The Northwestern Ontario’s Board of Health has chosen a new chair.
Doug Lawrence, who is in his second term as Mayor of the Municipality of Sioux Lookout, takes over from former Fort Frances Councillor Paul Ryan who has been in the Chair position since 2016.
Lawrance is also a Director of the Meno Ya Win Health Centre Foundation, and sits on a number of boards and committees including the Kenora District Services Board, the Sioux Lookout Police Services Board, the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
As CEO of the Northwestern Health Unit, Marilyn Herbacz reports to the Board. “Everyone is pleased with the appointment of Doug. As Mayor of Sioux Lookout he has been very vocal about the value of public health and extremely supportive of the NWHU and its services.”
“We’re in an environment of change and modernization right now, so to have someone so passionate about public health at the helm in our region is a huge benefit,” she added.
Herbacz was also quick to sing the praises of out-going Chair Paul Ryan. As an elected member of Fort Frances Council, Ryan has been a municipal appointee to the Board since 2007. “Paul’s skill sets allowed him to grow in influence within the Board. He joined the Executive in 2014, was the Vice-Chair in 2015 then took over as Chair in 2016.
It was Ryan’s focus on fiscal controls that impressed Herbacz most.
“As a board member and as Chair, Paul played a major role ensuring a dozen balanced budgets, and ten years without asking the municipalities for more money,” she said. “Paul also sat on the Executive Committee and assisted and guided the group in updating the Board of Health constitution.”
In 2018 Paul received the Distinguished Service Award by the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) for his work with the Northwestern Health Unit, and in public health generally.
The Board also filled a vacant seat by adding Nicole Brown from Kenora.
A professional with 19 years of senior leadership experience in the United States and Canada, Nicole also has extensive healthcare experience working with front-line community-based clinics, acute care, cancer care and in health system transformation.
