Board

Rob Wood is President & CEO of 8020Info, an award-winning Kingston-based consulting firm. As an architect of consensus-driven strategy, his practice is focused on strategy development and planning, public consultation, change management and marketing communications. His clients come predominantly from the public and non-profit sectors — municipal, health care, social services, education, arts and culture. He’s well known as an experienced adviser, facilitator and speaker who has presented at workshops and conferences across the country. 8020Info received the Small Business of the Year Award in 2002, and Rob was also nominated for Business Person of the Year. In 2016 he was inducted into Kingston’s Business Hall of Fame for his mentorship and community leadership.

As a community leader, in addition to his role as Chair of CFKA, Rob currently serves on the board of the Queen’s Family Health Team Advisory Board, and volunteers with Compassionate Kingston and the residential hospice fundraising cabinet. He’s a former chair of the Imagine Kingston Roundtable. In his spare time he studies Mandarin.

Gayle Barr graduated from Queen’s University with a BA in Sociology, following which she worked with young offenders in Cobourg and then in group homes for the Children’s Aid Society in Toronto. After two years of direct service work, she pursued a Master in Social Work degree, concentrating in Social Policy and Administration, at Carleton University.

Once her studies were completed, Gayle was fortunate to obtain a position with the Ontario regional office of Health Promotion, Health Canada in Toronto, ending her time there as Regional Director. The focus of the work was to provide grants for community and academic health promotion projects, projects related to national smoking, alcohol and drug strategies as well as HIV/AIDS education. Much of her work was centred in the area of health promotion for older adults, including leading a national strategy group.

After moving to Kingston in 1989 with her family, Gayle began working with the Ministry of Community and Social Services. Her work there focused on planning, project management and organizational effectiveness. At the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, her most recent position was as Senior Program/Policy Consultant in the area of primary care reform, new methods of payment for family physicians and the implementation of Family Health Teams. The goal of this work was to increase access to family physicians and other health care professionals working in teams to better serve patients.

Since retiring in 2012, Gayle has undertaken a diverse range of volunteer work in the arts, health care and social services including serving as Secretary on the Board of The Kingston Prize Association: Canada’s National Portrait competition.

Gayle has been an active volunteer with the Community Foundation since 2013, when she joined the Community Grants Committee. From there she joined the Board and assumed a variety of leadership positions including Chair of the Grants Committee, Vice-President, and then President/Chair of the Board from 2019-2021.  

In addition to her current role as past Chair, she helped to establish and is currently Co-Chair of the Foundation’s new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisory Council.

Ian Gemmill is the former Medical Officer of Health for Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health, where he served from 1997 until his retirement in 2017.  From 1981 to 1997, he was the Associate Medical Officer of Health for Ottawa Public Health, and practised family medicine in Brampton, Ontario, before beginning his career in public health.

He is a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine at Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Public Health & Preventive Medicine, an honorary member of the Canadian Paediatric Society, an Honorary Life Member of the Canadian Public Health Association, and a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada.  He is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and of Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University.

Ian has served on a number of provincial, national and international committees on communicable diseases and immunisation.  Amongst others, he is the past chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunisation (NACI) and was a member for over 14 years.  He is a member of the World Health Organisation’s Immunisation Practices Advisory Committee and is the liaison member to its Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety.  In Kingston, he is delighted to be a member of the board of the Community Foundation of Kingston & Area and vice-chair of the board of the Museum of Health Care.

Cara Chesney is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Partner with MNP in Kingston. She first qualified for her accounting designation in 2005, while working for a large international firm in Toronto. As a small business advisor, she works with a wide range of local businesses and individuals, providing tax and assurance related services. An integral part of her work involves gaining in-depth understanding of all aspects of her clients’ operations, their industries, and the environment in which they operate so she can tailor advice and solutions to meet their unique needs.

Cara holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Honours) from Queen’s University and is passionate about contributing to the profession. She is an adjunct professor at the Smith School of Business and an instructor and content reviewer with CPA Ontario and CPA Canada.

Cara lives in Kingston with her husband, their two daughters and their 14 year old Goldendoodle. As a family they love going to the lake for swimming, fishing, and kayaking. Cara has also served as both the Treasurer and Chair of Kingston Interval House (2014 – 2022) and the Treasurer of the Kingston Blue Marlins (2021-Present).

On her own Cara enjoys running (albeit slowly) and has completed three Dopey Challenges at Disney World.

George Wright retired from CGI Group as an Executive Management Consultant in February 2014 after 25 years of full time employment with CGI and 19 years with Alcan. He moved to Kingston with his family in 1977. He has experience in all aspects of managing Information Technology (IT) from strategic planning through project delivery to on-going operations in both the private and public sectors.

Mr. Wright is a graduate of McGill University (B. Eng – Electrical). He was awarded an Athlone Fellowship and attended the Imperial College of Science and Technology at the University of London (M.Sc. in Control Systems). He was elected to the status of Fellow of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Ontario in March 2003 in recognition of his service to the profession of Management Consulting and was authorized to use the designation Fellow Certified Management Consultant (FCMC). Through his working career (and more recently, during retirement), Mr. Wright has contributed to several volunteer organizations. These include:

• Community Foundation for Kingston & Area: Project Manager, Vital Signs® report from 2014 through 2018;
• The Kingston Prize, Canada’s Portrait Prize: providing business expertise for planning and finance to the Board;
• Canadian Association of Management Consultants: Chair, Eastern Ontario Chapter;
• Kingston Technology Council: founding Board member and subsequently Chair;
• Thyroid Foundation of Canada: founding Board member (1980) and subsequently Chair.

He has built two boats from kits using the “stich and glue technique” – a kayak and a rowing boat.

Household renovations, whacking garden weeds and the challenges of a MGB also consume his leisure time.

For over twenty years, Chris has worked in the financial services industry in Kingston. He is a certified financial planner with Continuum Financial Centres Inc., an independent personal financial planning organization. Chris is a graduate of Concordia University (B.Comm) and Dalhousie University (MBA). In addition, he holds several industry-specific designations.

Chris has been active in volunteering over the years with Kingston Blue Marlins, Kingston Ice Wolves, Kingston Area Minor Hockey Association, the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the Kingston chapter of Advocis, a professional association for financial advisors.

Chris is married to Dr. Jenn Carpenter, and they have two children, Sidonie and Adam.

Peter Finnegan is Vice President and Branch Manager of the Kingston office of BMO Nesbitt Burns. BMO Nesbitt Burns is one of the largest investment advisory firms in Canada which forms a core part of the success of Bank of Montreal Financial Group, Canada’s oldest bank founded in 1817. Peter has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry and in addition to managing the Kingston/Brockville/Perth offices, he leads a team that advises and manages investment portfolios for individuals, families, charities and corporations. He has a degree in Economics (Carleton University 1989), and holds designations as a Certified Investment Manager, Portfolio Manager and Professional Financial Planner.

Peter has held volunteer board/cabinet positions with the Business Improvement Association of Belleville (1995-1998), United Way of Quinte (1996-2004), United Way of Peterborough (2005-2007), Providence Care Corporation (2011-2014) and was an inaugural member of the Investment Advisor Advisory committee to senior management of BMO Nesbitt Burns (2014-2015).

Peter is married to Marisa and they have two children, Julia and Ethan who attend Regiopolis Notre Dame high school. Julia will be attending Queens next year.

Willa Henry is a long-time resident in Kingston.  She is a retired family physician, wife of John Morse who was previously on the Community Foundation Board, and mother of three girls who live internationally.  She is currently working as an executive coach with an interest in coaching physicians and teams.  She has volunteered for several years on the Grants and the Regina Rosen Food Fund Committees.  She is passionate about Kingston and is a strong believer in the benefits of sustaining funds within Community Foundations. 

Dr. LaBarge is was born in Ottawa, Ontario and earned a B.Comm. and a M.Sc. in Marketing at Smith School of Business, Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and a Ph.D. in Marketing at the University of Oregon. Her work experience includes: Corel Corporation, Proctor & Gamble, Raid the North Adventure Racing, Hill & Knowlton and High Road Communications. Prior to working at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University as an Assistant Professor of Marketing, she held the same position at the University of Montana. She has been a member of various non-profit Boards of Directors in both Canada and the United States, and has a long family history of non-profit involvement, including with the Community Foundation of Canada and the Red Feather Society of Ottawa.

Dr. LaBarge’s research interests centre around public policy issues in marketing and how marketing can positively affect consumer well-being. Her research examines topics including charitable giving and non-profit marketing, health promotion and health systems, food insecurity and waste, as well as how vulnerable populations (such as older adults) cope with and overcome vulnerability in the marketplace. She is a frequent speaker on these topics to practitioner groups and media outlets including CBC Radio and Television, the Globe & Mail, the National Post, CTV, Global TV, Huffington Post, and other news outlets across Canada.

Kris Millan is retired after a 30-year career at KFL&A Public Health. Her roles at KFL&A Public Health included Director of Family Health, Manager of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Central Resources, and Public Health Nutritionist. As Director of Family Health, Kris was responsible for a team of approximately 60 people, delivering a wide variety of programs and services for children and families. Her leadership activities external to KFL&A Public Health included Co-Chair of the KFL&A Children and Youth Services Planning Committee and Co-Chair of the KFL&A Special Needs Steering Committee. While in her role as Manager of CQI and Central Resources, Kris led the strategic planning process and the development of the Code of Ethics. She also worked with the Board of Health on policy development and Board self-assessment.

It is in her role as Director of Family Health that Kris developed an interest in, and a passion for preventing and mitigating the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and fostering community resilience. She became Co-Chair of the KFL&A ACEs and Resilience Coalition and has remained in that role in a volunteer capacity. In 2021, she and her colleague, Dr. Meredith MacKenzie, received a Paul Harris Award from the Kingston Rotary Club related to this work.Kris holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of Guelph and a Master of Health Science degree from the University of Toronto.

Donna graduated from Queen’s University with a BNSc and received her MBA from University of Western Ontario.

She was a senior executive with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in various roles and founding CEO with the Ontario Family Health Network. Donna retired as Executive Director with the Health Council of Canada.

Donna’s most recent volunteer experience includes the following – Vice Chair Ontario 211 (current), Past Chair South East Local Health Integration Network (SE LHIN) and former Board member of Kingston General Hospital. She also is a member of the Health Policy Forum, out of the School of Policy Studies and Queen’s University.

Donna’s family is from Kingston. She has a strong commitment to the welfare of residents in the Kingston community.

Roger Wilson graduated from the University of Waterloo with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Information Systems. He has had a long and successful career leading large-scale change initiatives, and working primarily in the financial services sector. He also spent a year as Director of Strategic Initiatives for Providence Care and was involved in operational readiness preparations for the move to the new Providence Care Hospital.

Roger is an authentic, visionary and experienced business leader who helps organizations to improve, grow or transform. His areas of expertise include strategy development and execution, operational effectiveness, risk management, organizational governance, program management and change leadership. He is currently a Senior Strategic Advisor for Prompta Consulting Group, a Toronto-based change management consulting and executive coaching advisory firm specializing in business and cultural transformations. Most recently, he is also a successful entrepreneur, creating Inside Out Homescaping in 2018, which has quickly become a leading provider of home staging, redesign and renovations for homes and gardens in Kingston and area.

Since moving to Kingston in 2008, he has fallen in love with this incredible community and is keen to find new ways to give back. As a volunteer in Kingston’s not-for-profit sector, Roger brings a balance between “the head” (business skills and expertise) and “the heart” (social conscience and compassion). He’s been involved with CFKA since 2018, as a member of the Governance Committee, the Advisory Council on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and now the Board of Directors.

Alison Young was born and raised in downtown Kingston. Growing up she was an active participant in sports, particularly basketball, and grew up on the courts of the Knights of Columbus Basketball League and Regiopolis Notre Dame. Her love of sports transitioned into the completion of an Advanced Diploma in Fitness and Lifestyle Management from George Brown College followed by a Bachelors of Applied Science in Kinesiology from the University of Guelph.

Upon completion of her undergraduate education in the Toronto area, Alison returned home to Kingston and completed a Masters of Public Health at Queen’s University and received a Graduate Diploma in Business from the Smith School of Business. The combination of public health and business education has led Alison to forging a path in healthcare administration where she applies her skills in project management, leadership, and communication.

When Alison is not working, she can be found spending time with her husband Morgan and daughter Penelope, exercising, taking in a site or sound of Kingston, or kicking up her heels at a favourite spot downtown.

Michael Bell is a retired art history professor and art museum director. Michael has been at one time or another Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Public Archives of Canada; Director of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre (Queen’s University); Visual Arts Officer, Ontario Arts Council; Assistant Director (Public Programs) and Acting Director, National Gallery of Canada; Director and CEO, McMichael Canadian Art Collection; and Founding Director (Associate Professor), Carleton University Art Gallery. In 1973 his book, Painters in a New Land, was recognized with the Governor-General’s Literary Award for Non-fiction.

Since coming to Kingston in the early 1970s, Michael has maintained a residence in the region almost continuously even though his work took him elsewhere. He now lives in Kingston.

During the late 1980s Michael served on the Board of the National Museums of Canada and the National Gallery of Canada. Locally, Michael served on the Board of the Cataraqui Conservation Foundation in numerous capacities. He joined the Board of the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area in 2011 and retired from the Board as Past President in June 2019.

Michael operates an amateur radio station with the call signs VE3NOO and VA3MBT.

Florence Campbell is a retired senior executive from positions such as Vice Principal, Advancement, Queen’s University; Vice President, Conference Board of Canada (Ottawa); sales/services, public affairs and government relations management portfolios in IBM Canada Ltd (Toronto and Ottawa). She is currently a member of the Advisory Council for the Health Services and Policy Research Institute in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen’s University and Chair of the volunteer committee leading the Compassionate Communities Kingston initiative.

Previous board of directors’ involvement in Toronto, Ottawa and Kingston include: Queen’s Family Health Team Advisory Committee; Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington Public Health Board of Directors; Past President of the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area; Carleton University, Elmwood School, Canadian Clubs of Toronto and Ottawa (and President of the Ottawa Club), Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs, Advisory Board of the Ottawa Heart Institute, Rideau Club, Five Lakes Club, Kingston Symphony Association, Kingston General Hospital (Chair, Planning and Research Development Committees and member Governance Committee), Founding Vice-Chair of the South East Local Health Integration Network (and Chair of Governance Committee, Co-Chair Collaborative Governance Development Team); Community for Excellence in Health Governance.

In 2012 Florence received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal for community engagement and in 2013 the Ontario Medical Association Community Service Award for her contribution to the health and welfare of the population of Kingston.

After almost 35 years in public accounting Greg retired from his role as an Associate Partner with KPMG in the summer of 2009 at which time he continued with KPMG in a consulting capacity. At the same time, Greg took on the role of Treasurer of the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area. He served as President from 2012-2014 and Past President until June 2017. With over 40 years of public accounting experience in Hamilton, KPMG National Tax and for the past 30 years with KPMG in Kingston, Greg has provided specialist tax services in a variety of areas that include individuals, corporations, charities and not-for-profit organizations. Prior to his retirement, Greg was responsible for the tax group in the Kingston office of KPMG which included 10 full time tax professionals.

During his career, Greg has been involved with writing and editing KPMG tax publications that focused on current tax matters and potential tax planning strategies for clients. He has been involved in preparing and presenting a variety of firm training courses encompassing a wide range of personal, corporate, charity and not-for profit income tax issues.

Greg is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and the Canadian Tax Foundation.

Originally from Western Canada, Virginia moved to Kingston in 1975 with her husband John and family. John accepted a teaching position at the Business School at Queen’s.Virginia and her friend Katie Carmichael established a successful kitchen shop in downtown Kingston called Kitchen Cargo, which they ran for over ten years. It was a great business education and through it their commitment to Kingston was established.

Virginia views the Foundation as a resource for future generations of Kingstonians. Planning for the future and working with other established charities is a very satisfying way to know your community. You are laying the ground work for continued good things happening. An established Community Foundation can be the safety net in good times and bad.

Virginia has worked with the Resource Development Committee and is an Honorary Life Member of the Board of Directors.

Brian Gillingham is a Partner in our Wills and Estates Law Group, and his practice focuses exclusively on estates and trusts.

Brian is experienced in will and trust planning; incapacity planning; blended family planning; advising executors, beneficiaries and trustees in connection with the administration of estates; advising parties on contentious estates and estate litigation matters; and advising business owners on business succession planning.

Brian regularly advises high net worth individuals, professionals and private company owners on an array of complex estate planning issues to help clients achieve various goals, including tax minimization, creditor protection, support of disabled beneficiaries and family law planning. Brian’s previous experience as a business law lawyer acting on the sale of family businesses means that Brian is experienced in the complex issues relating to business succession planning, farm succession planning and ongoing wealth transfer.

In the context of his estate planning work, he uses many techniques to meet the particular needs and objectives of his clients and to minimize tax consequences. Approaches include multiple wills, testamentary and inter vivos trusts, life estates and rights of survivorship, marriage or co-habitation contracts, powers of attorney for property and for personal care, and charitable donations. Brian regularly liaises and works with tax and other financial professionals where such involvement is merited. He also routinely advises individuals with fiduciary duties (e.g. executors, trustees, guardians and attorneys) on the administration of estates, trusts and powers of attorney for property and for personal care, offering direction and assistance on the nature and scope of those duties. He also assists fiduciaries with the passing of their accounts.

Brian is a co-author of the book Drafting Wills in Canada: A Lawyer’s Practical Guide, 2nd Edition (LexisNexis, 2016) and regularly presents on estates and trusts topics in the community.

Brian was raised in the Kingston region and returned to the area to practice following his call to the bar.

Marc LeBlanc, VP, CIM, FCSI, Portfolio Manager. As head of LeBlanc Investment Group, Marc is a Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) with 25 years of experience. Fluent in French, Marc also earned an MBA from Queen’s University in 2017 and is a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI).

Trust, honesty and hard work are values that Marc embraces passionately in his professional life. He is particularly proud of the relationship he has built with his clientele which is primarily established on providing superior and timely advice.

Within the community, Marc currently sits on the Board of Directors for Providence Care Hospital and is also the Portfolio Manager for the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area. Over the years, he has also been involved in several other local charities either in a governance capacity or as benefactor.