Biographies

Randy Smallbone (CPA, CGA),

Chair, Board of Directors

Randy Smallbone is the President, CEO and a Director of Astron Connect Inc (TSXV: AST). Astron Connect exports outstanding Canadian Food and Beverage products to China and emerging Markets. In addition Mr. Smallbone is the Chair of the Board of Directors of The Burlington Economic Development Corporation, Board member of Hanwei Energy Corp (TSX:HE), Marvel Bioscience Corp (TSX:MRVL) and Burlington Chamber of Commerce. He is also on the Advisory Board of Pneu-Hyd Industries Inc.

Randy has been the CFO of three Public Companies, Migao Corporation, KCP Income Fund and Decoma International Inc (Magna International Inc.). He was also on the Board of Norcast Income Fund and previously served as a Board member and Vice Chair of JBH Foundation and a Community Representative on the JBH Finance & Audit Committee.

Randy has more than 40 years of operations experience in global manufacturing of consumer goods, contract manufacturing, automotive and aerospace parts. Mr. Smallbone also has significant experience in financial management, M&A, Investor relations and Board Governance.

Randy was elected to the Board in June 2019 and is currently the Chair of the Board, appointed in June 2021.

Omer Aziz, PENG, CHRL

Omer is an HR Executive with over three decades of experience in telecommunications, hi-tech and SaaS industries. He has been the Head of HR at several Canadian companies and he was posted in the UK in 2013 as the International Head of HR for BlackBerry Limited.

Omer currently consults with several companies (including Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Shell, Bosch and the City of London) and individuals on designing a culture of high-performance. He is also a researcher in the state of peak performance called ‘flow’.

Omer has presented at various conferences (including TEDx, HR_Redefined and DisruptHR) and is a guest lecturer at Carleton University, McMaster University, University of Toronto, and Brock University (on topics including Designing Peak Performance, Succession Planning and Talent Management).

He is currently a retained HR Executive at the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA). He is a member of the Board of Directors at the Joseph Brant Hospital and is also the Chair of the HRPCC Committee and Vice-Chair of the Quality Committee.

His expertise includes HR Systems and Analytics, Succession Planning, Talent Management, Compensation Planning and designing a culture of high-performance.

Omer has a Master and Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Carleton University, Advanced Human Resources Certificate from University of Toronto and attended the Advanced Human Resources Program at University of Michigan Business School. He is a professional engineer (PENG) with the Professional Engineers of Ontario and a Canadian human resources leader with the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario.

Dr. David Charland, President, Medical Staff Association

Dr. Charland is an emergency physician at Joseph Brant Hospital and at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. He joined JBH in 2015 and has been an integral part in the success the ER has seen in recent years. Previously, he worked at Woodstock General Hospital in the emergency department, and as a family physician in Burlington.

Dr. Charland earned his BSc (hons) in Kinesiology at York University. He subsequently graduated medical school from Western University in 2010. After completing his family medicine residency in 2012, he began work exclusively in the ER, earning his EM certificate in 2016.

Prior to joining the Medical Staff Association, Dr. Charland was awarded the inaugural JBH MSA Rising Star Award. His initiative and dedication towards improved patient care was obvious from the start. He was elected as President of the Medical Staff Association in 2018. In this position, his passion for staff wellness and community building has contributed to greater staff morale and connection throughout the challenges of the pandemic. 

Outside of his clinical work, Dr. Charland enjoys spending time being active with his family, especially teaching his young kids to mountain bike, ski and skate.

In his capacity as President of the Medical Staff Association, Dr. Charland was appointed to the Board as an Ex-Officio member in 2019.

Paul Clarke

Paul Clarke is currently Vice President, Operational Risk Management, TD Bank Group with over 25 years of corporate leadership experience and a relentless focus on customer and community, data & innovation, creating value through change, and leading diverse and inclusive teams. As a trusted business partner, Paul champions strategy development and operational excellence with an independent lens to influence culture, progress, and sustainability.

Paul holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto and a certificate in Cyber-Security from Harvard University. He possesses a unique mix of Business, Technology and Risk Management experience, combined with global organization and industry awareness, and Regulatory involvement.  Paul is a purveyor of thought-leadership, the innovation agenda and emerging technology, both internally and as an industry speaker. He is passionate about community and active-living, charitable giving and support, and participates in several health science and cultural education events.

Paul was appointed to the Joseph Brant Hospital Board in January 2021 and serves as Chair of the Digital Health Strategy Committee and member of the Quality Committee.  

Margaret Doma 

Margaret is a recently-retired Risk Management professional having worked with local organizations and the Government of Nunavut, Department of Health.

Margaret has over 20 years of experience in progressive Risk Management and Social Work leadership positions in the healthcare industry.

Margaret began her career as a frontline clinical social worker and has held the position of Director of Risk, Legal, Medical Affairs and Language Access Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton.

Margaret holds various certificates in risk management and social work including a Certified Risk Manager designation from McMaster University and a Master of Law from York University as well as a Master of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University. Margaret also previously held the position of Assistant Clinical Professor/Longitudinal Facilitator in the Undergraduate Medical Education program at the Michael DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University.

Margaret was elected to the Joseph Brant Hospital Board in June 2022 and is currently serving on the Quality Committee and the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board.

Margaret and her husband John live in Burlington along with their four children and their respective families.

Barbara Elliot 

Barbara was elected to the Joseph Brant Hospital Board in 2018. She currently serves as Vice Chair of both the Board of Directors and the Governance & Nominating Committee and is a member of the Finance and Audit Committee.
Barbara is the Professional Sales and Marketing Director, at Johnson & Johnson Inc., a consumer healthcare company focused on consumer products and over the counter medicines.

Barbara has over 20 years of experience as a business leader in healthcare with a demonstrated track record of success in shaping winning strategies to meet market needs and deliver against organizational goals. Her experience within the industry spans across several brand portfolios and customers to include ownership for the organizational design required to support these businesses. Within her capacity she holds positions on both sales and marketing leadership teams in Canada and the US.

Prior to Barbara’s leadership roles in the healthcare industry she was a practicing dental hygienist and instructor. Her passion for patient-centred healthcare led her to careers with Warner-Lambert, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson.

Barbara is a graduate of Algonquin College and holds several certificates in executive business management from the Schulich School of Business and an ICD.D designation in board governance from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Lisa Garland, CPA, CA

Lisa is a retired accountant that specialized in personal tax with an emphasis on estate and trust planning, owner managers, executive compensation and international personal and trust taxation.  Prior to retiring in 2018, she worked for an international CPA firm, a national trust company, two local CPA firms as well as being a sole proprietor for seven years. 

Lisa graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1987 with an Honours of Bachelor of Business Administration and received her CA designation in 1990.  She has been a volunteer for a number of organizations in both Burlington and Oakville, including being a Board Member and Treasurer of Home Suite Hope.  Lisa has lived in Burlington for over 30 years with her husband and two children and her interests include golfing, skiing, curling and biking.

Lisa was appointed to the board in January 2021 and is currently the Vice Chair of  the Finance & Audit Committee an also serves on the Governance and Nominating Committee after previously sitting on the Quality Committee.

Anna Iacobelli  

As TD Bank Group's Senior Vice President (SVP) of Metro West Region, Anna

 oversees 170 branches and their banking operations - including their strategic

 direction and positioning for future growth. Prior to this, Anna established her leadership brand in increasingly senior roles throughout her 30+ years of experience in financial services such as Retail Banking, Wealth Management, Human Resources, Operations & Technology, and North American Phone Channel.

Anna holds a BCom degree from McMaster University and management program certificates from both Queens and Ivey Business School. She continued her education and received her Institute of Canadian Directors Designation as she has proudly sat on the board for multiple not-for-profit organizations, such as Chair for TD's Friends of the Environment Foundation, the United Way 2021 Campaign Cabinet, and Vice Chair of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation Board. Anna currently serves as a director on the boards of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation and YMCA Oakville. She has a passion for supporting not-for-profit organizations and is actively involved with TD's Women in Leadership initiatives, where she takes pride in mentoring colleagues within TD.

Outside of work Anna enjoys an active lifestyle having completed both Rome and the Greece marathons, and enjoys travelling with her family.

Anna was elected to the JBH Board in June 2022.

Dr. Salina Juma, General Internal Medicine, MD, FRCPC, MSA Vice President

Dr. Juma received her MD at Western University in 2012 and then completed her Internal medicine residency at Western in 2015. She went on to attend Queen’s University for her General Internal Medicine fellowship from 2015-2017. 

Since completing her fellowship, Dr. Juma has been practicing at Joseph Brant Hospital. She is passionate about her clinical work which involves caring for patients on the medical ward, in the ER, in the Perioperative clinic, and in the GIMRAC clinic. Dr. Juma is a very compassionate physician and a strong patient advocate who is dedicated to providing excellent patient care. For her dedication to quality of patient care, Dr. Juma was the recipient of the Joseph Brant Hospital MSA Quality Improvement award in 2019. 

Outside of her clinical duties, Dr. Juma took on the role of MSA Vice President in 2019. This has allowed her to develop her leadership skills and become involved in different initiatives at the hospital. She initiated and currently facilitates MSA Grand rounds, which are monthly presentations on topics across departments to enhance professional development and promote evidence-based medicine among physicians.  Dr. Juma is also passionate about advocating for the medical staff with respect to mental health and wellness and continually strives to address and improve wellness across all departments.

In her capacity as Vice President of the Medical Staff Association, Dr. Juma was appointed to the Board as an Ex-Officio member in 2019.

Corrine Kennedy

Corrine Kennedy was called to the Ontario Bar in 2007 and is currently Senior Legal Counsel at the Co-operators Group Limited. Prior to her time in-house, she was a Partner at Aird & Berlis LLP where she advised private companies, including board of directors and executive teams, on a wide variety of corporate commercial, contractual and governance matters. Corrine was also Aird & Berlis' Diversity and Inclusion Partner, accountable for all diversity and inclusion related matters, including the development and implementation of a firm diversity and inclusion strategy and implementation of Law Society of Ontario equity and diversity requirements. Corrine earned her Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP) from the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion in January, 2019.

Corrine’s past board experience includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Girls Guides of Canada- Guides du Canada (GGC), as well as serving on GGC's Governance Committee.

Corrine has also used her background in diversity and inclusion to present on various diversity and inclusion topics, including “Workplace Harassment and Diversity and Inclusion in the era of #MeToo”, “Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace” and on “Women in Business: Creating A Network of Allies”, among others.

Corrine joined the Joseph Brant Hospital Board in January 2020 after serving as a Community Representative on the Quality Committee since 2018. She has previously served as Chair of the Quality Committee and is a member of the Human Resources Policy & Compensation Committee. Corrine has served as the Board representative on the JBH Diversity and Inclusion Action Table since its inception in 2020.

Leslie Motz - Executive Vice President, Clinical and Chief Nursing Executive

Leslie Motz joined Joseph Brant Hospital in September 2020. She has spent the past 10 years at Lakeridge Health, most recently as the Vice President Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive. Leslie has extensive experience leading and fostering high-performing interdisciplinary clinical teams, driving a culture of continuous quality improvement and safety and elevating patient-centered care. Leslie is a passionate advocate for patients and families and proud member of the nursing profession.

Leslie has held a variety of progressive leadership roles in large, multi-site hospital organizations in Ontario, earning the reputation as a respected, trusted and valuable leader. A strong collaborator and strategic thinker, she has forged partnerships with other health care providers in support of an integrated regional health system.

Most recently, Leslie played a significant and instrumental role in the healthcare response to COVID-19, in addition to offering systems leadership between hospital, long term care, LHIN and public health, temporarily overseeing the management of a long-term care home, in partnership with the home’s management team and, at one point, the Canadian Armed Forces.

Leslie is a passionate advocate for patients and families and proud member of the nursing profession. She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Graduate Management Diploma from Athabasca University, a Certificate from Dorothy Wylie Nursing Leadership Institute and a Nursing Diploma from Georgian College. She is a Certified Health Care Executive and completed the Advanced Health Leadership Program at the Rotman School of Business.

Young Park

Young Park is a corporate board member, strategic advisor, and lecturer. She is also an accomplished C-level executive with an extensive experience in Strategic Planning, Business and Technology Transformations, Corporate Governance, Go-to-Market Strategy, M&A, Digitalization, and Enterprise Risk Management. She has more than 30 years of experience in FinTech, Finance, Insurance, Telecommunications, and public sectors. Prior to her semi-retirement in 2016, she was CIO at D+H, and Sector Vice President at CGI.

Young has earned the ICD.D designation. Currently, Young serves on four corporate boards: Calian Group Ltd., PC Financial, Fundserv Inc. and 407 ETR. Young is also a long-time member of not-for-profit boards that include a focus on skilled immigrant employment, healthcare, and community well-being. She served on the boards of TRIEC, Markham Stouffville Hospital, United Way York Region, and United Way Peel Region.

Young has been a member of the JBH Board since 2017, served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee, is currently the Vice Chair of the Human Resources Policy & Compensation Committee and Vice Chair of the Digital Health Strategy Committee.

Anjlee Patel

Anjlee Patel serves as Chair of the Governance & Nominating Committee and is a member of the Human Resources Policy & Compensation Committee and has served on the Joseph Brant Hospital Board since 2018. Anjlee is a seasoned legal professional within the public sector. She currently holds the position of Vice President, Legal Services, Corporate & Commercial Projects at Infrastructure Ontario (IO) where she provides strategic solutions to complex legal and infrastructure challenges.

Anjlee is a graduate of McMaster University, and has also graduated from law school at the University of Ottawa in addition to holding an ICD.D designation in board governance from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Anjlee is an experienced board member having demonstrated governance expertise and a commitment to public and community service.

Ian Preyra, M.D., M.B.A., FRCPC (EM), 
Chief of Staff,
Joseph Brant Hospital

Dr. Preyra was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in July 2018. He is a graduate of Queen’s University where he received his M.D. in 1999, followed by his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the Schulich School of Business in 2003 and advanced leadership training at the DeGroote School of Business and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr. Preyra has worked as an emergency physician at William Osler Health System and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton where he was also Deputy Chief of Staff. He was a trauma team leader at Hamilton Health Sciences and is also an investigative coroner. Dr. Preyra was part of the team at St. Joe’s that implemented DoveTale, a new electronic health record system for St. Joe’s; this work brought the organization from HIMSS Level 2 to HIMSS Level 6.   

Dr. Preyra has built a strong reputation as a superb clinician and physician leader. His outstanding work ethic, great energy and passion to improve the patient care experience have allowed him to consistently enhance the delivery of high quality care in every role that he has taken on, while maintaining strong advocacy for the advancement of teaching, research and building relationships at all levels.

During Dr. Preyra’s career he has been acknowledged many times for his work as an educator, clinician and physician leader, including receiving the Governor General of Canada Medal, the William Osler Award of Excellence in Education, the Royal College of Physicians of Canada Residency Program Director of the year and the Sister Joan O’Sullivan Award.   

Dr. Preyra has also worked for many years with the Hamilton Catholic Children’s Aid Society supporting their work with children in the community and currently serves on their Board of Directors.

Eric Vandewall,
President and Chief Executive Officer,
Joseph Brant Hospital

Eric Vandewall is President and Chief Executive Officer of Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) in Burlington, a position he assumed in 2009.

Under Eric’s leadership several major accomplishments have been realized at JBH. An ongoing focus to continue to improve quality care, safe care, and service excellence is evident throughout the hospital. In April 2014, and in 2018, Joseph Brant Hospital received Accreditation with Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada.  In addition, JBH recently completed the largest redevelopment and capital expansion project in the history of the hospital. Phase 1, the Halton McMaster Family Health Centre and new parking structure was completed in the Fall of 2014. Phase 2, the redevelopment and expansion of the hospital was completed in the fall of 2018.

Prior to joining JBH, Eric served as the Senior Vice President, Trillium Health Centre, and Vice President of Planning and Corporate Services at Trillium Health Centre. Eric has held a number of other senior management positions including Director, Health Outcomes at Glaxo Welcome; Director, Health Reform Implementation Team, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care; and, Director, Health Promotion Branch, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. He has held several other senior positions at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care over an 11 year period.

Eric is a graduate of Queen’s University and holds a master’s degree in Public Administration, Health Policy. He also has an undergraduate degree from Ryerson University in Architecture and he holds a Chartered Director designation from the Directors College, McMaster University.    

David Wagstaff (CPA, ACC)

David is a seasoned financial executive with a broad range of experience in operational and financial restructuring, mergers & acquisitions and investment evaluation & analysis. Most recently, David was Vice President and CFO for a major Canadian family office reporting directly to the principal, a position he held for over 12 years. He was also a trustee of the associated Family Foundation and participated in disbursement of over $120 million gifts of educational, medical and cultural recipients throughout Canada.

Over the past 25 years, David has actively participated on a number of public, private and not for profit boards specializing in governance, compensation and audit committee roles. These include roles as a member of the Board of Just Energy Group, NRX Worldwide, Vista Broadcasting, and Reach Out Centre for Kids. David graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Commerce, is a member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and holds his Audit Committee Certified designation (ACC) obtained through the Directors’ College.

David was elected to the Board in June 2019 and is currently the Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee and a member of the Human Resources Policy and Compensation Committee. He previously served on the Quality Committee. 

Deanna L. Williams, BScPhm, R.Ph, CAE, C. Dir

Deanna Williams is a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. She has practiced in both hospital and community practice settings, and held several positions within Ontario’s Ministry of Health before joining the Ontario College of Pharmacists in 1994. Since retiring as Registrar of OCP, Deanna has provided consulting services relating to professional and occupational regulation in Canada, the US and abroad through Dundee Consulting Group Ltd.

In 2012, Deanna was appointed by the Ministry of Health & Long Term Care (MoH) as Supervisor to the College of Denturists of Ontario, a post she held for just under two years. From 2014-2018 Deanna served as the inaugural Risk Officer for the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA), with a mandate to identify areas of risk and annually assess the regulator’s effectiveness in administration of the Retirement Homes Act. Deanna is widely recognized among Canada’s regulatory community for her interest in good governance and performance and has conducted regulatory performance reviews that have given rise to recommendations aligned with identified good regulatory governance practices internationally.

In 2017-2018, Deanna served as Expert Technical Advisor to the Ontario Minister of Health and Long Term Care, providing advice respecting identified best regulatory and regulatory governance practices in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

In 2010, Deanna was recognized by the international regulatory community in receiving the CLEAR International Award for Regulatory Excellence, and in 2019, CLEAR’s Service Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Deanna has been an active member of the international regulatory organization (CLEAR) since 1995, serving on its Board (1999-2005), and as CLEAR’s first Canadian President (2003-2004). She is a graduate of the Directors College, at the McMaster DeGroote School of Business and the Strategic Management for Regulatory and Enforcement Agencies (SMREA) program at the Kennedy School of Business, Harvard University. Deanna served as a member of the Board of Directors, Haldimand War Memorial Hospital in Dunnville, Ontario, and as Board Chair from 2014-17. She was elected to the Vistana Spas Corporation Board of Directors in Orlando, Florida in 2014 and currently holds the role of Vice-President.

Deanna is a Burlington resident and was appointed to the Joseph Brant Hospital Board in June 2021 and currently serves as Chair of the Quality Committee.