Board, Patrons & Staff
COA Board of Directors 2012-2013
 Kathy Yach President |
Kathy Yach has served as Co-Director of City View Centre for Child and Family Services since its founding in 1974. This Centre offers day care and home care programs, summer camp, outreach programs, a toy lending library, and other services to support families. She has also taught at Algonquin College in the Early Childhood Education program, and sat on many community boards and councils, including as a trustee to the Ottawa Board of Education for twelve years. She has received several awards, including the Queen's Jubilee Award, in recognition of her community service and innovative initiatives for children and family services. |
 Yvan Jacques 1st Vice-President Treasurer |
Yvan Jacques graduated from the University de Montréal with a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences (BASc) and from the Université de Sherbrooke with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). Yvan has had a distinguished career as a Québec public servant and has held the position of Assistant Deputy Minister in the Québec Ministry of Agriculture and Food. He is the founding President of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. A member of several professional associations and director of several academic institutions, private companies and corporations, Yvan participated in a number of International Joint Economic Committees and led technical trade missions to several countries. He was the Founding President of the Québec MBA Association. He is a Commander of the Order of Agronomic Merit from l'Ordre des agronomes du Québec. |
 Cal Martell 2nd Vice-President |
Cal Martell is a leader in health service delivery and planning with more than 35 years of progressive experience at regional and provincial levels. Following completion of his undergraduate education in psychology at Carleton University, he worked with children with developmental and mental health needs. He has focused primarily on seniors' health service delivery and planning over the past 23 years, maintaining a diverse portfolio in health administration spanning inpatient, ambulatory and community services. Cal served as Clinical Director for Geriatrics and Family Medicine at the Ottawa Hospital and Director of the Regional Geriatric Program of Eastern Ontario. Under his leadership, the RGP was recognized as the Community Builder of the Year by United Way/ Centraide Ottawa in 2009, and he was also recognized individually by his peers and colleagues with a lifetime achievement award for his exemplary leadership and commitment to seniors' health services. |
 Dianne Breton Secretary |
Dianne Breton is an active and committed volunteer to seniors and their families. In recognition of her dedication, Dianne was awarded the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award on October 22nd, 2007. She has served on the Board of The Council on Aging of Ottawa since 2002 and has held the positions of Secretary and Vice-President. Dianne has also served as a Board member at the Glebe Centre and Chair of the Abbotsford Seniors' Centre Committee. She is currently President of the Causeway Foundation and has been their Board President. More recently, she is Chair of the Ottawa Seniors' Transportation Committee and is the Council on Aging of Ottawa's representative on the Seniors' Advisory Committee, City of Ottawa. |
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Born and raised in Montreal, Mr. Plourde brings over twenty-five years of private sector experience in asset management, capital markets advisory, investment banking and venture capital funding with various organizations in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. He founded a consulting practice providing investor relations, corporate and financial communications, crisis management and financing advisory services to private and publicaly-traded startups, early-stage and growth companies. He movied to Ottawa from Montreal in 2010, is the proud father of a wonderful 7 year-old daughter. Bother are avid skiers. Louis intends to bring his business background, energy and enthusiasm to support and assist in furthering the Council on Aging’s important mission and invaluable role in improving the lives of Ottawa’s more than 150,000 seniors |
| Allan Fenske Director |
Allan Fenske retired from the Canadian Forces after a 38-year career as an officer and lawyer. His most recent appointments included Director General/Human Resources and Deputy Legal Advisor and General Counsel in the Department of Justice Office at National Defence. He was a member of the Canadian Forces Pension Advisory Committee from 1997 to 2000.
As a member of FSNA's Ottawa branch, Allan has been an active member of the branch's Board of Directors and served as President of the Ottawa branch from 2007 to 2009. As the national level and as Third National Vice-President, he has played a leading role in modernizing FSNA by-laws and governance. Allan has a law degree from Dalhousie University, a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University and a Diploma in Legislative Drafting from the University of Ottawa. He is a graduate of the NATO Defence College and the Rotman School of Management's Advanced Program in Human Resource Management. Allan was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2004 and awarded the Order of Military Merit in 2005 for his contribution to the progressive development of military law. He is founding member of the Ottawa circle of the Honens Foundation of Calgary, which sponsors an international piano competition and the career development of aspiring concert pianists. Allan is married to Ricky Fenske. They have one daughter, Jessica. As a family, they are avid travellers, golfers, and skiers. |
Dr. Linda J. Garcia |
Dr. Linda Garcia is Professor and Director at the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa. Prior to joining the University of Ottawa in 1993, Professor Garcia worked for over 10 years in a large teaching hospital as a clinician and department head. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from McGill University (1979) and a master’s degree in speech-language pathology (1981) from the same university. Her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences (speech-language pathology) was received from the University of Montreal in 1991. Her research interests are focused on how communication influences human interactions and transitions as individuals (especially seniors) living with aphasia or dementia continue to live with their functional limitations. She is particularly interested in the role others have in creating environments that facilitate communication and human interactions. The attitudes and approaches of conversational partners, social networks and interactions with health care professionals can all influence the level of success of the communication interaction. She is an affiliated scientist with the Elisabeth Bruyère Research Institute and the Population Health Improvement Research Network (PHIRN), a member of the Champlain Dementia Network steering committee and elected academic colleague on the Council of Ontario Universities. She is also a member of the French Language Health Services Network of Eastern Ontario. |
 Dr. Marjorie Hinds Director |
Dr. Marjorie Hinds is a specialist in the field of teaching and professional development of teachers. Over the past 40 years, Marjorie has held many portfolios including department head, vice-principal, and principal in both Newfoundland and Ontario. In addition to her key innovative research work with teacher professional development through action research, Marjorie continues to make a difference in the field of education through her publications in peer reviewed journals. She was recently acknowledged by the College of Teachers of Ontario for her research on the challenges facing beginning, mid-career and experienced teachers. In the Ottawa community, Marjorie has been instrumental in involving schools in the CHEO telethon, in Junior Achievement, and in Science Fair programs. In her adopted hometown of Rockland she serves as Chair of the Building Committee for St. Edith Stein Parish. Having served on the Strategic Planning Committee, the Fundraising Committee and the Bulletin Committee at the Council on Aging for the past two years, Marjorie welcomes the new challenge as Chair of the Development and Resources Committee. |
 John E. Johnson Director |
John E. Johnson is a leader in elder law and practicing partner in Ottawa in the areas of family law, estate planning and administration, and estate and family litigation. He is active in the community and involved in several professional activities and organizations. These include: The Advocates Society; Ottawa Estate Planning Council; University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law; Canadian Bar Association; County of Carleton Law Association; and Law Society of Upper Canada. He is also a former instructor of the Bar Admission Course in family law, corporate and commercial law and estate planning. John Johnson is a partner with Nelligan O’Brien Payne and leader of the Estate Planning and Administration practice group. |
 Evelyn Maloney Director |
Evelyn Maloney has a Masters degree in Social Work from Carleton University. She worked for seventeen years as manager of the Elisabeth Bruyère Helpline, which serves primarily seniors living in the community. In this capacity, she developed partnerships with hospitals, community agencies and service groups, recruited, trained and motivated volunteers, and designed marketing and public relations plans. She has taken an active role in many of The Council on Aging of Ottawa's activities, including the Members.com and Health Issues committees. |
 Richard Mayer Director |
A classroom teacher all his life, Richard has been a Department Head, a union leader and a professional development instructor. He has and continues to make significant contributions to many community groups which include: La Fédération des aînés et retraités francophones de l'Ontario (FAFO), the Ottawa Hospital, the Regional Health Council and the advisory committee for the Strategic Planning of French Services at the Ministry of the Attorney General, such as within local parishes and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa. Richard Mayer holds a BA from the Université d'Ottawa and a BEd from Queen's University. He received the Community Leaders' Award from United Way in 1982, was made an Honourary Member of Maison Fraternité in 1988, and was awarded the Benemerenti Medal by the Archdiocese of Ottawa in 1997 and the Trille Platine from FAFO in 2007. |
Allan Moscovitch |
Allan Moscovitch is a Professor of Social Work at Carleton University where he has been a member since 1975. His research and teaching has focused on social policy and the Canadian welfare state. He is the author and editor of several books and many articles on the history of social welfare and on contemporary social policy issues. In 1977 he was one of the founders of what became the Canadian Review of Social Policy. He was coordinating editor during most of 1991 to 2002. He was also one of the founders of the journal Studies in Political Economy, of which he was the editor from 1978 to 1983. During 1988-9 he was Director of Planning for the Social Services Department of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. From 1990 to 1992, he was the Chair of the (Ontario) Minister's Advisory Committee on Social Assistance Reform to the Minister of Community and Social Services where he worked with four ministers during his period as advisor on social assistance reform. During 1994-5 he completed (with Andrew Webster) a monograph on social assistance and Aboriginal Peoples for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. From 1994 to 1999 he was Director of the School of Social Work at Carleton University. While Director, he served as the Chair of the Ontario Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work where he led their efforts to bring about new provincial social work legislation. He has also been active on many community boards both locally and nationally. |
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Carolyn Rannie received teacher training at MacDonald College/McGill and taught elementary students in Quebec and Ontario for forty years. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University. After retirement she volunteered in an elementary school library and also became active in seniors concerns. From president of the local Retired Women Teachers Association (RWTO) she became the Area Director for the provincial association. She has served on the Senior Advisory Board for the City of Ottawa, the board of the Retired Teachers of Ottawa (RTO/ERO) and currently is president of The Senior Citizens Council of Ottawa |
 Nicole Robert Director |
Nicole Robert has been Executive Director of Geriatric Psychiatry Community Services of Ottawa since 1995. GPCSO is a bilingual community mental health program which serves seniors who have mental health problems or are suffering from dementia, providing assessment, support and care planning to avoid unnecessary hospitalization and placement. She has a Nursing degree and an MBA from the University of Ottawa, is extensively involved with many community health and francophone service organizations, and is also a Citizenship Judge with the Court of Canadian Citizenship. |
 Maureen Sinden Director |
Maureen Sinden has been an independent executive recruiter with Maureen Sinden Executive Search Ltd. since 1992, identifying and attracting senior level management capability for both local and national clients. Her original thrust of service within a variety of manufacturing, high technology and service organizations has grown to include extensive work within the not-for-profit, health care, biotechnology and financial services sectors, as well as industry associations and government. She is married with three grown children, and has served as a past Board Member on the Lakefield College School Board of Directors, Open Doors for Lanark County Children and Youth Board, and has been a volunteer with the Salvation Army Grace Manor Seniors' Residence,as well as career and motivational counselling for teenagers. |
 Trudy Sutton Director |
Trudy Sutton has worked in the housing and homeless service sector in Ottawa for thirty years. Since 1997, she has served as Executive Director of Housing Help, a non-profit agency providing assistance to people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, to access and maintain appropriate and affordable housing. She served on the Board of Geriatric Psychiatry Community Services of Ottawa for eight years, and has chaired the Steering Committee of the Alliance to End Homelessness for four years. Since 2008 she has also been chairing The Council on Aging of Ottawa's Housing Committee. |
 Inspector Tessa Youngson-Larochelle Director |
Inspector Tessa Youngson-Larochelle has twenty-five years of policing experience that includes work with drug investigations, street crimes unit, youth gangs, planning and research, break and enters, sexual assault and child abuse, ViCLAS (computer system to identify serial crimes and criminals), and Court case management. Seventeen of these years have been at the supervisory level. Inspector Youngson-Larochelle was recently promoted to the rank of Inspector with the Professional Standards section and Quality Assurance section of the Ottawa Police Service Executive Command. Her responsibilities involve providing leadership, decision-making, facilitation of staffing issues, as well as oversight and application of risk management initiatives under the umbrella of Quality Assurance. She is a confident communicator who engages others in discussion to openly share perspectives and understanding. Her community engagement includes serving as Media Team Co-Lead for the Ottawa Police Gala and Board Member with the Ottawa Victim Services beginning in February 2010. Her formal education includes an Honours Degree in Physical Education and she is also functionally bilingual in English and French. |
