Board of Directors
Community Head Injury Resource Services (CHIRS) is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization primarily funded by the Central Local Health Integration Network and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. CHIRS has earned the highest award from Accreditation Canada - Accredited with Exemplary Status 2021-2025. To earn this award, the agency is assessed against national acquired brain injury (ABI) service standards set by Accreditation Canada in collaboration with the health care community and related stakeholders.
CHIRS, formerly known as Ashby House, started in 1978 as the first community-based brain injury rehabilitation program in North America. From its origins as a transitional group home, CHIRS has evolved into a multi-service agency that provides a broad range of supports to a clientele with diverse and complex needs related to acquired brain injuries.
Board Member Biographies
Jenny McAdam
Chair
Jenny McAdam is a retired Vice President of Wealth Management with extensive experience in leadership, strategic planning, and organizational development. Throughout her career in the highly regulated investment sector, she developed strong expertise in governance, risk oversight, and building effective teams and operating structures. She brings both professional and personal perspective to CHIRS. As a family member of a former long-term residential client, she has firsthand understanding of the realities faced by individuals living with acquired brain injury and the families who support them. Her involvement with CHIRS over many years has also provided insight into the challenges faced by frontline staff and the importance of accessible, community-based services. Jenny joined the CHIRS Board to contribute a pragmatic, governance-focused approach and to support the organization in advancing its mission with strong oversight, accountability, and long-term sustainability. Dr. Abe Snaiderman
Vice Chair
Dr. Snaiderman is a Neuropsychiatrist trained at University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario, University of Manitoba, and UNAM. He is the director of the Neuropsychiatry Clinic at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Neuro-rehabilitation Program, where he has worked for the past 25 years. He has a full-time appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and is cross appointed to the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department.
Dr. Snaiderman has been an instructor in the “Art and Science of Clinical Medicine Course” at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, resident supervisor in the Consultation Liaison program, and fellowship supervisor in Neuropsychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. He is also a member of the Exam Board in Psychiatry for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Canadian Concussion Centre, University Health Network. He is a member of the advisory panel for the acquired brain injury section, Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, and a member of the Canadian Psychiatric Association and American Neuropsychiatric Association.
Dr. Snaiderman was co-winner of “The Ivan Silver Award for Excellence in Mental Health Education” given by the University of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry. His expertise is in the areas of the cognitive, emotional, and behavioural effects of neurological problems such as traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke, seizure disorders, and other neurologic disorders. Dr. Snaiderman is a frequent guest keynote speaker and lecturer at several institutions, and community organizations nationally, provincially, and locally.
Erica Teklits
Treasurer
Erica Teklits was a partner with BDO Canada, retiring from the firm in December 2021. She was the firm’s National Industry Leader for the Not-for-Profit & Education sector for eight years and the engagement partner for CHIRS since 2015. She has over 30 years of experience providing auditing, accounting, and advisory services to a wide range of clients, including public and private not-for-profit organizations.
From October 2015 to July 2018, Erica served as a Member of the AcSB Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee. In 2018, she was named a Fellow of CPA Ontario. In December 2017 and 2019, she was appointed and is currently still serving on the Accounting Standards Oversight Council.
Erica is actively involved in the community; she has received the Ontario Volunteer Service Award for 15 years of service at Etobicoke Services for Seniors and is currently serving as its Board Chair. She is also Chair of the Community Foundation of Mississauga.
Susan D. Noiles
Board Member
Strongly focused on Technology, Risk, and Human Capital, Susan D. Noiles, IBDC.D, leads Noiles Consulting Inc., a virtual CIO, Board and executive advisory & coaching company. Thematic throughout Susan’s career has been her aptitude for leadership, a passionate belief that it is people that matter, and the leveraging of integrative, creative approaches to challenges. She complements this with a passion for guiding the development of exceptional organizations that are founded on robust culture, human capability, and diversity.
She has been CIO of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, an Executive Counselor for Info-Tech, and has recently completed a virtual CIO assignment for a mid-size bank. She is the pioneer of a Strategic Governance Framework for Data that enables Board oversight and governance of this vital asset. Additionally, she has been Vice President with accountability for Technology, Legal, HR, Finance, Administration, and Strategic Planning for a high-growth technology organization and has been accountable for the improved operations and profitability of a North American application services organization leading up to its successful sale.
She is frequently leveraged by her clients for Board-related matters, providing thoughtful leadership, advice, and credible challenge on strategy development, execution oversight, and organizational change. Additionally, she is experienced in developing and proposing technology and transformation initiatives for Board approval and oversight and has extensive knowledge of the necessary capabilities and program components to achieve success.
Adept at the recovery of failing technology organizations and initiatives, and the transformation of organizations through the alignment of technology, risk & human capital, she has deep and broad knowledge of strategic planning, decisioning processes, and effective governance mechanisms. She has a broad range of industry experience and values a global perspective.
Lucy Jackson
Board Member
Lucy Jackson, B.A. (Hons), J.D., is a personal injury and class actions lawyer at Thomson, Rogers. Her practice involves helping people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle collisions, slip/trip and fall accidents, and other incidents. Many of Lucy’s clients are individuals who have sustained a traumatic brain injury as a result of an accident. Lucy advocates to ensure that they and their families have access to the medical and rehabilitation treatment they need. In the course of her legal practice, Lucy also works with private and community treatment providers throughout Ontario. Karen Beekenkamp
Board Member
Karen Beekenkamp (MSW, RSW) is Registered Social Worker who has been working in the hospital and brain rehabilitation sector for over 20 years, at University Health Network Toronto Rehab. She is the full-time Social Worker on the Stroke Day Hospital program, as well as supporting the Stroke Fast Track early supported hospital discharge outpatient program. In addition to offering in-person and virtual counselling to individuals, couples and families in the stroke program, Karen has been involved in a variety of initiatives to improve program and hospital operations and enhance the rehab experience of patients and families. Karen has been a leader on committees to develop patient/family education groups and materials (including materials for persons with aphasia), and to implement on-site and virtual quality improvement enhancements for the patient and family experience. She has co-designed and facilitated psychoeducational groups. She has years of experience overseeing the flow of patients across the continuum of care within the Toronto Rehab Brain program, working as a Service Coordinator for stroke, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and persistent pain teams. Karen engages in Master’s-level Social Work student field instruction, as well interprofessional education. Her career has included prior work in the areas of social housing, at-risk children and youth, adults with developmental disabilities, youth employment counselling, and adult mental health.
Brett Laschinger
Board Member
Brett Laschinger is an Operating Executive who focuses on building and growing healthcare services businesses in Canada and the US. Most recently he was Chief Operating Officer of Corus Orthodontists, a newly formed consolidation in the orthodontic clinic space. Prior to Corus, Brett led a restructuring and strategy renewal for a private equity-backed mobility devices distributor, and was the COO of Medcan, the leading preventative and diagnostic care provider in Canada. Before his operating roles, Brett was a Strategy and Operations Consultant with McKinsey & Company, where he led engagements with US and Canadian clients in the retail, energy, and financial services sectors. Brett has family members who have been impacted by acquired brain injuries and believes deeply in developing healthy social supports around ABI. Brett holds a BA from Western University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Alison Gibbins
Board Member
Alison Gibbins is a dynamic leader with over 25 years of experience across the non-profit, technology, and corporate sectors, currently serving as Manager of Volunteer Services at Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto. She directs a volunteer program with more than 10,000 volunteers annually, leveraging her extensive background in human resources, marketing, technology and organizational leadership from roles at RBC, OLG, Medcan, and other major organizations. Alison holds an MBA from Queen’s University and a BBA from Wilfrid Laurier University, and is recognized for her innovative problem-solving approach, her commitment to community impact, and her ability to motivate teams and deliver solutions to complex challenges.
Janet Ozembloski
Board Member
Janet brings her passion for the evolution and transformation of healthcare to Hamilton Health Sciences as its General Counsel and Vice President of Legal Services. With more than two decades of extensive legal experience, Janet has oversight of HHS’ legal affairs and privacy department. Janet has worked as a health lawyer in the private sector as well, where she has been a trusted advisor to many Ontario hospitals, non-profit organizations, and community health partners. Janet possesses a wide spectrum of expertise including health law, privacy, insurance, risk management, and patient and healthcare provider interactions. Her passion for bringing dignity and care to those who experience challenging healthcare journeys fuels much of her work. She brings this commitment to the CHIRS Board as a central community support for those impacted by ABI.
Harvey Glower
Board Member
Harvey is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) whose 40-year career spans the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. As a Financial and Corporate Services Executive, Harvey has been acknowledged as a strategic decision-maker. He has cultivated his knowledge and experiences in sectors such as health care, financial services regulation and policy, infrastructure and transportation, economic development, management consulting, protective services, and injury prevention. Harvey brings to the Board not only his professional experiences, but past board experiences including with Aldebrain Attendant Care. Harvey and his wife have also volunteered with CHIRS in various capacities over the past few years. Harvey believes that with the addition of his lived experiences with his wife’s brain injury, and his current role with Parachute, who are leaders in Injury Prevention, he can bring practical and logical approaches to his responsibilities and assist CHIRS in fulfilling its mandate to improve the quality of life for persons living with the effects of acquired brain injury.