Speakers D-G

Professor Tamara Daly is Director of the SSHRC Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities within Communities, Director of the York University Centre for Aging Research and Education, and a Professor in the School of Health Policy and Management at York University. She engages in innovative, multi-site international research focused on gender and health, access and outcomes, as well as promising practices for long-term care, aging and health equity for older adults and for those who provide their care. She is the recipient of research and teaching awards and competitive Tri-Council fellowships including a recently completed 5-year CIHR Research Chair in Gender, Work and Health.

Diana Delgado holds a graduate degree in Health Services Administration from Regis University and an undergraduate degree in Gerontology from the University of Northern Colorado. Diana is certified as an Aging Services Professional (CASP) and has additional credentials in housing management. Diana is a Fellow of the 2010 LeadingAge Leadership Academy and is a past presenter at LeadingAge Annual Meetings. One of Diana’s primary responsibilities is to spearhead the organization’s culture of wellness.

Throughout his career, Bill has focused on health care management in Canada and the United States. As president of the Responsive Group, he currently oversees the operations of 14 long term care homes and 18 retirement communities in Ontario. Passionate about his work, Bill brings over 40 years’ experience in the administration of private hospital, long term care homes, retirement and assisted living complexes, home care agencies and the operation of proprietary and not-for-profit facilities through contract management. He has worked with some of the top senior care organizations in Canada, including one of Canada’s largest senior housing providers, where he held a variety of positions, including Chief Operating Officer.

Committed to the communities he serves, Bill participates in a number of proprietary and not-for-profit boards and organizations, including Childhood Now. He is a founding member of the Canadian Alliance for Long Term Care (CALTC), and is the past president of the board of directors of the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA). As well, Bill regularly collaborates with provincial long term care associations and organizations.

Bill is a sought-after speaker and panelist. In 2011, he co-chaired, along with Dr. William Reichman, the OLTCA’s Expert Panel, composed of provincial and international experts who produced the comprehensive report, Why Not Now – A Bold, Five-Year Strategy for Innovating Ontario’s System of Care for Older Adults.

When not involved in his many professional pursuits, Bill can often be found skiing or playing golf. Interested in the arts, he especially enjoys attending live theatre.

Amy Dore, DHA, MHS is a Professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver. For over 16 years, she has taught courses in aging services, health disparities, human resources, organizational behavior, and research. In 2015, Dr. Dore was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award by the MSU Denver Golden Key International Honour Society. She has authored and co-authored several book chapters, original case studies, and regularly presents on her many teaching and research endeavors.

Malcolm Doupe is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, and a Senior Research Scientist with the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. He conducts research in the area of health services utilization and the aging population, investigating risk factors of home care and nursing home use, factors that influence quality care and changes in functional status in nursing homes, and issues related to care continuity for older adult.

Donna is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Long-Term Care Association, the largest association representing long-term care providers in Canada.

Donna is a passionate and experienced broader public sector executive and board director, with deep expertise in defining and leading successful transformational organization and system change initiatives in health care and post-secondary education. Donna’s experience includes working with member-based organizations, playing an instrumental role in developing and guiding strategy,

and supporting organizations in navigating and shaping legislative and regulatory frameworks to advance both organizational and government priorities. Donna has made significant contributions to these organizations not only as a member, but also as a board member and board chair, as a consultant, and as a public servant.

Most recently, Donna held the role of Principal at Brunswick Strategic Consulting, where she led multiple strategic initiatives with senior leaders and boards in the public and not-for-profit sectors, helping clients achieve transformative change. Donna also served as the interim Chief Executive Officer of The Ontario Caregiver Organization, working closely with its board to launch this new provincially-funded organization in support of family caregivers.

From 2010-2017, Donna served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, a large children’s mental health treatment, research and teaching centre, where she successfully led transformative quality improvement initiatives and negotiated the integration of the community-based centre with SickKids.

Earlier in her career Donna worked for a federal cabinet minister. She later held the position of Chief of Staff to the Ontario Government House Leader and subsequently to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Donna is passionate about public service and health care, and has cultivated collaborative partnerships across the continuum of care throughout her career. She has also been actively engaged in many provincial-level committees and Boards, bringing to the table both leadership and governance skills.  Donna currently sits on the boards of The Ontario Caregiver Organization, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (where she also chairs the board’s Quality and Patient Experience Standing Committee), and Children’s Mental Health Ontario.  In the past, Donna chaired the board of Seneca College and the Ontario College Employer Council.

Derek brings 25+ years of experience in branding, marketing and communication and 10+ years in senior living. He has led research studies and strategic development initiatives — and tactical plan implementation — for dozens of communities and other major brands targeting the mature market. Derek is an adjunct professor at Penn State and has presented at LeadingAge state associations across the United States, and on the IGNITE Stage at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting and EXPO.

Kim Durst-Mackenzie is a Therapeutic Recreation Coordinator working at Bruyère Continuing Care. She graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Recreation and Leisure Studies, Minor in Sociology, Co-operative Program. In the 32+ years at Bruyère Continuing Care, Kim has worked in Long-Term Care, Complex Continuing Care, Care of the Elderly and Rehabilitation and Palliative Care. She was awarded the Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (TRO) Advanced Practice Award in 2016 and continues to explore creative and innovative activities for residents and patients.

Sara J. English is a doctoral candidate in the College of Social Work at the University of South Carolina, USA. She is an AGE-SW Fellow and a recent Fulbright semi-finalist. She is studying the power of social connections and non-familial relationships of younger persons living in Long-Term Care.

Robert Espinoza is the Vice President of Policy at PHI, where he oversees its national policy advocacy, research, and public education division. In 2017, he designed PHI’s #60CaregiverIssues campaign, which identified 60 solutions to the growing workforce shortage in home care and received a 2018 Communicator Award from the Academy of Interactive Visual Arts.

Robert is a nationally recognized expert and frequent speaker on aging, long-term care, and workforce issues. For more than 20 years, he has spearheaded high-profile advocacy campaigns and written landmark reports on aging and long-term care, LGBT rights, racial justice, and immigration, among other topics. He has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Forbes, and The Washington Post, and his writing has been published in The Huffington Post, The Hill, and POLITICO, among others.

In 2015, Robert was appointed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to its Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education, as well as by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to its Forum on Aging, Disability and Independence. He serves on the board of directors for the American Society on Aging, and as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on the Health and Medical Dimensions of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults.
Prior to PHI, he was the Senior Director for Public Policy and Communications at SAGE, the country’s premier organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults. At SAGE, he established its national advocacy program—achieving historic wins and numerous distinctions—while authoring multiple seminal reports, such as Out and Visible, a report on the largest, most comprehensive study examining the experiences and attitudes of LGBT older people. In 2010, he co-founded the Diverse Elders Coalition, a historic, federal coalition focused on improving aging supports for communities of color and LGBT communities.

Robert received his MPA, with honors, from New York University, and his BA in English and BS in Journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he graduated summa cum laude. He is a 2013 graduate of the Rockwood Leadership Institute, and lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Alicia Eugene is a passionate human services leader. She has over 18 years experience in the public, not-for-profit and private sectors in fields as diverse as corrections, homelessness, mental health, Indigenous services, disability and aged care. Alicia holds a B Justice with Distinction, Hons 1st class, GradBEducation and project management qualifications and has won a number of sector awards. She is passionate about innovation and applied research and is enjoying managing the Hector-VR project.

Rheta oversees operations and growth of residential and community-based initiatives. She has over 20 years of senior executive experience within acute care, long-term care and community health sectors. Rheta has consulted for the MOHLTC and is an accreditation surveyor with Accreditation Canada. Rheta holds a B.Com and MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University. Her passion for innovation and people-powered healthcare fuels her pursuit of creative solutions to complex challenges.

Stuart Feldman’s biography coming soon.

Michelle is a Knowledge Broker at the Ontario Centre for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care (CLRI) at Bruyère. Before joining the Ontario CLRI, Michelle spent twelve years in LTC as Manager of Social Services. As a Certified Eden Associate, Michelle lead the implementation of the Eden Alternative philosophy at a home in Vancouver, BC. Michelle has a BA (psychology), Social Service Worker Gerontology diploma, Certificate in LTC Management and a Lean Green Belt.

Nicoda is the Project Manager for the Healthy Ageing and Geriatrics Program at Sinai Health System, in Toronto Canada. She received her Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs and Policy Management at Carleton University and a Masters of Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in Health Studies at McMaster University.

Dr. Celeste Fung is a primary care physician and the Medical Director for St. Patrick’s Home of Ottawa. She attended McGill University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science and Medical Degree (MD, CM) prior to completing her Family Medicine Residency at the University of Ottawa. Her practice has been primarily focused on care of the elderly, including experience in community geriatrics, geriatric rehab, convalescent/transitional care, respite care and long-term care.

Daniel Galessiere, MScPT, BScKin is an interprofessional educator for the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long Term Care, at Baycrest. Daniel is currently involved in instructional design and facilitation of education to long term care staff, healthcare simulation and knowledge dissemination via workshop, seminar and conference presentations. Daniel has 12 years of physiotherapy experience as a clinician and preceptor in both the private clinic and geriatric hospital settings.

Dr. Mohamed Gazarin is the Chief Research Officer at Winchester District Memorial Hospital, Centre of Excellence for rural health and education. Dr. Gazarin & his peers are currently building a rural research program at WDMH. His research interests have been in quality improvement, geriatrics, and health technology utilization. He is the Ottawa University QI lead & lecturer for family medicine residency program at Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

Josie-Lee Gibson is the Education and Community Engagement Manager of the Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils – supporting Residents’ Councils from long-term care homes across the province of Ontario. Josie-Lee brings with her a strong education background obtained from McMaster University and has professional experience in various areas within the health care industry including community outreach, clinical research and most recently within retirement and long-term care.

Brent Gingerich a Social Entrepreneur is Chairman & CEO of peopleCare Communities. As a creator of senior living communities, peopleCare is celebrating 50 years in Ontario and has been recognized for being one of Canada’s most engaged employers, Canada’s50 Best Managed Companies, Workplace of the year by OLTCA and has earnedExemplary Standing with Accreditation Canada. Brent is passionate about growth, innovation and fostering a dynamic culture at peopleCare and in the entire sector.

Dr. Graddy joined the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) in 1987. She is Chair of the National PACE Association’s Primary Care Subcommittee and is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians. She joined PACE Southeast Michigan in 2001. Special interests include Alzheimer’s disease and Aging and Wellness. Dr. Graddy completed her medical education at Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1984.

Debbie is a Registered Nurse with 45 years of experience in Long Term Care sector. Previously Debbie has held the positions of Administrator, Director of Care and Nurse Clinician for various long term care home operators. Prior to joining In Initiative, she worked as an Application Specialist for computerized programs for Orders and Documentation in both United States as well as Canada. She has teaching experience with both Conestoga and Georgian Colleges and has received awards for the LINKS Conference in 2013 for Quality Outcome work and was a Delegates Choice Award winner at the OLTCA Applied Research Day in 2013.

As managing vice president of leadership development, Wendy Green has led the design and implementation of the Leadership Academy curriculum for the past decade. She oversees the association’s leadership initiatives and uses her expertise in content development to create engaging education opportunities for leaders at every level.