Board of Directors

Marie Fortier - Chair of the Board of Directors

Marie Fortier studied commerce and health administration at the University of Ottawa.  She held  a number of positions in hospitals and regional health and social planning in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec before joining the public service of Canada in 1986.  From 1986 to 2001, she played a variety of roles in Health Canada including those of Assistant Deputy Minister, Medical Services Branch, and Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy and Consultation.  She also served as Executive Director for the Secretariat of the National Forum on Health.  In 1999, she was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Health Canada and in 2001, Associate Deputy Minister in the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.  She became Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs in 2004.  She retired from that position and from the public service in 2006.  Ms Fortier lives in Ottawa with her spouse.  She has three sons and two grandsons.  

Appointed May 30, 2007 for a three-year term.  

Michael LeMay is a retired educator. He was a teacher with the Renfrew County District School Board for 28 years. From 1985 to 1997, he held the position of vice-principal at a number of secondary schools. Prior to this, he was principal of Renfrew County Summer School from 1971-74, head of guidance from 1979-85 and itinerant guidance counsellor in the Canadian Armed Forces Europe in 1979. He is past member of the Pembroke Regional Hospital Board of Directors, where he served for nine years. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Family and Children Services of Renfrew County, the Phoenix Centre for Children and Families Board of Directors and on the Pembroke Planning Advisory Committee. Michael is also a member of the Pembroke Police Services Board.

Reappointed January 5, 2008 for a three-year term.

Dr. Robert Bourdeau received his medical degree from the University of Ottawa in 1968 and his M.H.A. in 1985. He completed a Masters degree in Applied Science at McGill University in 1996. From 1985 to 2006, he served as Medical Officer of Health for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit. For many years, he was an orthopaedic surgeon and was also medical consultant for the Commission de la santé de la sécurité du travail de Québec (CSST) (Qc). He has served on numerous local ad hoc committees and sub-committees of the District Health Council of Eastern Ontario. 

Reappointed February 5, 2007 for a three-year term.

Linda Assad Butcher

Linda Assad Butcher has been executive director of Consortium National de Formation en Santé for La Cité collégiale from 2002 to 2007. From 1989 to 1990, she served as a member of the transition team for the Creation of La Cité collégiale and subsequently held positions as director of health sciences and community services at this community college. Prior to this, she was employed as a Learning Resources Consultant and Professor of Nursing at Algonquin College. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the Ottawa-Carleton Nursing Executives, the Ontario College Administrative Staff Association and the Ontario French Nurses Association. In 2003, she received the Capital Educator’s Award. Linda has served on the boards of numerous community organizations including the United Way, the Academic Operations Committee at Montfort Hospital and the Council on Aging.

Reappointed January 5, 2008 for a three-year term. 

Andrew Dickson

Andrew Dickson has enjoyed a long business career as president and owner of a printing company and publishing house based in Renfrew. A former broadcaster, he is vice-president and co-owner of a broadcasting company that operates radio stations that serve the Upper Ottawa Valley as well as Napanee and Strathroy, Ontario. He attained his MBA from the University of Ottawa in 2002. He is a former municipal councillor for the Corporation of the Town of Renfrew, where he served for 12 years. An active community member for 25 years, Andrew has served on the boards and committees of numerous organizations, including Renfrew and Area Physician Recruitment Committee, Equip for Care fundraising drive for Renfrew Victoria Hospital, County of Renfrew Homes for the Aged Committee, Renfrew Police Services Board, Renfrew Business Improvement Area and Chamber of Commerce, Renfrew County International Plowing Match, Kinsmen Club and Opeongo Housing Corporation. 

Reappointed June 17, 2007 for a three-year term.

Wilmer Matthews 

Wilmer Matthews is a retired high school principal. In 30 years with the Renfrew District School Board, he held positions as teacher, vice-principal, and principal at a variety of high schools in the county. His community involvement has included coaching or convening duties in community sports programs such as hockey, skiing and basketball. He has also been a past member of the local Lions Club.  Wilmer's interest in health care has seen him involved as a director of the St. Francis Memorial Hospital Foundation Board, where he has served as acting chair as well as chair of the Capital Equipment Campaign. He resigned from this position when appointed to the Champlain LHIN Board. 

Reappointed June 2, 2008 for a three-year term.

Jo-Anne Poirier 

Ms. Jo-Anne Poirier is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation.  Before January 2008 she was employed by United Way/Centraide Ottawa as Vice-President, Resource Development and CEO of the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign. From November 2000 to March 2003, she was First Vice-President, Business Development for MBNA Canada Bank. From 1993 to November 2000; she worked as Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services with the City of Gloucester. Prior to 1993, Ms. Poirier worked for 15 years in both the private sector and regional government in increasingly senior positions.  Jo-Anne’s community involvement presently includes, acting as a Special Advisor with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Ottawa Chapter. From 2003 to 2006 she served on the Board of Directors for the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la capitale nationale (RGA). From 1999 to 2003, she served as a senior volunteer on the United Way/Centraide Ottawa Campaign Cabinet. 

Reappointed June 2, 2008 for a three-year term. 

Johanne Lacombe 

Johanne Lacombe has a wide range of experience at the executive level. Some of the positions she has held are as follows: Executive Director at Languages Canada, a national not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to be the voice of the Canadian language training sector; Executive Director at Go for Green a national not-for-profit organization which was responsible for environmental and physical activity portfolios; Manager of Communications and Marketing at the Conseil des écoles catholiques de langue française du Centre-Est (CECLFCE); Executive Director at Alliance TechPoint Inc.; and Executive Director of the Outaouais Chamber of Commerce (Regroupement des gens d'affaires).  In her spare time, Johanne serves on the board of directors of the Caisse populaire Orléans Inc., where she is Vice-President of the Executive Committee.  She is also on the board of the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation and has just completed a 9 year term on the board of the Cité Collégiale Foundation.  Johanne’s post-secondary education covers the fields of Business Administration, Communications and Sociology.

Appointed November 18, 2009 for a three-year term. 

Mike DeGagné

Mike DeGagné is the founding Executive Director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, a national Aboriginal organization dedicated to addressing the legacy of Canada's Indian Residential School System.  He has worked in the field of addiction and mental health for the past 25 years, first as a community worker on-reserve in northern Ontario and later with the Addiction Research Foundation (ARF), the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), and the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP).  With the federal government, he has been an Executive manager in Aboriginal health, and a land claims negotiator.  Mike lectures and teaches nationally and internationally on issues of Aboriginal health, Residential Schools, reconciliation, and governance.  He serves on a number of Boards including Algoma University, and is currently the Vice-President of the Child Welfare League of Canada, and past Chairman of the Queensway Carleton Hospital.  His PhD focuses on Aboriginal post secondary education.

Appointed November 18, 2009 for a three-year term.