Current Members
Elected Community Members
Cordelia Clarke Julien, Chair of the Board of Trustees
Cordelia Clarke Julien is from Pickering, her home for over 20 years.
As a self-professed change agent, Cordelia has held several executive roles in the Ontario Public Service focused on change and transformation including, but not limited to, leading teams as a senior executive in the Ministries of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Labour, Training and Skills Development; Finance Revenue; and the Office of the Premier and Cabinet Office. She is currently the Assistant Deputy Minister in the Social Assistance Programs Division of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
As a former publicist with an extensive policy and change management background, Cordelia has put her communications, policy, and strategic planning skills to work for not-for-profit organizations in her community, including as a past Director of the United Way of Ajax, Pickering, and Uxbridge prior to amalgamation, as well as providing supports to organizations promoting mental wellness.
Cordelia has a Master of Arts in Political Science and International Relations with specialization in Public Administration and a Double Major Honours Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Political Science. In addition to her role as a part-time Professor in the Master’s in Public and International Affairs (MPIA) program at York University, she is also a certified project manager, change management specialist, and public relations practitioner.
Mary E. Flindall-Simpson, Treasurer
Mary E. Flindall-Simpson is a long-time Durham resident with more than 30 years of experience working in the municipal public service and with not-for-profit, public-sector Boards of Directors.
A respected leader with senior level management experience, particularly in areas of financial planning and innovative initiatives, Mary has held various leadership positions in the Finance Department of the Regional Municipality of Durham. She currently holds the position of Director, Risk Management, Economic Studies, and Procurement for this department at the Region and acts as the Deputy Treasurer and Acting Commissioner of Finance when required.
Mary currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Robert McLaughlin Gallery and as a member of the Board of Directors for Durham 9-1-1. She has also served as a Board member for Ontario Tech University (then University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)) and Durham College.
Mary holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Toronto and a combined Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Mathematics from Glendon College, York University. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds various certificates, including a Risk Management Certificate from the University of Toronto.
Christine Ashton
Christine Ashton and her family have lived in Durham Region for over 15 years.
She is a lawyer and partner at Wilson Vukelich LLP. Her practice is divided between labour and employment law and tax litigation. Prior to joining Wilson Vukelich LLP, Christine articled with the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Christine is actively involved in various advocacy organizations seeking to improve our community and beyond. She sits on multiple committees of the Ajax Pickering Board of Trade and is a former President of the Board of Trade. She also is a member of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers’ Advocacy Committee and a member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s Policy and Advocacy Committee.
Christine regularly moderates and speaks at programs on labour and employment topics and tax litigation topics, including events held by the Ontario Bar Association, the Human Resources Professionals Association, the Professional Engineers Ontario, the Ajax Pickering Board of Trade, and the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. She also writes on various labour and employment issues and tax litigation issues.
Melissa Belliveau
Melissa is a lawyer and resident of Oshawa with a longstanding passion for helping others and has been a part of the Durham region’s business community for 17 years. She is a Partner at Kitchen Simeson Belliveau where, in addition to overseeing much of the day-to-day business of the firm, her focus is on both litigation and settlement-based family law and family law mediation.
She graduated from Queen’s University Faculty of Law in 2006 and was called to the bar in June 2007. Prior to that Melissa received an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy from the University of Guelph in 2003. Most recently she has completed her Certificate in Family Mediation with York University.
Melissa was previously a member of the Grandview Children’s Foundation Board and was the Chair of the Foundation’s Gala Committee. She is currently the Treasurer for the Board of the Durham Region Collaborative Law Association, is a member of the Legal Advisory Committee and is a Pro Bono lawyer at Luke’s Place. She is a panel lawyer with Legal Aid Ontario and in 2018, was appointed as a Dispute Resolution Officer with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
In addition to her practice, Melissa is a wife and a mother to two very busy and wonderful boys.
Shashi Bhatia
Shashi Bhatia is a leader and a community builder who resides in Pickering. She is committed to promoting tolerance, understanding, and inclusiveness for all. A founding Chair of the Indo-Canadian Cultural Association of Durham (ICCAD), Shashi is a driving force behind the highly successful “Roots and Drum” concerts in support of the Durham West Arts Centre and a member of a multi-faith community of Durham Region.
She is a member of the Durham Regional Service Board, the Ontario Philharmonic Board of Directors, and Rotary Club of Pickering. Shashi is also Co-Chair of Lakeridge Health’s Ajax Pickering Community Advisory Panel, an Associate Member of Royal Canadian Legion #606, a member of the Community Advisory Committee, a Community Durham Ambassador (Influencer) with the Canadian Armed Forces, and a member of the Ajax-Pickering Hospital Foundation Gala event.
Additionally, she has co-founded various cultural and heritage grassroots organizations in Durham Region and created the Durham Advisory Committee, which brings together various multifaith and multicultural organizations under one banner.
Shashi has served on many provincial and federal quasi-judicial boards and tribunals, including the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Consent and Capacity Board, and the Social Benefits Tribunal.
She is the recipient of numerous awards, recognitions, and commendations for her service to the community, including a leadership award from Toronto Police Service, a Lifetime Achievement Award (Pickering), and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. She also appeared as a trail blazer in the East Magazine of Durham Region.
Nicole Blackman
Nicole Blackman, DNP, MN, RN, identifies as an urban Indigenous Kwe (woman) with both Anishinaabe and German ancestry. She is a proud member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and actively involved in health equity advocacy efforts at the provincial level, as well as within her local community of Durham Region.
Nicole is a Registered Nurse holding a Doctor of Nursing Practice attained through Walden University in Minneapolis, MN, and has focused her academic and professional career on Indigenous health and the incorporation of the model of wholistic health and wellbeing.
She has over 13 years’ experience working in leadership positions with an Indigenous focus, including Director of Professional Practice for Weeneebayko Area Health Authority in the James and Hudson Bay region of northeastern Ontario, Indigenous Lead at the Durham Region Health Department, and Health Director for the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. Nicole is currently the Provincial Director of the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council.
She has dedicated her advanced practice nursing career towards working collaboratively with the Indigenous population to strengthen health and social outcomes, recognizing the importance of culture as healing in all forms of Indigenous health care.
Scott Briggs
Scott Briggs and his family are long-time residents of Whitby.
Scott is Vice President, Digital Innovation and Chief Information Officer at Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Scott joined Humber in 2008 and is responsible for the development of institutional digital strategy and the delivery of digital services to the college community. Prior to joining Humber College, Scott held several senior leadership roles in the Ontario health-care sector, including Chief Information Officer at Markham Stouffville Hospital.
Scott serves on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Colleges Library Service and is a member of the Executive of the Ontario College Council of Chief Information Officers.
Scott holds a Master of Management Sciences and Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo. As a graduate of The Director’s College at McMaster University, he is also a Chartered Director (C.Dir.).
Peter Hobb
Peter Hobb is from Bowmanville and a member of the Resources Committee.
Peter was a partner of Baker Tilly KDN LLP, a public accounting firm, for thirty-four years retiring in 2017. He was also President of Baker Tilly KDN Consulting Inc. from its inception in 2006 until his retirement. He continues to work on a part time basis as an associate with the firm.
Peter is very active in his community. He is a former member of the Bowmanville Lions Club, served on the Board of Directors of the Bowmanville Chamber of Commerce (now Clarington Board of Trade), and coached minor league hockey and soccer teams. He is currently doing a second term of service with the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation, serving as its Treasurer. During his first tenure with the Foundation, he chaired its Planned Giving Committee, which was responsible for developing a planned giving program, which launched in 2011. He also chaired its Leadership Committee, which had the task of revamping the Foundation’s governance model in anticipation of the new Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act taking effect.
Peter has been published in CPA Magazine (Pivot), Baker Tilly, and other local publications, writing on a wide range of business and financial topics. He has also presented on a variety of business and financial topics to small and medium sized business owners and advisors to these businesses.
Peter is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Ontario. He graduated with a Business Degree from Ryerson University.
Lewis Hooper
Lewis Hooper has worked in the health-care sector for the past 40 years. He began his career as a hospital pharmacist, working in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. He immigrated to Canada, obtained a Master in Health Sciences Administration at the University of Toronto in 1987 and began working in an executive capacity in Ontario hospitals. He has worked in both small and large hospitals in a variety of senior executive level positions, having most recently retired as the Chief Information Officer at Markham Stouffville Hospital.
Lewis also participated on provincial-level planning committees and as an independent consultant in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia, working on determining the size and scope of services at hospitals in these provinces. He has helped to develop planning guidelines for long-term care and continuing care services in Nova Scotia and Ontario. In Ontario, Lewis oversaw the reorganization and initial governance processes for several Ontario hospitals and has focused on information systems, especially in shared environments.
In addition, he has served on the Board of Directors for Yee Hong as the Chair of the Quality Committee and as a member of the Resources Committee. He has also published research on the focus of hospital boards and their impact on hospital performance.
Lewis became a Canadian citizen in January 2013 and has lived in Pickering for 35 years.
Duncan Mathieson
Duncan Mathieson is a retired investment professional currently living in Pickering. He and his wife have resided in the Durham community for almost 40 years, actively engaging in community sports, arts, and activities while raising a family of four children.
He has an extensive financial background having spent his 40-year career in the Canadian capital markets either advising institutional investors or directly managing institutional investment portfolios. As the lead manager of multibillion-dollar investment portfolios, he developed and employed a team-based investment process based on rigorous fundamental financial analysis to ensure portfolios exceeded the expected benchmark performance within an acceptable risk profile.
Duncan has well developed corporate governance skills through his participation on both corporate and not-for-profit health charity boards. He served on the board of Arthritis Society Canada for 10 years holding several leadership positions and recently completed a three-year extended term as Board Chair. He is currently on the corporate board of Valverde Power Solutions, a Canadian green-energy start-up company focused on developing leading-edge technology to deliver carbon-free electrical generation and carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS).
Duncan holds a Bachelor of Commerce (honours) degree from Queen’s University and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
Mark Mulima
Mark Mulima is from Ajax.
Currently, he is the Vice President and Senior Legal Counsel for State Street Trust Company Canada. He has more than 25 years of legal and compliance experience in the financial services sector and held progressively more senior legal and compliance roles in both the public and private sectors, including working with the Ontario Securities Commission and acting as General Counsel for several financial services companies. Further, Mark has more than 10 years of board governance experience acting as Corporate Secretary for the boards of two different companies.
Mark received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Carleton University and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Ottawa.
Dr. Steven Murphy
Dr. Steven Murphy joined Ontario Tech University as its fourth President and Vice‐Chancellor on March 1, 2018 and was reappointed for another term beginning July 1, 2023. He envisions the university as an active space to reinvent learning while championing diversity in all its forms. He believes experiential and co‐operative learning opportunities are fundamental training for successful careers.
Dr. Murphy is renowned for his organizational and human behaviour expertise across business and industry. Even more notably, his dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusiveness underscores every facet of how he lives his life. Beyond the lens of race and gender, he believes firmly in the diversity of thought and ideas that underpin civil society.
Dr. Murphy’s vision for positive change influenced Ontario Tech’s Strategic Research Plan, supported the creation of the Integrated Academic Research Plan, the establishment of the President’s Equity Taskforce, and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to Indigenous Reconciliation. Dr. Murphy also rapidly guided the university’s evolution toward a distinct and bold new identity, a process that included renaming the university, and refreshing the brand and accompanying university and spirit logos.
He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Research Council of Canada; Co‐Chair of eCampus Ontario; Chair of Council of Ontario Universities Audit and Budget Committee; Chair of Ontario University Athletics; a Director of U Sports; and as a member of the Universities Canada Education Committee.
He earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Human Resource Management, a Master’s in Management Studies (with Distinction) in the Management of Technology, and completed his Doctorate in Management, Organizational Behaviour at Carleton University.
Anita (Diorio) Neeson
Originally hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Anita Neeson is a resident of Ajax Ontario.
For more than 25 years, she worked for the Canadian National Railways in Montreal and Toronto in various positions. She created and managed a new Word Processing Centre and served as a liaison between departments to resolve administrative and operational concerns. She interacted daily with key leaders throughout the organization, including CEOs, Vice Presidents, and union leaders and members.
Anita also has extensive experience serving as a volunteer for a number of organizations. She was a member of the St. John’s Ambulance Dog Therapy Unit, visiting hospitals and long-term care homes and volunteered with Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre, visiting schools in Durham Region to interact with children who have cancer or who had a loved one or friend with cancer.
Her volunteer experience also includes serving for more than 25 years with St. Bernadette’s Parish in Ajax where she is currently a Eucharist Minister. During her time with St. Bernadette’s, she has also been a coordinator for new volunteers as part of the Screening Committee, counseled bereaved members, and raised money for those in need and for scholarships in the various Catholic schools in the community.
In addition, Anita has been a volunteer with the Ajax Pickering Hospital for 25 years. In this role, she initiated a training program in partnership with the orthopedic surgeons for patients having hip replacements. In 2010, she was appointed as a director overseeing more than 200 volunteers.
As well, Anita is a volunteer with the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation, where she is a member of their Patron’s council as an ambassador to the hospital and involved in fundraising.
Anita presently serves as the Vice President of the Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital Auxiliary and the Vice President of the Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital Volunteer Council.
In 2012, Anita received the Queen’s Jubilee Volunteer Service Award and the Provincial Award for Volunteer Leadership.
Anuj Pasrija
Anuj Pasrija is a highly accomplished global leader in the life sciences industry, having served on various boards and delivered significant socio-economic impact over the course of his 25-year career. His career extends across the United States, Canada, multiple countries in Asia, and Africa.
Throughout his professional journey, Anuj has spearheaded large-scale initiatives in diverse sectors such as life sciences (specifically MedTech and Pharma), consumer products, retail, and automotive industries. His passion for making a positive difference in the world has been the driving force behind his remarkable achievements.
In line with his personal mantra of 'Doing Well, by Doing Good,' Anuj pioneered a groundbreaking business innovation in the pharmaceutical field that improved access to medicine for approximately 49 million underserved communities in Asia and Africa. The far-reaching societal and economic impact of this initiative has garnered significant recognition, including a case study by the renowned Michael Porter of Harvard's Business School.
Currently, Anuj holds the position of Vice President of the Strategic Customers Group at Johnson & Johnson (MedTech) Canada. Additionally, he serves as a board member for Healthcare Net of GS1, an advisor to the Council of Board at the Canadian College of Health Leaders, and a policy member at SCAN-H. Anuj's extensive experience also includes a past role on the board of the Health Products Stewardship Association of Canada.
Anuj's is an associate member of Harvard Alumni, holding an MBA from IMI India (an affiliate of IMD Lausanne, Switzerland). Furthermore, he has completed programs in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Healthcare from both MIT-Sloan and Harvard Medical School.
Ijade Maxwell Rodrigues
Ijade Maxwell Rodrigues is from Brooklin and a member of the Quality Committee.
Ijade is the Chief of Government and Community Relations at York University, one of Canada’s largest and most diverse universities. Ijade has over two decades of experience in the areas of: strategic planning, community engagement, issues management, reputation building, finance, human resources, communications strategy, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. In 2018, Ijade received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education in recognition for her service to the organization.
Ijade is active in the community, recently serving on the Board of Directors for Carea Community Health Centre as the Chair. She also has served on the Brooklin Community Connections Board and as a volunteer writer for the local Brooklin Town Crier newspaper.
Bill Sims
Bill Sims is from Bowmanville and is Vice Chair of the Resources Committee. He is the president and owner of Durham Medical, located in central Oshawa and has been President of Durham Mental Health Services Board of Directors since 2009.
His experiences with both have given him a working knowledge of the community health care and mental health care systems and exposed him to the accreditation, governance and strategic planning processes. Bill graduated from McMaster University with a Mechanical Engineering Degree.
He started his work career with Johnson Controls, a large multi-national company involved in commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. This gave him experience in large building construction, maintenance, and operations while providing him with a solid business foundation to run and grow Durham Medical.
Bill and his wife believe in a strong community and contribute to many community organizations, including Grandview Children’s Treatment Centre, Community Foundation, Parkwood Foundation, Bowmanville Hospital Foundation, and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
Dr. Kirk Stewart
Dr. Kirk Stewart, originally from St. Catherine, Jamaica, is a family physician in Bowmanville. He served 13 years as an Airborne Infantry Officer with the Canadian Army Reserves, while simultaneously pursuing his studies in child and youth Work. He earned a bachelor’s degree in community welfare and obtained a master’s degree in organizational psychology to reinforce his experience working with non-profits.
He then embarked on a new path to pursue a medical career which he did in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He completed his clinical rotations in Chicago, Illinois with a focus on rural family medicine. Dr. Stewart serves as the Black Health Committee Provincial Lead for the Alliance of Healthier Communities which advocates for health equity and improved healthcare outcomes for Black communities across the province.
In his personal life, Dr. Stewart along with his wife are raising six children: two sets of twins and two singletons.
Rachel Traore-Takura
Rachel Traoré-Takura lives in Bowmanville and is a member of the Governance and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee.
Rachel has been a public servant with the Ontario Public Service for over 15 years and has held a variety of portfolios with different ministries. Her passion for improving the lives of Ontarians throughout her career, commitment to achievement and excellence has been recognized by receiving the ACE Award at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term (MOHLTC) and the Stella Award at the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
Rachel has been Chair and now is the vice-Chair of the Clarington Diversity Advisory Committee, which provides advice, and recommendations to Council and municipal staff on issues affecting diversity in Clarington. She also served as a treasurer on the board of trustees for Le Réseau franco-santé du Sud de l’Ontario (RFSSO)
Rachel holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Sheffield in the UK as well as a Bachelor in Health and Society from York University.
Appointed Members
Cynthia Davis, BSc, MSc, President and CEO
Cynthia Davis joined Lakeridge Health as President and CEO in January 2021.
Cynthia is a registered nurse by profession and has over three decades of health care experience. She brings a mix of leadership skills and operational experience acquired through her progressive leadership roles in Ontario and Newfoundland. Her career began as a frontline nurse in a variety of settings in Canada and the US. Upon returning to Canada, Cynthia began work at St. Michael’s Hospital where she had the opportunity to work as a Manager in the Surgical and Cardiac programs during a time of change for the organization. She joined St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener Waterloo and led the development of a new tertiary level Cardiac program.
Upon return to her home province, she joined Western Health, one of four leading integrated health authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador responsible for the delivery of integrated health services to a diverse population across the entire continuum of care. She served eight years as the Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer, before being appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. Cynthia has a passion for patient-centred care, which she fosters through engagement and partnerships. Through her PhD studies she is focusing her efforts on advancing the transformation and integration of health services to support vulnerable populations, such as care of older adults.
Cynthia is a graduate of Western Regional School of Nursing diploma program. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Nursing) from Dalhousie University, and a Master of Science from the University of Toronto. She is a member of many provincial and national health care engagement groups and a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
Dr. Randy Wax, Chief of Staff
Dr. Wax joined Lakeridge Health in 2010 as Section Chief of Critical Care, helping to evolve the service into an expanded regional academic critical care site and Clinical Teaching Unit with Queen’s University in Oshawa, and led the formation of a multi-site department at the Ajax Pickering and Bowmanville Hospitals. He also serves as the Medical Director of Academic Affairs, having held this position since 2010, as well as the President of the Medical Staff Association, having previously served on the Executive.
He is also the Central East Sub-Region Lead for Critical Care in conjunction with Ontario Health. In addition, Dr. Wax has worked as a Transport Medicine Physician with Ornge, Ontario’s air ambulance and critical care transport service.
Within academia, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Critical Care Medicine and the Regional Director of Clinical Education with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. He also serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and has held an adjunct faculty role at Ontario Tech University.
Dr. Wax is an active researcher and has lectured extensively. He has published numerous papers and book chapters on a variety of topics. One of his papers on COVID-19 patient care has been downloaded more than 100,000 times around the globe and cited in more than 1,000 research papers.
Dr. Wax has received specialty certifications in Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Emergency Medical Services. He has also been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine and has received numerous awards from the Society of Critical Care Medicine for his leadership in education, clinical care, and international disaster management. As well, he was selected by the Canadian Association for Medical Education to receive the 2018 Certificate of Merit Award for his commitment to medical education.
Petrina McGrath, BSN, MN, PhD, Health System Executive, People, Quality and Practice and Chief Nursing Executive (CNE)
Petrina is an accomplished health-care leader with extensive experience leading change and driving results within complex health-care environments. Throughout her career, Petrina has been a committed leader, educator, and researcher in the areas of patient- and family-centred care, quality, safety, and interprofessional practice.
Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of Quality and Safety for the Saskatchewan Health Authority, which delivers health care to 1.2 million people with 43,000 staff and 2,500 physicians.
Throughout all phases of the pandemic, Petrina provided invaluable service and support to the Province of Saskatchewan’s pandemic response as the Safety Officer in the Emergency Operations Centre while continuing with her Executive Director responsibilities.
Petrina sits on the Board of Healthcare Excellence Canada. Created in 2020, the Board brings together the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute.
Petrina received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan, her Master of Nursing at the University of Toronto, and her PhD in Human and Organizational Systems from the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California.
Dr. Megha Suri, President, Medical Staff Association
Dr. Megha Suri is an Endocrine and General Surgeon at Lakeridge Health and has been in practice since 2017. Dr. Suri completed medical school at the University of Western Ontario in 2008 and General Surgery residency at the University of Toronto in 2015. During her residency, Dr. Suri obtained a Master of Science degree through the Surgeon Scientist Program at the University of Toronto. Dr. Suri went on to complete a fellowship in Endocrine Surgery at Johns Hopkins University in 2016 and has subsequently helped to increase accessibility and establish excellence in the practice of thyroid and endocrine surgery at Lakeridge Health’s Port Perry Hospital and in the Durham Region.
Dr. Suri is a member of the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee at Lakeridge Health and has a keen interest in promoting equity for women through their advancement in leadership roles.
Dr. Suri has received numerous awards for both her research and teaching of medical trainees.
Dr. Julie Ann Francis, Vice President, Medical Staff Association
Dr. Francis is a Gynaecologic Oncologist with more than 15 years of experience. Originally from Toronto, she started her academic career at Harvard and Yale Universities, before returning to Canada to complete her residency in obstetrics and gynaecology at McMaster University and her fellowship in oncology at the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Francis spent the first 10 years of her career in Gynaecology Oncology at Queen's University, becoming the Division Head there before joining Lakeridge Health where she founded the Gynaecologic Oncology program at the Durham Regional Cancer Centre.
As one of the first Gynaecology Oncologists in Canada trained on the DaVinci robot, Dr. Francis has a keen interest in robotics and the development of the robotics program at Lakeridge Health.
She is also interested using technology to further care in under resourced communities. To this end, Dr. Francis holds privileges at the Weeneybayko Health Authority, and is a faculty member at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.
Dr. Rebecca Wray, Guest and Foundation Representative
Dr. Rebecca Wray is a full-time comprehensive family physician practicing in Port Perry, Ontario. After completing a Master of Arts (Sociology) at McGill University, she returned to Queen’s University where she completed her Doctor of Medicine. Dr. Wray then completed her Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Toronto (Mt. Sinai Hospital). She also provides primary care for the community of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.
Dr. Wray is a member of the North Durham Palliative Care Team, the Physician Lead for the Healthy Lung Program at the North Durham Family Health Team and is involved in regional leadership as the Primary Care Co-Lead for the Durham Ontario Health Team, and Regional Primary Care Lead for the Central East Regional Cancer Program. Dr. Wray is the Site Lead for the Queen's-Bowmanville-Oshawa-Lakeridge Family Medicine Residency Program in Port Perry.
When she is not in the clinic or the board room, Dr. Wray's most beloved activity is spending time with her husband, George, and their three active daughters.