Brock University, with Bachelor’s degrees in the Arts, Teacher Education and Adult Education, a Master’s degree in Administration and Leadership in Education along with additional training in governance and non-profit leadership which has supported their passionate about community involvement and organizational governance. They are an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) and a registered consultant with the Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP).
Mr. Barry Duffey is retired after spending most of his career at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, where he was Assistant Director of Air Quality Policy and Manager of Operations. He is now a part-time professor at Mohawk College, teaching about air quality and climate change. Barry is an active community volunteer and is the Vice Chair of the Burlington Heritage Advisory Committee and a member of Clean Air Hamilton.
Retiring in 2022 from the Bench of the Ontario Court of Justice following a career in law spanning over 30 years (Call 1992), Patrice comes to the Joint Boards of Governors with a strong regulatory and governance background. Patrice has spent a lifetime in service on community Boards of Directors, most often in leadership roles as the Chair, Co-Chair and Deputy Chair, with an emphasis on risk analysis and strategic development. Having previously served on the Foundation Board of St. Joseph’s Villa, Patrice has truly come full circle by returning to St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton once again. Patrice is a former Professor (adjunct) at the Faculty of Law, Queen’s University, Kingston, and a former instructor for the Bar Admissions course for the Law Society of Ontario. Born and raised in ‘The Hammer’ and known as a community activist and consensus-builder, Patrice looks forward to working with the talented and highly qualified directors of the JBG, to bring excellence in healthcare to the Hamilton community.
Kim Watkins is the Vice President, Corporate Services at Mohawk College She oversees a dynamic portfolio that includes information technology, human resources, facilities, finance, legal, risk and ancillary services.
Kim joined Mohawk seven years ago as the college’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Mohawk College Foundation in July 2016. She has also served as Interim Chief Information Officer and Acting Chief Human Resources Officer. Before joining Mohawk, she was the Director of Finance and Controller at Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario where she provided financial leadership to the college and Canadore College Foundation for 12 years.
A Certified Professional Accountant, Kim holds an MBA from Laurentian University, a risk management certificate from the University of Toronto, and recently completed a Certificate in Human Resources Management.
Kim currently serves as a Trustee on the CAAT Pension Plan Board as well as a member of the Investment Committee and is President of the Board of The Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton.
Anthony Macaluso is the Principal at St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary School in Stoney Creek, On.
Anthony is an active community leader and volunteer and has previously served on the St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton Quality and Governance committees. Anthony also currently serves as Chair of the City of Hamilton’s Mundialization Committee, is a member of the Hamilton Future Fund Board of Governors, Past President of Festitalia Hamilton, Director of the Hamilton Football Association, and Treasurer of the Catholic Principals’ Council-Hamilton.