University Hospitals Kingston Foundation
Donate

Our Board

On June 22, 2022, the 2022-2023 University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) Board of Directors slate was confirmed. The Board of UHKF is responsible for fundraising, investment and granting for the Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Providence Care.

The Board also includes Dr. David Pichora, President & CEO, Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Cathy Szabo, President & CEO, Providence Care.

For more information contact Debbie.Broome@uhkf.ca or telephone 613-549-6666, ext. 8138.

Members of the 2022-2023
UHKF Board of Directors

John S. Leverette headshot

Board Chair: John S. Leverette

John is a Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, Queen's University and a 45-year member of our hospitals' medical staff. He retired in 2018 as Vice President, Medical and Academic Programs, at Providence Care, previously serving as Director, Medical Affairs, at both Kingston General and Hotel Dieu Hospitals. In 2014 he was appointed Interim Chief of Medical and Academic Affairs/Chief of Staff at Hotel Dieu. As inaugural Chair of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Specialty Committee in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, he was awarded a Founder's designation in that specialty. He is a Distinguished Fellow and Life Member of the Canadian Psychiatric Association and a Life Member and Past-President of both the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Ontario Psychiatric Association.

Next Board Member
Brett Patterson headshot

Vice-Chair: Brett Patterson

Brett is a Kingston resident and has been active in the community through participation in youth sports. He is also the lead business development for Scotiabank for the Kingston area. Through his experiences in the bank, Brett has had the opportunity to demonstrate and deliver individual and team results, business development, project management, leadership and coaching. Through his current responsibilities, he has shown the ability to communicate messaging effectively to small and medium audiences within the community through sponsorship and charitable opportunities supported by the bank. Brett has several educational accomplishments—Human Resources/Business Administration Degree, Information Technology certificate, Arts degree with a concentration in Economics and Personal Financial Planner.
Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Brent Wilson headshot

Secretary/Treasurer: Brent Wilson

Brent Wilson, CPA, CA, LPA, is a Partner with MNP in Kingston and a member of the firm’s Assurance and Accounting team. Drawing on extensive experience as a business advisor, Brent provides assurance, tax and business consulting services to small- and medium-sized businesses, owner-managers and not-for-profit organizations. He helps his clients minimize challenges and achieve their business and personal goals.

Brent works closely with his clients to deliver a full range of services, including auditing and accounting; corporate, personal and trust income taxes; and business advisory services. He helps clients in a variety of industries, including agriculture, biotechnology, hospitality, tourism, financial services (credit unions), technology, communications, consumer products, retail, professional services, real estate and construction.

Brent received a Bachelor of Commerce (BComm Honours) from Carleton University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (CA) in 1993.

Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Evelyn Maizen headshot

Past Board Chair: Evelyn Maizen

Evelyn is an accountant specializing in personal tax and has extensive involvement with the charitable sector through her clients and volunteer work. Evelyn has been a member of the Women’s Giving Circle Executive Committee since 2011 and is also on the UHKF Campaign Cabinet and has been a consistent supporter of our foundation (and KGHF) since 1995. Evelyn is also currently on the board of Independent Living Centre Kingston and has been for many years.

Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Phil Schmitt headshot

Phil Schmitt

Phil Schmitt is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute. He has over forty years of experience in the investment industry – more than thirty managing both alternative and traditional strategies, five years managing an ESG fund, four years experience with digital/crypto assets and strategies and fifteen+ years’ as an independent non-executive fund director with international fund managers. Phil is a pioneer in developing new financial products and services and building highly successful fund management companies.

Phil is currently President & CEO of Summerwood Capital Corp. which is an Investment Fund Manager and Portfolio Manager. The firm specializes in managing and advising alternative funds and creating new, innovative strategies and funds.

Prior to Summerwood, Phil was Vice-President and then President of Polar Securities Inc., an early entrant in the hedge fund industry. Executive responsibilities included Chair of the Portfolio Management Committee, Head of Risk Management, Chief Compliance Officer, and Trade Desk Supervisor.

Phil has served on multiple industry and regulatory committees both in Canada and internationally. Phil currently serves as Chair of the UHKF Investment Committee.

Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Michelle Chatten Fiedorec headshot

Michelle Chatten Fiedorec

Michelle moved to Kingston in 2007 and found a welcoming and vibrant community. She is currently Corporate Treasurer at Homestead Land Holdings Limited. Michelle has been a Rotarian for 15 years, volunteering extensively with the International Youth Exchange program, and has served in several leadership roles—President of the Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston. Michelle has also volunteered with Melos Choir & Period Instruments, Community Foundation of Kingston & Area, United Way KFL&A and Quinte Ballet School of Canada.
Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Brent Atkinson headshot

Brent Atkinson

Inspired by his grandfather and father all his life, Brent has chased his entrepreneurial spirit into a variety of industries. His true passion is centred at the crossroad of consumer behaviour and world-class customer experiences.  

After graduating with his Diploma in Business and Advertising, a fortunate opportunity presented itself. A career was born within the marketing laboratory that Loblaws had a reputation for. It was the era of Walmart's entrance into Canada, and Loblaws had the resource to evolve strategically and continue to grow market share. Brent was assigned to the General Merchandise category and worked with retails best to add 20,000 sq. feet of seasonal, housewares, photo labs, apparel and general merchandise across the multiple brand banners.

With an appetite for bigger cities and a love for great advertising, Brent changed gears, moved to a career based out of Manhattan and began to work in a business-to-business capacity with ad agencies around the world, to feature each years best of the best creative campaigns in a high end, well established publication called The Black Book. Before Google changed our world, innovative technologies were developed and launched by his team to bring searchable creative portfolios online, an industry first.

A young and aggressive group of British gentlemen then inspired Brent to join their team to turn around and rebrand a failing 120 location retail finance company called RTO Enterprises, now GOEASY. As part of the executive team, Brent contributed to the growth of the company, to 350 locations, in Canada and the United States, with diversified business units, achieving a compounded annual growth rate of 10.6% during his 13-year tenure.

After engaging with a global charity organization called The ManKind Project, Brent became committed to supporting men in the community with Emotional Intelligence support groups in Toronto, then Kingston as well as Southern Ontario. This rewarding work led Brent and a group of past colleagues to develop a self-help Social Network called FantasticYou. Still, in Beta, Brent and his co-founders continue to pursue the opportune time to launch their platform. 

Brent relocated to Kingston in 2015 to participate in his Family Business Succession Plan at Atkinson Home Hardware Building Centres. As one of Eastern Ontario’s Largest Building Supply Retailers, Brent holds the capacity of Managing Partner and Financial Controller. With a genuine love for the intimate community spirit that is alive and well in Kingston, Brent supports the community where opportunities present themselves, including the UHKF Strategic Planning Committee, St. Lawrence II Tall Ship community engagement, and the Kingston West End Craft & Trade District group of locally owned companies.

Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Taras Broadhead headshot

Taras Broadhead

Taras Broadhead joined the UHKF Board effective June 27, 2023 as a cross-appointed director from the Providence Care Board.  Taras is an engineer who brings over 35 years of experience as an Engineering, Operations and Procurement leader at DuPont Canada and International Flavors and Fragrances. Taras is skilled at building consensus within multidisciplinary teams to execute portfolios of capital projects and continuous improvement initiatives. Taras also has community leadership experience as a long-time member and current chair of the Presbyterian Music Camp Board.

Previous Board Member Next Board Member
John Drover headshot

John Drover

Dr. Drover is a Professor in the Departments of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. After growing up in Nova Scotia, he attended Acadia University (’80) to study science and then went to Dalhousie University (’84) for medical school. After a rotating internship, he practised as a family physician for three years in Tamworth, Ontario. After completing a residency in General Surgery (’92) he continued to complete training in Critical Care Medicine (’94) at Queen’s University. Dr. Drover then went on to do further training in Critical Care, working as a Senior Registrar at Guy’s Hospital, London, UK returning to join Queen’s University as a faculty member in 1994. In 2012, he achieved the designation of Canadian Certified Physician Executive. In 2020, he became a Certified Executive Coach.

Dr. Drover has held other leadership positions. He was the Chair and Program Medical Director for Critical Care at Queen’s University and Kingston General Hospital from 2002 to 2014. During that time, he led the formation of the academic Department of Critical Care Medicine and was Interim Head of the new department while a new Head was selected. He has been the Director of Accreditation and Quality Improvement for the School of Medicine at Queen’s University and as Medical Coordinator of the Bariatric Regional Assessment and Treatment Centre led the creation of the unit and the transition to a Bariatric Center of Excellence. He also served for six years as Chair of the Specialty Committee for Critical Care Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Dr. Drover practises as an intensivist at Kingston Health Sciences Centre, and his surgical practice focuses on trauma. He is the physician lead for Critical Care in South Eastern Ontario. He is an Instructor and Course Director with the ATLS program and has been elevated to Provincial Faculty by the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Drover is a member of the Specialty Committee for Critical Care Medicine at the Royal College. He is active as a teacher at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His research has focused on nutrition with an emphasis on critically ill patients.

Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Karen Humphreys Blake headshot

Karen Humphreys Blake

Karen held senior roles in health care and government, with a particular focus on communications and consultation and fund development. In her role as VP, Public Affairs and Development, at KGH, she worked with colleagues at the partner hospitals to establish what became UHKF. Karen served as interim CEO of UHKF in 2019. She also has considerable governance experience in the health care, social and cultural sectors.
Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Colleen Lawrie headshot

Colleen Lawrie

Colleen is a Brock University alumna with a Bachelor of Business Economics. She completed the requirements for her Certified Financial Planners designation in 1999. She joined Wilkinson & Company LLP, Kingston in 2003, and in 2007, she completed the CICA Uniform Final Exam and obtained her Chartered Accountant designation. On January 1st, 2014, Colleen became a partner with Wilkinson & Company.

Colleen has many years of personal experience working as a volunteer for not-for-profit organizations. She has been involved in Scouts Canada, the Cataraqui Clippers Soccer Club. She represents the Wilkinson & Company Kingston office with the United Way and participates in the United Way annual campaigns and previously served as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Kingston General Hospital Foundation. Colleen and her husband, Craig, have two young adult sons.
Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Emily Leslie headshot

KHSC Cross-Representative: Emily Leslie

Emily Leslie is a Registered Nurse with 30 years of experience in health care. She has experience in emergency care, endoscopy, community nursing, hospital bed utilization and quality improvement. Emily also assisted in strategic planning and the development of Operational and Business Plans for the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team.

Leading up to the integration of the Hotel Dieu and Kingston General Hospitals in 2017, as a member of the HDH Board, Emily agreed to serve on the advisory body formed to oversee the activities required to implement the integration of HDH and KGH as a new health sciences centre. As a member of its Joint Steering Committee, Emily helped to inform and guide the deliverables required to support this integration.

From integration until becoming a member of Kingston Health Sciences Centre Board of Directors, Emily served as a member of the Partnership Council - a group comprised of representatives of the Hotel Dieu and Kingston General Boards. She served as Vice-Chair of the Hotel Dieu Board and Chair of its Ethics, Mission and Values Committee. Currently, Emily serves on the Patient Care & Quality Committee and the Redevelopment sub-committee of the KHSC Board. Emily serves as a Director on UHKF Board as the cross-appointment from the KHSC Board.

Emily has served on the Research and Education Committee at Kingston General and the Board of the South East Community Care Access Centre (SECCAC). While serving on the Board of the SECCAC, Emily was Vice-Chair of the Patient Safety, Quality and Risk Committee, as well as serving on the Resources Committee.

She lives in Kingston, is married and has six children and ten grandchildren.
Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Kate Nelson headshot

Kate Nelson

Kate completed her undergraduate studies at McGill University in Montreal and returned home to Kingston in 2007 to complete her law degree at Queen’s University. In 2010, she joined Nelson Law as an articling student and remained at the firm after being called to the bar in 2011. Since such time, she has focused primarily on civil litigation and estate matters. In September 2019, she partnered with Lulama M. Kotze and opened Nelson Kotze LLP. Kate is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and the Frontenac Law Association.
Previous Board Member Next Board Member
Sandy Staples headshot

Sandy Staples

A graduate of the University of Guelph and The University of Western Ontario, Dr. Staples joined Smith School of Business in 1998, after two years as a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne in Australia. His papers have appeared in such journals as Information Systems Research, Organization Science, Journal of Management Information Systems and The Journal of Strategic Information Systems. He is a regular contributor to international conferences too. Much of his research has been conducted in collaboration with colleagues in Canada, Australia and the United States. 

He is a recent recipient of a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. In 2001, Dr. Staples received the Smith School of Business New Researcher Award—an annual honour to the faculty member who has made an outstanding contribution to his or her chosen research field within seven years of receiving their Ph.D. As well, he was awarded a Distinguished Faculty Research Fellowship in 2007.

Dr. Staples' research focuses on how technology enables and affects works practices in organizations. Building on previous research in virtual teams and knowledge sharing, he is currently investigating how collaborative technologies can help manage the diversity within distributed teams. Dr. Staples earned his Ph.D. from the Richard Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario.
Previous Board Member
Close