Board of Directors - 2008-2009

Louise Leonard, President

Louise has spent most of her career in health care delivery and planning on an operational level.  Her leadership as Executive Director of the Waterloo Region District Health Council resulted in service delivery improvements in the hospital sector as well as numerous other local health care improvements and expansions. She represents KidsAbility on the Board of the Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Centres.  She also served as the volunteer Board Chair of the Community Care Access Centre of Waterloo Region.  Louise has received awards for her contribution to the community in health care.

Ingrid Pregel, Vice-President

Ingrid is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC). She spent many years as a Senior Manager with KPMG’s advisory services. In June, 2007, she embarked on a new career as an independent Management Consultant.  One of her contracts is with the City of Kitchener with a focus on the arts and culture community. Her leadership of the Board training and governance development process has contributed significantly to the quality of governance at KidsAbility. Ingrid is Past President of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region and a Board member of the YWCA.

Steven Hendry- Secretary 

Steven graduated in General Business studies from Conestoga College and currently is employed with Nordia Inc. as a Customer Care and Technical Support Agent.  He is an ambassador and active volunteer with KidsAbility where he mentors clients, advises on policy issues and makes fundraising presentations.  He enjoys meeting and working with people.  Both Steven and his wife Tanya are former clients of KidsAbility and reside in Kitchener.

Gary Pooley - Treasurer

Gary is a Chartered Accountant and a retired partner of Ernst & Young. He is currently an advisor to and a Board member of a number of private companies. Gary is also a Board member and Treasurer of the YMCA of Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo and a Board member and Chief Financial Officer of the Research & Technology Park Accelerator Centre affiliated with the University of Waterloo.

Arisa Alexanian

Arisa is a Technical Sales Specialist with Hewlett-Packard Company. She has extensive volunteer experience with the Down Syndrome Society, the YWCA and K-W Counselling and is an active fundraiser for many charitable community groups. She is a strong advocate for awareness, education and inclusion for people with disabilities. Arisa and her husband Steve have a son, Michael, who is a current recipient of the services of KidsAbility.

Bruce Antonello

Bruce was the President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary's General Hospital from December 1982 until the spring of 2004. He currently works as an independent Health Care Consultant. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Jerome’s University, he is Chair of the KW Chamber of Commerce Health Care Resources Council and part of a group of citizens who, under the banner Med Ed, is raising money to support the Waterloo Regional Campus of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.

Steve Currie

Steve is the Director of Marketing at Open Text Corporation, Canada’s largest software company. Steve has also held various senior sales and marketing positions within the tech sector. His responsibilities in both start-up and established businesses have included oversight of product management, marketing communications, technical support and business development activities.

Having obtained his APR (Accreditation in Public Relations) in 1998, Steve is an active member of the Public Relations Society of America.  He has an Economics Degree and Business Diploma from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a frequent technology marketing lecturer at both Wilfrid Laurier and Conestoga College.

Steve is also active in the community with a number of charities and is a past Board member of the United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo.

Jan Hayward

Jan spent most of career in Early Childhood Education working at various levels.  She received an International award for her work with Co-operative Preschools.  She served on a number of Community Boards in the Waterloo Region, including serving as President of the K-W Alzheimer Society and Chairperson at Conestoga College.  She is currently volunteering in the Resource Centre at KidsAbility Waterloo.

Bobbi Holte

Bobbi is a Chartered Accountant who spent eight years with Ernst & Young before leaving to take on senior financial roles for two local high-tech companies and a lead role in the development of the Waterloo Research & Technology Park Accelerator Centre as the Centre’s first Director of Client Programs.  Bobbi is currently the Chief Financial Officer of LiveHive Systems Inc., a Waterloo-based technology company.  Bobbi is also the proud mom of our 2006 - 2007 Kids Can’t Wait Campaign Ambassador, Sydnie.  Both Sydnie and her younger brother Samuel receive services from KidsAbility.  Bobbi is a frequent speaker at events coordinated through KidsAbility Foundation and shares her experience as a parent of a child with special needs and the important role that KidsAbility plays in helping Sydnie and Samuel to achieve their full potential.

Dr. Douglas Jones

Dr. Jones is a life-long resident of Kitchener-Waterloo.  He graduated from the University of Western Ontario’s Faculty of Dentistry in 1975.  Dr. Jones is an Associate Lecturer at Western and is Past President of the Rotary Club of Kitchener Grand-River and a former Rotary Area Governor representing the Kitchener-Waterloo Rotary Clubs.  He is a recipient of the Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship and the Catholic Family Counselling Centre Community Service Award.

Marilee Mark

Marilee Mark is the Vice-President of Marketing, Group Benefits at Manulife Financial in Waterloo.    Marilee is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy.  She is the chair of The Canadian Council on Integrated Healthcare and is a frequent speaker and advocate on issues relating to private and public healthcare in Canada. Marilee is a member of the Sunnyside Home Foundation Board in Kitchener.

Nancy Paul

Nancy was the Founder and President of Angel Associates, a health care agency in Waterloo Region. Having retired, Nancy currently is an independent business consultant.  Nancy is a frequent speaker sharing her business experiences and her experiences of being a parent of a special needs child who died of cancer at the age of ten. Nancy is a past member of the Waterloo Hospice Board and Waterloo Separate School Board, Special Education Advisory Committee as well as Past President of St. Vincent de Paul Society at her church.  She is currently volunteering with Junior Achievement.

Penny Smiley

Penny has worked as a Human Resources Professional for the past 22 years.  She has worked for the past ten years for the Region of Waterloo and currently holds the positions of Commissioner of Human Resources, which oversees all Human Resources programming for all seven departments at the Region of Waterloo.  Prior to joining the Region, Penny worked for public sector organizations in Saskatoon, Kingston and Ottawa.  She holds a Masters of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and a Masters of Industrial Relations Degree from Queen’s University.   Penny has served on many Boards and committees, both in this community and others where she has lived.  Penny lives in Guelph with her husband Bill and daughter Meg.

Dr. Janet Speight - Director of Medical Services

Dr. Speight has been our lead doctor at KidsAbility since 1988. She and her husband had a family practice in Kitchener from 1983 until early 2009.  She provides medical support and consultation to staff and coordinates related issues with the medical community in Waterloo Region.  She graduated from Dalhousie University with a degree in Biology and from UBC with a degree in Zoology.  She then attended Dalhousie University Medical School and practiced as a family physician in Prince Edward Island after her internship in Halifax. She and her husband later moved to Kingston for further training and after returning to the Maritimes for three years came to Kitchener in 1982. Since 2008, she is an Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) in Pediatrics at McMaster University, Faculty of Health Sciences as part of KidsAbility's new partnership with McMaster.

Bill Weiler

Bill spent most of his career in Electronics Manufacturing as Chief Executive Officer. Bill served on the Board of Waterloo North Hydro and is currently on the Board of Grand River Hospital and Open Works. Bill was an advocate for health care in Waterloo Region during the hospital restructuring and one of “The Three Musketeers.”  He continues to hold health care as a personal high priority. He founded and manages Wonders of Winter, the Christmas Light Festival in Waterloo Park. He is the father of five children and grandfather of eight.

Terry Wilson

Terry graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. She has worked at St. Joseph Hospital in Hamilton and St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. She has been on the Parent Council at Mary Johnston Public School and the Operating Committee at St. John’s Christian Nursery School.  Terry is also a canvasser for the Canadian Cancer Society. Terry joined the KidsAbility Board in February 2006.

Paul Winnett

Paul is the managing Partner of Morneau Sobeco’s Kitchener Office.  Prior to that, Paul worked for another major actuarial consulting firm in Detroit and Toronto.  Paul is a frequent speaker on pension issues.  He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.  Paul also volunteers for the Toronto CFA Society as a Media Speaker on pension issues.

Stephen Swatridge - Chief Executive Officer

Stephen is a graduate of the McMaster University School of Social Work and Simon Fraser University School of Business (Executive MBA Program). He is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Service Executives and is an active volunteer with several local organizations. Stephen’s professional career has included a stint in the Ontario government and he has held leadership positions in several health and social service organizations in Ontario and British Columbia. He currently leads the implementation of the KidsAbility 2020 Strategic Directions with particular emphasis on the development of strategic partnerships.

Sue Hallman, Chair, KidsAbility Foundation/Co-chair, Annual Campaign

Sue, along with her husband Jim, own Aberdeen Homes Limited.  Having retired four years ago, Sue now has more time to devote to her volunteer work, her two children and three grandchildren. Sue has been a member of the YWCA Board, Chair of the Faith Communities Committee for the YWCA, and Co-chaired the YWCA $2.5 million capital campaign.  Sue is also a member of the Leadership Advisory Council with Leadership Waterloo, as well as a facilitator for the senior group at her church.

Lisa Talbot - Executive Director, KidsAbility Foundation

Lisa has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guelph and has been with the KidsAbility Foundation since 2001. Lisa is a member of the Waterloo Region Fund Raising Executives and Association of Fundraising Professionals. She is a recent graduate of Leadership Waterloo Region, a local executive development program. Her leadership has enabled KidsAbility Foundation to develop strong community support and KidsAbility to enhance its profile as an important, innovative and knowledge-sharing organization.