VoicePrint - Board of Directors

A volunteer board of directors of up to 16 members – 15 elected plus the President – sets NBRS policy. Each elected director serves a term of up to three years, and sits on at least one Board committee. Currently NBRS has four standing committees (Executive, Finance, Nominations & Governance and Programming) and three ad hoc committees (Marketing & Communications, Technology and Strategic). To ensure continuity, terms are staggered and each year approximately five new directors join the board. Accordingly, the Nominations & Governance Committee identifies the skills that are needed for any given year, identifies potential directors, and then interviews candidates.

CURRENT NBRS DIRECTORS

GLENN AGRO (Mississauga, ON):
Senior Partner, Audit & Accounting, BDO Dunwoody, provides auditing, accounting and advisory services to privately held companies with a focus on the manufacturing, retail trade, transportation and warehousing and food services industry sectors. He was awarded Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) designation in recognition of his career achievements and leadership contributions to the community and the profession. He now is a member of the Boards for Hamilton-Burlington YMCA, Lynwood Hall Children’s Centre and Lynwood Hall Children’s Foundation.

JOHN CAPOBIANCO (Toronto, ON), Chair:
Edelman Canada, Senior Vice President Corporate, Financial and Public Affairs. Served as Chief of Staff to the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Minister of Education. Prior to joining Edelman, Mr. Capobianco spent a decade at Canada Trust as manager of its blue-chip client pension funds; served as vice president and business-unit leader at a major public affairs firm; and worked with pharmaceutical companies and a patient-advocacy association. A frequent participant on TV public affairs programs, he is a member of the Albany Club, Canadian Club of Toronto and the Etobicoke Rotary Club. Chair, Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

R-J GILBERT (Toronto, ON), Secretary:
Long-time VoicePrint volunteer reader and member of the Toronto Volunteer Liaison Committee; wide experience as a volunteer leader/worker with Toronto Western Hospital; the Board of Trustees of Rosedale United Church; and the University Health Network (Toronto Western, Toronto General & Princess Margaret hospitals); extensive fundraising experience for not-for-profit and charitable enterprises, including the Massey Centre for Women; and extensive broadcast (radio & TV) experience. Joined NBRS Board in 2005.

SAMUEL GOLDSTEIN (Toronto, ON):
Self-starter, practical, proactive team player and leader with criminal, corporate/commercial, litigation and intellectual property law experience. Public policy interest in judicial issues. Background in Intellectual Property and Information-Technology Law. Member of the Bar of Ontario, currently in private practice in Civil/Regulatory –Proceeds of Crime, Income tax, etc.; Charter litigation involving search warrants, wire tap authorizations in drug conspiracy offences and criminal organization charges; Practice focused to Superior Court criminal and appeal matters; Mix of white collar and violent offences, drug and proceeds of crime; Assistant Crown Attorney, Newmarket, Ontario, June 1999 – December 2003; Criminal Prosecutor with emphasis on Commercial and Computer Fraud matters; Criminal Defense Attorney within own firm; Called to the Ontario Bar, 1998.

ROBERT LOCKHART (Fredericton, NB), Vice-Chair:
He is completing a doctoral thesis at University of New Brunswick. Former managing director of CFBC Saint John and founding member Fundy Cable Group. Former mayor of Saint John. Retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel from the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Earned wings from both the United Kingdom and United States airborne services.

BRIAN MACKIE (Toronto, ON), Treasurer:
Since 2006, Vice President Finance and Support Services at Toronto Grace Health Centre. From 1984-2006 served in a variety of executive posts at The Hospital for Sick Children, including CFO/Director Financial Operations. Prior to joining Sick Kids, he worked in England for The Rank Organization, Lonrho plc, Sega plc and ICI plc, all of London; and PricewaterhouseCoopers PLC at Birmingham, England, and Scarborough, ON.

CHARLIE MACDONALD (Halifax, NS):
Diversity management consultant, Nova Scotia Public Service Commission. MBA civil engineering; chair, Terra Society, Metro Halifax; director, Independent Living Resource Centre, Metro Halifax; former executive director of the Nova Scotia Disabled Persons Commission; and former member CNIB National Council.

MURRAY McNEELY (Toronto):
Has served as a Volunteer for 10 years at National Office in Toronto. Mr. McNeely hosts a weekly program on sports providing coverage on a National Level along with volunteering his voice to both VoicePrint and most recently TACtv. He also lends his volunteerism beyond his “VOICE” known as the “VOICE” nationally. He is a Partner in a HR consulting Recruitment Company with over 14 years in HR Professional disciplines. Other responsibilities include his involvement in roles in manufacturing and public service: Nortel, Hershey Canada and Stanley Tools.

BETTY NOBEL (Vancouver, BC):
Department Head and teacher of the Program for the Visually Impaired at Vancouver Community College. She has a Master's Degree in Higher Education. Betty is Past President of the Canadian Braille Authority and a former member of the CNIB national board of directors. Her volunteer work also includes serving as a director on the Board of the CNIB Library for the Blind, and the Board of the Accessible Channel. She received the 2000 YWCA Woman of Distinction award in the category of education, training and development.

LAUREN A. NICKEL, ICD.D (Victoria, BC):
Lauren has had a career as an executive in both business and the public sector. Lauren has had responsibility for corporate governance, stakeholder relations and business development as well as human resource development, has taught at the University of Calgary and has served the Government of Canada overseas during the International Expo in 2000 held in Germany. Lauren was an elected member of her professional association in Alberta and a national member of a board formed to enhance economic partnerships with China through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. She has also served as a director for the non-profit Calgary Region Arts Foundation, the Calgary Heritage Advisory Board, the endowment fund for the LEAF endowment, the United Way New Admissions among other service boards. Elected to NBRS Board 20 June 2008 and appointed to the TAC board in July 2008.

MURIEL STANLEY VENNE (Edmonton, AB):
President and founder of the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Woman (IAAW), established in 1995 and now with 16 chapters and more than 600 members throughout Alberta. Her community-based activities include serving as executive director of Native Outreach; community relations officer, Bechtel Canada; and marketing office, National Film Board of Canada. Author of The Right Path – Alberta, endorsed by Mary Robinson, UN High Commission on Human Rights. Recipient of the Alberta Human Rights Award and the Governor General’s Commemorative Award for Persons’ Care for her efforts to promote equality for Aboriginal women throughout Canada. Order of Canada 2005; National Aboriginal Achievement Award 2004; Global Woman of Vision 2007.

GEOFF STORMS (Saskatoon, SK):
Chief Internal Auditor for Cameco Corporation, the world’s largest uranium producer. He is a career internal auditor who has worked in this profession for over 30 years, progressing from a junior auditor through the appropriate levels of audit functions to being Chief Internal Auditor at a number of major enterprises. He has designed and built audit department structures, including staffing, risk-based audit universes, audit programs and procedures, all of which comply with a set of international audit standards. He has built relationships with audit committees, external auditors, professional associations and provincial and federal regulators. Geoff is a Certified Fraud Examiner, a Certified Internal Auditor, a Certified Information Systems Auditor and a Fellow of the Life Management Institute. Prior to joining Cameco, the majority of his auditing experience has been in the financial services industry, including a trust company, life insurance firm, a fraternal organization and a public pension fund.

JOE TEDESCO (Toronto):
Vice-President and General Manager of Family Channel since November 2001. In this role, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations, strategic development and overall financial performance of Family Channel and Playhouse Disney – a multiplex channel for younger children that launched in 2007. Prior to joining Family Channel, he held the position of Senior Vice-President, Finance and Business Affairs with Astral Television Networks, the television division of Astral Media where he was responsible for managing key supplier and customer relationships, including negotiating long-term supply and distribution agreements. In addition, he also managed the financial, legal and information technology areas. He is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Toronto. Mr. Tedesco is currently on the Board of Governors for St. Mildred’s Lightbourn school, a not-for-profit educational institution and served on the Peel Early Years Steering Committee.

EFFIE J. TRIANTAFILOPOULOS (Mississauga, ON):
Since April 2008, volunteer fundraiser for the Hearing Foundation of Canada. Previous executive activities include strategic planning, governance and fundraising for public, private and not-for-profit enterprises; to October 2006 served as CEO, Save the Children Canada; prior to that appointment she served as executive director, Canadian Corporate Counsel Association; from 1989 – 2001, consulting partner Miller Thompson LLP, Fogler Rubinoff, Barristers & Solicitors, and Lyons Goodman Iacono Smith Berkow, Barristers & Solicitors; 1984-1989 Chief of Staff, Treasury Board, Ottawa; legal counsel, Department of Finance, Ottawa; legislative assistant, Opposition Leader, Ottawa; and special assistant, Department of Justice, Ottawa.