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From left: Matthew Lawson, president & CEO, GBGH; Chris Lembo-Berry; Nicole Kraftscik, executive director, GBGH Foundation; Dr. David Bayfield; Dr. Vikram Ralhan, chief of staff, GBGH.

 

Earlier this year, the GBGH Foundation presented the annual Robbert Hartog Health Innovation Award to two deserving individuals from Georgian Bay General Hospital.  Dr. David Bayfield and Chris Lembo-Berry were recognized for their outstanding achievements that demonstrate the values of Robbert Hartog, who worked tirelessly on behalf of Georgian Bay General Hospital and the Foundation.   

Established by the GBGH Foundation in 2009, the $5,000 award is shared between the winners toward furthering their professional learning and development. 

“There are many exceptional people at Georgian Bay General Hospital, and this year’s recipients are absolutely deserving of this recognition,” says Nicole Kraftscik, executive director, GBGH Foundation. “These individuals are innovative, service-focused and have contributed to transformational projects for GBGH.  I am honoured to present the award this year to David and Chris.” 

Dr. David Bayfield, emergency physician and chief medical information officer at GBGH, is recognized for his many years of leadership in the emergency department, as well as for his advocacy and dedication to the implementation of the CARE4 (health information system) Project. 

“Dr. Bayfield had worked tirelessly over the last 4 years as a key stakeholder inside and outside the organization, in implementing arguably one of the biggest operational changes that could take place in a hospital environment,” says Dr. Vikram Ralhan, chief of staff, GBGH. “He embodies the vision of this award and he is most deserving of recognition for his work on the CARE4 project, but also for his many years of leadership within the hospital and community.” 

Chris Lembo-Berry, Service Desk Analyst at GBGH, is recognized for his commitment and dedication to supporting the hospital team, and playing a key role in the transition to a joint Information Services model with partner hospital RVH.  

“Chris is an integral part of the day-to-day operations of the GBGH team,” says Matthew Lawson, president & CEO, GBGH. “No matter what the task is, he helps out cheerfully and always follows up to ensure it’s been completed. He is collaborative, responsive and is always going the extra mile.” 

The GBGH Foundation Board of Directors, staff and members of the Hartog-Robillard Advisory committee extend their sincere congratulations and heartfelt thanks to this year’s recipients.  



On December 16, 2022, Faris Team Real Estate Brokerage announced their ongoing commitment to donating a total of $100,000 over the next 5 years during their presentation with Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) Foundation.

“Health is one of the core values of our family, and helping the community have the best health care is important to us,” says Mark Faris, CEO and Broker of Faris Team Real Estate Brokerage. “We are so excited for our partnership and continued commitment to support the Georgian Bay General Hospital.”

For every home sold or purchased, Faris Team Real Estate Brokerage donates $100 to a local charity partner within the markets they serve in Ontario. This is part of their mission to go full out® for their clients, team, and community. Faris Team Real Estate Brokerage recently sponsored the 2022 GBGH Power of Giving Gala held on September 24, 2022.

Faris Team has generously supported the GBGH Foundation as their local partner in the North Simcoe community for the past three years, investing $75,000 in the Foundation’s Impact Fund. This support has helped to fund items like a portable x-ray machine, which brings vital diagnostic technology to the patient bedside; an electronic patient medical record system to ensure information is available to the care providers instantly; and cardiac monitors, which provide real-time information to the care teams to alert them of any changes in heartbeat, rhythm, blood pressure, and other key vitals.

“Our partnership with Faris Team is having a profound impact on the patients and care teams at GBGH,” shares Nicole Kraftscik, executive director of GBGH Foundation. “Supporting our hospital through every local Real Estate transaction sends such a strong message of commitment and caring. This lifts up and encourages the teams at GBGH and also puts important medical equipment and technology into their hands. It’s a win-win!”

 

Colin Aubrey

Colin Aubrey, Director

Colin Aubrey is a Portfolio Manager at Connor, Clark & Lunn Investment Management, responsible for institutional client service. Through this role, he has overseen several initiatives related to corporate social responsibility, improving workplace culture, as well as equity, diversity, and inclusion.

He participates on the Board of Directors for the CC&L Foundation and oversees sponsorships and strategic partnerships for CAMH Engage (the young professional’s Board, in support of the CAMH Foundation).

Colin holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Management, Economics, and Finance from the University of Guelph and is a CFA charter holder.

He has a passion for contributing to and improving the community in which he lives.

Adele Newton

Adele Newton, Director

Adele has been an active community member throughout her career – as a board member of organizations including Planned Parenthood of Kitchener-Waterloo in the 1980’s and, more recently, serving on the board of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and the Waterloo Region Chapter of Women in Communications and Technology. She co-founded LAUNCH Waterloo and produced Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky’s Girls in STEAM event in 2018 – both projects to ensure that young people, and especially girls, engage in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) activities.

Adele has a wealth of non-profit board experience, a passion for community outreach and an extensive track record of project and event management and production.

Adele currently works as a freelance writer and is developing a cookbook that will highlight the food and women of her family’s home province of Basilicata in southern Italy.

Danny Davis

Danny Davies, Director

Danny Davies has enjoyed a career which allowed him to operate in three countries, across a range of industries, in Consulting, HR and Executive roles. His most recent being the Chief People Officer for AVIVA where he retired from in 2023. His passion is for people to make a difference by being themselves and he believes all leadership roles have the privilege of making this happen. He’s been fortunate to have roles which have allowed him to do the things he cares deeply about; leadership, inclusion and leading major change.

Danny is a previous World & European Bridge Champion.  He lives in Tiny with his family: Helen, Dylan and Menna (and Scout).  

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John Bai

John Bai, CPA, CFA, ICD.D – Director

John is an accomplished financial services executive and experienced board member with deep knowledge of complex financial issues, executing transformational initiatives, navigating board and audit committees and accountability for performance of a significant business with responsibility for delivering strategic and operational excellence.

John is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer of Aviso Wealth Inc.  Previously, John held progressive leadership roles at RBC, most recently including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Transformation Officer at City National Bank in the United States.  John served on several non-profit boards and currently serves as the Treasurer of a California-based non-profit organization, EnCorps, which promotes STEM education in lower-income areas.

John believes that making a difference in his community is very important, and volunteering and serving on not-for-profits focused on education is central to his belief that education enables people to achieve their full potential.

John has been a seasonal resident of Penetanguishene for more than a decade. 

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.

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.

Joe Rooney, Chair

Joe Rooney joined Langdon Equity Partners in 2024. He has over 20 years of experience in the investment industry including ten years at Burgundy Asset Management where he was part of the management team and responsible for leading the Canadian Private Client Group and the U.S Institutional Client Group.

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.

In addition, Joe has over 15 years of experience helping non-profits manage their investment portfolios. He is the former chair and current member of the Investment Oversight Committee for Wilfrid Laurier University which oversees investment decisions on behalf of the school’s Pension Plan and Endowment.

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.

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Jenna Dafoe, Vice-Chair

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.

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.

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.   

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!

Long dark haired woman in a a white dress shirt

Katie Houston, Past-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. 

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