Rose Lamb, Chair, of Minesing, is the Senior Vice President of Operations (East Region) of Schlegel Villages. Rose supports 11 village teams where they continue to look for ways to serve seniors and strive to change the culture of aging. Prior to her current position, she served as the senior leader for Sunrise Senior Living of McLean, Virginia. Rose serves on the Board of the Seniors Wish Foundation and supports other charities including Hospice Simcoe and Habitat for Humanity. She takes great pride in mentoring and developing the front-line team members and identifies ways to promote leaders from within villages, allowing a social living environment where people continue to live with purpose. Rose knows this for sure as her mom and dad each live with dementia and purpose in both retirement and long-term care.
Florene Shuber, Vice Chair, of Toronto, is an active advocate and volunteer for older adults, including volunteering with people living with dementia. Florene graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School and practiced law in education, employment and family. She began her career with the Toronto District School Board and eventually entered leadership roles in Toronto Montessori Schools, Toronto Montessori Institute and the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators. In 2005, Florene and her partners founded the Montessori Teachers College and in 2016, she helped create the Montessori Dementia Program. Florene also has Board experience serving as Co-Chair of Toronto Montessori Schools and Toronto Montessori Institute Board of Directors, as well as Chair of the Montessori Teachers College Board of Directors.
Carolyn Derbyshire, of Sauble Beach, was involved in the day-to-day care of her father while he resided in a retirement home. She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario. Carolyn is a retired Emergency Communicator with Peel Regional Police. During her 23-year career, Carolyn was a trainer and an Acting Supervisor and assisted in the development of the Emergency back-up centre for communications in Peel Region. An active volunteer most of her life, she was on the Board of Directors with Brampton Telecare Distress Line. While raising her two children, Carolyn was active in the school parent council and held the Chair position for three years.
Pamela Hopwood, of Guelph, is a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo, with experience in providing home and community care service to adults and seniors in rural areas. In addition to this, Pamela brings with her previous experience as a Personal Support Worker in a community group home. Her combined experience in policy and care work brings a balanced perspective to retirement home regulation.
Dr. Fred Mather, MD CCFP FCFP, is a family physician with a current practice in long term care and memory clinics. He is Medical Director of Sunnyside Home, the municipal home for the Region of Waterloo. The campus includes seniors’ apartments and supportive housing in addition to long term care. Over four decades of family practice, he provided medical care to seniors in office, home visits and in retirement homes. Dr. Mather has served terms as President of the Ontario Long Term Care Physicians (OLTCP) and Ontario Long Term Care Clinicians (OLTCC), when the former OLTCP transitioned from a charitable to not-for-profit organization. As President of OLTCC, he was a participant in the Public Inquiry into the Safety and Security of Residents in the Long-Term Care Homes System. His term also included added undertakings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Mather is a graduate of Queen’s University, Kingston, and completed post-graduate training at the University of Western Ontario. He presently serves as Vice Chair for the Ontario Association of Resident Councils.
Bethanie Pascutto, of Burlington, is a Staff Litigation Lawyer at the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE). In her role, Bethanie represents low-income seniors in a variety of matters including elder abuse, door-to-door sales fraud, and mortgage fraud. She brings in-depth legal knowledge with many years of experience and understands the relevant legislation and role the RHRA plays within the sector. She was called to the bar in 2019.
Stephanie Sanborn, of Ingleside, has 30 years of experience among various retirement and long term care operators in rural and urban settings. Stephanie specializes in developing a strong memory care platform rooted in person-centred care and creating empathy-based experiential training leveraging technology to transform staff training. Sanborn is a member of the ORCA Education Committee and the ORCA Dementia Task Force. Stephanie holds a Master of Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University and continuous education in healthcare management, gerontology and dementia care.
Laura Tamblyn Watts, of Toronto, is the CEO of CanAge, Canada’s national seniors’ advocacy organization and a global expert on aging. Her work focuses on aging, inclusion, and justice. She has previously served as Chief Public Policy Officer at the Canadian Association of Retired Persons and at the Canadian Centre for Elder Law including as their long-time National Director. She is an Assistant Professor (status) in the Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work University of Toronto where she specializes in research on Law and Aging. She was called to the Bar in 1999.
David Walton-Ball, of Hamilton, is a current retirement home resident and retired professor. He resides at the Village of Wentworth where is he the President of their resident council. David has also served as both President of Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce and Ontario Chamber of Commerce. He has experience caring for a loved one with dementia and hopes to contribute to the well-being of residents of retirement homes.
Ursula Witkowska, resident of Toronto, is a Loretto Sister and a retired teacher/chaplain. She resides at Presentation Manor with her religious community and with other religious orders and lay people. She is on the Residents’ Council at Presentation Manor as well as other committees in house. Ursula is currently on the Board of Chorus Niagara and sings with the choir. She has experience in caring for and living with her elderly Sisters in various stages of life as well her parents. She is a strong advocate for ‘aging in place’.
