Our Board of Directors
Our dedicated Board of Directors plays a vital role in guiding our vision, offering wisdom, and supporting long-term growth and success.
Carrie is a real estate and estate planning lawyer with her own practice in downtown Cobourg. She previously practised at Blakes in Toronto and for 17 years, was in-house counsel at Royal Bank. Carrie and her family – husband Brian Porter, and their two daughters, Lily and Amelia – are active in many community organizations in Northumberland County. Carrie and her husband have most recently been stewarding the restoration of a beautiful Queen Anne Revival house located at the corner of University and Division Street in Cobourg, where Carrie has located her practice.
Carrie has contributed her knowledge, energy and passion for the Foundation’s mission as a member of our Board since 2017.
Denise O’Brien, , PhD, ACC, Q.Med., was born and raised in the Belleville area. A graduate of Queen’s University, Denise and her husband, Warren relocated to Cobourg in 1990. After a career that spanned more than 30 years in the public sector, Denise continues her work as an Industrial-Organizational Psychology practitioner.
Denise previously sat on the Northumberland Hills Foundation Board, stepping away after serving her first term. Active in the community, Denise is a dog lover and enjoys long walks with her canine family, taking in the beautiful Cobourg landscape.
Ian is originally from Toronto and is a graduate of the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.
During a successful 40-year career, largely on Bay St in Toronto, Ian initially focused on financial services, earning a CPA designation and working as an Investment Banker. Much of the last 30 years Ian has spent in the private equity and venture capital businesses, working in a hands-on manner as a strategic advisor to Boards and management teams in scaling up their businesses.
He served on the Board of Prostate Cancer Canada for many years, also serving as Chair of the Audit Committee.
Now semi-retired, Ian currently serves as a director and as an advisor to a number of private companies in Canada and the U.S., providing guidance on matters related to strategy, growth, financing, team building, culture and governance.
A part-time resident since buying a property in the rolling Northumberland Hills outside of Baltimore in 2011, Ian now spends most of his time there, often with his two adult children, other family and friends.
Gavin joined the Board of Directors in 2017 in the role of Treasurer. He is well-suited to this task after almost 40 years in the financial industry, retiring in 2017 from Beutel, Goodman and Company Ltd., where he managed global equities. Previously, he served in a variety of asset management and financial analysis roles with McLeod Young Weir Ltd., Imperial Life Assurance Co. of Canada, and Royal Bank Investment Management.
In 2004, Gavin and his wife, Elizabeth, purchased a farm in the hills of Northumberland County and in 2016, he joined the Finance Committee of the NHH Foundation.
Gavin also sits on the Board of the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada [VARAC]. For 30 years ending in 2019, he served on the Finance and Audit Committee of the National YMCA. Previously, Gavin was a Director with the Toronto Society of Financial Analysts, and has been a lecturer on International Investing to York University MBA students.
Michael McAllister is a Chartered Professional Accountant. Michael joined the Board as a Community Committee volunteer in June of 2015. In that role, Michael sat on both the Finance and Audit Committees and the Quality and Safety Committees and attended many board meetings as an observer. He was appointed as a director in June 2017 and continues his service on both Finance and Audit and Quality and Safety.
Michael brings added financial expertise to the Board table, as well as a range of other skills relevant to hospital governance, including strategic planning, facilities management, information technology and project management.
Prior to his retirement from industry in 2013, Michael spent almost 35 years in various positions within accounting, with 11 years as Manager, Finance and Administration of a mid-sized consulting engineering firm, and then another 10 years as its Chief Financial Officer. For the past several years, Michael has operated an accounting practice based in Cobourg.
In addition to his current volunteer work with NHH, Michael previously served as a Director with Northumberland United Way for 6 years and as its Treasurer for 2 years. Michael has also served as Assistant-Treasurer, and then later served four years as Treasurer, of the Rotary Club of Cobourg.
Kate Ingram is the Manager of Communications for the Municipality of Port Hope. She previously served as Manager of Government and Community Relations at Trent University. Kate holds a Master of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University, a Public Relations Certificate from Loyalist College, and a Bachelor of Arts and Science (Honours) from Queen’s University.
Kate has been a dedicated supporter of the Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation, bringing her communications expertise to the organization since 2021. She served on the communications committee for the Exceptional Community, Exceptional Care capital campaign from 2021 to 2024 and joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2025, where she serves as Chair of the Communications Committee.
Kate, her husband, and their two sons live in Port Hope, where they are active in the community and enjoy spending time at the rink, on the soccer field, and travelling together.
Bio coming soon.
Ann joined the Governance and HR Committee in 2024 and was appointed Chair at the 2025 Annual General Meeting. With over three decades of leadership in the finance industry, Ann brings deep expertise in wealth management, retail banking, risk management, regulatory governance, and large-scale technology delivery. Her career is defined by strategic clarity, operational excellence, and a strong commitment to ethical leadership.
Ann is a passionate advocate for community service, with a long history of board and committee involvement in organizations focused on poverty alleviation, social impact, and sport. She believes inclusive leadership is key to driving lasting change.
Outside of her professional work, Ann is an accomplished sailor and certified race management officer, having officiated at national, international, and world championship regattas, earning her recognition for her contributions to the sport.
In 2025, Ann retired from the finance industry and now enjoys life on her farm in Grafton, Ontario, with her husband, Dr. Erik Yeo, and their equine and bovine companions.
Born in London, ON, and having lived in Toronto, Laura moved to Cobourg as a young girl. After graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education, Laura taught high school music, English and Special Education in Red Lake and Port Hope before staying home to raise her sons, James and John.
Volunteerism has played a significant role in Laura’s life. The long list of organizations she has served includes Women in Crisis (now known as Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre), Trinity College School Guild, Cobourg District General Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, Cobourg Library Foundation and St. Michael’s and St. Joseph’s schools.
The hospital is an important organization in Laura’s life. She’s grateful for the care provided to her family over many decades and feels it’s important to give back. This is evidenced by her service for the past six years on the Cabinet of the Foundation’s Annual Gala, having recently completed a three-year term as Chair. In addition to this, Laura is a 30-year volunteer member of the Auxiliary to the Northumberland Hills Hospital, having served in a variety of leadership roles locally, regionally and provincially.
Trent Gervais is the President and CEO of The Loomex Group, Explorer Solutions Inc. and ACF Associates Inc., which provides services in aerospace, defence, infrastructure and emergency services. Trent previously spent 25 years in the Fire and Emergency Management fields. He was the Fire Chief and Manager of Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Peterborough prior to leaving the service.
Trent is a recognized professional with over 35 years of experience in the aviation and emergency management industry, North America-wide. He offers a unique perspective on emergency management and crisis communication as a Certified Municipal Manager Level III, an accredited Emergency Management Professional, and through his aviation experience. Trent is an appointed Director on the International Association of Airport Executives Board. He started his first business at 16 and has been in business for more than 35 years.
Trent was appointed to the Trent University Board of Governors for a three-year term effective October 14, 2022. He is also the Vice-Chair of the Trent Lands Committee.
Therese, an honour graduate of Humber College, worked for over thirty years as an investigator with the Ontario Provincial Government.
She grew up in Port Hope, and after residing in Toronto for 10 years, she made the choice to return home, where she now resides. Both Therese and her husband, Peter, are involved in many community volunteer organizations, including the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, the Port Hope Fall Fair, the Greenwood Coalition, and the Port Hope Archives. In 2002, Therese was recognized with a Governor General’s Caring Canadian award for her 25 years of volunteer service with Ronald McDonald House – an organization near and dear to her heart.
For the past five years, Therese has been a member of the Foundation’s Gala Ball Cabinet, as Chair of the Silent Auction.
David is a retired accountant, who spent his 30-year career primarily working in public service, particularly in the field of Municipal Finance. For 26 of these years, he worked for the City of Richmond Hill, serving as Treasurer for 16 years.
He and his wife, Joti, moved to the Northumberland community in the spring of 2021 after living in Caledon for 28 years. David dedicates his time as a volunteer with many community organizations and keeps active in his retirement by enjoying pastimes of playing guitaring, record collecting, and golfing.
David strongly believes in the important role a hospital plays in its community.
After graduating from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Brenda joined the Northumberland Hills Hospital staff in 2007.
Since this time, she has worked exclusively within the Emergency Department, where she enjoys the fast pace and ever-changing environment.
Brenda joined the Foundation’s Board in 2018 as the NHH Staff Representative. In this role, she helps facilitate timely, accurate information to hospital staff to increase awareness of the Foundation’s mandate and opportunities for staff participation.
Brenda is married to Brooks, and together they have two children.
Bio coming soon.
Richard Holland and his wife Sarah moved to Northumberland County in 2000, first to Cobourg and then four years later to the Northumberland hills, midway between Grafton and Baltimore.
Since retiring in 2016 after ten years with the Ontario Public Service, and 30+ years before in banking, Richard has served on various not-for-profit boards in financial roles including (currently) the Northumberland Land Trust.
Richard joined the Northumberland Hills Hospital Auxiliary board in 2017 as the Director – Finance and he has recently been closely involved in the restructuring of the Auxiliary; Richard is also the acting treasurer at Petticoat Lane where he volunteers (on the cash!) once a week.
A member of NHH’s Senior Management Team since November 2017, Susan Walsh is a senior healthcare leader committed to quality patient- and family-centred care and organizational excellence. Susan assumed the role of President and CEO on August 3, 2021, after serving as the hospital’s Vice President of Patient Services, Chief Nursing Executive and Chief Clinical Information Officer.
With experience spanning an acute academic hospital, a national community care organization and a leading social sector agency, Walsh has a broad and unique combination of community and hospital expertise. Previously Chief Operations Officer with the Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto, Walsh spent six years prior to that with Saint Elizabeth as first the Regional Director, Toronto Central Site and, following that, Vice President, Operations Innovation.
A Registered Nurse by training, Walsh also holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Nursing and a Master of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management. She has supported Accreditation Canada’s survey work as a surveyor since 2008.
Rhonda joined the Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation as a member of a small staff team in September 1995 and was appointed as the Executive Director in 1997, followed by her appointment to CEO in 2022.
To date (2025), she has helped raise close to $88.5 million in support of Northumberland Hills Hospital, including three successful capital campaigns – one of which funded a new hospital (2003).
In 2011, Rhonda earned her Fellows professional designation from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy – its highest honour.
A lifelong resident of Northumberland County, Rhonda has extensive experience serving her community as a volunteer leader, most notably with Trinity United Church, The Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Northumberland Sunrise.
