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Writer's pictureCentretown Community Health Centre

2023 CCHC Board Member Candidates

Updated: Jun 26, 2023

Candidates will be voted on during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, June 27.

 

Ejaz Hussain Farook

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

I am the current President of the MBA Student Association and work for the Canadian Home Builder's Association. Working with the nationwide association has exposed me to:

  • various dynamics of councils and committees

  • relationship structures

  • decision making protocols

  • strategy formulation

  • how to action and implement strategy

As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

I am a person of color and represent the south asian and middle eastern community.


I bring to the Board connection to other cultural communities within the city:

Racialized communities


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Administration

  • Advocacy/Community Involvement

  • Communications/Marketing/Public Relations

  • Organizational Change related to Equity and Inclusion

  • Quality Improvement/Evaluation/Accreditation

  • Technology/Multi-media

  • Volunteer

I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Corporate

  • Public Sector

  • Non-Profit/NGO

 

André Blondel Tonleu Mendou

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

I am a graduate of the University of Ottawa Law School, the University of Moncton and the University of Montreal. graduate of the Frank Mckenna Alumni Leadership Centre at the University of Moncton and I also hold a certification in corporate governance from the College of Corporate Directors at Laval University in collaboration with the Young Chamber of Commerce of Montreal. excellent communicator, I was a finalist in the World Public Speaking and Parliamentary Debate Competition at Paris Sorbonne University. I taught law at Louis Riel College in Winnipeg and worked as an assistant professor at Victoria University. My interest in the French language led me to serve as a Francophone ambassador to the Saanich School District in British Columbia. I have worked in the legal affairs branch of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada as an articling student, I have been a volunteer lawyer at the Office of Equity and Human Rights at the University of Victoria, a member of the Board of Directors of the Oxfam Quebec Youth Observatory, co-founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of CEHLAF, and a volunteer at ONE. I am also a writer and speaker.


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

I am a black man of African descent, speaking French.


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Access to community leaders and groups

  • Access to government policy and decision makers

  • Connection to the francophone community CCHC serves*


I bring to the Board connection to other cultural communities within the city:

  • Racialized communities

  • Newcomer communities


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Administration

  • Advocacy/Community Involvement

  • Communications/Marketing/Public Relations

  • Legal

  • Volunteer


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Corporate

  • Public Sector

  • Non-Profit/NGO


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

  • Good governance

  • Ethics

  • Respect for diversity and multiculturalism

  • Hard work

  • Respect of the given word

  • Respect for democratic values

  • Respect for rights and freedoms

 

Garret Thompson

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

As a non-binary individual in their final year of a bachelor of social work at Carleton University with a minor in human rights and social justice, I also have experience of my most recent practicum placement with CCHC - Trans Health Program; I was placed within that program for eight months, and I also have experience volunteering for the 519 organization in Toronto for over a year. I believe my life experience, education, and work/volunteer will be an asset to the board.


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

I am 34 years old, non-binary queer of European settler descendant. I am aware of the privileges that come with my heritage. Still, I also know what it feels like to have experience oppression and discrimination of my gender identity and sexual orientation, and socio-economic status growing up in rural Ontario North. I believe that my social location can be beneficial to the board and serving the community.


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Access to community leaders and groups

  • Access to government policy and decision makers


I bring to the Board connection to other cultural communities within the city:

  • 2SLGBTQI+ communities

  • Trans communities

  • Gender diverse communities

  • Intersex communities


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Advocacy/Community Involvement

  • Social Services

  • Volunteer


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Health Care

  • Neighbourhood/Geographic Location

  • Non-Profit/NGO


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

I am deeply passionate about advocacy and supporting my community within 2SLGBTQAI+ with many intersecting identities that I want to help alleviate structural and institutional barriers. While I am passionate about my community, I also care about every individual who may or has experience barriers to accessing resources that can better their social welfare. I am a very empathetic individual, that aims to provide informed consent models, trauma-informed care, anti-oppressive approaches and views problems with a critical lens to find a solution that benefits everyone.

 

Geneviève Cimon

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

  • I am a proud Ottawa resident and have great admiration for the services the CCHC provides to our community.

  • I have worked for over twenty years as a youth advocate within the arts sector and have experience forging innovative community partnerships and developing education programming

  • Young people need increased access to health services in order to thrive and organizations like CCHC are critical.

  • Arts and sports can help turn young people's lives around, but without access to primary care, young people can't reach their full potential.


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

  • 50 years old

  • she, her pronouns

  • white, Irish and French Canadian


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Access to community leaders and groups

  • Access to government policy and decision makers

  • Connection to the Anglophone community CCHC serves*

  • Connection to the francophone community CCHC serves*


I bring to the Board connection to other cultural communities within the city:

  • Racialized communities

  • First Nations communities

  • Métis communities

  • Inuit communities

  • Newcomer communities

  • 2SLGBTQI+ communities


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Administration

  • Advocacy/Community Involvement

  • Communications/Marketing/Public Relations

  • Human Resources

  • Organizational Change related to Equity and Inclusion

  • Quality Improvement/Evaluation/Accreditation

  • Social Services


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Public Sector

  • Neighbourhood/Geographic Location

  • Non-Profit/NGO


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

  • I am a strong advocate for equity, justice and inclusion

  • I am collaborative and a good listener

  • I like to set others up for success

  • I like to learn and have a lot of respect for the Board, leadership team and staff of the CCHC

  • I believe in the mission and strategic plan of the CCHC

  • As someone who has journeyed with many family members and friends who have been very ill, I know how important organizations like CCHC are in our community

 

Jacob Brabant

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

I have experience as a frontline healthcare worker in a community health centre as well as in administrative and operational roles with Ottawa Public health. Most of this time has been spent working in programs that support people who face health inequities. I have experience and knowledge about our current healthcare systems' historical and present day successes and failures through my own experiences as well as close family members who are healthcare practitioner or people with chronic disease. I am a lifelong resident of Ottawa, and have lived in 3 different centretown neighborhoods since 2016. I also have a bachelors in social science and a graduate certificate in emergency management which have contributed to my belief in and passion for evidence based practices, especially in initiatives as important as healthcare.


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

  • Youth in Ottawa

  • Descendant of refugee grand-parents

  • Racialized person

  • Person who experiences problems with their mental health


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Experience using French services provided by CCHC


I bring to the Board connection to other cultural communities within the city:

  • People Who Use Drugs


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Administration

  • Quality Improvement/Evaluation/Accreditation

  • Social Services


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Public Sector

  • Health Care

  • Neighbourhood/Geographic Location


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

Harm Reduction, Health Equity, Social Justice, Evidence Based

 

Joelle Walker

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

  • Lawyer by background

  • Have worked in the health care space for 15 years, with a charity and now a professional association.

  • I live just a few steps away from the CCHC and so have a personal connection to CCHC and the patients it serves.

  • Strong communicator with expertise in developing and executing advocacy strategies

  • Experience working with a Board

  • In current role I provide oversight for all of our advocacy initiatives including government relations, communications, policy development, and activities to support the pharmacy profession.


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

I am a cis-gendered white woman. I am francophone, with French as my mother tongue, but work in both languages.


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Access to government policy and decision makers

  • Connection to the Anglophone community CCHC serves*

  • Connection to the francophone community CCHC serves*


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Advocacy/Community Involvement

  • Communications/Marketing/Public Relations

  • Governance/Policy

  • Government Relations

  • Health Care

  • Legal

  • Organizational Change related to Equity and Inclusion


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Non-Profit/NGO


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

My biggest interest in joining the Board is more fully integrating CCHC into the broader Centretown community.

 

John Anderson

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

I have been a member of the clinic since 2005.

I helped establish the Clinique populaire in St Henri in Montreal in the early 1970s. I was the policy director of the federal NDP from 2011- 2013. I have written on health care for CCPA. I am employed now as a senior researcher for PIPSC a major federal trade union.


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

Seniors, working class, Celtic, Scottish and Irish background, bilingual English and French, progressive social Democrat.


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Access to community leaders and groups

  • Access to government policy and decision makers

  • Connection to the Anglophone community CCHC serves*


I bring to the Board connection to other cultural communities within the city:

  • First Nations communities


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Administration

  • Advocacy/Community Involvement

  • Communications/Marketing/Public Relations

  • Fundraising

  • Governance/Policy

  • Government Relations

  • Health Care

  • Organizational Change related to Equity and Inclusion

  • Publishing/Journalism

  • Social Services

  • Technology/Multi-media


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Public Sector

  • Non-Profit/NGO

  • Trade unions


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

I have published many op-eds in leading newspapers including the Citizen on progressive issues and would hope to publish on healthcare if a board member. Good contacts with federal and provincial parties as well as city councillors.

 

Kilian McCormick

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

I have been working in social policy for 3 years and have developed expertise in discussing and developing policy. Further, a main focus of my current position is working with stakeholders, so one of my biggest strengths is bridging the gap between policy makers and those with the lived experience.

Prior to my current position, I was completing graduate studies full-time. In order to pay for my studies I taught undergraduate students. Through this position I learned how to develop a curriculum that worked for first year students from various backgrounds.

Finally, I took a two year medical leave of absence from my graduate studies due to a major, life-altering medical event. So I am highly aware of how much health concerns can derail your plans, cause mental health concerns, and otherwise change your life.

I am healthy now, and managing work and mental and physical health, and would like to help any where I can!


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

  • female

  • ADHD

  • anxiety

  • acquired brain injury


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Access to government policy and decision makers

  • Connection to the Anglophone community CCHC serves*


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Administration

  • Communications/Marketing/Public Relations

  • Governance/Policy

  • Government Relations

  • Human Resources

  • Organizational Change related to Equity and Inclusion

  • Social Services

  • Technology/Multi-media


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Public Sector

  • Neighbourhood/Geographic Location


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

  • equity and inclusion

  • health care / inclusion within health care

  • more funding to the community instead of policing

  • improving our community as a whole

  • mental health care

 

Ray Burrage-Goodwin

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

Hello,

I am a trans/nonbinary person of settler descent from unceded Wampanoag territory in Massachusetts, United States. I currently reside on unceded Algonquin Anishinabe territory in Ottawa, Ontario. I immigrated to Canada in 2017 to pursue an advanced degree in environmental studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and have held my Canadian permanent residency since 2021.

I currently work as a program coordinator for Indigenous Clean Energy and help support youth teams advancing renewables projects across the country. During the Covid-19 pandemic I worked multiple roles in health clinics in Newfoundland and Ontario.

This, combined with my personal experience as a trans youth from the US, I have a unique perspective on community access to health supports. I am critical of medical privatization, and believe that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right.

I have served previously on the Board of Directors for the St. John's Rowing Club, working to increase equitable access to recreation for youth in Newfoundland.

I believe I would be an asset to the CCHC board, and would be happy to discuss the opportunity in greater detail whenever is convenient.

Thank you for your consideration.

In gratitude,

Ray Burrage-Goodwin


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

Youth, Trans/nonbinary, Queer


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Access to community leaders and groups

  • Connection to the Anglophone community CCHC serves*


I bring to the Board connection to other cultural communities within the city:

  • 2SLGBTQI+ communities

  • Trans communities

  • Gender diverse communities

  • Immigrant


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Administration

  • Advocacy/Community Involvement

  • Communications/Marketing/Public Relations

  • Organizational Change related to Equity and Inclusion

  • Technology/Multi-media

  • Volunteer


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Health Care

  • Non-Profit/NGO


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

  • love of reading, pursuit of knowledge

  • practicing Buddhist, community building through understanding of non-self

  • allyship with Indigenous communities in meaningful ways

  • several years of digital media coordination

 

Paul Galipeau

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

  • Have served on CCHC's Board of Directors since 2021, currently as Co-Vice-Chair.

  • Senior communications strategist and project manager with 17+ years of experience working for the Government of Canada, national non-profits as well as advocacy and community organizations.

  • Have worked on raising awareness on a range of global health issues including HIV and vaccine access.

  • Currently working as a Senior International Development Officer in Global Affairs Canada's Partnerships for Development Innovation branch, focusing on Canadian public engagement.

  • Have lived and worked in Nunavut and have one year of Inuktitut language training.

  • Past volunteer experience and training with the Kamatsiaqtut Nunavut crisis helpline.

  • Experience working with Ottawa's LGBTQ2I+ community through Capital Xtra.

  • Fluently bilingual and proud Francophone.

  • Former board member with the Rideau Trail Association, a leading provider of affordable access to affordable outdoor recreation across Eastern Ontario.

  • Co-founded an Ottawa-based youth culture website in 2001 that gained over 18,000 registered users and provided formal and informal opportunities for young people to connect on shared interests and issues.

  • Learn more on my LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgalipeau/


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

As a member of Ottawa's minority Francophone community, I experience the need for quality French services on a daily basis. These experiences also make me sensitive to the diverse health and cultural needs of all linguistic and cultural minorities in Ottawa.

I am likewise sensitive to the needs of those living with disability, mental health or substance abuse issues or, whose access to healthcare has been impacted by their socioeconomic level.

As a cis-gendered man whose family came to Canada from Europe over 300 years ago, I am also aware of the privileges that I have been afforded and have also been fortunate to have earned a successful track record in advocating for strong and equitable health systems at home and around the world.

Over my career in international development and global health and as someone committed to always being a better ally, I have also had opportunities to be trained on Indigenous issues, gender equality, anti-bias and anti-racism in both local and global contexts.

Finally, my experiences in Nunavut have had a profound impact on my life and I am committed to advancing reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples on Turtle Island.


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Access to community leaders and groups

  • Access to government policy and decision makers

  • Experience using French services provided by CCHC

  • Connection to the Anglophone community CCHC serves*

  • Connection to the francophone community CCHC serves*


I bring to the Board connection to other cultural communities within the city:

  • Racialized communities

  • First Nations communities

  • Inuit communities

  • Newcomer communities

  • 2SLGBTQI+ communities


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Administration

  • Advocacy/Community Involvement

  • Communications/Marketing/Public Relations

  • Fundraising

  • Governance/Policy

  • Government Relations

  • Publishing/Journalism

  • Quality Improvement/Evaluation/Accreditation

  • Technology/Multi-media

  • Volunteer


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Public Sector

  • Neighbourhood/Geographic Location

  • Non-Profit/NGO


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

  • Equity. Empowerment. Excellence. Respect.

  • Sustainability (environmental sustainability and the lasting positive impact of CCHC's services to the community it serves).

  • Celebrate the diversity of our community.

  • Collaboration.

  • Consideration, empathy, respect and kindness for all.

  • Believe that addiction should be treated as a medical issue, not a legal one.

  • Belief in a strong, publicly funded healthcare system.

 

Terrie Meehan

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

Longterm social justice activist, disabled, live in poverty


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

Disabled poverty older person


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

  • Access to community leaders and groups

  • Access to government policy and decision makers

  • Connection to the Anglophone community CCHC serves*


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

  • Advocacy/Community Involvement

  • Governance/Policy

  • Organizational Change related to Equity and Inclusion

  • Volunteer


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

  • Neighbourhood/Geographic Location

  • Non-Profit/NGO


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

Inclusion disability rights homelessness and housing issues


 

Jawaad Uddin

At CCHC we value personal experience as much as professional experience. Please describe your experiences and strengths that would be relevant for CCHC members to consider when electing new Board members. You may wish to draw upon your life, volunteer, work or education experiences

As an individual who is deeply passionate about giving back to society, I have always been committed to volunteering initiatives that align with my values and beliefs. I have volunteered and led numerous organizational-level volunteering initiatives for top Fortune 500 companies, most notably, initiatives like HealthAhead and GE Volunteers. Other activities include teaching underprivileged children as part of Team India initiative and leading Policing through Citizen Centricity, which garnered acclaim from local government and attention from local media.


Additionally, I hold a Master of Arts Degree in Literature and am currently pursuing my Master in Business Administration from Telfer School of Management.


As the CCHC wants to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, please list all groups with which you identify (i.e. based on age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnocultural/ geographic background, disability, etc.)

Under 40

Male

Straight

Immigrant (Indian Born)

South Asian,

Brown

Muslim (Religion- Islam)


I bring to the Board...Note - communities served by CCHC are either in the catchment area (Centretown, Glebe, Old Ottawa South), citywide or in the Champlain region.

Experience with the services offered in English by the CHCC


I bring to the Board connection to other cultural communities within the city:

Racialized groups

New arrivals


I bring significant experience from the following areas…

Advocacy / Community Involvement

Governance

Government Relations

Quality improvement / assessment / accreditation process


I bring significant experience from these sectors...

Private sector


Please list any interests, values or principles that you would bring to the Board

Interests:

1. Desire to make a positive impact in the community

2. Willingness to learn and grow as a leader


Values:

1. Unyielding integrity

2. Respect for diversity and inclusivity

3. Willingness to collaborate and deliver results


Principles:

1. Commitment to good governance and best practices in board management

2. Willingness to take calculated risks and embrace innovation

3. Ability to identify and help improve processes

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