Governance

Michel Paulin retired in 2017 with more than 35 years of progressive experience within the financial co-operative and education sectors, where he held senior executive management positions, most recently as Superintendent of Business for the Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord. 

He also has gained extensive knowledge and experience on Boards and Committees at the local, provincial and national levels within the public, associative and non-profit, insurance, and financial co-operative sectors. 

Michel has acquired consultation experience in policy governance, school Board management and strategic enterprise risk management. He was a founding member of an employee health trust in the education sector, where he served as Chair of the Governance Committee and was a member of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee. He currently serves on the Health Science North Board of Directors as the Chair of the Finance Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee.

Michel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master’s in Business Administration. He is also an accredited Chartered Corporate Director and a Policy Governance Specialist Professional.

Louise Anello is a life-long resident of North Bay. She attended French language schools  at both the primary and secondary level. She obtained her diploma in nursing from Canadore College, her Bachelor of Science Nursing from Laurentian University and a Masters Health Studies-Leadership from Athabasca University. She is a life-long learner.

After a fifteen year career as a nurse in acute care working both medical and Critical Care, Louise transitioned to public health. As a public health nurse and nurse manager she worked in Sexual Health, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDs, Dental, Genetics and Communicable Disease programs. She has a passion for nursing and excellence in care delivery.  After 42 years of working in the health sector Louise retired in 2018.

She was a board member of Patrick 4 Life and Research Ethics Board at North Bay Regional Health Centre.  A transition to retirement provided another  opportunity to continue caring for individuals and families, in our community, by becoming a Nipissing Serenity Hospice board member.  She brings years of health care experience, leadership and passion to our board.

Andrea is a retired Registered Nurse.  Andrea’s Nursing career spans more than 37 years in the local health care system.   Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Laurentian University, a Master of Education Degree from Nipissing University and a Master’s Certificate in Risk Management from York University.  

Andrea’s nursing career began in North Bay in 1984 at the North Bay Civic Hospital.  During her 24 years at the hospital Andrea held a variety of direct patient care positions on the Paediatric, surgical and medical units.  Andrea then moved into management positions at the hospital including the development and implementation of care pathways, responsibility for the Education, Telehealth, Quality Improvement, Privacy and Risk Management programs at the hospital.  Andrea lead the development and implementation of the Telehealth program at the North Bay General Hospital which supports clients accessing specialized healthcare without the need to travel to communities outside of our district. During her career, Andrea was also an educator with Canadore College teaching in both the classroom and clinical settings.

In 2008, Andrea moved to the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit as the Manager of the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Program.  In 2020, Andrea assumed the role of Director, COVID Immunization Strategy and lead the role out of the COVID Immunization Strategy for the North Bay Parry Sound District.  Andrea retired from the Health Unit in December, 2021.  Andrea continues to be involved with the COVID immunization strategy, providing immunizations at COVID immunization clinics.  

Andrea has a long history of volunteer work.  She has been involved with a number of volunteer efforts including:

• Raising funds to support the purchase of playground equipment for the children of a local school. 
• Managed hockey teams for over 10 years.
• Sat as a member of the West Ferris Minor Hockey Association for several 5 years.
• Was a member of the inaugural Board of Directors who led the development and implementation of the local Community Care Access Center.
• Member of the Nipissing Serenity Hospice Board of Directors from 2018-2020.

Andrea’s father was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and she grew up in a number of communities – she has lived in North Bay since 1977.  Andrea and her husband Ken have raised four children in North Bay and 5 have grandchildren. 

Natalie has recently joined the Board of Directors and is pleased to support the Mission, Vision and Values of The Nipissing Serenity Hospice / La Maison Sérénité du Nipissing in providing high quality palliative care with compassion, comfort and dignity.  She is a Registered Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario and holds a Master’s of Arts Degree in Gerontology. The majority of her professional career has been dedicated to older adult care with a strong commitment to maintaining the independence and quality of life of the aging population. Throughout her nursing practice, Natalie has integrated research, continuous learning and best practices in several aspects of holistic care.

With over 30 years of Nursing experience, she brings expertise in various specialty areas including Public Health, Gerontology, Geriatric Psychiatry and Long-Term Care. She worked in a variety of health care settings as a front-line worker progressing to managerial positions and executive leadership. In the community setting, she worked for a decade as a Public Health Nurse and Healthy Elderly Program Coordinator. She returned to the hospital as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Complex Continuing Care and was Manager of the Seniors’ Mental Health Program for many years. Her career path led to the Long-Term Care sector where she worked as a LTC Home Administrator until May 2020.

While employed in Northern Ontario as a bilingual health professional, she developed an understanding of the care delivery model used in small communities and rural settings. She advocated for their needs and services through her active participation at round tables with various community agencies and was a representative on several regional and provincial committees.

Natalie’s professional background combined with her personal experience have influenced her interest in Palliative Care. She understands the importance of supporting individuals in their End of Life journey as well as accompanying family caregivers in their grieving process. She is a francophone resident of the Nipissing District since 2001, and is grateful for the opportunity to serve as a community member on the Board of Directors.

Louis-Marc Hurtubise was born in Mattawa and raised in Sudbury. He attended Sacred Heart College and Lasalle Secondary school and then completed his education at Ottawa University. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in 1972 and his Bachelor of Law in 1975.

He practiced law as a general practitioner in North Bay from 1977 until 2002. In 2002 he worked for Legal Aid Ontario as a Supervisory Family Duty Counsel. He retired from that position in December 2017.

During his legal career, he sat on several committees and Boards. He was the chair of the local Consent & Capacity Board for Nipissing. He also sat on the board of Mattawa General Hospital. He was an executive member of the Nipissing Law Association. He has always been actively involved in his church.

Louis-Marc is a father of four and grandfather to eight grandchildren. 

Louis-Marc is a recent addition to the Serenity Hospice Board. He was attracted to the Hospice by its mission statement and after a visit of the premises decided to contribute to the Hospice by becoming a member of the Board.

Barb is the Executive Director at the Empire Living Centre for the past 6.5 years has directed provided leadership to her team to support Seniors and senior living in the Empire Retirement Home.  

Prior to the Empire, Barb was in the non-profit sector for 14 years with the Canadian Cancer Society as Regional Director for Northeast and Northwest Regions and Manager of the North Bay office.  

Throughout her career, Barb has been committed to providing volunteer support in the area of Palliative Care and End of Life Care.  Barb presently sits on the North Bay and District Palliative Integrated Services Committee and has served on this committee since it was a steering committee.  Barb has also previously provided volunteer leadership with her roles as Vice Chair, Chair and Past Chair on the Near North Palliative Care Network Board.

Barb’s commitment to supporting Palliative and End of Life Care has brought her to the Nipissing Serenity Board of Directors where she hopes to continue to provide support to people and their families in their end of life journey.

Barb holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Diploma in Human Resource Management.

Pierre Chaput, CPA, CGA earned a diploma in accounting from Canadore College and obtained his certified general accountant’s designation in 2001. He has over 30 years experience working as an auditor, a controller, interim CFO and executive director of finance in both the private and public sectors in North Bay and the surrounding area. 

Pierre has served as a secretary, vice president, and president of the local chapter of the Certified General Accountants Association of Ontario. In 2009, he received the chapter distinguished service award from the association in recognition of his many contributions at the local chapter level, including exam invigilation, planning free income tax preparation services for seniors, and organizing fundraising activities in support of the Big Sisters and Big Brothers charity in North Bay. 

More recently, Pierre has volunteered as a treasurer for the Patrick 4 Life charity in North Bay. He is currently the executive director of finance and is a member of the management committee with the Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord. In his current role, and volunteering in other board capacities, Pierre has gained valuable experience in governance, the development of policy directives, and strategic planning. 

JG Lebel was born and raised in Sudbury, ON. He is fluently bilingual in both official languages and is a proud Franco Ontarian. He attended the University of Ottawa where he obtained a BA in 1969 and an LLB in 1972. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1974.

He practised law in Sudbury as a partner in the law firm of Pharand, Kuyek and Lebel from 1974 until 1982. He was elected as a separate school trustee for the Sudbury Board of Education for two terms commencing in 1974.

In 1982, he was appointed as an assistant Crown Attorney for the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin. He served as a member of the Ontario Crown Attorney's Association and on the executive of the Sudbury Law Association until his appointment to the Provincial Court Criminal Division assigned to the District of Nipissing in 1988.

His judicial career spanned over 35 years in North Bay. During those years, he served as the Local Administrative Judge, President of the Ontario Judges Association, President of the Ontario Conference of Judges Association, member of the Chief Justice's Executive Counsel, member of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee for the province of Ontario and a member of the Ontario Judicial Council and numerous other Boards.

He retired on July 2nd, 2023.

He has been married to his bride Joanne for 53 years and is the proud father of three strong women and proud grandfather of six grandchildren.

Jennifer Funnell works as the Indigenous Lead in the Minowacihewin Regional Service for Indigenous Peoples program at the North Bay Regional Health Centre since 2013.  Her career began in 2004, she has experience working in the addiction field and in the area of violence against women.  She is committed to integrating Indigenous perspective into various frameworks.  She provides cultural safety education and is a certified facilitator in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Mental Health First Aid First Nations and Trauma Informed Care.  

 Jennifer graduated with Honours from the Native Social Work program at Canadore College in 1999, from there she went to Nipissing University and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double concentration in Native Studies and Social Welfare.   

She is family oriented, loves to spend time with her three adult daughters and 6 grandchildren.  She is Oji-Cree originally from Marten Falls First Nation (Ogoki) and also spent many years as a child growing up in Constance Lake First Nation.  She is passionate about working with her People and enjoys participating in cultural activities and ceremonies.

David Radcliffe is a former school principal and provincial education leader who continues to serve his community through part-time roles as a supply principal and teacher with the Near North District School Board, a support worker with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), and a travel consultant with Expedia Cruises.

Before and during his career in education, Dave coached hockey, cross-country running, and track and field at the school level. He also coached with the North Bay Legion Track Club and founded the Powassan Legion Track Club, reflecting his long-standing commitment to teamwork, mentorship, and youth development.

At the provincial level, Dave directed the development of Ontario’s Grade 3 and 6 Reading and Writing Anchor Guides for the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) and led Science assessment teams for the Ontario Ministry of Education. He holds an Advanced Bachelor of Education (Leadership focus), a Bachelor of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts from Nipissing University, along with a Business Administration Diploma from Canadore College.

Since 2018, Dave has volunteered with Nipissing Serenity Hospice, providing compassionate support to residents and their families—often alongside his French Bulldog, Sidney. He has also volunteered with the Warming Center and The Gathering Place, supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Warming Center. Dave is grateful for the opportunity to serve as a community member on the Nipissing Serenity Hospice Board of Directors.

Gowri is a Designated Financial Planner (PFP) with IG Wealth Management and recently joined the Board of Directors of Nipissing Serenity Hospice. She has over eight years of experience in the financial services industry, along with a Graduation in Psychology and a post-graduation in Human Resource Management. Together, her education and professional experience have shaped a people-centred approach to governance and community service. Her work has always been guided by a deep belief in supporting people through life’s most important moments.

Gowri's commitment to giving back began early in life. From childhood, she has been involved in fundraising initiatives supporting palliative care, and over the years she has volunteered with regional cancer centres and mental health organizations. These experiences deepened her appreciation for compassion, dignity, and the importance of being present for individuals and families during times of vulnerability.

Gowri also organized and supported a range of fundraising initiatives, as well as blood and hair donation camps, as meaningful ways to support causes close to her heart. Serving on the Board of Nipissing Serenity Hospice is a natural extension of this lifelong commitment, and she is honoured to contribute to the organization’s mission of providing compassionate end-of-life care to our community.

In 2006, while serving as the founding Chair of the North East Local Health Integration Network (NE-LHIN), Mathilde experienced the exceptional end-of-life care that her brother and his family received in a residential hospice in Chambly, Québec.  She realized how beneficial and needed a peaceful residential hospice would be for our Nipissing and East Parry Sound residents. She then set her goal to get it built.  From 2011 to 2020, as the founding Chair of the Board of Directors of the Nipissing Serenity Hospice-Maison Sérénité du Nipissing, (NSH-MSN), she dedicated her energy in recruiting a team of community leaders who shared her dream of a peaceful residential hospice. 

After gaining the support of an army of volunteers and the provincial and municipal politicians needed to build our residential hospice, our 10 room, bilingual hospice opened its doors in January 2020. 

It is after a successful 20 years career as a Health Care Administrator and Nurse Educator, that Mathilde obtained her Law degree from the University of Ottawa in 1991. Prior to that she had earned her degrees of Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Education and Master in Educational Administration from the same university.  During 1982-83, she attended the National Defence College at Fort Frontenac in Kingston.  After entering the practice of law in 1991, she specialized in Health Care Law and Conflict Resolution until her retirement from Justice Canada in 2004.

In addition to serving as the Founding Chair of the NSH-MSN from 2011 to 2020, Mathilde had served on many commissions, Boards and committees in the local, provincial and national forums. Among others: Commissioner of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (2004-2011);  Chair of the NE-LHIN (2005-2009); Ontario Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) (2010-2019); Loeb Medical Research Institute; University of Ottawa Medical Program Advisory Committee; Ottawa-Carleton District Health Council; Ontario Health Review Panel (Evans Commission); St. Joseph’s Hospital Board of Directors (1975-1984). 

She was the grateful recipient of many awards during her varied career:

• Member of the Order of Canada (C.M.) – June 2023
• June Callwood Circle of Outstanding Volunteers – April 2022
• NSH-MSN – Mathilde Gravelle Bazinet Distinguished Volunteer Award - 2022
• Senate of Canada –Sesquicentennial Medal for ‘’Valuable Service to Canada’’ – 2017
• Justice Canada – Merit Awards for Establishment of Office of Conflict Management & Excellence in conflict resolution service– 1998 and 2001
• University of Ottawa – Faculty of Law –Excellence in Advocacy and Teaching – 1991 & 2003
• Gold Medal for Excellence in Nursing Theory and Practice- St. Joseph’s School of Nursing – Cornwall

Mathilde is the author of several publications in conflict resolution, health care administration and emergency services. 

As a Director Emeritus, Mathilde is pleased to continue serving in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors and as a recruiter of supporters for our community residential haven, where our palliative residents and their families receive the highest quality end-of-life care.

Gil Pharand has been the Executive Director of Nipissing Serenity Hospice since May 2020.  Gil serves as a champion for the Hospice’s vision of palliative care, representing the interests of the Hospice in various forums and acting as a key liaison with a range of health care partners and stakeholders.

Gil supervises and provides oversight to the day-to-day operations and administration of the Hospice. He is responsible for planning, directing and managing all programs, personnel, and finances of the Hospice in support of the policies, guidelines and budgetary authorities set by the Board of Directors. Gil manages all resources to ensure the delivery of quality palliative care that responds to the needs of residents and their loved ones.

The Executive Director is directly accountable to the Board of Directors for the total operational performance of the Hospice. and for achieving the mission of Nipissing Serenity Hospice. The Board directs the Executive Director through policies, delegating interpretation and implementation to them.

Gil acts as a resource to all Committees of the Board. He ensures the organization operates in accordance with the goals, executive authority, governance and board-staff relationships policies established by the Board of Directors. As per the by-laws, the Executive Director also serves as the Secretary and Treasurer to the Board.

Gil has extensive experience in fundraising and non-profit management.  He holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce and was a Certified Fundraising Executive.  Like his passion for the Hospice, Gil is passionate about time with his family. He is involved in minor hockey as a parent, coach, official and mentor and the biggest fan of the many extracurriculars that his five sons are involved in.