Team & Advisors

Alison is responsible for the development, growth and execution of the CMA Foundation’s strategic plan. Through the power of connection and collaborative partnerships Alison develops and implements strategies and approaches to support the health of Canadians and the communities we live in. Alison’s passion for philanthropy began early in her career as the owner of a successful direct marketing agency, where she helped local and national charities raise funds and profile. This meaningful work exposed her to the vibrant and important work of Canada’s charitable sector. Alison worked directly for The Ottawa Mission and United Way Ottawa in a variety of roles including fundraising, strategic planning and donor relations, in order to help Ottawa’s most vulnerable people.

Spencer is a brand, communications and marketing professional with more than 15 years’ experience in a variety of organizations from nonprofits to startups. In his current role as director, brand & communications at CIRA (Canadian Internet Registration Authority), he has helped the nonprofit grow its brand into one of the most trusted and dynamic in the Canadian technology ecosystem.

Spencer’s educational background is in journalism where he learned the importance of being able to tell great stories and the value of truth to empower change. He hopes to be a part of that change in his new role at Nourish Leadership.

Spencer also serves as a Board director for National Capital Freenet, a not-for-profit that provides low-cost internet access to people in Ottawa, and for Open Media, a community-driven nonprofit that works for an open, affordable, and surveillance-free Internet.

Laura is originally from the Nak’Azdli First Nation in British Columbia but has lived and worked in the Yukon since graduating from the Yukon First Nations Dietetic Internship Program in 2000. For 12 years, Laura fulfilled a broad and interesting role as Dietitian at First Nations Health Programs (FNHP), Whitehorse General Hospital. Laura completed her Masters in 2003 in Montreal studying the impact of diabetes prevention efforts on Mohawk children in Kahnawake. For eight years, Laura has been in the Director role for FNHP and she is accountable for ensuring that the holistic health needs of self-identified First Nations, Inuit and Metis patients are met by Yukon Hospitals. She also contributes to the planning and direction of corporate initiatives to advance Indigenous health and considers the impact of hospital programs, services, and individual care on people. Laura enjoys spending time with her family, and being active outdoors. Her favourite Traditional Food is cranberries picked in Yukon autumn.

Wendy Smith is a Sourcing Manager with Mohawk Medbuy Corporation’s MEALsource program. She has over 30 years of institutional procurement experience specifically focused on health care and student nutrition. Currently, Wendy is the co-chair of the PEACH Food Group, and she sits on the Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council advising the federal government.

Jenn is a non-profit executive, freelance journalist, and landscape painter from Newfoundland and Labrador living in Ottawa. Before joining the McMaster Health Forum in 2021, Jenn worked for 15 years with the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (now Healthcare Excellence Canada). As a reporter, Jenn has bylines in over a dozen publications and published her first book (Cod Collapse) in 2019 (Nimbus publishing). Jenn holds a Master of Science in Medicine (Memorial University of Newfoundland) and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction (University of King’s College). In 2020, Jenn became a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Graeme Wilkes (he/him) is a public affairs executive with more than 20 years experience helping non-profit organizations grow and expand their impact through communications, marketing and government relations. He is currently Vice President of Communications for CIFAR, and in this interim role leads communications that advance this global research organization’s aspiration of solving the biggest problems facing science and humanity. He has also held senior roles at Healthcare Excellence Canada (previously the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement) as well as many other pan-Canadian health sector organizations.

Graeme enjoys helping people and organizations tell their stories in ways that improve public policy. He is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business Executive MBA program as well as Carleton University’s Mass Communication program, and is fluent in both French and English. In his spare time, he has volunteered for organizations promoting literacy for at-risk children and international public health.

Mark supports Nourish to apply a Developmental Evaluation approach to understanding results and impact across our various streams of work. Mark is President of the consulting company, From Here to There. He has been a front-line worker in human service and Indigenous community organizations in north-eastern Alberta and held executive positions with the Polish government’s international aid departments, the UNDP, the Canadian Community Economic Development Network, and mostly recently as Vice President of the Tamarack Institute. In 2012, Mark founded Here to There to work directly with organizations and communities tackling complex issues such as neighborhood renewal, poverty and homelessness, food security, community safety, educational achievement and health. He is particularly active in the areas of social innovation, collective impact, multi-stakeholder processes and developmental evaluation. Mark lives in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) with his partner Leann and their children Isaiah and Zoë.

Coach and Facilitator

Stina Brown (she/they) is an accomplished coach, meeting and retreat designer, facilitator, trainer, visual practitioner, and consultant. Stina is supporting the Anchor Cohort Project Leads through the journey of leading complex change initiatives, including how to do the “inner work” of systems change while supporting multidisciplinary teams to advance toward practical goals and outcomes.

Stina has been leading gatherings, meetings and teams for the past 16 years and has extensive background in process and systems design, strategic planning, visioning, skills training, and group, team and organizational development. They design and lead processes to create new human capacity and wellbeing, new shared awareness, new relationships, new trust, new vision, new clarity, and new plans. Stina helps groups deepen relationships, learn and make decisions together, see what’s real and determine what we want to make real. They help leaders see, study, and support themselves – in service of their visions for what the world can be.

Nourish is thrilled to be working with Stina as one of our coaches and mentors in the Anchor Cohort program!

Health Futurist
University of Toronto | Deloitte | Teladoc Health

Nourish is partnering with Health Futurist, Dr. Zayna Khayat, to deliver a series of online workshops and coaching sessions for Anchor Cohort teams in the first half of 2024. Zayna, who has over 20 years of experience in health system innovation, will share practical frameworks, strategies, and approaches that inspire teams to implement health system solutions with the potential for lasting and scalable impact.

Through a combination of 1:1 coaching sessions with each team as well as mixes of teams across the Cohort, Anchor Teams teams will each identify a set of mutually reinforcing place-based interventions alongside national collaborative projects that respond to unique problem statements and align with Nourish’s Food for Health Levers. The focus of this phase of work is to support the development and capacity for results at scale.

Zayna is adjunct faculty in the Health Sector Strategy stream at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto where she instructs a course in healthcare innovation in the health MBA program. She is also Growth Advisor at Teladoc Health in Canada, and the in-house health futurist with Deloitte Canada’s health care practice.

Kelly has worked as a registered dietitian for 20 years, prioritizing community wellness. Kelly is Kanyen’keha (Mohawk), French, and Irish, also a proud mother of two energetic children. A graduate from McGill University, she has strived to use her experience and knowledge to support well-being within Indigenous communities. Currently Kelly works with Six Nations Health Services as a Portfolio Lead, Community Health & Wellness. She is co-chair of the Nourish Indigenous and Allies Advisory, supporting work to increase access and availability of Indigenous foods within healthcare settings. Kelly has presented and advocated to a variety of audiences speaking to how “food is a pathway towards reconciliation”, looking towards Indigenous food and foodways in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada’s calls to action. Her work focuses on acknowledging Indigenous knowledge and how it can be integrated into her everyday work, supporting community members on their journey towards their own wellness.

Marissa is the Co-Executive Director at Food Secure Canada. She is a registered dietitian who is passionate about anti-racism, food security, and equity. Living and working on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lheidli T’enneh, she has had the honour of working alongside 55 First Nations communities in northern B.C.. She is also privileged to be able to connect with many different peoples and communities through her anti-racism consulting work. In her very little spare time, she is working on her Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on equity and cultural studies. As someone who is thankful to be a part of many, often oppressed, communities she is always looking for opportunities to elevate voices and lived experiences. When she is not focused on social justice work, she likes to spend time with family, friends, and her dog Ru. You can often find her crafting or creating, and she tries to include humour in her work as much as possible.

Tessie Harris is a registered dietitian with a particular interest in local and traditional food systems. She is fascinated by the intersections of food, health, culture, society, and policy, and the opportunities for innovation within these systems. She completed the Nourish Innovator Program while working and living on the land of the Haida Nation, on Haida Gwaii, B.C.. During this time, she facilitated the food service transition at the Northern Haida Gwaii Hospital from re-therm to on-site cooking, in turn increasing the opportunities to include local and traditional foods on the patient menu. Through the Nourish Innovator Program, Tessie was introduced to new ways of working, collaborating, and exploring systems change, which she brings to her role on the Nourish Indigenous and Allies Advisory, as well as supporting the Nourish Indigenous foodways work. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics and a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Public Health, and is committed to supporting self determination, healthy equity, and culturally safe health care.

Kathy Loon is the VP of Indigenous Services, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre. Her professional background is business and corporate development. She started working for Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre in June 2013 with a mandate to further develop/implement the traditional programs within the Hospital. These programs included Wi’Chiwewin (patient/client support services), Odabidamagewin (governance and leadership program), Andaa’iwewin (traditional and ceremonial practices), Mashkiki (traditional medicines) and Miichim (traditional foods). Her role changed in 2015 to Traditional Programs Manager, and in 2021 as the Executive Lead for Indigenous Collaboration & Relations. She has almost 30 years’ experience working for First Nations and Indigenous organizations/businesses in the areas of economic, business and corporate development.

Her passion for equitable access to quality health care is complemented by her experience in lobbying and negotiations, project management, finance and economic growth, corporate restructuring and strategic planning- all of which guide her day-to-day work with our senior team.

Kathy is originally from Slate Falls First Nation. She is fluent in Ojibway and is an avid hunter and loves to net fish.

Maurice (Moe) Mathieu is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Canada for Culinary Arts and its Applied Degree in Culinary Operations. He is a certified Red Seal Chef as well as a past Chef Instructor. He is also a proud Saskatchewan Metis and recently retired as Director of Nutrition for the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Moe’s culinary experiences ignited a flame for excellence and he always strives to be involved in as many local boards and groups that focused on local food and Saskatchewan people. When Moe is not working on food related projects, he can be found in his garden where he is always working on how to grow the world’s best tasting tomato.

Charlotte Pilat Burns lives on Treaty 6 territory and the homeland of the Métis. She is a retired Registered Dietitian at the Saskatchewan Health Authority where she promoted the importance of food in healing and nourishing the body, mind ,and soul. As a Nourish Innovator, she collaborated on several national projects including Indigenous Foodways and Sustainable Menus. Charlotte is Métis and is actively learning more about the land we live on as part of the pathway to Reconciliation.

Laura is originally from the Nak’Azdli First Nation in British Columbia but has lived and worked in the Yukon since graduating from the Yukon First Nations Dietetic Internship Program in 2000. For 12 years, Laura fulfilled a broad and interesting role as Dietitian at First Nations Health Programs (FNHP), Whitehorse General Hospital. Laura completed her Masters in 2003 in Montreal studying the impact of diabetes prevention efforts on Mohawk children in Kahnawake. For eight years, Laura has been in the Director role for FNHP and she is accountable for ensuring that the holistic health needs of self-identified First Nations, Inuit, and Metis patients are met by Yukon Hospitals. She also contributes to the planning and direction of corporate initiatives to advance Indigenous health and considers the impact of hospital programs, services, and individual care on people. Laura enjoys spending time with her family, and being active outdoors. Her favourite Traditional Food is cranberries picked in Yukon autumn.

Roxanne works with an Indigenous organization serving the interest of over 6,000 members in the position of Food Security Coordinator. Due to increasing concerns for food security and sovereignty, the NunatuKavut Community Council created an office in 2021 to address the challenges and ensure that members always had access to nutritional food. Roxanne is a very proud Inuk and feels very fortunate to be offered the opportunity to make such an impactful contribution to her community. She continues to work and live in her home town of Port Hope Simpson, a small village along the south coast of Labrador.

Roxanne enjoys all there is to do and experience in Labrador. She is involved in many outdoor activities, which include fly fishing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, skiing, hiking, berry picking, hunting, cutting firewood, boil-ups, kayaking, etc. This way of life is remarkable and she understands how blessed she is to be able to continue living where she grew up when so many have had to leave in search of an easier way of life. For over 20 years her work primarily involved preserving the “Labrador Lifestyle” through working with various partners with the goal to secure a strong vibrant region. She has served on numerous boards and involved in many think tanks that influence policy and the wellbeing of people around her. She is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her dedicated service to her peers, community and Canada. Also, a commendation medal from Brigadier-General, Commander Land Forces Atlantic Area in recognition for professionalism and swift action conducted during a Ground Search and Rescue mission.

Roxanne’s goal is to effectively work with NunatuKavut and key partners, ensuring that members always have access to affordable healthy foods.

Shelly Crack has been a registered dietitian with Northern Health for 15 years. She focused the first half of her career on providing community dietitian services to a variety of first nation communities in Northern British Columbia. Living and working on Haida Gwaii, an island off the coast of B.C. with an abundance of local and traditional food, has taught Shelly the importance of people’s connection to their land and food. Shelly believes that serving traditional food from the land and sea in hospitals supports all forms of wellbeing including physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Jenny Cross and Margaret Edgars have been mentors to Shelly over the years and she is grateful for their teachings.

Kitty is a grandma, auntie, mother, and a storyteller. Kitty is Onondaga from Six Nations of the Grand River. She is engaged in every kind of food activity that leads toward access and sustainability. Running cooking classes, cooking on APTN programs with chefs, Kitty believes in cooking, growing, eating, preserving, and sharing good food. Kitty teaches part time at McMaster University and works with her granddaughter. She is always striving toward sovereignty. Kitty is a firm believer in the connections to each other, land, and everything we have.

Dan Munshaw C.S.C.M.P., C.P.S.M., C.P.P. is the former Manager of Supply Management, City of Thunder Bay. He is a seasoned supply professional drawing on 35 years’ experience in government, mining, and manufacturing. He is actively engaged in advancing the supply profession, instructing supply courses, past Board Chair of SCMA Ontario, member of OPBA’s Education Advisory Committee and is the founding member of the Lakehead Purchasing Consortium. Dan is a strong community supporter, serving on the Boards of Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre and Community Living Thunder Bay. Adventure travel, building and enjoying family round out his spare time.

Dr. Abrams, BSc (Engineering) MD FRCPC, is a consultant in Internal Medicine at Toronto’s University Health Network (UHN) and Sinai Health System (SHS), and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is also the Director of OpenLab, a design and innovation group that looks for creative solutions to improve both the process and experience of health care. Dr. Abrams brings his 40 years of experience as a front-line health care provider, educator, and innovator to the mission of contributing to healthy people and a healthy planet.

Dr. Boozary is a primary care physician and ED of Population Health and Social Medicine at the University Health Network, where he is working to develop, evaluate, and scale new models of health care delivery for patients with complex health and social needs. He holds academic appointments in the Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (UofT) and at the Mailman School of Public Health (Columbia University). Dr. Boozary completed his medical training at the UofT and health policy training at Princeton University (Master in Public Policy) and continued to Harvard University (Master of Science) where he was the founding editor-in-chief of the Harvard Public Health Review. He maintains active research at Harvard and at the Wellesley Institute. During thepandemic, Dr. Boozary also served as co-lead of the Ontario Health Toronto Region COVID-19 Homelessness Response and is a member of the Canadian Medical Association’s Post-Pandemic Expert Advisory Group.

Shelly Crack has been a registered dietitian with Northern Health for 15 years. She focused the first half of her career on providing community dietitian services to a variety of first nation communities in Northern British Columbia. Living and working on Haida Gwaii, an island off the coast of B.C. with an abundance of local and traditional food, has taught Shelly the importance of people’s connection to their land and food. Shelly believes that serving traditional food from the land and sea in hospitals supports all forms of well-being including physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Jenny Cross and Margaret Edgars have been mentors to Shelly over the years and she is grateful for their teachings.

Kelly Gordon has worked as a Registered Dietitian for over 13 years, focusing on community health. Kelly is Kanyen’keha (Mohawk), bear clan and a proud mother of two energetic children. A graduate from McGill University, she has strived to use her education, opportunities and knowledge to work towards building a healthier population and supporting Indigenous Peoples’. Currently Kelly works for Six Nations of the Grand River as a Community Dietitian; she previously worked for Toronto Public Health and Davenport Perth Community Health Centre. Her current focus is working to integrate Traditional knowledge into her everyday practice, supporting community members on their journey towards wellness.

Amy Ma has been a part of the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s Family Advisory Forum since 2013, and currently serves as its co-chair. Her experience as a parent of a child with a health issue motivates her to harness patient and family voices as a force for positive change in the health care system. She has an interest in maternal health, diversity and inclusion, and health equity. Ms. Ma has developed and maintained connections to families and patient advisors across Canada, with her involvement in the Patient Advisory Network, Choosing Wisely Canada, L’Appui Montreal (caregiver support), and a community of practice on patient partnership led by the University of Montréal. Prior to this, Ms. Ma held positions in fundraising with McGill University. She lives in Montreal with her husband and three teenagers.

Dr. Sadaf Mollaei is the Arrell Chair in the Business of Food and an Assistant Professor in the
School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business
and Economics. Dr. Mollaei also holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor position in the School of
Environment, Enterprise, and Development at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Mollaei holds a
PhD and MES in Sustainability Management from the University of Waterloo, and an MBA in
marketing, where her research focused on the branding of food businesses. She also has over six
years of managerial experience in the food service industry.

Dr. Mollaei’s research focuses on promoting sustainable food systems, with a particular
emphasis on sustainable eating behaviors and food businesses. She conducts both qualitative and
quantitative research at the intersection of sustainability, marketing, and public health and is
particularly interested in studying the promotion of sustainability through interventions and
sustainable marketing, especially among critical sub-group populations such as young adults and
children.

Dr. Mollaei uses her interdisciplinary background, including civil engineering, marketing, and
sustainability management, to bridge concepts and insights from diverse research domains to
create research that leverages academia and is focused on performance and outcomes, with real-
world impact. Through practical and evidence-based research, Dr. Mollaei seeks to examine and
better understand the current landscape of food businesses and food environments. She aims to
help identify and inform solutions and policies that enhance both business performance and
sustainability practices.

Dr. Kate Mulligan is a globally recognized expert in community-led and neighborhood-scale interventions for health, well-being, and resilience. As the founder and Scientific Director of the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing and an Assistant Professor in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, she spearheads impactful research, evaluations, and collaborations that drive healthier, more equitable, and sustainable health policies and practices.

Cheryl Prescod is Executive Director at Black Creek CHC in Toronto, Canada. Cheryl has considerable expertise in community development and advocacy, gained through her work with diverse populations, many of whom live in low socio-economic conditions. She is a peer reviewer for the Canadian Centre for Accreditation and sits on various professional advisory committees, including York University’s Centre for Education and Community. Along with her academic background in Health Science, Cheryl is a graduate of the Advanced Health Leadership Program at the Rotman School of Management, and the Schulich School of Business where she obtained a Masters Certificate in Healthcare Management.

Emma is National Director of the national Healthy Food in Health Care Program at Health Care Without Harm. Emma leads a team of content experts and organizers to engage the health care sector to use their economic, social, and political influence to support the development of healthy and sustainable food systems through market transformation, modelling sustainable diets, and policy advocacy. Emma has over 20 years of experience working toward healthy, sustainable, and vibrant food systems through education, advocacy, and public policy work with non-profit and government entities. Emma holds a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from Arizona State University.

Steve is Director, Communications and Member Services for HealthCareCAN, the national voice for health care and health research institutions in Canada. A graduate of Concordia University in Journalism, Steve has nearly three decades of experience providing communications and advocacy support for health-related, non-profit organizations and associations. Steve lives in Ottawa on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation and remains convinced that Canada can achieve more and do better.