MEET OUR BOARD
The Board’s role is to provide direction to the Centre on behalf of the community. Board members provide leadership and support the Centre to ensure it meets its goals. They oversee the organization and work with the Executive Director who performs operational duties. The Board extends its support for collaboration by working in partnership with staff and the community to carry out the Centre’s mission.
Mike Bulthuis, Chair
Mike engages daily in social policy, currently as an Analyst with the federal public service, on a team addressing homelessness in Canada. He also serves on the Board of the provincial Alliance for Healthier Communities, and as a volunteer with Bruce House. He has lived in Ottawa – in a number of downtown neighbourhoods – since 1999, after growing up in Hamilton, Ontario.
Rebecca Wolsak, Co-Vice Chair
Rebecca has worked as a Program Manager at Inter Pares since 2006, co-managing a large social justice program in Burma. As a co-manager, Rebecca has experience both as an employer and an employee in an organization that endeavours to change systems that perpetuate inequality, poverty and injustice. During her career in the non-profit sector in Canada, Rebecca’s advocacy efforts have also focused on women’s rights, healthcare and feminist process.
Paul Galipeau, Co-Vice Chair
Paul joins CCHC’s Board of Directors with over 15 years of experience in communications and advocacy within the federal public service and with international NGOs. Paul has led advocacy campaigns and mobilized volunteers on a range of global health and social issues including girls education, equitable vaccine access as well as services and treatment for people living with HIV.
Charlie Thompson, Secretary
Charlie has worked in several roles related to public policy and public health in both political and non-partisan roles. Most recently, he has worked in healthcare advocacy and policy at HealthCareCAN. In a previous life, he held positions at the Ontario Legislature and at Canada’s parliament in roles closely connected to the health portfolio at federal and provincial levels.
Brent Leonard, Treasurer
Brent Leonard is
passionate about improving the experience of those navigating the health system and health services, Brent has completed a Master of Health Administration degree and works with not-for-profits to support service delivery, strategy, and fundraising initiatives.
Rakhi Dhawan, Director
Rakhi is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) who has been working in the federal government for over 15 years, and has gained significant experience in audit, finance, and policy while taking on progressively more senior roles into the management level. During her career, Rakhi has built a reputation for a deep and passionate commitment in all she endeavours to take on, and working with a high level of integrity.
Darcy DeMarsico, Director
Darcy is an executive at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, where she works to build globally competitive ecosystems in areas of Canadian technology leadership. She has experience as a board member and volunteer on community and athletic organizations, and has been a client at CCHC for 40 years.
Meseret Haileyesus, Director
Meseret is a social entrepreneur, community builder, and founder of both the Canadian Center for Women’s Empowerment and Maternity Today. With a background in midwifery, economics, and public health, she drives social change by advocating for high-quality and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare for women on a global scale, with a goal of ending gender-based violence.
Joanne Weiss Reid, Director
For over 20 years, Joanne has worked in project management, public and Indigenous engagement and consultation, and healthy and sustainable community planning, and policy development. Joanne is currently an executive leading partnerships with Indigenous communities, organizations and governments on program and service delivery, capacity building, youth engagement, equity, diversity and inclusion, and recruitment and retention in the Arctic.
Deborah Cummings, Director
Deborah is a registered social worker, agile advocate and stakeholder engagement professional with 15+ years’ experience in Canadian healthcare and non-profit sectors. As a proven operations director, critical analyst yet, creative innovator utilizing a solution- focused, client centered practice Deborah responds to complex human, societal and business needs with transparency and authenticity.
Geneviève Cimon, Director
Genevieve is a passionate advocate for youth, social justice, and community partnerships. For twenty years, she worked at the National Arts Centre as their Senior Director of Learning and Community Engagement where she helped increase access to the arts for countless youth living in rural and remote communities across Canada and in the far north. She is now a consultant for arts organizations and is the Interim Executive Director for Propeller Dance.
Warsama Aden
Warsama Aden is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) working for the federal government with a passion for accounting, taxation, and process and systems management. Inclusion and equity in health and education are the cornerstones of his community engagement.
Warsama offers his expertise to the service of the community by getting involved in various Board of directors. He was a sector 10 school counselor for CEPEO during the pandemic. In addition to his other commitments, he is a member of the Montfort association.
Elizabeth Cain, Staff Representative
Elizabeth is a family nurse practitioner at Centretown CHC in the Urban Health and Seniors Outreach programs. Elizabeth has worked for multiple agencies in Ottawa, Vancouver and the United States supporting individuals facing homelessness, addiction, and health conditions resulting from poverty and other social determinants of health. She is happy to join the CCHC board as a term staff representative.
Alexandre Mayer, Staff Representative
Alex is a fluently bilingual (EN/FR) staff member who has been supporting the Centre’s planning and evaluation functions as Health Analyst for just over 5 years. He is a graduate of the Queen’s School of Policy Studies where he obtained a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) specializing in Health Policy.