Left to Right: Bob Speer, Tom Sarvas, Gordon Fillmore, John Zahn, Joyce Essa, Tom Jackson, Susan Goodwin

The Board of Directors meet once per month in the evening. Members may participate in various other Centre committees as required. Our Board is comprised of a variety of individuals from our community including family members with special needs children, business professionals, educators, and health care professionals.

Robert Speer
Bob is our Board President and a member of our Executive Committee, as well as the Events Subcommittee. He is a retired manager of Customer Services from Canadian Pacific Railway. He enjoys fishing for salmon in Lake Superior, and is a volunteer for the salmon hatchery. Bob is married with three children, and two grandchildren.

Don Watson
Don is our Board Vice-President. Don taught mathematics at colleges in England before coming to Thunder Bay in 1967. He has been Director of Computing Services and Director of Reengineering at Lakehead University. Don has over twenty years of membership on performing arts and community boards, including the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Ontario Federation of Symphony Orchestras, the Council of the Ontario College of Teachers, Volunteer Thunder Bay, Leadership Thunder Bay, and the Lakehead Social Planning Council.

Tom Sarvas
Tom is a Chartered Accountant and is a partner in the firm Buset Sarvas Mozzon CA. He has been on the Board of Directors since 1996, and has served as Treasurer for most of that time. He also holds the position of Chair of Finance Committee. Tom is married and has two children. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, golf, and watching soccer.

John Zahn
John is our Board Secretary, and a member of our Building Fundraising Executive Committee, as well as the Events Subcommittee. He is a President Elect 2005-2007 of the Kiwanis Club of Thunder Bay, and is Past President 1999-2001. John is also co-chair of fundraising for the Easter Seal Society. John is a Corporate Account Manager at CompuSmart.

Stephanie Ash
Stephanie immigrated to Canada from the UK in 2001. After moving to Northwestern Ontario, she launched her own public relations and marketing business, Firedog Communications. As President/CEO of Firedog Communications, Stephanie enjoys working with not-for-profit agencies, municipalities, and First Nation clients in the region. Stephanie has become passionately engaged in her community, having served on Boards of Directors for: City of Thunder Bay Sports Bid & Event Hosting Advisory Committee, Northern Ontario Women's Leadership Forum, Northern Ontario Enterprise Gateway, Lake Superior Discovery Place, and Heart of theHarbour Business Improvement Area.

Joyce Essa
Joyce is a retired educator, having spent most of her career in special education. Presently, she also sits on the Executive Committee and the Public Relations Committee of Fair Start. Joyce also enjoys volunteering for various activities at our new hospital. In her spare time, Joyce enjoys traveling and sailing.

Susan Goodwin
Susan was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. She is a retired educator of 34 years with the Lakehead Board of Education, where she spent many of these years in Special Education. Susan also volunteers for the Regional Hospital Care Beyond Compare Campaign, Fair Start and the Retired Teachers Organization. She is married with two children, and three grandchildren, and she enjoys many hobbies including gardening, golfing, quilting and scrapbooking.

Jan Hudyma
Jan works at the Royal Bank and has been a member of the Board of Directors for many years.  Jan's two children attended our day care program and, as well, her daughter Jessica receives therapy services from the Centre.

Tom Jackson
Tom is an Investment Advisor at BMO Nesbitt Burns. Tom holds a designation in Financial Planning and Investment Management. He is an active member of the Thunder Bay Kiwanis Club and is past Lieutenant Governor for Western Canada Kiwanis. Tom is married with two children.

Patti Zimmermann
Patti embodies what it means to be passionate about children.  She can be found in her children's school every day as a lunch supervisor, volunteering for class activities and being connected to their teachers each year.  Patti is always participating in activities with her son, Adam and daughter, Erika.  She is very involved with the Autism Society of Thunder Bay, motivated by the impact autism has had on her family.  As a member of the Board of Directors of the George Jeffrey Children's Centre, she thoroughly enjoys being able to impact the lives of children throughout Thunder Bay.

 

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