Governance

William, a native of Ireland (permanently moved to Canada in 2008), has BSc/MSc (Dublin) and PhD (Michigan State) degrees in the areas of agriculture and animal physiology. His career spans university, government, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and consulting environments across four countries (Ireland, USA, Netherlands, Canada). With over 230 publications, he has worked mostly in the animal health industry, encompassing R&D, business development/marketing and commercial operations. He feels strongly that science-based knowledge is crucial to our health and society and he enjoys supporting science on social media and in the press.

Since semi-retiring at 55 and moving to Eganville in 2014 (where he first worked as a student in 1980), William has been interested in community, social services and health; he has a good understanding of social issues in a rural community and wants to make a difference. Since 2015, William has been actively involved in his community: Eganville & District Seniors board 2015-2021 (4.5 years as Board President), Curling Club Executive board 2016-2021, Eganville & Area Community Development Group board 2017-2019, Eganville & Area Long Term Care Corporation (‘Fairfields’) board 2020-date. In 2021, he was also a member of the Patient and Family Group, one of the stakeholders in the Application Coordination Group for the “Network 24” Ontario Health Team.

William loves living in the Ottawa Valley and continuing his semi-retirement career as a consultant and editor on projects for global players in the animal health arena. Hobbies and interests include bridge, reading, golf, tennis, pickleball, travel, curling, trivia and proofreading/editing for friends and not-for-profits.

Kim has worked in the Developmental Services field for 35 years and has been in team leadership for over 20 years, more than ten of those at senior levels of non-profit organizations, including reporting to a Board of Directors and to government Ministry officials.

She has been particularly focused on working for individuals with complex health and behavioural needs, helping them to live high quality lives in their communities. Inclusion and equality are her guiding principles and passion.

She and her family have also been respite and HomeShare providers for persons with intellectual disabilities. While thorough and professional at all times, she enjoys finding the laughter in life and making sure everyone has the opportunities they need to succeed.

She has received many gifts and contributions of grace and perseverance throughout the years from the people that she has worked for and it is now time for her to “pay it forward.”

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Tom has been retired since 2005 after a career in the data communications and telecommunications industry and now spends his time at golf, tennis, curling, fishing, bridge, software programming, building websites and reading science fiction.

Tom worked in both Canada and the U.S.A. He started in Engineering and then moved into Marketing with leading vendors of telecommunications and information technology products. His experience ranges from start-ups to $100+ million companies and from individual contributor to manager of a 150-person department. His most noted accomplishment was being an editor of the original IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard (popularly called Wi-Fi).

His formal education was at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, BS EE with Honors, 1967 and Keller Graduate School of Management, Chicago, IL MBA with Distinction, 1992.

Stephen Bird grew up in Perth with multi-generation roots in the Almonte and Pakenham area. Stephen practised law (1990-2010) with the Lanark, Leeds & Grenville Legal Clinic (now The Legal Clinic) which serves low income residents of Lanark, Leeds & Grenville, and North Frontenac counties.

Stephen served on the Board of the North Lanark County Community Health Centre when Lanark Community Programs joined to form Lanark Health and Community Services. When he returned to the Board in 2012, Whitewater Bromley CHC became part of LRHCS. He has served as Vice Chair, Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Past Chair of LRHCS. More recently he returned to the Board in 2020 where he served as Chair of the Governance Committee.

Stephen has a J.D. degree from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University and an M.A. from the University of Waterloo.

Bruce was born and educated in Toronto, attending York University. After spending nine years in the private sector as a computer analyst, he joined the Ontario Public Service, where he spent the next 32 years working in a variety of positions in the Ontario Courts, primarily designing and developing computer applications to administer justice and financial accountability in all levels of the court system. For the final five years of his career, he was appointed as a Regional Assessment Officer in the Superior Court; although now “retired,” he has agreed to continue to perform this function on a part-time basis.

When Bruce and his wife retired, they wanted to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, who live in Beckwith. They found a home in the Lanark area that they both loved and made the move to rural life. They believe being on the edge of the village provides the perfect combination of access to community and country.

Having been an active volunteer in a variety of organizations such as Scouts Canada, church youth groups, Fanshawe Pioneer Village, and most recently, the Lanark Highlands Food Pantry, volunteering is in Bruce’s blood. He is excited to be joining the Board and looks forward to actively supporting the ConnectWell team as we move forward, continuing to deliver the excellent whole health services he has had the pleasure of observing firsthand.

Nick is currently the Associate Director of stem cells operations at Canadian Blood Services, overseeing a national portfolio of multiple programs and teams across the country. Nick has been with Canadian Blood Services for over 23 years in numerous leadership capacities and loves being able to have a positive impact on patients’ lives every day. He has over 25 years of experience in health care and is highly committed to working for solutions to improve equitable access to health care services in rural communities, especially with the challenges ahead.

Nick has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Windsor; he is a registered medical laboratory technologist and certified Project Management Professional. He lives in the Lanark Highlands and has always lived in and enjoyed rural life, including over four years in Nunavut. He enjoys soccer, hiking, fishing, camping and canoeing. He is married with two adult children.

Maddy Dever (they/them) is an Autistic parent of five children with three also on the autism spectrum, living in Carleton Place. They advocate at both provincial and federal governments for inclusion and acceptance of Autistic individuals and for Autistic people to have their own voice in policy decisions. Maddy is a former member of the Ontario Autism Program Advisory Panel, and current member of the Ontario Autism Program Implementation Working Group.

Maddy is a founder of Autistic Bridge, an Autistic self-advocacy group, and a leader in the National Disability Strategy movement to build a nationwide coalition of disability organizations advocating for a barrier-free Canada that meets all needs of all disabilities at all ages. They are also a member of the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance (CASDA) where they are providing an Autistic view on the development of policy and helping with aspects of developing a National Autism Strategy and presenting at the annual CASDA Summit.

Maddy has also led workshops and panels on topics surrounding Autism and education and has spoken about Autism with many groups including ECHO Autism where they are now part of the Expert Hub, which works to educate and inform health professionals on issues related to autism. Maddy writes on the blogs matthewdever.ca and autismwordsmatter.ca and has a podcast called “The Autistic Rambler.”

Carole Devine is a nurse by training who spent the majority of her career at Algonquin College as a professor and then at a variety of healthcare settings in the Ottawa Valley, including RVH, Bonnechere Manor, and most recently at Supples Landing as the Executive Director. Carole believes strongly in inclusive and upstream models of health and wellness and is committed to building communities where everyone belongs.

She lives in the Ottawa Valley with her husband and most recently has supported the growth and expansion of their family business, Conway’s Pharmacy.

Carole has made long-term commitments to supporting a number of organizations, including the Eganville Rotary Club, and she recently chaired the Bonnechere Valley Health Committee. She is an avid bridge player, enjoys walking and biking, and believes in the importance of prevention as a key determinant of health and wellness.

Miriam grew up in Read, a rural hamlet northeast of Belleville, Ontario, where she helped with the family general store and service station, Miriam worked the bulk of her professional career as a civil servant at Canada Revenue Agency, Finance & Administration. She worked in management at the operational level and later on at the headquarters’ Administration Directorate, where she was part of a team that provided advice and guidance to regional operations across Canada, and also reviewed overall services and efficiencies.

Miriam and her husband, John, have had a residence in the Cobden area for over 25 years. They were seasonal residents up until 2016 when they retired there full time.

At that time, Miriam joined the Cobden Civitan Club to get more involved in the community. She has been the Club’s secretary for the past three years. Miriam also participates in various Club committees and fundraising events, the proceeds of which go to local health and community services as well as to area individuals in need. In September 2021, Miriam became a community member of the ConnectWell Healthier Community Committee.

Miriam feels very fortunate to live in the Ottawa Valley and to enjoy all that it offers. She wants to contribute to the growth of a healthy, vibrant community, one that strives to meet the diverse needs of all age groups.

Tambrae retired from the federal public service in 2022 after serving in eight departments at the executive level in the areas of communications, program delivery, strategic planning and performance, corporate services, investment planning and real property management. She spent the final six years of her career as the Executive Director of Investment Management for Parks Canada, where she was responsible for planning and management of a $26B real property portfolio. She holds an MBA from Royal Roads University with a specialization in Public Relations.

Tambrae is excited to build on a career in public service by getting involved in, and serving, her community. Tambrae and her husband Steve Walker found their dream property on the Mississippi River a few years ago and now enjoy rural living with their dog, Sam. They have two wonderful adult daughters.

David is a retired aviation systems engineer. He began his career with the Royal Canadian Air Force and then within the Canadian Army. After his military service, David worked for several companies involved in military aviation and served on various ancillary committees. He is the proud recipient of several awards for performance excellence, team contribution, and team leadership. David retired in May 2010.

David has been active in the Anglican Church of Canada since the early 1990s. He was licensed as a Lay Reader by the Bishop of the Diocese of Ottawa in 2003. After initially serving by leading Morning Prayer services in the three-point Parish of Clayton, he moved on to leading Sunday afternoon services at Fairview Manor, Almonte Country Haven, and occasionally Almonte General Hospital. COVID-19 has resulted in a hiatus from this activity.

David initially became involved with the then-North Lanark Community Health Centre by joining the “Fun & Fitness for Older Adults” program in early 2012. He was invited to apply for training as a Fitness Instructor/Leader late that year, and was certified by the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging in the spring of 2013. Since then, he has worked as a volunteer instructor/leader, sharing a class with another instructor at the Middleville Community Hall, and often substituting for other instructors at their facilities.

David believes that his life experiences have given him an ability to lead or follow as the occasion might require, and a genuine ability to listen to and consider the opinions and ideas of others while contributing to the success of an organization as a whole.

Sharon is currently the Deputy-Reeve of Beckwith Township, a position she has held since 2003. She is also a member of Lanark County Council and was elected County Warden in 2011.

During that time, Sharon has chaired the County Community Services Committee four times. That Committee is responsible for Social Services, Housing and Lanark Lodge, and provided her the opportunity to learn and advocate for the many services and issues that are so important to the most vulnerable members of our community. Sharon also served as the County representative on the Lanark Transportation Association Board.

Sharon’s employment background also reflects her passion for social services issues. She was employed at Lanark County Interval House for seven years and prior to that worked for the Child Welfare League of Canada as well as at the ODSP office. In addition to this, Sharon also served on the Boards of Community Home Support and Mills Community Support Corporation (now Carebridge).

Sharon has also been an active member of the community, serving as a Girl Guide leader, Commodore of the Carleton Place Canoe Club, and Commodore of Canoe-Kayak Canada.

Sharon has three children, five grandchildren, and was married to her late husband Gary (a member of the RCMP) for almost 47 years.

Sharon is honoured to serve as a member of the ConnectWell Board and looks forward to continuing her work to ensure our most vulnerable citizens have access to the services and supports they need.