SPINAL CORD INJURY Ontario
Board of Directors

Anita completed a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Science through the University of Toronto with a focus on parenting with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Anita works as a Research Assistant at Toronto Rehab’s Lyndhurst Centre, University Health Network. She has been Director of Research for the Canadian Spinal Research Organization since 2005 and a board member of the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program since 2012. Anita also sits on several committees for various SCI organizations. Anita has been a Peer Support Volunteer with SCI Ontario since 2000 and an Injury Survivor Presenter with Parachute’s No Regrets program since 1999. In her spare time, Anita enjoys modeling for IZ Adaptive Clothing, travelling, exercising, reading, and spending time with her family and young daughter.

Bob is the Managing Partner of EPS Settlements Group of Canada. EPS Settlements Group is the flagship company of the oldest and largest structured settlements organization in North America.

Bob holds a Master’s Degree in Policy Studies, specifically in the area of Insurance Law and Finance. He is an accomplished lecturer and published author.

Among his philanthropic interests, in addition to Spinal Cord Injury Ontario and Spinal Cord Injury British Columbia, Bob has been an active contributor, fundraiser and consultant to the Ontario Brain Injury Association and Hamilton Health Sciences.

Cindy Scott manages an event management company, First Avenue Consulting and brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in communications, marketing and event management to her clients. Cindy began her career at Corel Corporation, where she soon rose to the Director of Corporate Communications position, managing a worldwide staff of 35 professionals. Later, Cindy took over corporate communications at Corel Computer Corporation. After Corel Computer Corporation merged with Hardware Canada, Cindy led the launch of its new corporate identity, Rebel.com. She then joined Reid Eddison as a partner, where she counselled emerging companies on how to build and promote their businesses.

Lawyer,
Thomson Rogers

Craig was called to the Bar in 1980. He has practiced with Thomson, Rogers for over 30 years and is certified by the Law Society as a specialist in Civil Litigation. Craig is listed in “Best Lawyers in Canada” and is one of Lexpert’s “Leading Civil Litigation Practitioners’.

Since 1990, Craig has restricted his practice to acting for plaintiffs in serious personal injury claims, class actions and medical malpractice claims. He has over 50 reported Court and Tribunal decisions and has tried numerous jury actions over the past three decades. .

Craig is an enthusiastic skier and sailor. He volunteers with the Disabled Sailing Association of Ontario and the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing.

CEO,
Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation

Kent serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, a position he has held since 1999, and was appointed as the Executive Director of the Canadian Spinal Research Organization in 2014.

Kent has extensive experience in developing strategic linkages and partnerships, organizational restructuring and working with the Ministry of Health on policy and system reforms.

Kent is a Certified Health Care Executive with the Canadian College of Health Services Executives. He completed his undergraduate work at Schulich School of Business, York University and graduate work at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in the School of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation.

Through his work with the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation Kent has been involved in a number of partnership activities with the Rick Hansen Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute including the SCI Solutions Network, Canadian Neurotrauma Research Partnership and more recently with the Best Practices Implementation Project.

Director of Government Relations,
Insurance Bureau of Canada

Liam is the Director of Government Relations at the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). IBC’s member companies represent 90% of the Canadian property and casualty (P&C) insurance market. Previously, Liam was a Manager at Deloitte and Director of Policy at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. He has a lifetime of involvement in politics, has managed several local election campaigns, and previously served as a Legislative Assistant on Parliament Hill. Liam has a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Toronto. He was born and raised in Ottawa and is a diehard Ottawa Senators fan.

Marco is the Director of Commercial Sales for Universal Motion, a company that specializes in wheelchair accessible transportation and adaptive driving equipment. Marco was born in Lagos, Nigeria and attended school in Switzerland and college in Italy. He moved to Canada in 1977. He has a flair for entrepreneurship and marketing. He was previously a board member of Canadian Paraplegic Association from 2004 – 2006.

Director of Business Operations,
Artery Studios Inc.

Mark is the Director of Business Operations for Artery Studios Inc., a medical illustration and computer animation studio that specializes in creating visuals to support serious personal injury claims. Mark directs his team in the management of the studios' financial, human, and technological resources. Prior to his current role, Mark held various analytical roles in the healthcare, post-secondary education, and aerospace sectors.

Mark holds a Master of Business Administration degree from York University's Schulich School of Business, along with a baccalaureate in mathematics from the University of Waterloo. He currently serves as a SCI Ontario’s Assistant Treasurer and Vice-Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee.

Director, Corporate Banking,
Global Mining, Scotiabank.

Mark began his working career as an exploration geologist received his MBA from Dalhousie University in 1989, but was injured in a sporting accident just a few months after graduating. He has been with Scotiabank for 20 years. Mark is married, and the father of twins, a boy and a girl.

Robert brings a diversity of corporate and entrepreneurial experience to the SCI Ontario Board. From management consulting to sales and marketing expertise, he’s proud of the many businesses and associations he’s co-founded and contributed to. Most recently, Robert held the Channel Capacity and Senior Marketing Manager role at Microsoft Canada while co-founding SecTor, Canada’s largest IT Security Conference.

Since breaking his back in 2008, Robert’s primary focus in his recovery has been training and competing in the sport of paratriathlon. In 2013, he became the first Canadian with paraplegia to complete an Ironman race (226km), and in 2016 he qualified for, and raced to second place, at the Ironman World Championships. He is also an enthusiastic motivational speaker and blogger (www.RockTheChair.com).

Robert holds a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Victoria, and an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario, King’s College.

Sarah Hicks is a communications professional with more than 20 years’ experience. For the last decade she has been working with nonprofit corporations to strengthen their communications and stakeholder engagement capacity – most recently with the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Sarah started her career in public relations working with pharmaceutical clients in Toronto, the U.S. and U.K., and then joined GlaxoSmithKline Canada. Sarah speaks French and German and has a BA in Social and Political History from Victoria College, University of Toronto, and a Public Relations Post Graduate Certificate from Humber College.

Team Leader,
TC Transcontinental Printing

For the last five years Shaun has been a SCI Ontario board member, after being a chapter member in Grey Bruce since the early 90's. Twenty five years ago, I sustained a spinal cord injury from a diving accident at which time he became a client of CPA Ontario. A resident of Owen Sound, since 1983, allows him to be a passionate advocate for those with spinal cord injuries living in rural Ontario. With an education in computer science, Shaun is employed as a Team Leader at TC Transcontinental Printing in Owen Sound. When not busy working full-time, he is an avid amateur photographer, a fan of OHL hockey and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Principal Consultant,
Disability Options Consulting

Tom is currently working as a self-employed consultant in the area of employment equity, diversity and human rights, with special emphasis on inclusion of persons with disabilities. He is also contributing to the community by volunteering on the Board of Directors of Spinal Cord Injury Ontario and by leading the development of the Handcycling Club of Canada.

Prior to his recent retirement, Tom worked in leadership positions at CIBC, Scotiabank and BMO in the area of employment equity, diversity and inclusion. He also worked at the Canadian Paraplegic Association, first as a Community Counsellor and then as the Director of Rehab Services. Tom’s other professional experiences include management of employment agency and entrepreneurship.

Tom holds a Master’s Degree from the York University in Critical Disability Studies.

Prior to his accident Vev enjoyed a successful career in the clothing business, and even dabbled in radio and movies by doing radio commercials, acting, and writing. Vev was instrumental in bringing Calvin Klein Jeans to Canada and in growing Levi’s to a national brand in Canada. Vev owned a well-known men’s clothing store in Toronto for many years. He has also served as chairman of the Advisory Board of the Fashion and Design College at Humber College.