Michele Brenning

Board Member

Prior to joining QCH Board as a community member, Michele served as a Board Director with Ottawa Community Housing. Michele is also the volunteer Chair of the Health Issues Committee for the Council on Aging (COA) of Ottawa and advocates on issues such as Home Care and Long Term Care. She is a certified NCCP Coach in swimming and is involved in community sports and is the Head Coach for the Special Olympics Orleans and Nepean Riptides Swim clubs.

Before retiring in 2016, Michele served 32 years with the Government of Canada. She retired from Correctional Services Canada (CSC) as Assistant Commissioner of Health Services. As the ADM she led the delivery of psychiatric and medical services in the CSC regional hospitals and the mental health and physical health clinical services (including dental and pharmacy services) to federal inmates housed in 43 prisons across Canada. Michele was accountable for managing a $260 Million operating budget and led a team of over 1600 health professionals.

Michele holds a Masters of Business Administration from University Ottawa (1995) and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from University of Manitoba (1984). Michele is married and has two adult sons who both reside in Ottawa.

Rana Chreyh

Vice Chair

Rana Chreyh is a business leader and a licensed professional engineer with over 20 years of experience and a deep commitment to making a difference in industries with positive human impact. She has held various leadership roles ranging from Chief Operating Officer, Executive Consultant, Director PMO and Director of Engineering in the medical device industry, mHealth Technology and healthcare delivery spaces. Rana has experience in both the private sector and broader public sector including at Abbott and IBM and has served at Canadian Blood Services and The Ottawa Hospital. She is a graduate of Queen's University B.Sc. Chemical Engineering with first class honours Rana also holds a dual executive MBA from Queen's University and Cornell University with academic distinction. Rana lives with her family on the west end of Ottawa and is delighted to be serving as a member of the Queensway Carleton Hospital Board of Directors.

Jonathan Dewar

Board Member

In January 2024, Jonathan Dewar, PhD, returned to the role of Chief Executive Officer at the First Nations Information Governance Centre, having previously been with the organization from 2017-2022. The FNIGC leads national-level research, designing and implementing national surveys, including the longstanding First Nations Regional Health Survey, as well as related research initiatives, and provides information governance, information management, and OCAP® education and training.

He has spent most of his 20+ year career directing research and knowledge translation initiatives for national Indigenous-led organizations. During that time, his work has focused on governance, strategic planning, health and wellbeing, data sovereignty, and truth, healing, and reconciliation.

Jonathan has previously served as the Director General and Vice President, Collections, Research, Exhibitions, and Repatriation at the Canadian Museum of History; Director of the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre and Special Advisor to the President at Algoma University; and Director of Research at the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, among other leadership roles.

Jonathan received a doctorate from the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies at Carleton University and holds an appointment as Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Jonathan is of Scottish- and French-Canadian heritage and a member of the Huron-Wendat Nation. He was born and raised in Ottawa, the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Nation.

Andrew Falconer

Secretary

Andrew has been an Emergency Physician at Queensway Carleton hospital since 1987, served as QCH's Chief of Staff from 2008 to 2019, and currently serves as the Hospital's President and Chief Executive Officer. He graduated from the University of Ottawa School of Medicine in 1985, completed his Family Medicine residency at the University of Ottawa in 1987 and later received his Emergency Medicine Specialty Certificate. Andrew served on the Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario from 2012 to 2015 and also served on the discipline committee. In addition, he received his advanced Health Care Leadership Program certification and financial literacy certification from Rotman School of Business and completed his Masters in Health Administration from the University of Regina in 2018. Andrew recently served as President of Saint Mary's General Hospital before moving back to Queensway Carleton Hospital to take on the role of President and CEO.

Ahmer Gulzar

Board Member

Ahmer is a technology leader with a wide range of experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. As the Director of Information Systems and Web Services, he is a member of the senior leadership team at the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) where he is responsible for aligning organizational goals with technology strategy and implementation. Ahmer is co-chair of CCSA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee since the committee’s inception in 2020. Prior to working for CCSA, Ahmer held several management positions in the insurance and telecommunication industries. His areas of expertise include technology strategy, enterprise and business architecture, digital services, cybersecurity, people leadership, human resources and EDI. He holds an Executive MBA from the University of Ottawa, Bachelors of Engineering from Carleton University, is a licensed professional engineer, a Project Management Professional and is ITIL certified. Ahmer concurrently serves on the board of directors for the Shepherds of Good Hope. Ahmer resides in Ottawa west with his wife, young daughter and son, who were born at QCH. He adores spending time with his family and giving his time back to the community.

Al Hamdani

Vice Chair

Al Hamdani is a seasoned financial services executive and leader with over 25 years of experience in corporate finance, enterprise risk management and transformation who believes that strong healthcare and social services are critical to community prosperity. Al is also on the Board of Directors of Service Coordination Support, an entity which works with the Ontario government to empower people with developmental disabilities through various services. Al is currently an executive at the Canada Development Investment Corporation (CDEV), where he helped start up a subsidiary which provides debt and equity financing to companies impacted by the pandemic and now oversees a $7 billion portfolio. Previously, he held several leadership roles at Export Development Canada (EDC), including Chief Risk Officer where he led a major transformation of EDC’s risk and governance practices and Global Head of Project Finance, where he built a successful infrastructure financing business and closed project financings across various industries in numerous countries around the world. Earlier in his career, Al also had roles at a major Canadian corporate bank as well as at the Bank of Canada. Al is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has an MBA from the Rotman School of Management. Al is an avid golfer, runner and snowboarder as well as an amateur guitarist who loves all kinds of music. Al lives in Kanata and feels fortunate to have benefited from the care of the Queensway Carleton Hospital many times and is excited and honoured to serve on its Board of Directors.

Dr. Michael Herman

Vice President of Medical Staff

Dr. Michael Herman has been a practicing Emergency Medicine physician at Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH) since July of 2019. He graduated from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University in 2012. He subsequently completed his Family Medicine residency at Dalhousie University (P.E.I. site) in 2014 and earned his Emergency Medicine fellowship through the practice-eligible route in 2017. Before coming to Queensway Carleton Hospital, he worked in Cape Breton, N.S., and St. John’s, N.L., where he also served as a clinical assistant professor at Memorial University. In addition to his work in the Emergency Department, Dr. Herman is also involved in QCH’s Medical Assistance in Dying Program as an assessor and provider. When not at the hospital, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife Carrie and rescued Greyhound Hobbes, as well as cycling, cooking, and watching the Leafs and Bills let him down year after year.

Rebecca Hickey

Board Member

Rebecca is a communications strategist with a passion for making our community a better place. She is currently the Director, Communications and Marketing at Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation. Prior to joining Ingenium, Rebecca held communications leadership roles at NAV CANADA and Hydro Ottawa. Her experience includes government relations, issues management, digital communications and marketing.

Since 2018, Rebecca has served on the Board of Directors at Ottawa Community Housing, the largest social housing provider in the nation's capital.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Journalism and Communications, and an MBA from Carleton University. Rebecca is married and has two daughters, both born at the Queensway Carleton Hospital.

Dr. Katalin Kovacs

Chief of Staff

Dr. Kovacs has been a psychiatrist at Queensway Carleton Hospital since June 1997 and has been instrumental in building our psychiatry team since taking the position of Department Chief in 2017.  In October 2020, Dr. Kovacs was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff. Dr. Kovacs has an open-door policy for all physicians and staff.  She cares deeply for the well being of our physicians.  A proud mom and grandmother, Kathi enjoys spending her downtime with her family and taking long walks with her husband in nature.

Michael Muldner

Board Member

Michael is a technology leader with more than 25 years of experience leading various global organizations in both large multinational public companies as well as high growth start-ups. Prior to taking on the role of CIO, CTO & CISO at Calian, Michael led a variety of technology organizations focused on Product Development, Professional Services, Business Operations and Consulting. He has a passion for innovation and bringing people together through technology. Beyond his day-to-day work, he is active in the local Ottawa community where he has been a business mentor for Invest Ottawa and volunteered for the local food bank and community housing projects. Michael loves spending time outdoors with his family. He is trained in Lean Six Sigma and holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Wendy Nicklin

Vice Chair

With a background in critical care and emergency nursing, Wendy taught at Queen’s university and then held progressively senior positions at The Ottawa Hospital. She assumed the position as President and CEO of Accreditation Canada in 2004, stepping down early in 2016. Wendy has considerable governance experience, most recently as the Board Chair of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua). Past governance work includes the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada and the Champlain Local Integration Health Network. Currently she serves on the Boards of Hospice Care Ottawa and Salus Global Corporation. She is a member of the Committee on Accreditation of Medical Schools and recently joined Patients for Patient Safety Canada. With a strong commitment to effective governance and focusing on quality, safety, accreditation and leadership, Wendy has numerous publications to her name and has given many presentations nationally and internationally. She has an academic appointment to Queen’s University. Wendy has a B.N. and M.Sc.(A) from McGill University and is a Fellow of ISQua and a member of the International Academy of Quality and Safety in Health Care. She is a certified Corporate Director with the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).

Hugh O'Toole

Board Member

Hugh is a senior member of the Ottawa Police Service. He has been actively involved in law enforcement and community safety for over 26 years, including several years as a homicide investigator. He currently manages the Customer Service directorate, where he developed a number of innovative quality assurance programs to improve accountability. Hugh obtained a BA from Saint Mary’s University in 1993. A strong proponent of continuing education, he obtained a JD from the University of Ottawa in 2013 and was called to the Bar the following year with focus in administrative law. An advocate for the vulnerable, Hugh led successful appeals to the Supreme Court of Canada and the Ontario Court of Appeal on issues impacting victims of sexual violence and impaired driving. Recognizing quality and accessible healthcare as fundamental to the development and maintenance of healthy and safe communities, Hugh also serves as Board Chair at the Salvation Army Ottawa Grace Manor. A long-time resident of West Ottawa, Hugh lives with his wife Tara and their three children.

Michel Piché

Board Member

Michel Piché joined Carleton University as Vice-President (Finance and Administration) in July 2016. Prior to joining Carleton, he served in a variety of agencies and enterprises including the National Research Council of Canada, Central Wire Industries Ltd., the Canadian Red Cross Society, Explosive Technologies International, and Northern Telephone Ltd. Mr. Piché completed a Masters in Public Administration at l’Ecole Nationale d’Administration Publique of the Université du Québec. He is also a Chartered Director (C.Dir.), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). He is involved with CPA Ontario in developing and presenting workshops on Integrated Planning and Budgeting and a member of the Board of the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO). He previously taught at Nipissing University for their B. Comm. distance learning program, served on the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO) and oversaw the NRC’s annual GCWCC (United Way) fundraising campaign.

Chad Schella

Chair

A graduate of Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Quebec, Chad Schella is the Associate Vice-President, Government Relations (Canada) at CIBC. Prior to this, Chad spent over 10 years as the General Manager, Government and Community Affairs and Director, Government Affairs at Canada Post. Previously he worked for two leaders of a federal political party and then with the Canadian Construction Association in Ottawa before spending 4 years in Toronto with the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) and then pharmaceutical-based company, Pro-Pharma. Chad returned to Ottawa in 2003 to work with the Ottawa Senators Foundation to help create, build and open Roger Neilson House. Following the successful completion of this pediatric, palliative care facility, he spent 8 years with the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and sat as a founding Board Member of Roger Neilson House for seven years. Chad and his wife Catherine Clark live in Carp with their two children, Alexandra and Charlie, who were both born at the Queensway Carleton Hospital.

Evelyn Spence

Board Member

Evelyn Spence is a lawyer with expertise in the areas of corporate governance, professional regulation, corporate and commercial law, and privacy. She occupies the role of General Counsel at the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and for many years before that, she was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary with Engineers Canada.

Evelyn has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution and conflict management. From 2016 – 2023, she was a part-time adjudicator with the Ontario Licence Appeal Tribunal, and before that, she served as the Complaints Review Councillor and member of the Discipline Committee with the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO).

Evelyn is very community-minded and has always looked for ways to give back. She was the Corporate Secretary and Chair of the Governance Committee with Volunteer Ottawa from 2018-2022; served as a member of the Elections Committee with the College of Immigration Consultants of Canada from 2017-2020; was an inaugural Director with the Ottawa Department of Medicine-NFP from 2020-2021; and was a member of the Nominations and Board Development Committee with the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents in 2022. Presently, and in addition to her role on the QCH Board, Evelyn serves as a volunteer member of the Humber River Hospital Research Ethics Board.

Evelyn holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University. She lives in Ottawa with her husband and three children.

Shawn Sutton

Board Member

Shawn brings over 25 years of financial and strategic management experience to the board of directors.

Shawn is currently the Chief Financial and Risk Officer of a global healthcare services organization, where he provides financial and strategic direction to a talented team of finance professionals and problem solvers covering controllership, internal controls, financial planning, tax, treasury, legal, and risk management. Shawn also partners with the organization’s business leaders to execute strategic and operational objectives. As a business partner, Shawn has led numerous revenue enhancement strategies and business development initiatives.

Shawn has held senior financial positions with various companies in the technology and defence industries, including Vice-President of Finance at Corel Corporation and Chief Financial Officer of Pacific Safety Products.

Shawn received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Ottawa and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University. Shawn holds a Chartered Accountant designation and is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and holds the ICD.D. designation.

In his spare time, Shawn is active in his community, where he serves on a variety of not-for-profit boards and coaches youth basketball.

Dr. Sameer Vakani

President of Medical Staff

Dr. Vakani is a Critical Care physician at Queensway Carleton Hospital. He completed his training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa, followed by sub-specialty training in Critical Care Medicine at the University of Toronto. He has an interest in health systems, health policy, and health services management and completed his M.Sc. in Public Health through the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Outside of his medical work he is an avid reader and sports fan, and can be found enjoying the outdoors, plodding through training runs, or working through the Sunday crossword.

Yvonne Wilson

Vice President of Patient Care & Chief Nursing Executive

Yvonne Wilson is the Vice President, Patient Care & Chief Nursing Executive at Queensway Carleton Hospital. She has been a nurse for 35 years and has held a variety of leadership roles in Ottawa over the past 17 years. Her extensive experience in clinical roles has given her valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by nursing professionals, and she has used this knowledge to support and mentor her teams. She has led the strategic development of the QCH 7-point plan, the QCH interprofessional model of care, and a partnership with Carleton University to establish a new School of Nursing. She was born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo and now resides in Ottawa. Yvonne has two sons and loves adventurous travel.

Lois Boateng Amirikah

Community Member

Lois is a dedicated legal professional with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Windsor. She completed her undergraduate studies at Bishop's University in Québec, where she grew up, and is fluent in English, French, and Twi.

Since 2019, Lois has served as Legal Counsel for the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa. In this role, she has developed a deep understanding of the legal intricacies surrounding child welfare, family law, and related matters. Lois is committed to providing legal advice through an anti-racist lens, aligning with the principles of equity and inclusion.

Her legal career began with articling and summering at Legal Aid Ontario, where she assisted clients with criminal, family, and child protection issues. During her student days, she also worked as a family law caseworker and interned with the Honourable Mr. Justice Barry Tobin, gaining significant child protection law experience.

In recognition of her anti-racism work, Lois received the Above and Beyond Award in 2023. She is actively involved in professional communities, being a member of the Black Female Lawyers Network (BFLN) and serving in an advisory role for the Black Law Students Association of Canada.

Outside of her professional life, Lois enjoys interior design, watching sports, and spending quality time with her husband and children.

Asha Gajaria

Community Member

Asha is a driven leader who has an exceptional ability to bring teams and stakeholders together under a common vision. She brings an innovative, collaborative approach with expertise in strategy, structure, people, and culture, combined with a strong technical foundation. She leads business transformation initiatives for municipal government, where she has a proven track record of generating operational efficiency by leveraging technology to solve complex organizational challenges. She has held leadership roles in Information Technology, Human Resources, Public Health, and was the City of Ottawa’s technology lead for the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Asha has obtained a Master of Science in Health Systems from the University of Ottawa, as well as masters certificates in Negotiating & Drafting IT Agreements and Municipal Leadership from York University; she is also a Project Management Professional and holds a Lean Six Sigma certification. Asha has a passion for mentoring and growing leaders at any phase in their leadership journey and is committed to public service. Asha enjoys staying active, getting lost in a good book, and spending time with family and friends.

David Lao

Community Member

With a strong foundation in financial management principles, David has held key roles as the Treasurer and the Chair of the Finance Committee for Volunteer Ottawa where he led initiatives to optimize resource allocation, improve financial processes, and drive operational efficiencies. His strategic vision and sound fiscal stewardship have been instrumental in achieving organizational objectives and delivering measurable results.

David was appointed to the Education and Qualification Advisory Committee on the CPA Canada Board of Directors to provide invaluable insights and guidance to enhance CPA education standards nationwide. In addition to his contributions to the CPA Canada Board Committee, David is privileged to serve as an active member of the CPA Ontario Emerging Leaders Committee. Here, he plays a pivotal role in shaping strategies that foster networking, knowledge exchange, and professional growth for CPA Ontario members throughout the province.

His dedication to excellence and community service has been recognized through several prestigious awards, including the Government of Ontario June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award, the CPA Canada Award of Recognition, the CPA Ontario inaugural "Be the Change" Volunteer Award, and the United Way Community Builder Award.

David holds CPA designation and was the recipient of the CPA Common Final Exam National Honor Roll in 2017.

Frédérik Larouche

Community Member

Frédérik is a Director for Government Relations with StrategyCorp’s Ottawa Office. He brings with him a thorough understanding of the federal political landscape and vast knowledge of the federal government’s procurement processes. Frédérik is fluently bilingual in French and English. Frédérik has experience working with clients from a variety of sectors such has Aerospace, Telecommunications & Broadcasting, Environment, Energy, Pharmacy Distribution and Procurement.

Prior to joining the StrategyCorp, Frédérik worked on Parliament Hill where he served as a close advisor to the Honourable Steven MacKinnon. Frédérik’s strategic thinking skills enable him to find ways to collaborate with elected officials and their advisors, senior public servants and stakeholders. Frédérik also has vast experience in managing federal, provincial and municipal political campaigns.

Frederik holds a Bachelor of Public Administration and Political Science from the University of Ottawa. Additionally, Frédérik serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors of La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins, Ottawa’s centre for francophone theatre.

Jacqueline Miller

Community Member

Jacqueline is currently the Director of Learning and DEI and NAP at the Native Women’s Association of Canada. Jacqueline recently completed a Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership from Saint Paul University, University of Ottawa. She also completed the Master of Arts Degree in Political Science with Special Designation in Public Policy from the University of Regina. She has also fulfilled the requirements for the Third-Party Neutral Program in Mediation, Group Conflict and Facilitation Studies from the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution at Saint Paul University. Finally, she holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) with specialization in Not-for-Profits.

Jacqueline has 20+ years of experience with strategic planning and economic development initiatives for community. Her extensive experience with stakeholder relations has provided her with the skills to successfully collaborate with the private sector, industry, education sector, Indigenous communities, all levels of government, and not-for-profit community organizations in a respectful and diplomatic manner. She is a connector of people and ideas. Jacqueline demonstrates strategic thinking with superior communications skills for sharing complex or sensitive messages with various audiences, combined with excellent interpersonal skills. Her passion for people and community is what drives her work.