Our Board of Directors

Barb moved to McNab/Braeside in 1996 to become the Chief Financial Officer for a local technology company. She left full-time work as a CFO in 2007 to open Sew Inspired in Arnprior. With her husband and children actively involved in the retail store, Barb was able to enjoy a newfound balance between work and family. Seven years later, after growing the business substantially, Barb sold the store. It was then she finally had time to commit to giving back to the community, and joined the ARH board.

Barb brings a wealth of financial expertise, traditionally in short supply on organizational boards. Her career as a Chief Financial Officer for several Ottawa technology companies has allowed her to build expertise in financial management, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, HR management and legal/regulatory issues.

Barb is married to Wayne and has two adult children: Emily, 20, is studying at her mother’s alma mater Queen’s University and Connor, 21, shows his mother’s passion for serving the community as a proud member of the Canadian Forces at Garrison Petawawa.

Barb loves to travel. At home on the shores of the beautiful Madawaska River (she and Wayne call it “God’s Country”), Barb remains an avid knitter and sewer.

Recognizing the area’s charm and tranquility, Donna and her husband retired to the Ottawa Valley in 2013.

Donna is a long-time community-minded volunteer with a passion for healthcare. With over 20 years as principal of an HR consulting firm, more than five years as a VP with Accreditation Canada and a former Chief of Staff to the mayor of the City of Ottawa, Donna brings a range of skills in the areas of human resources, strategic planning, government relations, healthcare administration, governance/risk management, charity leadership and communications and marketing. She brings particularly valuable experience in health quality, having been an international surveyor and HR expert for the International Society of Quality.

Donna has also served as a board member for Eastern Ontario Young Offenders and for a residential hospice facility within the Ottawa Valley.

Jenny Buckley has more than twenty years of health policy experience, examining issues and challenges across the continuum of health care. She is currently a Senior Improvement Lead with the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement helping improve health and care for everyone in Canada.

Jenny is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (MA History), the University of London (MSc Public Policy and Management) and is a PhD Candidate in Public Policy at Carleton University.

Jenny’s desire to serve on the Board stems from her great appreciation for the work and approach of community hospitals. Growing up in the Niagara region, four generations of her family have been well served by a community hospital. In addition, Jenny led the Canadian Medical Association’s work on the social determinants of health and health equity and is looking forward to utilizing those learnings to support Arnprior Regional Health’s work on improving the health of the community.

In her spare time, Jenny is an avid scuba diver spending as much time as she can exploring the underwater world of the St. Lawrence river; and whenever possible the ocean blue. Her dogs Dempsey and Keller make sure to keep her on her toes.

Oliver takes pride in serving his community. Since December 2018, Oliver has served as one of the youngest municipal councillors in the history of the Township of McNab/Braeside.

As a young community leader and advocate for youth involvement in politics, Oliver brings proven leadership experience through both professional and volunteer roles including the Chair of the Acadia University Students’ Union, a Youth Facilitator with the Ontario Ministry of Education and the inaugural Co-Chair of the Renfrew County Youth Network. Responsible, dedicated and hard-working, Oliver also brings a wealth of knowledge about governance and leadership as a result of employment with the Town of Arnprior and as a former member of the Town of Wolfville’s Planning Advisory Committee.

Most recently, Oliver was also selected to participate as a Rural Change Maker under a pilot project of the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) focusing on community development and citizen engagement in his community.

Oliver’s commitment to serve on the ARH Board is driven by his desire to contribute his experience in community engagement and communications to help further support his community.

Cathy has extensive experience and a passion for health and social services. She joined the Board of Directors because she wants to support ARH in minimizing the challenges and maximizing the opportunities to best serve the health of people living in Arnprior and the surrounding communities.

Over the course of Cathy’s career, she has worked with community hospitals, community health and resource centres, Public Health, VON, St. Elizabeth Health Care, Rideau Valley DHC and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.  Cathy was also the Executive Director of the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre – a position she held for 14 years. For the past two years, she has been working as a community health consultant.

Cathy and her husband have two children and three grandchildren and recently moved to Calabogie.

Barbara lived in the Ottawa Valley for more than 30 years and it is where she raised her four children. She continues to have a deep connection to the community served by ARH.

Barbara is a respected C-Suite level business advisor who bring deep experience in digital innovation, strategic planning and business transformation. She recently retired from Ernst & Young, after more than 35 years working with global consultancies. Barbara has also held VP-level positions in government organizations where she led complex service transformation initiatives. She is passionate about business excellence and brings substantive corporate governance experience in the health and social services sectors.

Barbara wanted to serve on the Board to contribute to ARH’s journey because she believes strongly that integrated health, social and community services produce the very best outcomes for residents, patients and families.

Ryan was born and raised in Renfrew and has deep familial roots in the Arnprior/Pakenham area. He cites his admiration for JFK and the leader’s iconic statement, “Ask not what your country can do for you…” as the inspiration for his long history of volunteerism.

Ryan brings extensive skills in accounting/financial management, program planning and evaluation, human resources, strategic planning and marketing/communications. Ryan has held various leadership roles with RBC, including Branch Manager and Community Manager. He has also led other not-for-profit boards of directors. Ryan recently led an engagement committee within RBC focused on employee experience for younger and new employees, which generated a significant increase in the measured engagement of the target group.

Ryan volunteers for Junior Achievement, which brings financial literacy and business lessons into schools. He sings and plays guitar, piano and mandolin and also plays volleyball and golf regularly.

Ryan’s wife, Tierney, is a nurse practitioner. Ryan readily admits that he and Tierney “spend far too much time doting on” Archer, their Welsh Springer spaniel.

Mark and his wife Marsha returned to the Arnprior area in 2005. They came to the community to build a local agricultural business. Their farm, MacGowan’s Christmas Tree Farm, is located on the banks of the Mississippi river in Galetta.

Mark has more than 25 years of management and leadership experience in information technology. He has a background in IT strategy, project management, mergers and acquisitions, infrastructure management and IT outsourcing. After 28 years in the private sector and many senior leadership roles, Mark joined Canadian Blood Services. H now works as a project executive with federal government.

For Mark, joining the ARH Board is about getting involved in the health sector and doing work that matters for the local community.
Mark also has previous experience as a hospital board director, serving on the Board of Almonte General Hospital from 2012-2015.

Tyler Pirie was born and raised in Arnprior and has a deep-rooted connection to the community.

He is now a masters-trained Epidemiologist with extensive experience working in the substance use and mental health field and has a passion for community health. Tyler has held positions with several prominent health research organizations in Canada and has presented at numerous national and international conferences.

Currently, Tyler works for the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), putting him at the forefront of emerging health trends, data management techniques, standards, and the use of new technology and strategies to improve the healthcare system.

How did a girl who grew up on a beef farm outside of Fort Coulonge, Quebec end up on a board in Arnprior? Her parents bought her a car from Reid Brother’s when she finished her undergraduate degree. During a regular servicing visit to the dealership two years later, she was recruited to play in Arnprior’s Sunday night Mixed Lobb Ball League. This is how she met a local man named Graham. Erin and Graham were married in 2008, and the couple moved to McNab-Braeside.

Erin brings extensive expertise in a number of areas, including accounting/financial management, communications/marketing, government relations, health care administration, public policy development, human resources, strategic planning, program planning/evaluation, governance/risk management, not-for-profit or charity leadership, clinical leadership and legal/regulatory issues.

Erin received a BSc in Biochemistry in 2005 and a doctorate in Cellular and Molecular Medicine Ottawa in 2011, both from the University of Ottawa. She began teaching at Algonquin College in 2008, became a full-time professor in 2010 and is currently the Chair of their Allied Health Department, which includes programs such as Medical Radiation Technology (x-ray technician), Diagnostic Medical Sonography (general ultrasound) and Respiratory Therapy. She provides our board with a critical connection to educational advances and innovative practices that are such an important driver of healthcare change.

Erin completed an Executive Masters of Business Administration from Queen’s University in 2017.

Robin, her husband and children moved from Montreal to rural West Carleton in 1982. It was Robin’s experience as a cancer patient that inspired her to join the board as it made her keenly aware of the importance of empowering patients and listening to their voices as key health system stakeholders. With her new appreciation of our health care system and the medical profession, she is currently in remission and enthusiastic about using her energy and skills to contribute back to the health care system.

In addition to her valuable patient perspective, Robin also brings a range of expertise in the areas of legal/regulatory issues, government relations, public policy development, strategic planning, program planning/evaluation, governance/risk management, not-for-profit or charity leadership as well as eagerness to learn.

Robin is most proud of her wonderful, engaged children and also her work with difference-makers in their communities supporting economic, social and political rights and advancing the rights of the marginalized. Robin herself has long worked as a champion of human rights and social justice. She was Director of International Development for the Canadian Bar Association from 1994 to 2013, where she managed projects in over 30 countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Central and Eastern Europe. She sat on the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Working Group for the UN Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor. In 2013 she received the inaugural Commonwealth Lawyers Association Rule of Law Award and in 2014 the Walter S. Tarnopolsky award for Human Rights.

Robin serves as the co-chair of the Ottawa-Gatineau Multiple Myeloma Support Group, is a member of the Ottawa-Gatineau Myeloma March Committee and the chair of the Ontario Advocacy Committee for Multiple Myeloma. She also sits on the board of the International Commission of Jurists and is past chair and advisor to the Pro Bono Committee of the International Bar Association.

Robin enjoys an active lifestyle. Living on a farm on Galetta Side Road gives her the opportunity to enjoy her horses and gardening. She also cycles, cross-country skis, walks and sails.