Recruitment
Board Members
Beth Potter
President
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario
Beth Potter is the President of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), a position she took over in January of 2011. Prior to joining TIAO, Beth spent seven years as the Executive Director for Camping In Ontario, an association made up of more than 600 small businesses, which actively represents the campground industry in Ontario.
Beth also holds a Board seat on the Workplace Safety & Prevention Services Board. She has also served on the Boards for the Accommodation Industry Alliance of Ontario and Campgrounds Camping Canada, which she chaired in 2009-2011. With 20 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector, Beth has worked with a variety of boards, committees and volunteers from all walks of life.
She received her Bachelor of Arts from Lakehead University (1990).
Beth and her family reside in Toronto, ON.
Elizabeth Mills
President & CEO
WSPS
Elizabeth Mills is the inaugural President and Chief Executive Officer of Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), one of four newly amalgamated health and safety associations resulting from the restructuring of Ontario’s prevention system. WSPS, formed January 1, 2010, is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to meet the health and safety needs of 154,000 businesses in the agricultural, manufacturing and service industries, representing 3.8 million employees across Ontario.
An executive with over 16 years of experience and leadership in health and safety, Elizabeth Mills was previously CEO of the Ontario Service Safety Alliance (OSSA), having brought together a coalition of industry trade associations and volunteer organizations to found the not-for-profit association in 1997.
Prior to OSSA, Elizabeth honed her government relations, policy development and operational planning skills working in a variety of senior roles in the not-for-profit and government sectors. A strategic thinker, change agent and leader of stakeholder coalitions, Elizabeth served as Director, Government Relations, Retail Council of Canada, from May 1995 to June 1997. In representing and lobbying on behalf of the Council’s 7,000 retail companies, she focused on issues related to employment standards, health and safety, workers’ compensation and the environment.
Elizabeth’s prior experience includes five years as an Ontario public servant working in policy-related functions in both the Ministry of the Government Services and the Ministry of the Solicitor General. She left government in March 1993 to begin her career as a lobbyist in association management and with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association.
Elizabeth is currently a Director on the Board of WSPS. She also holds positions as:
- Member, Board of Directors, Centre for Health & Safety Innovation
- Member, Canadian Society of Association Executives
- Member, Board of Governors, National Quality Institute
Gary Evans
CEO
Edson Packaging Machinery Ltd.
Gary Evans joined Edson Packaging Machinery in 1997 as Controller. In 1999, he applied his expertise in design, manufacturing and finance to develop and execute a plan that increased sales and profitability by 50%, subsequently purchasing 50% of the company. Previously, Gary served in cost accounting for the gas turbine manufacturing division of Westinghouse Canada Inc., later becoming Senior Financial Analyst for four facilities throughout the United States and Canada. After receiving the President’s Award in 1993 and 1994, Gary was promoted to the Westinghouse Service Division where, as the Financial Operations Manager, he was financially responsible for 36 service centres located across Canada. He has been a participant on the CARA Action Task Force, and the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Board, contributing in governance and strategic planning roles through his membership on Board sub-committees.
Gordon Vala-Webb
National Director, Knowledge Management
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Canada (PwC)
Gordon is the inaugural Chair of the WSPS Board of Directors (and was previously Chair of one of WSPS' predecessor organizations - the Ontario Service Safety Alliance). As the National Director of Knowledge Management at PwC Canada, he is responsible for the development and execution of PwC's internally focused knowledge management / sharing strategy, including its internally facing portal, which won the IIR Portals, Collaboration and Content Excellence Award (2007). Prior to joining PwC in 2005, Gordon had a similar position with Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). He spent ten years with the Ontario government in various policy roles include Director of the Ministry of Labour's Workplace Insurance, Health and Safety Policy Branch. He has Masters of Management Science (Technology) from the Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, and a M.A. (Politics) from Queen's University.
James Hansen
National Health and Safety Coordinator
Canadian Auto Workers
With more than 20 years of experience in health and safety, Jamie represents labour in the manufacturing and technology sector, currently holding the position of CAW National Health and Safety Coordinator. He is also co‐chair of the CAW Chrysler National Joint Health & Safety Committee, and is responsible for setting direction for health and safety policies, and procedures for the 16,000 workers in Chrysler and Mopar Canadian facilities—a responsibility that requires him to monitor performance of all corporate initiatives. Jamie has been sitting on the local advisory committee for the Windsor Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) since 2007, and is an active participant in many Candian Standards Association technical committees.
Kenneth Elgin Forth
Owner
Forthdale Farms Ltd.
Kenneth Forth is currently a sixth generation owner of a family farm, Forthdale Farms Ltd., which produces vegetables for the Ontario market. He has served as the President of Foreign Agriculture Resource Management Services since 2005, and as a member of the Board of Directors since 1992—an organization responsible for the policy and logistics of moving 16,000 foreign workers between Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico. Kenneth has served on numerous associations during the past 30 years, and is currently an active member on the Board of Directors of four other influential organizations representing the interests of Ontario farmers: the Canadian Federation of Agriculture since 1995, the Labour Issues Coordinating Committee since 1992, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association since 1988, and the Canadian Horticultural Council since 1993. He has held executive positions, including various chair capacities, in all these organizations, and has considerable experience in law and policy development, and risk management.
Nicole Birrell
Human Resources Coordinator
Oakridges Woodworking
Nicole Birrell is currently Human Resources Coordinator at Oakridges Woodworking. She was previously appointed by the Flowers Canada Ontario Board of Directors in 2003 to sit on the Board of one of SWPSO’s predecessor organizations: Farm Safety Association (FSA). She has since served as Vice Chair on the FSA Board, as well as Chair to the Executive Committee (budget, audit and salary). Nicole was elected Chair of the FSA Board of Directors in November 2008, and in her various roles has made significant contributions to bylaw amendments and the transition from FSA to SWPSO. She is also actively involved in The Ontario Greenhouse Alliance HR Council. Nicole has been an advocate for strengthening the visibility of agriculture and horticulture within Ontario’s health and safety system, and for promoting a safety culture in that sector through effective system partnerships. She holds a BA in Business-Human Resources from Redeemer University College. If you have any questions please let me know.
Normand Côté
Director, Employee Relations
Bank of Montreal
Normand Côté has 35 years of banking experience ranging from Commercial Account Manager, Branch Manager to Human Resources Manager. In his current role as head of employee relations, he has the dual challenge of protecting the legal and legislative rights of both employees and the bank. Normand has extensive knowledge of the Canada Labour Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and Common Law. He is a certified ADR Mediator and Labour Arbitrator. He also represents the Bank of Montreal in employment issues, collective bargaining, arbitration hearings, occupational health and safety matters as well as human rights matters. He works closely with senior executives to achieve improvements in organizational climate. Normand also has experience with staffing, training and compensation. He has played an active role at the Canadian Bankers Association for a number of years and is a member of its Employee Relations Advisory Group. He has represented all federally regulated employers at numerous parliamentary and senatorial committee hearings and at the United Nations’ International Labour Organization in Geneva, where he acts as Canadian Employer spokesperson, Delegation Head and Employer Chair of all 178 member-states on employment matters. Normand is the Chairman of the Canadian Employers’ Council, a ministerial appointee as Governor of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety, a member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the Safe Communities Foundation, and President of the North American Association of Employers of Financial Institutions.
Pat Coursey
President
Coursey Management Consultants Inc.
Pat has 31 years of service to the people of Ontario, working in groundbreaking leadership and governance roles. Pat predominantly served the Ontario Ministry of Labour, in the area of Occupational Health and Safety where she retired as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Operations. In this role, she was responsible for the inspectorate program, critical to protecting workers, and for employment standards in Ontario. Pat's integrity and balanced leadership led her to continuing her inspirational work in health and safety as the founding President of the Safe Communities Foundation (SCF). In addition to Pat’s passion for occupational health and safety, she is also a member of the Board of Community Living Toronto, and volunteers in Regent Park /Cabbagetown. Pat, upon retiring from SCF after 10 years, joined the Board of SWPSO’s predecessor organization, the Ontario Service Safety Alliance (OSSA) in June 2006, contributing considerable experience in governance, leadership and stakeholder relations. She also served on OSSA’s Governance Committee of the Board.
Rashpal Brar-Grewal
Director Taxation and Government Relations
E.I. DuPont Canada Company.
Rashpal focuses on providing strategic leadership to Du Pont while managing both finance and government relations teams. As a CMA with over 15 years of finance experience, Rashpal has worked for MDS Inc, Rand A Technology Corporation and Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. Rashpal has successfully negotiated asset acquisitions and divestitures, CRA large case audits, which focused on corporate tax, international tax, GST, tax avoidance, and partnerships and implemented corporate reorganizations. Rashpal also holds seats on committees for the following organizations; Chemical Industry Association of Canada, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Energy Policy Institute of Canada and Tax Executive Institute. Rashpal holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and is a member in good standings with Certified Management Accountants of Ontario.
Ryan Fabi
Associate Vice President
Sears Canada
Ryan Fabi, C.R.S.P, has worked in the Health and Safety industry for the past 13 years. Ryan managed the national health and safety programs for G.N, Johnston Equipment Ltd., Rogers Communications Inc. and a global program for Husky Injection Molding Systems Inc. which also included environment, product safety and wellness. During his time with Rogers, Ryan was a board member with the Electrical Utilities Safety Association from 2005 to 2008.
Currently, Ryan is the Associate Vice President of Health and Safety with Sears Canada where he manages five health and safety professionals nationally. Ryan graduated from Brock University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in Health Studies and was a member of the Varsity Basketball Team for four years. Ryan currently resides in Rockwood, Ontario and enjoys spending time with his family and training for Ironman competitions.