Board of Directors - 2008-2009

Gary Pooley - President

Gary is a Chartered Accountant and a retired partner of Ernst & Young. He is a Board member and Treasurer of the YMCA of Kitchener-Waterloo and the Sunnyside Home Foundation. Gary is also a member of the Board and Chair of the Audit Committee of the Research & Technology Park Accelerator Centre affiliated with the University of Waterloo.

Louise Leonard - Vice-President

Louise has spent most of her career in health care delivery and planning on an operational level.  Her leadership as Executive Director of the Waterloo Region District Health Council resulted in service delivery improvements in the hospital sector as well as numerous other local health care improvements and expansions. She represents KidsAbility on the Board of the Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Centres.  She also served as the volunteer Board Chair of the Community Care Access Centre of Waterloo Region.  Louise has received awards for her contribution to the community in health care.

Steven Hendry - Secretary 

Steven graduated in General Business studies from Conestoga College and currently is employed with Nordia Inc. as a Customer Care and Technical Support Agent.  He is an ambassador and active volunteer with KidsAbility where he mentors clients, advises on policy issues and makes fundraising presentations.  He enjoys meeting and working with people.  Both Steven and his wife Tanya are former clients of KidsAbility and reside in Kitchener.

Bill Weiler - Treasurer

Bill spent most of his career in Electronics Manufacturing as Chief Executive Officer. Bill served on the Board of Waterloo North Hydro and is currently on the Board of Grand River Hospital and Open Works. Bill was an advocate for health care in Waterloo Region during the hospital restructuring and one of “The Three Musketeers.”  He continues to hold health care as a personal high priority. He founded and manages Wonders of Winter, the Christmas Light Festival in Waterloo Park. He is the father of seven children and grandfather of eight.

Arisa Alexanian

Arisa is a Technical Sales Specialist with Hewlett-Packard Company. She has extensive volunteer experience with the Down Syndrome Society, the YWCA and K-W Counselling and is an active fundraiser for many charitable community groups. She is a strong advocate for awareness, education and inclusion for people with disabilities. Arisa and her husband Steve have a son, Michael, who is a current recipient of the services of KidsAbility.

Bruce Antonello

Bruce was the President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary's General Hospital from December 1982 until the spring of 2004. He currently works as an independent Health Care Consultant. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Jerome’s University, he is Chair of the KW Chamber of Commerce Health Care Resources Council and part of a group of citizens who, under the banner Med Ed, is raising money to support the Waterloo Regional Campus of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.

Mark Beadle

Mark has held management positions in the health care field for the majority of his career.  He was a Program Manager at St. Mary's General Hospital from the late 1990's through to 2005, and was a Regional Manager with a program of the Toronto Western Hospital until 2007.  He is currently a Director at CBI Health, a private health management company.  Mark has a background in physiotherapy and is the current President of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Physiotherapy Association.  Mark resides in Cambridge with his wife and two children.

Jan Hayward

Jan spent most of career in Early Childhood Education working at various levels.  She received an International award for her work with Co-operative Preschools.  She served on a number of Community Boards in the Waterloo Region, including serving as President of the K-W Alzheimer Society and Chairperson at Conestoga College.  She is currently volunteering in the Resource Centre at KidsAbility Waterloo.

Bobbi Holte

Bobbi is a Chartered Accountant who spent eight years with Ernst & Young before leaving to take on senior financial roles for two local high-tech companies and a lead role in the development of the Waterloo Research & Technology Park Accelerator Centre as the Centre’s first Director of Client Programs.  Bobbi is currently the Chief Financial Officer of LiveHive Systems Inc., a Waterloo-based technology company.  Bobbi is also the proud mom of our 2006 - 2007 Kids Can’t Wait Campaign Ambassador, Sydnie.  Both Sydnie and her younger brother Samuel receive services from KidsAbility.  Bobbi is a frequent speaker at events coordinated through KidsAbility Foundation and shares her experience as a parent of a child with special needs and the important role that KidsAbility plays in helping Sydnie and Samuel to achieve their full potential.

Ingrid Pregel

Ingrid is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC). She spent many years as a Senior Manager with KPMG’s advisory services. In June, 2007, she embarked on a new career with the City of Kitchener with a focus on the arts and culture community. Her leadership of the Board training and governance development process has contributed significantly to the quality of governance at KidsAbility. Ingrid is Past President of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region and a Board member of the YWCA.

Mike Rhiger

Mike is a Professional Engineer and graduate from the University of Waterloo (Electrical Engineering). He is an Operations Leader at Brock Solutions, an international automation engineering company based in Kitchener. Mike and his wife have three children between the ages of 6 and 12 years. His middle child, Julia, attended KidsAbility and was part of the KidsAbility School for her Junior Kindergarten year.

Penny Smiley

Penny has worked as a Human Resources Professional for the past 22 years.  She has worked for the past ten years for the Region of Waterloo and currently holds the positions of Commissioner of Human Resources, which oversees all Human Resources programming for all seven departments at the Region of Waterloo.  Prior to joining the Region, Penny worked for public sector organizations in Saskatoon, Kingston and Ottawa.  She holds a Masters of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and a Masters of Industrial Relations Degree from Queen’s University.   Penny has served on many Boards and committees, both in this community and others where she has lived.  Penny lives in Guelph with her husband Bill and daughter Meg.

Dr. Janet Speight - Director of Medical Services

Dr. Speight has been our doctor at the KidsAbility Centre since 1988. She combines this responsibility with an active family practice in Kitchener. She provides medical support and consultation to staff and coordinates related issues with the medical community in Waterloo Region.  She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and Dalhousie University Medical School. She worked as a family physician in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia before coming to Kitchener in 1982.

Terry Wilson

Terry graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. She has worked at St. Joseph Hospital in Hamilton and St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. She has been on the Parent Council at Mary Johnston Public School and the Operating Committee at St. John’s Christian Nursery School.  Terry is also a canvasser for the Canadian Cancer Society. Terry joined the KidsAbility Board in February 2006.

Stephen Swatridge - Chief Executive Officer

Stephen is a graduate of the McMaster University School of Social Work and Simon Fraser University School of Business (Executive MBA Program). He is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Service Executives and is an active volunteer with several local organizations. Stephen’s professional career has included a stint in the Ontario government and he has held leadership positions in several health and social service organizations in Ontario and British Columbia.

Sue Hallman - Chair, KidsAbility Foundation/Co-chair, Annual Campaign

Sue, along with her husband Jim, own Aberdeen Homes Limited.  Having retired three years ago, Sue now has more time to devote to her volunteer work, her two children and three grandchildren. Sue has been a member of the YWCA Board, Chair of the Faith Communities Committee for the YWCA, and Co-chaired the YWCA $2.5 million capital campaign.  When Sue is not facilitating a seniors group at her church, she is devoting her talents to KidsAbility both in the classroom and as the Co-Chair of the Kids Can’t Wait Annual Campaign.  Sue is also a member of the Leadership Advisory Council with Leadership Waterloo.

Lisa Talbot - Executive Director, KidsAbility Foundation

Lisa has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guelph and has been with the KidsAbility Foundation since 2001. Lisa is a member of the Waterloo Region Fund Raising Executives and Association of Fundraising Professionals. She is a recent graduate of Leadership Waterloo Region, a local executive development program.