Governance

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.

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.”

.

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.

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.

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.

For the past 25 years, Kim has had the good fortune to be part of the Community Resource Centre in Killaloe. She manages the mobile CAPC (Community Action Program for Children) and the EarlyON Toy Bus program that service small rural hamlets and villages from the east gates of Algonquin Park to the community of Beachburg in the Whitewater region.

Kim enjoys working with families raising young children. She believes that to serve and respond to the needs of families, relationship building is key. She role model and encourages creative, out-of-the-box thinking, innovation, and flexibility to provide quality and responsive programs and services, and especially advocates for families facing vulnerable situations.

Kim and her husband Gary live just outside of Golden Lake and are the proud parents of three beautiful adult children. They operate a multigenerational farm currently raising lambs with an 80-ewe flock.

In her spare time, Kim enjoys biking and hiking, horseback riding, gardening, and everything winter, including downhill and cross-country skiing and curling.

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.

Jan grew up on a Dairy farm outside of Almonte. While pursuing her degree in Behavioural Sciences, Jan started her involvement with ConnectWell as one of LCP’s initial summer students in 1981.

With a love of horses and certification in Therapeutic riding, Jan knew that this type of program had to be available to individuals in her community. So, she got busy training horses, organizing volunteers, and ordering equipment. In 1982 the Therapeutic Riding Program was established with one instructor, two horses, 19 riders and 25 volunteers!

After graduating in 1983, Jan remained with the Therapeutic Riding Program and also worked as a speech assistant with the Language Development Program. In 1988 she made a move to the Behaviour Development Program where she was a Behavioural Consultant for 18 years. In 2006 Jan took on the role of Worker Recruitment and Caseworker with the Family Relief Program – Respite Services. During her 11 years with Respite Services, before retiring in May of 2022, Jan developed and supervised four Social Recreation Day Programs for youth graduating from school that did not have a day/occupational program.

Jan was involved in many aspects and programs at ConnectWell over the years and devoted her career in Developmental Services supporting families with children/adults with intellectual disabilities.

Recently retired, Jan and her husband have built a home on Mississippi Lake where they enjoy many activities with their three adult children and grandson. Jan enjoys boating, reading, felting, crafts, travel, volunteering and hopes to be riding again soon! She is honoured to serve as a member of the ConnectWell board and looks forward to continuing her work to ensure the most vulnerable individuals in our communities have the services and supports they need.

Originally from Guelph and then Simcoe, Mary Lou graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Pharmacy.

She moved to Carleton Place in 1978 and worked as the pharmacist at both the Perth and Carleton Place Hospitals. She changed course in 1999 and took a position as pharmacist and manager of the Rexall Drug Store in Perth until her retirement in 2019.

Mary Lou has also been an active volunteer, serving on the board of directors of Open Doors for Lanark County Children and Youth for a total of 12 years. During this time, she was a member of several committees as well as board chair for three years. She also worked on the board and working committee of the Cancer Society Relay for Life in Smiths Falls for three years, focusing on finance and recruitment.

She is a firm believer in the importance of community health care being vital to the future of our healthcare system.

Now retired, she is happy to continue her work and interest in community health care as a volunteer. She also enjoys other activities, including golfing, gardening, yoga, playing bridge, and curling.

Lesley spent her childhood in Ottawa cottaging with her parents on Crosby Lake. She went to Guelph University and interned at Sunnybrook Medical Centre to become a registered dietitian. After several years working at Chedoke/McMaster Hospitals she started her own consulting business teaching and promoting evidenced-based nutrition information to the public.

After a move back to Ottawa, she worked for a multi-national food company (pharmaceutical division) in senior management and as head of medical and scientific affairs. While there, she built strategic alliances and partnerships with health organizations to design and deliver programs to healthcare professionals and their clients.

Following this, Lesley worked as a senior business analyst in the development of provincial and national electronic health records and then as a clinical educator for an umbilical cord blood stem cell company.

Lesley and her family bought a piece of lake front property near Lanark in 1997 and proceeded to slowly develop the land and build a cottage. In 2016 the cottage became their home! Since retiring. Lesley has become a busy gramma and volunteers on the Carebridge board of directors. She learned a lot through chairing governance (revising by-laws and policies), participating in a small working group to form an Alliance with Community Living Association Lanark and subsequently developing a new strategic plan and yet another new set of by-laws and policies.

Lesley is looking forward to continuing her board work with the dedicated individuals at ConnectWell, while learning more about the primary care aspect of this impressive multiservice organization as it faces significant changes in our provincial health care delivery services.

Lesley has been a lifelong Masters and lake swimmer and enjoys most sports, including kayaking, hiking, biking, snowshoeing and even playing golf poorly!