VISIT GBGH    |    BOARD PORTAL    |    CONTACT US    |    GBGH 50/50

DONATE TODAY SUBSCRIBE
Call Us 705-526-4483
ABOUT
US

Board of Directors

The Georgian Bay General Hospital Foundation is governed by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors. Our board plays a key role in raising money to achieve the Hospital’s priorities of purchasing new equipment and expanding facilities, and in its continuing efforts to provide excellent patient care.

The Foundation Board sets strategic direction, board policies, assists with fundraising, and oversees the activities of the Foundation, ensuring integrity and respect through accountability and the responsible management of funds. For the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year, this is our Board of Directors:

Katie Houston

Katie Houston

CHAIR

Jennifer Schnier

Jennifer Schnier

VICE-CHAIR

Glenn Keenan

Glenn Keenan

DIRECTOR

Joe Rooney

Joe Rooney

DIRECTOR

Mary Harvey

Mary Harvey

DIRECTOR

Jen Johnson

Dr. Jennifer Johnson

DIRECTOR

John Walker

John Walker

DIRECTOR

Jenna Dafoe

Jenna Dafoe

DIRECTOR

Jeff Holloway

Jeff Holloway

DIRECTOR

Dave Wattling

Dave Wattling

GBGH BOARD APPOINTEE

Nicole Kraftscik

Nicole Kraftscik

CEO

Matthew Lawson

Matthew Lawson

EX-OFFICIO

Do you want to make a difference in your community?

The GBGH Foundation is always seeking caring individuals who are passionate about making a meaningful difference in our community to join our volunteer Board.

Learn more about joining our Board.

Long dark haired woman in a a white dress shirt

Katie Houston, Chair

Katie Houston is a sessional lecturer and PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto. Passionate about equity, engaging local communities, social change and advocacy work, her research interests include the use of sport as a tool for social impact and international development. Focused on connecting people and pushing them to think more deeply about their responsibility to their community, Katie comes to the board with substantial fundraising and community organizing experience having previously worked in private sector fundraising for the UN Refugee Agency and Rugby Canada.

Born at Georgian Bay General Hospital, Katie’s connection to the both the local and seasonal community runs deep. A life-long cottage resident, Katie splits her time between Toronto and Thunder Beach – though her heart remains firmly on the shores of Georgian Bay regardless of where she is. Her connection to these communities, most especially Thunder Beach and Cedar Ridge, will allow for her place on the board to bring about new connections, placing the needs of the hospital at the centre of these conversations. Having been involved with a number of different fundraising events supporting GBGH, Katie looks forward to taking on a more substantial and meaningful role as a board member.

Happiest outside or on the water, Katie is most often found enjoying Georgian Bay by boat with her fiancé Max and their corgi puppy, Bash, or exploring new hiking and biking trails through Simcoe County Forest and Awenda Provincial Park.

Jennifer Schnier

Jennifer Schnier, Vice-Chair

Jennifer is the Director of Sustainability at the Township of Georgian Bay. She holds a Masters in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo.  In her work, Jennifer connects people together to work on and support like-minded causes, and as such is a great fit for this board.

Jennifer provides a perspective of Sustainability; advocating for conversations about cultural, environmental, and economic considerations when reviewing decisions at the Board level.

Jennifer’s connection to the Georgian Bay Community, and in particular Port Severn and Honey Harbour will help the board to reach out and ensure the needs of residents in these communities are heard.

Jennifer’s preference is to be outdoors, and active, so it’s not uncommon to find her golfing, boating, or in the forest with her new puppies. Jennifer lives in Port Severn with her husband Alec and they have six sons and two grandchildren.

Glenn Keenan

Glenn Keenan, Director

Glenn Keenan is a longtime resident of Toronto and a lifetime cottager in Tiny Township. He is the father of two teenage sons, both born at Georgian Bay General Hospital.

Glenn is a Professional Engineer and holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto. He also has an MBA in Entrepreneurial Studies from Schulich Business School, York University. 

He is currently the Vice President of Marketing for Toromont Cat, a division of Toromont Industries (Concord), where he has had a 35-year career.  Glenn has strong financial acumen including managing a P&L, Balance Sheet, and Capital Budgets. He is skilled in strategic planning, business & people development, supplier & partner development, and management, and has change management training and experience. 

Glenn is an active member of several dealer councils, including currently Global Marketing and Sales Excellence Council.  He was active in the United Way of York Region, United Way of Peel Region, and is currently a voting member of the United Way of Toronto/York/Peel region. 

Part of a true Georgian Bay family, Glenn enjoys boating, fishing, golfing, snowmobiling, and skiing, among other sports.

Joe Rooney

Joe Rooney, Director

Joe Rooney joined Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners as a Partner in September 2019. His focus is on Business Development and Client Relationship Management. Joe spent the last few years as the Chief Financial Officer of a machine-learning software company. Prior to this, from 2006 to 2016, he worked at Burgundy Asset Management. During his ten years at Burgundy, he held a variety of progressively senior roles.  In 2013, he joined Burgundy’s management team as Head of the Private Client Group and later became Head of the U.S. Client Group where he had the opportunity to work with, and advise, some of North America’s leading endowments, foundations, and family offices.

Joe graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Arts degree (Economics) in 2002 and received his Master of Finance from the Rotman School of Management in 2010. He was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2005. Additionally, Joe completed the Investment Management Workshop at Harvard Business School, the Artificial Intelligence:  Implications for Business Strategy Executive Program at MIT Sloan School of Management, and the Value Investing Course at the Columbia Business School.

Joe is a member of the Board of Governors of Wilfrid Laurier University and a member of the President’s Council for the St. Michael’s Foundation. He is also a member of the CFA Institute and the Toronto CFA Society.

Older lady with medium length reddish brown hair wearing a white and blue top with a blue sweater

Mary Harvey, Director

Mary Harvey currently resides in Cedar Point, Ontario within her home community of Beausoleil First Nation.   Mary was born in Midland and lived on Christian Island for a time before relocating to Ravenna, Ontario where she eventually met her husband and started a family.   In 1988, Mary returned home to chimnissing with her husband and three children where throughout the years she pursued her entrepreneurial endeavors in hospitality and restaurant management, catering, and retail.   In 2016 Mary was nominated for female entrepreneur of the year with the Meridian Woman of Excellence Awards.

Mary is a proud member of Beausoleil First Nation and strives to represent her community well. In doing so she is currently a member of the board for Anishinabek Police service for chimnissing.   She is also an active volunteer for Crimestoppers of Simcoe Muskoka.

In her spare time, Mary enjoys baking and is known for her fantastic meat pies.  She can often be found spending time with her family and enjoying the company of her grandchildren.

Jen Johnson

Dr. Jennifer Johnson, Director

Jennifer Johnson earned her undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Queen’s University and then went on to obtain her medical degree from McMaster University. Her post-graduate studies in Family Medicine were completed at the University of Calgary where she obtained her Certification in Family Practice (CCFP).  In addition to caring for her family practice, Jennifer has assisted in the operating room (when on call) and treated inpatients at the Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) in Midland for the past 27 years. She also worked regular ER shifts at GBGH up until 2018.  

Jennifer’s interest in primary care clinical research led her to enroll in the Master of Clinical Science program in family medicine as a part-time student at Western University in 2015. She completed this Master’s degree in 2020. Her ongoing research is inspired not only by the challenges patients face in obtaining healthcare, but also by the challenges healthcare providers face in delivering it. She is interested in all healthcare systems including hospitals and is motivated to help understand, support, and improve these important services. 

In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys kayaking, cycling, skiing, and time with her husband, three children, and two dogs.   

A man with greying black hair in a grey zip up sweater

John Walker , Director

John grew up in the Midland area, attending Port McNicoll Public School and Midland Secondary School before pursuing his post-secondary education.  John obtained his law degree in 2006 and joined the law firm of Hacker Gignac Rice in 2007. John focuses his legal practice in the areas of corporate/commercial law and commercial real estate and is the current managing partner of HGR Graham Partners LLP.

John is a past President of the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Simcoe / Muskoka. He enjoys coaching his son’s minor hockey league team and is an avid boater, golfer, and weekend warrior hockey player.

woman with long blond streaked air wearing a black high neck sweater

Jenna Dafoe, Director

Jenna grew up in a small town in Southwestern Ontario and then moved around throughout the province while pursuing her education.  Jenna has lived in North Simcoe for 6 years and intends to remain in this community for many, many years.  Jenna has an Honour’s Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, studied at the Master’s level in Political Science, and obtained two Juris Doctor Degrees in Canada and the United States.

Jenna has been involved in many volunteer capacities throughout her life and many fundraising initiatives to benefit community organizations and incredibly important causes.  Jenna has been practicing criminal law in the Province of Ontario since 2015 and will be returning to her home office in Simcoe County in 2022.

Jenna has a passion for access to justice and access to healthcare, particularly for the most vulnerable members of our community.  Jenna has followed the work of the Foundation for some time and has been very impressed with the community activism and the funds raised to purchase critical hospital equipment that enables community members to obtain the same quality of care as they would in a larger city.  Jenna is eager to assist in the overarching goals of the Foundation and to hopefully contribute to the positive impact the Foundation has in our community.

Man with short dark hair wearing a white shirt and a blue suit jacket

Jeff Holloway, Director

Jeff works at RBC Dominion Securities in Midland and joined RBC Wealth Management in 2014. In his current role, Jeff provides wealth management solutions to business owners, executives, professionals, and retirees.

Prior to working at RBC, Jeff was a partner at a leadership consulting firm and was a vice president at a Fortune 500 consulting company. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA) while working for a multinational audit, tax, and consulting firm, he was the Controller at the National Hockey League Players’ Association.

Jeff was born in Kitchener-Waterloo and spent most of his childhood living in Owen Sound.  He moved to the Midland area full-time in 2019. He graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honors degree in Mathematics (Computer Science). Jeff also holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation.

Jeff is very supportive of many worthwhile causes in our local community. Currently, he is the Treasurer for the Quest Art School and Gallery in Midland.

David Wattling

Dave Wattling, GBGH Board Appointee

Dave Wattling is a long-time entrepreneur. He has built several consulting and technology businesses over the past 30 years, all focused on supporting healthcare, whether in Canada, the UK or the US. In 2011 he joined TELUS when his firm was acquired. After seven years he retired from corporate life and returned to his consulting roots helping owners to plan, structure, grow—organically and inorganically—and, if they wish, sell their businesses.

Dave is passionate about governance and presently sits on the Newmarket-Tay Power board as well as two private sector for-profit boards. He is equally passionate about volunteering in service to his local community. To that end, he chaired the Southlake Regional Health Centre Foundation board and sat on the Health Centre board from 2017 to 2021.

Dave was elected to the Georgian Bay General Hospital board in June of 2022, and cross-appointed to the GBGH Foundation board at that time.

Dave holds the ICD Certified Director and Certified Management Consultant (gold medalist) designations. In 2012, he was honoured to receive both the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, which recognizes significant contributions and achievements by Canadians, and ITAC Health’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2017, he was awarded the 150th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal for volunteer service to his community. In 2021 he received an Ontario Volunteer Service Award for his work with Southlake.

Dave is in transition to his retirement home in Port McNicoll, a process he expects to take a couple of years. He is an avid traveler and motorcyclist, and soon-to-be boater!

Stay Connected

Sign up for our e-newsletter for inspiring stories, updates about events and to learn how donations are making a difference. You may unsubscribe at any time.