Meet Our Board
Gardner Church, Chair
Gardner, a native of the Rideau Tay area, spent 25 years as a senior public servant with the Ontario Government including periods as deputy minister in two portfolios. He specialized in local governance and urban policy, teaching and researching urban issues at the graduate level at the Faculties of Environmental Studies at York and Waterloo Universities. He served two terms as Planner in Residence at the University of Waterloo. As a public policy consultant, he executed several projects in Canada and overseas including guiding several urban amalgamations. He was the first CAO of the amalgamated City of Kingston. In retirement, Gardner was active in start-up firms in the fields of food aid, small scale building systems, small cap commercial mortgages and mental health. He now lives at Otty Lake with his wife Linda.
Leslie Drynan, Vice Chair
Leslie joined the Board in June of 2017. Born and raised in Smiths Falls, Leslie is proud to be back in the community she calls home. With a strong sense of community pride, appreciation for the vital role the hospital plays in our community and interest in giving back, she feels privileged to serve on the Board and looks forward to fulfilling the mandate of this important role.
Leslie has been working for almost 15 years in the field of municipal administration, governance, and council and committee support services. She has been employed by Lanark County since October 2007 in various capacities; currently, as the County Clerk / Deputy CAO, where she oversees the management of the external corporate operations of the County’s administration including Clerk’s Services, Emergency Services, Governance, Planning Approvals, and Tourism. Prior to joining the County, she held the position of Municipal Clerk with Tay Valley Township and Secretary-Treasurer for Drummond/North Elmsley Tay Valley Fire Rescue.
Leslie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Trent University, an executive Diploma and Master’s in Municipal / Public Management from the University of Western Ontario, and holds a Certified Municipal Officer (CMO) designation from the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks, and Treasurers of Ontario, where she’s also actively participated as a Director and Secretary-Treasurer on the Zone Executive for over ten years. Leslie has thoroughly enjoyed her involvement with the Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital Liaison Committee over the past year. In addition, she actively participates as a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County, enjoys a regular fitness regime and works on authoring a book of inspiration, motivation and life-altering situations.
Leslie has been working for almost 15 years in the field of municipal administration, governance, and council and committee support services. She has been employed by Lanark County since October 2007 in various capacities; currently, as the County Clerk / Deputy CAO, where she oversees the management of the external corporate operations of the County’s administration including Clerk’s Services, Emergency Services, Governance, Planning Approvals, and Tourism. Prior to joining the County, she held the position of Municipal Clerk with Tay Valley Township and Secretary-Treasurer for Drummond/North Elmsley Tay Valley Fire Rescue.
Leslie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Trent University, an executive Diploma and Master’s in Municipal / Public Management from the University of Western Ontario, and holds a Certified Municipal Officer (CMO) designation from the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks, and Treasurers of Ontario, where she’s also actively participated as a Director and Secretary-Treasurer on the Zone Executive for over ten years. Leslie has thoroughly enjoyed her involvement with the Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital Liaison Committee over the past year. In addition, she actively participates as a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County, enjoys a regular fitness regime and works on authoring a book of inspiration, motivation and life-altering situations.
Dr. Warren Hollis, Vice Chair
Dr. Hollis joined the board in June 2013. He brings with him a sincere sense of community as seen through his involvement with various committees with the Town of Perth, Lanark Health & Community Services and Perth and District Community Foundation.
He is married to Elaine and they live with their four children on a hobby farm in Lombardy. In partnership with his wife, they are the principle chiropractors of Perth Chiropractic and own and operate Perth Family Health Centre.
Dr. Kate Stolee, Chief of Staff
Kate Stolee has been a member of the medical staff of the PSFDH since 1993. She specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She provides consulting services to the In Patient Rehabilitation Unit at the hospital and enjoys working with a wonderful group of health care professionals dedicated to helping patients achieve their maximum function and quality of life.
She received her medical degree from McMaster University in 1986. She worked as a general practitioner for a number of years and then returned to training at Ottawa University to complete her specialty training in 1993.
She is a current board member of the Stroke Steering Committee for the South East LHIN. In the past, she has served on the boards of the Perth and District Community Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Society of Lanark County.
Dr. Barry Guppy, Secretary, President & CEO
Information to follow.
Other Board Members – Alphabetical by Surname
Stephen Bird
Stephen Bird is a long-time resident and retired lawyer living in Perth. He holds a J.D. degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and a M.A. from the University of Waterloo.
He co-authored Recreation and the Law published by Carswell and has written many articles on technology and the law for The Lawyer’s PC newsletter published by Thomson Reuters.
Stephen was a Board member (termed out) Vice-Chair, Chair, and Secretary-Treasurer of Lanark Renfrew Health & Community Services as well as a Board member of the Lanark, Leeds & Grenville Legal Clinic (now The Legal Clinic), the Leeds Grenville Lanark District Health Unit, and the Lanark County Municipal Trails Corporation. He served on a number of Legal Aid Ontario committees.
He is an accreditation peer reviewer with Imagine Canada and the Canadian Centre of Accreditation; Stephen is also an avid sea kayak paddler and all-season cyclist.
Kenneth (Ken) Clupp, CD, P.Eng., C.Tech., PSP
Ken and his wife Angie live just outside Smiths Falls in Montague Township. Ken previously served for five years on the Montague Police Services Board (PSB).
Ken was a civilian member of the RCMP for 10 years, providing advice and guidance on physical security to the federal departments and agencies. Ken was a technical committee member for several CSA security standards and has presented at national and international security forums. Ken is semi-retired but runs a security consulting company and takes on periodic short-term projects.
Prior to the RCMP, Ken served for 27 years in the Construction Engineering Branch of the Canadian Forces with postings across Canada. He reached the rank of Master Warrant Officer and was selected to attend the Royal Military College of Canada, graduating in 1996 as a commissioned officer with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Since arriving in Smiths Falls, Ken has been an active volunteer. In addition to serving on the Montague PSB, Ken has also volunteered with the Red Cross (Disaster Management) and with Rideau Ground Search and Rescue. Ken was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2012.
Christina Dolgowicz
Christina and her family moved to Perth in 2014 but has worked in Lanark County since 2006. Christina currently works as the lung health coordinator for the Lanark Renfrew Lung Health Program (a program of Lanark Renfrew Health & Community Services). With over 15 years’ experience at The Ottawa Hospital and at community health centres, in both management and front line work, Christina understands the challenges and opportunities that face a community-based hospital and she is excited to have the opportunity to influence the great work being provided at Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital.
Christina has extensive experience in building partnerships and increasing access to services for residents living with chronic lung conditions. Christina’s volunteer experience includes past-chair of the Champlain LHIN Lung Health Network, current chair of the Primary Care Asthma Program Provincial Coordinators group and most recently as a member of the Health Quality Ontario COPD Quality Standards Committee. Her formal education includes a diploma in Respiratory Therapy and a Bachelor of Health Science.
Mayor John Fenik, Municipal Representative, Town of Perth
John first moved to the area in his late teens when he began his studies in the Child Care worker diploma program at Algonquin College in Ottawa. He graduated in 1981 and began work with the Ottawa Children’s Aid Society. A position with Children and Family Services in Lanark County prompted John and his wife Laurie to move to historic Perth in 1987, where they raised their three daughters.
It was in Perth that John embraced community service. He served on his children’s school council and the Block Parent Association, as well as becoming an active volunteer in town events and projects, including the renowned Stewart Park Music Festival. He saw local politics as a way to make a difference in his community and ran for Town Council in 1997. He became Deputy Mayor in 2003, won the mayoral race in 2006 and was acclaimed to the position in 2010. He continues to serve the town proudly with a visionary leadership style that embodies progressive approaches and consultation.
He currently works as a Special Services Counsellor with the Upper Canada District School Board to help at-risk students and their families in communities across Lanark County. John serves as the municipal representative on the PSFDH Board of Directors.
John Hewitt
John joined the Board in June of 2014. Originally from Northern Manitoba, he spent most of his career in executive management positions in health and long term care services in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. He was Executive Director of Northern Housing Development which operated nursing homes and seniors housing in the Prince Albert region of Northern Saskatchewan. He was also the Administrator of the Community Health Centre operated by the Health Sciences Center which offered medical and health services within the core area of Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1987 John joined the Ontario Public Service and served as Administrator of four separate institutions within the Province, the most recent being Rideau Regional Center. For the past fourteen years, John and his wife Barb have lived just outside of Perth.
Dr. Anil Kuchinad, Vice President, Medical Staff
Dr. Kuchinad has been working in Perth since 2014 as a family physician, hospitalist and soon to be returning to the emergency room. He has been running primary care memory clinic since 2015 and involved with MAID consults.
Originally from London, Ontario, he has done a Masters in neuroscience in the field of chronic pain, interned in South Africa for CIDA, and then returned to Canada for medical school at the University of Toronto. Subsequently, he completed his residency at McGill in family medicine. He returned to Ontario with his family in 2014 to pursue rural medicine. He met his wife during his Masters, and they have two young children, living just outside Perth.
Ongoing hospital pursuits include involvement with the Utilization, MAID and order sets committees, respectively. He was elected as Vice President of the Medical Staff Society in 2017 and now participates in medical advisory and board meetings.
Mayor Shawn Pankow
Shawn was born at the Smiths Falls site of the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital back when it was known at St. Francis Hospital. He was appointed the hospital board’s municipal representative for Smiths Falls Council in 2017. Shawn has been very supportive of the hospital having served on the Board of Directors for the Smiths Falls Community Hospital Foundation for over 10 years, including four years as chairperson. He also served on the major gifts committee during the hospital’s redevelopment capital campaign.
Shawn was elected to Smiths Falls Town Council in 2010 and he served on various board and committee during that four-year term. Motivated by a desire to guide and develop his community further, he ran successfully for mayor in 2014. He strongly values the foundational role our hospital serves to the people of the broader community.
In his professional life, Shawn is a Certified Financial Planner and President of Pankow Financial Solutions Ltd. in Smiths Falls. He has been a financial services professional for over 28 years. He is married to Tracey and together they have seven children, including three still at home.
Dr. Mark Roberts, President, Medical Staff
Information to follow.
Nancy Shaw, Vice President, Patient Care Services/Chief HR Officer, CNE
Nancy Shaw is the Vice President of Clinical Services, Chief Nursing Executive and Chief Human Resource Officer for the Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital, with over 25 years of nursing and healthcare experience. Nancy joined the Senior Leadership Executive Team in 2013 and her professional portfolio includes Professional Practice, Critical Care, Emergency, Medical Surgical, Operative, Obstetrical, Palliative Care and Ambulatory Care programs. She also has accountability for Human Resources, Occupational Health, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Diagnostic Imaging and Allied Health programs.
Nancy has a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree, a Masters of Health Administration, an Advanced System Leadership Certificate from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management Executive Programs. She also has her Canadian Nurse’s Association National Certification in Emergency Nursing as well as a diploma in Critical Care and Emergency Nursing. She also has a black belt certification in Lean methodology and is an Associate Professor with the Laurentian University/ St. Lawrence College Bachelor of Nursing program.
Nancy is an active member of the College of Nurses, Canadian Nurse’s Association, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
Nancy has a strong sense of community and is proud to serve the area in which she calls home. Her experience and long standing established community partnerships locally and regionally continue to enhance the quality of service that the PSFDH provides to our communities.
Johanna (Annie) Thomlinson
The Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital is an integral part of our community and Annie Thomlinson is honoured to be part of the Board of Directors. Annie is new to the Board, starting in January 2020. Born and raised in Smiths Falls, she is excited to start contributing to the community that she was raised in, serving the hospital that she was born in and the hospital that she and her husband welcomed both their children.
Graduating from the Advertising program at Algonquin College as well as receiving her advanced diploma in Business Administration, major in Marketing from Algonquin, Annie specializes in marketing and communications. Bringing to the board 17 years of marketing, advertising, and communications experience, 15 of those years leading a team. Annie currently works as the communications lead at The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County, a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to making sure no one faces dementia alone.
During her free time, Annie is working part-time towards the completion of her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology through Queens University, sits on the Family Selection Committee for Habitat for Humanity and volunteers with Project Tembo, a grassroots organization that works towards sending girls to school in Tanzania. When she is not busy with school, work, volunteering, Annie enjoys spending time with her family, journaling or curling up with a good book.
Dr. Kathy Wickens
Kathy is the sole proprietor of Chiropractic Care and Longevity Center in Perth and has lived and practiced in Perth for the past 30 years. She joined the Great War Memorial Hospital Foundation board in 2018 and following the amalgamation of the two foundations, now chairs the new Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation Board as of 2021.
As a business owner in the community Kathy has hosted numerous fundraising events such as the Ladies’ Sparkle Dance supporting Interval House and the GWM Hospital Foundation, as well as Give Back Run, supporting the Alzheimer’s Society.
Kathy is an active supporter of the community both philanthropically and through the patronage of small businesses and community groups. When she is not working or volunteering, she enjoys spending time with her family and enjoys reading, swimming, travelling, kayaking, cooking, and playing games.
Kathy believes that it is crucial to have the most up-to-date equipment at our Hospital sites to ensure quality health care for every patient in our community.