Board of Directors

Stevenson Memorial Hospital

Board of Directors 2024/2025

Stevenson Memorial Hospital is a fully accredited facility located in the community of Alliston, Ontario, within the Town of New Tecumseth. The Hospital offers a wide scope of medical and surgical services to a catchment area including Adjala-Tosorontio, Canadian Forces Base Borden, Essa, Innisfil and New Tecumseth. 

The Board governs the affairs of the hospital and provides strategic leadership and oversight of operations subject to the Public Hospitals Act, hospital by-laws and other requirements.  

Tanja S. Webster, Vice-Chair
Tanja is a resident of Alliston where she and her family have been living for the past eight years.  Tanja was appointed as a Board of Director at Stevenson Memorial Hospital in June, 2023. Prior to this she was an Advisory Member on the Governance and Nominating Committee at the Hospital, since 2018.

Tanja works as an Appeals Specialist for Lifeworks Workers’ Compensation Professional Corporation. She holds an LL.B. from the University of Sussex and a B.A.A. in Paralegal Studies from the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Norm Depta, Past Chair
Norm resides in Alliston with his family and for 15 years has owned and operated a small insurance and financial services firm.  He started with a global pharmaceutical company and was part of a management development program where he rotated throughout the organization before being responsible for the Operation’s Personnel/Organizational Development.  Norm’s next role was with a large professional services firm as a consultant for Change Management and Organizational Development.  Norm spent nearly 10 years as a local volunteer firefighter where he also served on the Board of Directors for the association.  He has an Hons. Degree in Psychology, with a focus on Industrial Organizational Psychology, and his post-grad education is in Human Resource Management.
 

Jeff Stubbs, Director
Jeff is a newcomer to the area, having moved with his family into the area two years ago to be closer to a successful business they started up in Alliston.  Jeff is currently employed as a Chief Operating Officer at a resort development company.  He has over 25 years experience as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA-CA) and held senior financial roles in a variety of organizations and industries during that time.  Jeff is an ICD.D as a graduate of the Rotmans school of business's director program and is currently the Board Chair for a large credit union in Ontario. 



Sheila Kaarlela, Director
Sheila has lived in the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio for the past nine years.  She is semi-retired after spending over 28 years in the pharmaceutical industry with executive positions in sales and marketing.  Along with her husband she is a partner in a consulting business with a focus on pharmaceuticals and healthcare.  Sheila became a member of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation in 2012 and served on the Communications Committee.   As well, she Co-chaired the 2012 Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation Gala.  For the past four years she has been a member of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Communication Committee and Quality Committee, reporting directly to the Board of Directors.  She became a member of the hospital Board of Directors in 2017. Sheila spends her free time golfing, horseback riding, gardening, and curling. Dedicating time to causes such as the redevelopment of Stevenson Memorial Hospital is very rewarding to her.
 

David Knight, Director
David describes himself as a small town boy at heart, having been born and raised in Meaford.  He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCA). He was a Partner and Vice-Chair of the international accounting firm KPMG for many years and subsequently served with the Ontario Securities Commission as a Commissioner, Adjudicator and Board member for six years. At present, he is mostly retired from compensated professional work, but he does some consulting from time to time.

David’s past volunteer work has included service as: Vice-chair of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (a predecessor to Toronto Rehab); Chair of the Regional Geriatric Program of Metropolitan Toronto; National Chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada; member of the Advisory Committee to the Auditor General of Ontario; member of the two Ontario Financial Review Commissions; an officer of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in Toronto; and a member or chair of committees and task forces of the CPA institutes

Mike MacEachern, Director

Mike MacEachern is the Executive Director of FOCUS Community Development Corporation, a community not-for-profit organization based in Alliston and Angus, assisting individuals find work and employers find people.  He has had the good fortune to be able to grow up, live, and work in New Tecumseth for the majority of his life and appreciates the value of our community hospital.  He is currently, responsible for leading and managing a staff of 17, delivering multiple programs and projects throughout New Tecumseth, Essa, and Adjala-Tosorontio.  

Mike served on Municipal Council for New Tecumseth from 1997 to 2014 including 11 years as Mayor and Simcoe County Councillor.  He is passionate about the community and successfully chaired and participated on numerous community, government, and hospital /health care committees.  Currently, Mike volunteers his time with the Nottawasaga Community Safety and Well-Being Committee, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Town of New Tecumseth Economic Development Round Table, and the First Work Advocacy Committee. Mike has an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario, completed intensive Mediation training at York University Osgoode Law School, Social Media training from the University of Waterloo, and is a certified Wicked Problem Solver. 

Christina Wieder Ruel, Director
Christina Wieder became a member of the Board of Directors in June, 2022, after being an Advisory Member of Stevenson Memorial Hospital Board Governance and Nominating Committee for over a year.

Christina has been employed by local Public Health Units for more than twenty years. Christina completed a Master of Public Health and has a Bachelor of Applied Science from the Toronto Metropolitan University. She is skilled in leadership, governance, and continuous quality improvement processes. Throughout her career, she has participated on provincial and national committees, and working groups.

Christina is looking forward to continuing to serve Stevenson Memorial Hospital.

Aaron Gillard, Director 

Aaron is Vice President at Spotlight, an award-winning development company founded in 2010. In his position, Aaron oversees development staff in the coordination of applications through the development process, maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders and developing new partnerships with key players in the industry. An expert in analyzing potential development sites and providing high-level strategy that allows the company to best navigate the development approval process, Aaron also assists in the management of office operations, providing oversight on company and individual project objectives. Aaron holds a degree from the University of Windsor in Urban Planning and is a full member of both the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) and the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and has the designation of Registered Professional Planner (RPP) in the Province of Ontario. Aaron enjoys completing home renovations and playing with his son Maverick on the weekends.

Michael Vear, Treasurer

Michael Vear became a member of the Board of Directors in June, 2022, after being an Advisory Member of Stevenson Memorial Hospital Board Finance, Audit, and Property Committee since June 2018.

Michael retired in 2018 as Chief Internal Auditor of Toronto Community Housing Corporation, the second largest social housing provider in North America. After his retirement, he engaged in contract opportunities that gave him the opportunity to work for a Canadian NGO conducting internal audits throughout the world. In mid-2021 Michael retired officially, ending an over 39-year career in corporate and regulatory investigations, forensic accounting, and Internal Audit.

Michael holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from York University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and has also passed the exams for Certified Public Accountants (CPA) in Illinois.

Michael is currently the Treasurer of the Alliston Food Bank. He also volunteers there several mornings a week.

Michael and his spouse reside in beautiful downtown Beeton, Ontario.

The President and CEO; Vice-President/Chief Nursing Executive; Chief of Staff, Chief Financial & Information Officer, President of the Medical Staff; President of the Auxiliary and Board Chair of the Foundation are ex- officio members of the Board.
 

Barbara Steed, Interim President & CEO  

Barb has been the Interim President and CEO of Stevenson Memorial Hospital since May, 2024.

She is a registered nurse by background holding progressive leadership positions at Royal Victoria Hospital, Baycrest, Trillium Health Partners, Oak Valley Health and Southlake Regional Health Centre.

Over the years, Barb’s leadership focus has been on clinical quality excellence, system collaboration and partnerships that maximize outcomes for people and their families. She believes in the value of forging strong relationships and strategic decision-making.

Barb has a Masters of Health Studies: Leadership. She is a graduate of the Advanced Healthcare Leadership Program and the Institute of Corporate Directors, ICD.D  designation at the Rotman School of Management. She has a Canadian Health Executive designation with the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Susan Woollard, Interim VP Clinical Services & Chief Nursing Executive  

Susan an accomplished healthcare executive with extensive experience leading a multi-site hospital with innovative, collaborative approaches to achieve strategic results.

Throughout her career, she has been a committed leader and educator, who is passionate about patient-and family-centred care, quality, safety, and interprofessional practice. She has successfully navigated a dynamic, complex system by collaborating and developing mutually beneficial relationships. Susan has been an active member of numerous regional committees to achieve equitable access to care based on leading practices.

Most recently, she held the role of Vice President Clinical Services, Quality & Risk, Long Term Care & Chief Nursing Executive at North York General Hospital. Susan provided executive leadership to nurses and other health regulated professionals. She has held an Adjunct Clinical Appointment – Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto for over 15 years. She has consulted on numerous clinical and peer coaching reviews, along with independent assessments.  Susan is a registered nurse with a Master of Education and Canadian Health Executive Certification.

Dr. Roger Musa, Chief of Staff

Dr. Musa left Ontario in 2001 to pursue a career in medicine. He became the Medical Director at AultmanNow Urgent Walk-In Clinic in Ohio and has since spent a majority of his medical career in Ohio at Aultman Hospital.

He became a Hospitalist in 2008 and has advanced his career to hold positions such as Program Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Vice Chair of the Department of Inpatient Medicine, and most recently, Executive Director of Medical Education.

Dr. Musa became a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant at Aultman Hospital and has an extensive educational background. He is a member of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians, Physician Delegate to the American Academy of Family Physicians and is a Clinical Associate Professor at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

He has been recognized for his contributions to education and in medicine, having been awarded the Medical Staff Service Award in 2023 and Faculty Teacher of the Year Award, three years in a row from 2010-12, among many other awards and accomplishments.
                                     

Brian Edmonds, Interim VP Corporate Services and Chief Financial & Information Officer                           

Brian Edmonds is a Chartered Professional Accountant/Chartered Accountant and holds a master’s degree in health sciences administration from the University of Michigan.  His executive interests include strategic planning, fiscal accountability, the development of new funding models for health care, change management, performance improvement, and corporate governance.

Through his career Brian has provided interim executive leadership and strategic consulting advice to over 25 Ontario-based teaching and community, private and public health service providers as these organizations looked for performance improvement opportunities.  Through these engagements, Brian worked extensively with the full Board and the Audit and Finance Committees of these organizations to develop appropriate governance processes and tools. 

For seven years, Brian was the Vice President, Finance of the Trillium Health Centre where he was instrumental in the introduction of the Strategic Framework for Trillium, developing tools to enhance decision-making and fiscal accountability, and in leading performance monitoring projects such as the award-winning Performance Dashboard. 

Brian has also worked with a variety of Ontario Ministry of Health and Joint Policy and Planning Committees including:

• Peer Review engagements of five major Ontario Hospitals (Sault Area Hospital, Hospital for Sick Children, The Ottawa Hospital, Hotel Dieu (Kingston) and Sudbury Regional) to recommend specific fiscal operating strategies to the hospitals and the MOHLTC
• Provincial Panel Reviews of Operating Plan submissions for four regions (80 hospitals) to recommend fiscal balancing strategies
• Designated Services Work Group - recommend funding rates for specific procedures
• Quality Based Procedures Funding Advisory Group and Rate Development Group

Brian has also served as a Board member of several not-for-profits including Casey House Hospice and CMHA York and South Simcoe Region.

Dr. Modar Safar - President of the Professional Staff Association



President of Auxiliary – Carla Beckett
Carla Beckett moved to Alliston from Victoria, BC in 2002.  She has four sons and two grandchildren – one in Alliston and the other in Victoria. 

Her background is with the Government of BC in the Ministries of Energy and Mines; and Women’s Equality, in the capacities of Office Manager and Ministerial Correspondence Coordinator.  Carla worked in Human Resources at Stevenson Memorial Hospital from 2002 to 2007, then in HR at the Town of East Gwillimbury until her retirement in 2015.

Carla has been involved in many volunteering roles over the years. Since arriving in Alliston, she has served as President at the Catholic Women’s League locally and at the Northern Region level.  At the church she served on the Pastoral Council and Cemetery Board, and was a lector and Volunteer Screening Coordinator.  She was a Board member for Focus Community Development, and has been a member of Tec-We-Gwill Women’s Institute since 2019.  She also provides meals to SHIFT (the shelter).

Carla joined the Hospital Auxiliary in 2012 serving in various roles on the Executive committee, currently as the President, because she absolutely loves the Hospital and respects everyone who works and volunteers there.
 

Dr. Ted Vandevis – Board Chair of the Foundation

Ted was raised on a veal farm in Tecumseth Township and graduated from Civil Engineering in 1977. After graduation, he worked eleven years for Barrie Public Utilities Commission as a Water Plant Operator. 

In 1988, he joined the Electrical & Utilities Safety Association (E&USA) as a field consultant and provided health and safety consultative services to water and electrical utilities around the Province.  From 1998 to 2009, Ted was their President & CEO.  He has presented numerous seminars and workshops, has been invited to speak at many industry functions throughout the globe, and takes a keen interest in strategic planning and organizational culture.  He has written dozens of journal and newsletter articles and columns.

In 1996, he graduated from the University of Western Ontario's Ivey School of Business with a Master's in Business Administration, and in 2008, he was awarded a Ph.D. from Capella University in Organization and Management.

He is/was a member and Chair of numerous local and international Boards and committees, most notably Chair of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Board from 2007 to 2011. He presently lives with his wife, Janet, in Barrie, ON.