Meet the Board of Directors

Tracey MacArthur headshot.
Tracey MacArthur
President and CEO

Tracey MacArthur is President and CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS), one of Canada’s leading academic and research hospitals. Tracey brings 15 years of senior health care experience to her role.

Tracey is a distinguished hospital executive with more than 25 years’ experience in progressive leadership positions at several prominent, research-intensive hospitals in Ontario including University Health Network and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, having served at the latter as President and Chief Executive Officer prior to joining HHS.

Tracey is a mission-driven, results-oriented leader who maintains a strong focus on quality improvement and patient and workforce safety. She has demonstrated experience advancing research and teaching in hospital organizations with an emphasis on collaboration and relationship-building. She is a champion of embedding equity, diversity and inclusion principles in all aspects of an organization’s operations.

Tracey holds a Master of Science degree in Quality Improvement & Patient Safety from the University of Toronto, an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, and a Masters Certificate in Project Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Keith Monrose
Chair

Keith Monrose has held leadership positions in the public and private sector, and is currently Executive Director International at Seneca Polytechnic. His professional experience spans health, education, and information technology, arising from leadership roles with McMaster University, Mohawk College, Telus, Canada Health Infoway and Merck. Keith has served on the Board of the United Way of Halton and Hamilton, Literacy South Halton and is a community representative with Burlington Economic Development. Keith is an alumnus of the Rotman School of Management, and McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

Andrea McKinney
Vice Chair

Andrea is the Chief, Corporate Services and Technology with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. In her role she oversees a diverse portfolio that includes technology, innovation, data analytics, communications and strategic sourcing. She is known as a passionate community builder and active volunteer focused on supporting positive change. Prior to this role, Andrea has held several senior positions in the public and broader public sectors and is a public speaker on smart cities and digital transformation.

Tracey MacArthur is President and CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS), one of Canada’s leading academic and research hospitals. Tracey brings 15 years of senior health care experience to her role.

Tracey is a distinguished hospital executive with more than 25 years’ experience in progressive leadership positions at several prominent, research-intensive hospitals in Ontario including University Health Network and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, having served at the latter as President and Chief Executive Officer prior to joining HHS.

Tracey is a mission-driven, results-oriented leader who maintains a strong focus on quality improvement and patient and workforce safety. She has demonstrated experience advancing research and teaching in hospital organizations with an emphasis on collaboration and relationship-building. She is a champion of embedding equity, diversity and inclusion principles in all aspects of an organization’s operations.

Tracey holds a Master of Science degree in Quality Improvement & Patient Safety from the University of Toronto, an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, and a Masters Certificate in Project Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Keith Monrose has held leadership positions in the public and private sector, and is currently Executive Director International at Seneca Polytechnic. His professional experience spans health, education, and information technology, arising from leadership roles with McMaster University, Mohawk College, Telus, Canada Health Infoway and Merck. Keith has served on the Board of the United Way of Halton and Hamilton, Literacy South Halton and is a community representative with Burlington Economic Development. Keith is an alumnus of the Rotman School of Management, and McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

Andrea is the Chief, Corporate Services and Technology with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. In her role she oversees a diverse portfolio that includes technology, innovation, data analytics, communications and strategic sourcing. She is known as a passionate community builder and active volunteer focused on supporting positive change. Prior to this role, Andrea has held several senior positions in the public and broader public sectors and is a public speaker on smart cities and digital transformation.

Farah Alexis
Board Member

Farah Alexis is the Chief Ethics Officer at Hydro One Networks Inc., providing leadership for administering the Code of Business Conduct and providing employees and managers with tools and advice to live the Company’s values. Over her career, Farah has held several progressive senior leadership roles in Human Resources, specializing in Talent Management, Culture & Change and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. She has more than twenty years of experience in the human resources field and serves as an Executive Board member at Electricity HR Canada. Farah holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Anthony Crocco
Chair, Medical Advisory Committee

Dr. Anthony Crocco is a pediatric emergency physician with a special interest in quality improvement and a breadth of experience in medical and organizational leadership. In addition to his role as Chair of HHS’ Medical Advisory Committee, he is deputy chief of pediatrics at McMaster Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

During his tenure at HHS, Dr. Crocco has been recruited to lead several teams and visions through work aimed at improving quality and efficiency of care, establishing new and innovative care pathways, and addressing physician and team performance.

Dr. Crocco has recently completed the Rotman School of Management’s Global Executive MBA in Healthcare & Life Sciences. There, his studies have focused on global best practices in healthcare administration, developing leadership capacity, and applying business strategy to the public healthcare environment.

In addition to his clinical and administrative roles, Dr. Crocco is an associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Pediatrics at McMaster University.

Rob Galaski
Board Member

Rob Galaski is Vice-Chairman & Managing Partner, Financial Services at Deloitte, the world’s leading professional services organization. In this role, Rob oversees all Deloitte’s business with Financial Services clients, across Consulting, Audit, Risk, M&A and Tax. As a practitioner, Rob is a senior advisor to the world’s most important institutions, working with boards and executive management teams to shape growth-oriented transformations. In addition to his work at Deloitte, Rob serves as Executive Advisor to the World Economic Forum on Disruptive Innovation in Financial Services, where he has led groundbreaking work on behalf of the global industry. In recognition of his global accomplishments, Rob was honored by the IIF as a Global Leader Under 40. Rob and his wife Chantal are parents to Henri and Élodie. Rob and family are active within the community and supporters of several important organizations.

Farah Alexis is the Chief Ethics Officer at Hydro One Networks Inc., providing leadership for administering the Code of Business Conduct and providing employees and managers with tools and advice to live the Company’s values. Over her career, Farah has held several progressive senior leadership roles in Human Resources, specializing in Talent Management, Culture & Change and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. She has more than twenty years of experience in the human resources field and serves as an Executive Board member at Electricity HR Canada. Farah holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Anthony Crocco is a pediatric emergency physician with a special interest in quality improvement and a breadth of experience in medical and organizational leadership. In addition to his role as Chair of HHS’ Medical Advisory Committee, he is deputy chief of pediatrics at McMaster Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

During his tenure at HHS, Dr. Crocco has been recruited to lead several teams and visions through work aimed at improving quality and efficiency of care, establishing new and innovative care pathways, and addressing physician and team performance.

Dr. Crocco has recently completed the Rotman School of Management’s Global Executive MBA in Healthcare & Life Sciences. There, his studies have focused on global best practices in healthcare administration, developing leadership capacity, and applying business strategy to the public healthcare environment.

In addition to his clinical and administrative roles, Dr. Crocco is an associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Pediatrics at McMaster University.

Rob Galaski is Vice-Chairman & Managing Partner, Financial Services at Deloitte, the world’s leading professional services organization. In this role, Rob oversees all Deloitte’s business with Financial Services clients, across Consulting, Audit, Risk, M&A and Tax. As a practitioner, Rob is a senior advisor to the world’s most important institutions, working with boards and executive management teams to shape growth-oriented transformations. In addition to his work at Deloitte, Rob serves as Executive Advisor to the World Economic Forum on Disruptive Innovation in Financial Services, where he has led groundbreaking work on behalf of the global industry. In recognition of his global accomplishments, Rob was honored by the IIF as a Global Leader Under 40. Rob and his wife Chantal are parents to Henri and Élodie. Rob and family are active within the community and supporters of several important organizations.

Leslie Gillies
Vice President, Nursing, Practice and Education, and Community Health and Chief Nursing Executive

Leslie oversees key clinical program areas including Urgent & Ambulatory Care, Community and Population Health Services, and the Complex Care, Seniors, Palliative and Musculoskeletal Program. She is also responsible for HHS facilities as site VP supporting West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, St. Peter’s Hospital, Satellite Health Facility, and West End Clinic and Urgent Care Centre.

Leslie has various experiences at HHS as a nurse, clinical educator, chief of nursing practice, chief of inter-professional practice, manager, program director and site administrator. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from McMaster University and a Master’s of Education (Administration) from Brock University. She serves as a clinical faculty member at McMaster University’s School of Nursing as an Assistant Clinical Professor.

Mike Hamilton
Board Member

Mike Hamilton is a senior executive and board member with over 30 years’ experience in health care and medical technology, gained through progressively senior commercial and executive roles in Canada and Internationally. He is currently President and CEO of GE HealthCare Canada, a position he has held since September 2022. In this role, Mike is accountable for defining the vision for the Canadian business and executing the commercial strategy for the full portfolio of Imaging, Ultrasound, Patient Care Solutions and Digital Solutions offerings. Mike is also a member of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Health Policy Council as well as the Canadian College of Health Leaders’ Corporate Advisory Council. He holds an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Western University, as well as an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business.

Rasha Kisswani
Board Member

Rasha Kisswani is founder and principal at Markasa Consulting, where she leads a team of consultants in providing consulting services in business transformation, project management, change management, strategy formulation and execution, and evaluations/reviews. She has more than fifteen years of experience in healthcare across public, private and non-for-profit sectors across Canada and Australia.  Prior to establishing Markasa Consulting, Rasha held a number of executive roles in large hospital networks, where she worked closely with Boards to formulate and execute effective strategies and led various complex organization-wide transformation initiatives. Rasha holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Science from McMaster University and a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation from the Project Management Institute.

Leslie oversees key clinical program areas including Urgent & Ambulatory Care, Community and Population Health Services, and the Complex Care, Seniors, Palliative and Musculoskeletal Program. She is also responsible for HHS facilities as site VP supporting West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, St. Peter’s Hospital, Satellite Health Facility, and West End Clinic and Urgent Care Centre.

Leslie has various experiences at HHS as a nurse, clinical educator, chief of nursing practice, chief of inter-professional practice, manager, program director and site administrator. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from McMaster University and a Master’s of Education (Administration) from Brock University. She serves as a clinical faculty member at McMaster University’s School of Nursing as an Assistant Clinical Professor.

Mike Hamilton is a senior executive and board member with over 30 years’ experience in health care and medical technology, gained through progressively senior commercial and executive roles in Canada and Internationally. He is currently President and CEO of GE HealthCare Canada, a position he has held since September 2022. In this role, Mike is accountable for defining the vision for the Canadian business and executing the commercial strategy for the full portfolio of Imaging, Ultrasound, Patient Care Solutions and Digital Solutions offerings. Mike is also a member of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Health Policy Council as well as the Canadian College of Health Leaders’ Corporate Advisory Council. He holds an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Western University, as well as an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business.

Rasha Kisswani is founder and principal at Markasa Consulting, where she leads a team of consultants in providing consulting services in business transformation, project management, change management, strategy formulation and execution, and evaluations/reviews. She has more than fifteen years of experience in healthcare across public, private and non-for-profit sectors across Canada and Australia.  Prior to establishing Markasa Consulting, Rasha held a number of executive roles in large hospital networks, where she worked closely with Boards to formulate and execute effective strategies and led various complex organization-wide transformation initiatives. Rasha holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Science from McMaster University and a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation from the Project Management Institute.

Amit Kapur
Board Member

Amit Kapur is the Chief Financial Officer at Enwave Energy Corporation, overseeing the organization’s financial operations and strategic growth plans. He has more than fifteen years of leadership experience in financial services, industrial automation, environmental services, and technology. Amit holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Johnson School at Cornell University and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University. In addition, Amit is a Chartered Accountant (Canada), a Certified Public Accountant (Illinois) and a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Bill Laidlaw
Board Member

After teaching at Ridley College, Bill moved onto senior HR roles at Hudson’s Bay Company, Royal Trust, Rogers Communications, Paul Revere Life Insurance and Glaxo Smith Kline Canada, where he became Director of Government Relations. He later became CEO of St. John Ambulance in Ontario followed by Executive Director roles with Ontario Association of Community Newspapers, Life Sciences Ontario, Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Feed Ontario and the Canadian Assistive Devices Association. Volunteer roles included CEO of Ontario Chamber of Commerce, President of Empire Club of Canada, President of the Toronto Lung Association and sitting on the Advisory board of the Lang School of Business at the University of Guelph. In 2020 Bill was named Alumni Volunteer of the year at the University of Guelph. Bill is retired and in addition to his work at HHS he volunteers with McMaster Innovation Park, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the University of Guelph.

Jane Milanetti
Board Member

The Honourable Jane Milanetti has recently retired from the Superior Court of Justice where she served for 17 years. Prior to her appointment to the court, she was a partner at Agro, Zaffiro LLP in Hamilton. Ms. Milanetti is a Past President of the Hamilton Law Association, Past Chair of St. Peter’s Hospital, and the Hamilton Community Foundation, and a Director of the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Jane is pleased to rejoin the Board of HHS, a position that was given up when she was appointed to the bench.

Amit Kapur is the Chief Financial Officer at Enwave Energy Corporation, overseeing the organization’s financial operations and strategic growth plans. He has more than fifteen years of leadership experience in financial services, industrial automation, environmental services, and technology. Amit holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Johnson School at Cornell University and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University. In addition, Amit is a Chartered Accountant (Canada), a Certified Public Accountant (Illinois) and a Chartered Financial Analyst.

After teaching at Ridley College, Bill moved onto senior HR roles at Hudson’s Bay Company, Royal Trust, Rogers Communications, Paul Revere Life Insurance and Glaxo Smith Kline Canada, where he became Director of Government Relations. He later became CEO of St. John Ambulance in Ontario followed by Executive Director roles with Ontario Association of Community Newspapers, Life Sciences Ontario, Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Feed Ontario and the Canadian Assistive Devices Association. Volunteer roles included CEO of Ontario Chamber of Commerce, President of Empire Club of Canada, President of the Toronto Lung Association and sitting on the Advisory board of the Lang School of Business at the University of Guelph. In 2020 Bill was named Alumni Volunteer of the year at the University of Guelph. Bill is retired and in addition to his work at HHS he volunteers with McMaster Innovation Park, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the University of Guelph.

The Honourable Jane Milanetti has recently retired from the Superior Court of Justice where she served for 17 years. Prior to her appointment to the court, she was a partner at Agro, Zaffiro LLP in Hamilton. Ms. Milanetti is a Past President of the Hamilton Law Association, Past Chair of St. Peter’s Hospital, and the Hamilton Community Foundation, and a Director of the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Jane is pleased to rejoin the Board of HHS, a position that was given up when she was appointed to the bench.

Dr. Paul O’Byrne
Dean and Vice President, Faculty of Health Sciences

Paul M. O’Byrne obtained his Medical Degree at University College, Dublin. He is currently the Dean and Vice President of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. His research interests focus on the mechanisms and treatment of asthma. He has published more than 500 peer reviewed papers, and has an h-index (Google Scholar) of 118. His accolades include the James H. Graham Award of Merit of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; election to the Royal Society of Canada; the European Respiratory Society Congress Award and Medal; election to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences; and, McMaster’s top academic award, Distinguished University Professor. In 2017, the American College of Chest Physicians named him a Giant of Chest Medicine and more recently, he received an Honorary Life Achievement Award from the Ontario Thoracic Society, the Jack Hirsh Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement from McMaster University and Medical Graduate Distinguished Alumnus Award from University College, Dublin.

Dr. Allison Sekuler
Board Member

Dr. Allison Sekuler is a researcher with appointments at Baycrest Health Sciences and the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University. She is the Managing Director, Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation and Managing Director, Rotman Research Institute and Vice-President, Research, Baycrest Health Sciences. Allison serves in a variety of leadership roles including the Sandra A. Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience & Senior Scientist, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences. She was Canada’s first Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience, and recognized in 2019 as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network for her accomplishments in science and in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusivity.

Hila Taraky
Board Member

Hila Taraky is a business lawyer that carries on a focused practice in business transactions, land development and commercial real estate. Prior to her career as a lawyer, Hila devoted her professional and academic efforts to public policy and immigration policy with a focus on the economic integration of immigrants in Canada. Hila’s academic interests resulted in numerous peer reviewed publications. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hamilton Health Sciences, is a co-founder of Lifeline Afghanistan and a member of the International Women’s Forum Canada – Toronto Chapter. Hila is a proud alumna of McMaster University and the Toronto Metropolitan University.  She received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Windsor and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2017.

Paul M. O’Byrne obtained his Medical Degree at University College, Dublin. He is currently the Dean and Vice President of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. His research interests focus on the mechanisms and treatment of asthma. He has published more than 500 peer reviewed papers, and has an h-index (Google Scholar) of 118. His accolades include the James H. Graham Award of Merit of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; election to the Royal Society of Canada; the European Respiratory Society Congress Award and Medal; election to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences; and, McMaster’s top academic award, Distinguished University Professor. In 2017, the American College of Chest Physicians named him a Giant of Chest Medicine and more recently, he received an Honorary Life Achievement Award from the Ontario Thoracic Society, the Jack Hirsh Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement from McMaster University and Medical Graduate Distinguished Alumnus Award from University College, Dublin.

Dr. Allison Sekuler is a researcher with appointments at Baycrest Health Sciences and the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University. She is the Managing Director, Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation and Managing Director, Rotman Research Institute and Vice-President, Research, Baycrest Health Sciences. Allison serves in a variety of leadership roles including the Sandra A. Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience & Senior Scientist, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences. She was Canada’s first Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience, and recognized in 2019 as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network for her accomplishments in science and in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusivity.

Hila Taraky is a business lawyer that carries on a focused practice in business transactions, land development and commercial real estate. Prior to her career as a lawyer, Hila devoted her professional and academic efforts to public policy and immigration policy with a focus on the economic integration of immigrants in Canada. Hila’s academic interests resulted in numerous peer reviewed publications. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hamilton Health Sciences, is a co-founder of Lifeline Afghanistan and a member of the International Women’s Forum Canada – Toronto Chapter. Hila is a proud alumna of McMaster University and the Toronto Metropolitan University.  She received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Windsor and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2017.

Shirley Thomas-Weir
Board Member

Shirley is Vice President, Special Projects at Sienna Senior Living, with over 30 years of expertise in Senior Care and Housing. She collaborates on the creation and construction of Senior Living Campuses across Ontario and integrates enterprise systems and processes that drive quality, improve experience and build positive culture. Previously she lead Thomas Health Care. She has over 10 years of Provincial and local Board and Committee experience, including the Ontario Long Term Care Association, United Way, Joseph Brant Hospital, HNHB LHIN and Hillfield Strathallan College. Designations include Certified Long Term Care Home Administrator, BSc Biology from the University of Western Ontario, and a BA from McMaster University in Gerontology.

Dr. Tomas VanHelder
President of the Medical Staff Association

In addition to practicing as a  cardiac anesthesiologist at Hamilton Health Sciences, Dr. VanHelder is currently the President of the Hamilton Health Sciences Medical Staff Association (MSA).  He is the past Vice-President and past Secretary/Treasurer of the MSA and has been a member of the executive committee for the last seven years.

Dr. VanHelder's goals during his tenure of the President of MSA will be continuation of the MSA's work in the areas of physicians-hospital relationship and introduction of the concept of Just Culture to the physicians' interactions with the HHS leadership.

Additionally Dr. VanHelder was a one term Juravinski Hospital Site Chief, Department of Anesthesia, during the development and opening of the new wing of the hospital as well as a two term Hamilton General Site Chief during the expansion of the anesthesia services and coverage at that site.

Dr. VanHelder has a long-standing involvement in research and is currently involved in several PHIR studies. His personal interest include continuous learning about history,  with the emphasis on the European history.

Mary Williams
Board Member

As founder of Mary J Williams Coaching & Consulting Inc, Mary works with leaders
across the country as a coach and thinking partner to support their personal journey to
be their best! Mary has more than three decades of experience and leadership in
educational and not for profit advancement. In her past, as McMaster University’s Vice
President, Advancement, Mary led an award winning team with a mandate that included
communications & marketing, government and alumni relations and fundraising; her
contributions to the team led to landmark successes. And more recently, at the
University of Toronto, Mary supported more than 30 academic divisions in their activities
to work towards the University’s current $4B campaign fundraising goal. She was also
Senior Vice President Fund Development for YMCA Canada where she worked with
35+ YMCAs across the Country to deepen their philanthropic impact and support
collaboration and partnership within the Federation to grow support for the YMCAs
mission.

As an active volunteer in her communities, Mary has extensive governance experience
and has served on a wide range of non-profit boards locally, provincially and nationally.
She is a graduate of 3 Universities and has completed the McMaster Chartered
Directors program.

Shirley is Vice President, Special Projects at Sienna Senior Living, with over 30 years of expertise in Senior Care and Housing. She collaborates on the creation and construction of Senior Living Campuses across Ontario and integrates enterprise systems and processes that drive quality, improve experience and build positive culture. Previously she lead Thomas Health Care. She has over 10 years of Provincial and local Board and Committee experience, including the Ontario Long Term Care Association, United Way, Joseph Brant Hospital, HNHB LHIN and Hillfield Strathallan College. Designations include Certified Long Term Care Home Administrator, BSc Biology from the University of Western Ontario, and a BA from McMaster University in Gerontology.

In addition to practicing as a  cardiac anesthesiologist at Hamilton Health Sciences, Dr. VanHelder is currently the President of the Hamilton Health Sciences Medical Staff Association (MSA).  He is the past Vice-President and past Secretary/Treasurer of the MSA and has been a member of the executive committee for the last seven years.

Dr. VanHelder's goals during his tenure of the President of MSA will be continuation of the MSA's work in the areas of physicians-hospital relationship and introduction of the concept of Just Culture to the physicians' interactions with the HHS leadership.

Additionally Dr. VanHelder was a one term Juravinski Hospital Site Chief, Department of Anesthesia, during the development and opening of the new wing of the hospital as well as a two term Hamilton General Site Chief during the expansion of the anesthesia services and coverage at that site.

Dr. VanHelder has a long-standing involvement in research and is currently involved in several PHIR studies. His personal interest include continuous learning about history,  with the emphasis on the European history.

As founder of Mary J Williams Coaching & Consulting Inc, Mary works with leaders
across the country as a coach and thinking partner to support their personal journey to
be their best! Mary has more than three decades of experience and leadership in
educational and not for profit advancement. In her past, as McMaster University’s Vice
President, Advancement, Mary led an award winning team with a mandate that included
communications & marketing, government and alumni relations and fundraising; her
contributions to the team led to landmark successes. And more recently, at the
University of Toronto, Mary supported more than 30 academic divisions in their activities
to work towards the University’s current $4B campaign fundraising goal. She was also
Senior Vice President Fund Development for YMCA Canada where she worked with
35+ YMCAs across the Country to deepen their philanthropic impact and support
collaboration and partnership within the Federation to grow support for the YMCAs
mission.

As an active volunteer in her communities, Mary has extensive governance experience
and has served on a wide range of non-profit boards locally, provincially and nationally.
She is a graduate of 3 Universities and has completed the McMaster Chartered
Directors program.

Debbie Zimmerman
Board Member

Debbie Zimmerman has had a long and successful career in the public and private sector and has extensive governance experience including in her current roles serving on the Board of Trustees, Brock University and a member of the Peace Bridge Authority. Her previous volunteer experience includes: Niagara Escarpment Commissioner; Chair, Municipal Assessment Corporation (MPAC); and Board Director, YMCA of Niagara. Debbie is the CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario. She previously served as Regional Chair and CEO of the Regional Municipality of Niagara and as Alderman for the Town of Grimsby. Debbie received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Brock University in 2020.

Debbie Zimmerman has had a long and successful career in the public and private sector and has extensive governance experience including in her current roles serving on the Board of Trustees, Brock University and a member of the Peace Bridge Authority. Her previous volunteer experience includes: Niagara Escarpment Commissioner; Chair, Municipal Assessment Corporation (MPAC); and Board Director, YMCA of Niagara. Debbie is the CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario. She previously served as Regional Chair and CEO of the Regional Municipality of Niagara and as Alderman for the Town of Grimsby. Debbie received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Brock University in 2020.