The Gateway Board of Directors

Dr. Claudio Munoz, MD PhD, Scientific Director, Head of Research

Dr. Claudio Munoz has a MD degree from Chile, and MSc and PhD degrees in Pharmacology and Toxicology from The University of Western Ontario. Since 1988, he has participated as a co-investigator or sub-investigator in more than 50 clinical trials of new cardiovascular drugs in Canada, first at the Hypertension Research Unit, and since 1996 at the Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre (SPARC) of the London Health Sciences Centre and the Robarts Research Institute, London. Through this work, he has gained extensive experience in all aspects of conducting academic and industry-sponsored clinical research. He is responsible for promoting Gateway as a centre of excellence for community-driven clinical research and ensure a constant stream of appropriate research projects. He is also responsible for ensuring proper training of clinicians to obtain investigator certification, supervising research coordinators, and organizing and coordinating an external ethics review board. He will continue his involvement with SPARC, and maintain strong networking and collaboration with other rural research centres and academic institutions.

Dr. Feng Chang RPh, BScPhm, PharmD

Dr. Chang graduated from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at University of Toronto, and completed her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and post-doctoral training in Geriatric Pharmacotherapy in the US.  She has served as a frontline clinician, specialist, consultant, and educator in diverse settings including acute care, community, and ambulatory care.  She is currently an Assistant Professor with the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy and Chair for Rural Pharmacy at Gateway.  Her research interests focus on pharmacy practice in smaller communities; safe, effective, and efficient medication use in older people; amplifying local health care professional capacity and expanding access to care.  Her goal is to use community-based research to examine issues relevant to the community, and develop solutions with defined outcomes and demonstrable impact.

Gwen Devereaux, President

A Huron County native, registered RN and former clinic administrator, Gwen is a recruiter for physicians and healthcare professionals for a number of Huron County area hospital agencies. As a community volunteer, she conceived and initiated the HealthKick program and was instrumental in creating one of the first community-driven Family Health Teams in Ontario with a mandate of delivery of primary healthcare to local residents. A keen community activist, she continues to promote health care services in the region in both work and private settings. Gwen is President of the Gateway Board and also leads the Gateway Executive Committee.

Linda Knight, Vice President

One of Gateway’s newest Directors, Linda is a long time resident of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Colbourne Township in Huron County, Linda is exceptionally familiar with rural health care. She started a home nursing company 25 years ago and it has since grown to over 600 employees with 10 branches throughout Southwestern Ontario. She now sits as the CEO for CarePartners.

Rob Evans, Chair

A graduate of Pickering College, Newmarket with a B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo. Rob is President and CEO of two private asset management companies and a consultant in business advisory services. Rob has received business awards, also serves on several community boards and municipal committees and is an active community leader and volunteer. Rob sits on the Executive and Financial committees for Gateway as well and utilizes his business knowledge and familiarity of procedures/policies for non profits. Rob is head of the Governance committee.

Dan Stringer, Vice Chair/Treasurer

A pharmacist, Dan graduated from Carleton University (B.Sc. 1968) and U.of T. (B.Sc. Phm. 1971). He practiced retail and hospital pharmacy in Ottawa, Pembroke and Goderich. He purchased Rieck Pharmacy, Goderich in 1978 and practiced as an independent pharmacist/owner until 2001. Currently employed by Rexall PharmaPlus as dispensary manager in Goderich, and Huron community FHT as consultant pharmacist, he has been active in the Goderich Lions Club, on the executive of local Pharmacy associations and as councillor for the local district at the Ontario College of Pharmacists. Currently serving on the executive of the Goderich BIA and on the Huron FHT board of directors, Dan was an essential element in the Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Waterloo-School of Pharmacy, and helps mentor the Pharmacy Cooperative Education students from the UoW – School of Pharmacy for Gateway. Dan leads the Project/Program Committee.

Lin Steffler, Past President

A resident of Huron East, the last 20 years in Seaforth, Lin has many years' experience working with provincial ministries and committees and over 10 years' local experience as Police Services Board chair, municipal councilor, municipal reeve and mayor following the Ontario amalgamation process. Lin is also an active community leader and volunteer. Lin leads the Development & Communications Committee.

Paul Brown, Director

Paul’s health career started with an x-ray technology apprenticeship at St. Joseph’s Hospital, London, in 1964.  His management experience in hospitals, home care services, a health unit, and a national association, in four provinces, has preceded his current position of Health Systems Manager for Sarnia/Lambton and Chatham-Kent with the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network. He also covers two Erie St. Clair accounts: the Community Care Access Centre and Consolidated Health Information Services. Prior to joining the Erie St. Clair LHIN, Paul was a hospital consultant with the Ministry of Health Long-Term Care. With degrees from Brock, Alberta and most recently Waterloo, Paul has a particular interest in how integration and innovation can shape the health system

Mary Lapaine, Director

A native of Goderich, Huron County, Mary attended Bishop Straughan in Toronto and later Michigan State University. She operated a family hotel, the Bedford in Goderich, and a motel and in 1993 and was chair of the Ontario Motel & Hotel Association for two years. She also served on the Goderich Marine Hospital board and in 2003, became chair of the Ontario Hospital Association. In May 2004, she became chair of the Canadian Healthcare Association. In January, 2007, she was appointed to the new South West region Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) Board for a three year term and is now serving as vice-chair. Mary is head of the FInance Committee.

Ralph Laviolette, Director

Ralph is a resident of Bayfield and holds degrees in Engineering (BEng McGill) and Business Administration (MBA, York). Ralph served 30 years in operations, finance and senior management positions with CN rail and following early retirement, contracted with various businesses in engineering or management. He’s served as Huron East Economic Development Officer and formed the Huron East Chamber of Commerce, not to mention managing the start up of the Huron Community Family Health Team (HcFHT). Ralph is also an avid volunteer in numerous community endeavors.

Chris Lee, Director

A resident of Walton in Huron East, Chris is a self-employed businessman and consultant with wide-ranging interests as an entrepreneur. He has had diverse experience on a local and international scale in farming, manufacturing, event promotion and management. He has served a variety of organizations with special interest in issues affecting our community such as the environment, health & wellness and economic development. Chris brings his business and technological background to help Gateway explore new ways of marketing and communication through our website, social media and participating in technology conferences for Gateway.

 

Nancy Waite PharmD, FCCP, Director

Nancy is the Associate Director of Practice-Based Education at the new School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo.  She earned her BScPhm at University of Toronto and her PharmD and Fellowship at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.   During her tenure at the school, she also was appointed as Interim Hallman Director (1 year term) while the search for a permanent director was being done. In her current position, she is responsible for overseeing the development of the curriculum, and has specific responsibilities for experiential programming which includes co-op and community service-learning, the practice-based courses/labs, residencies/fellowships and continuing professional development.  Through various academic and clinical positions in Canada and the United States, she has experience providing clinical pharmacy services in rural and teaching hospital clinics, teaching professional and student audiences, and conducting pharmacy practice research.

Jim Whaley, Director

Jim is a seasoned health care executive and health systems planner with recognized expertise in the planning, organization and delivery of rural health services. His health care consulting practice is focused on strategic planning, organizational renewal and the development of strategic partnerships. Clients include hospitals, family health teams, community health agencies and the new LHINs. In addition to his consulting practice, Jim has been a part-time faculty member in the University of Western Ontario’s bachelor of health sciences program, teaching courses in health policy and innovative rural health care delivery. Prior to teaching and consulting, Jim worked for 20 years in Ontario’s District Health Council (DHC) system and was the Executive Director of both the Grey Bruce/Huron Perth and Wellington-Dufferin DHCs. Jim holds a Master’s degree from the University of Waterloo in Regional Planning and is a Certified Health Executive (CHE) with the Canadian College of Health Service Executives. Jim sits on the Governance Committee for Gateway. In terms of other volunteer commitments, Jim is the inaugural Board Chair of the new Rural Ontario Institute.

Paul Nichol, Resource Director

Paul Nichol has always had a vested interest in rural Ontario. He determined at an early age to pursue an education that would allow him to live and work in a rural area. This education includes a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture at the University of Guelph in 1986, followed by a Masters Degree in Rural Development in 1991. Since that time, Paul has managed the Huron Business Development Corporation, an award-winning Community Futures organization located in Seaforth. Over the years, Paul has piloted many rural development tools such as 10 Steps to Community Action and Business Retention & Expansion. In addition, he has been instrumental in building new rural development organizations such as the Lake Huron Learning Collaborative, the Countryside Energy Co-operative, the Centre for Applied Renewable Energy and most recently, the Gateway Rural Health Research Institute.

Sherry McCall, Resource Director

Sherry brings a strong community component to the Gateway table. She has been the driving force behind several groups of adults and children, teaching them community, cooperation and physical/cardio fitness with dance classes in clogging. Sherry has organized numerous talent programs for the community and raised funds for a number of organizations. She comes from a strong rural lifestyle and has worked for a number of years promoting Seaforth and its Hospital.

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