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Canadian Hearing Services is governed by a volunteer board of directors, the majority of whom are Deaf or hard of hearing. By law, these directors are accountable for the oversight of the agency. Learn more about the role of the Board of Directors. The current Board of Directors are:

Mark Wafer - Chair, Board of Directors

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Mark Wafer is a former Tim Hortons restaurant owner from Toronto. During his 25 years as a business owner Mark and his wife Valarie hired almost 200 workers with disabilities in meaningful and competitively paid positions. On average, the Wafers employed 45 workers with disabilities from a workforce of 250 or 17% of their workforce. 

Mr. Wafer believes there is a clear and compelling business case for real inclusion. 

As a member of the Federal government’s panel on labour market initiatives for Canadians with disabilities he helped to create Canada's national strategy on disability employment. He is the co-founder of Canadian Business SenseAbility and was a member of Ontario's Economic Development partnership council. Mark is an advisor to many levels of government both nationally and around the world and is a sought-after keynote speaker. 

Mr. Wafer is a recipient of Canada's Meritorious Service Cross, the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship and was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame in 2014.  

A prolific connector of people, Mr. Wafer has raised over $45 million in the non-profit sector.  In his spare time, he is a Motorsports enthusiast, race car driver and former amateur sports car champion.

Fred Speckeen - Vice Chair, Board of Directors

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Fred Speckeen brings decades of experience in music, sound, technology and business building to his role at Canadian Hearing Services. A professional Jazz musician for over 40 years and with over 30 years executive-level experience building businesses spanning recording studio loudspeakers, digital audio signal processors for live musicians, semiconductors for digital audio networking, mobile audio software and big data analytics for ecommerce and digital marketing. Mr. Speckeen brings his skills, experience and passion to the Board as it works to support Canadian Hearing Services and fulfilling the Strategic Plan.  He  holds a BA (Honours) Music degree from St Francis Xavier University and a Master of Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business.

Dr. Donna Bain

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Donna Bain brings experience in planning, leading and evaluating change in health, rehabilitation, and injury management services to the CHS Board. In her former roles as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President, Health Services at the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, she was recognized as an industry leader in workplace disability management with an unwavering focus on client outcomes. As CEO of Donna Bain & Associates Inc., Donna now provides advisory services to organizations across Canada seeking to enhance their disability management programs.

Dr. Bain is a graduate instructor at OCAD University in Toronto where she teaches inclusive design. Her research publications include topics such as concussion treatment and opioid use policy. In addition to her experience in not for profit governance, she also has personal experience advocating for health and educational resources for children and persons with disabilities.  She holds a M.S.W. from the Faculty of Social Work and a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

James G. Kyte, MBA

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Jim Kyte is the Dean of  the School of Hospitality and Tourism at an Ontario college and holds a Master of Business Administration from Royal Roads University, a Certificate in Adult Education from Saint Francis Xavier University, and a Governance Certificate through the Innovation Governance Program provided by the Council of Canadian Innovators. 

Mr. Kyte has a rich and varied background in professional sport, hospitality, media, and higher education.  During his 17-year professional hockey career, Mr. Kyte made history by being the first (and to date, only) legally Deaf National Hockey League player, playing almost 600 games.  

An experienced community leader and volunteer, Mr. Kyte has worked tirelessly as an advocate for accessibility and inclusion.

Jojo Lai, CA, CPA

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Jojo Lai is a finance professional with more than 10 years of work experience across private equity, corporate finance, and financial accounting. Through her various roles, she has consistently worked with companies and complex information sets to assess business strategy and financial performance to drive next-level performance. Jojo’s past board experience reflects her passion about inclusion and social justice,  

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a CPA, CA designation. 

Asiyya Pisani, CA, CPA

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Asiyya Pisani is the Manager, Finance and Operations at a large commercial real estate services firm. Her role drives internal financial reporting, business insights & analytics and projects in operations and firmwide strategy for the Canadian business. 
 
Ms. Pisani holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting (Honours) and Finance from Simon Fraser University. She also obtained her CA from the CA School of Business serving Western Canada.
 
Asiyya brings over a decade of experience in professional services.  She started her career in Assurance services at Ernst & Young in Vancouver, with a focus on public and private clients in the Financial Services and Real Estate space. Later, she joined the specialized field of Corporate Restructuring at PwC. Asiyya has previously served as a Board director with the Aga Khan Foundation.
 

Michelle Séguin, B.Comm, CPA, CA, MBA, C.Dir

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Michelle Séguin is a fluently bilingual experienced strategic leader and change management executive that has operated in large multi-stakeholder environments under intense public scrutiny.

Ms. Seguin has over twenty-five years of senior leadership experience in the public sector as Vice President Corporate Affairs and Chief Risk Officer at Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario, Chief Administrative Officer and Vice President for Legal Aid Ontario and as the Director, Finance and Treasurer for the Town of Oakville. She holds an MBA from Queen's University, is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant, received her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta and Corporate Directors designation from the DeGroot School of Business, McMaster University.

Heather Tulk, MBA, ICD.D CM

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Heather Tulk is an experienced CEO and Board Director with background in Healthcare, Telecommunications and Information Technology and other service industries. 

Heather is known as an innovator with an ability to think strategically while ensuring operational delivery. Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Heather has worked across many sectors and every region of the country. She is involved with many charitable and non-profit organizations and is a champion for mental health, diversity and inclusion. 

Heather holds an MBA, Marketing & Finance from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Memorial University.  Heather has an ICD.D designation through the Institute of Corporate Directors and a Chartered Marketer designation. With the sea in her veins Heather’s favourite place is in her kayak or watching the sun set over water.

Julia N. Dumanian - President & Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Secretary

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For more than 25 years, Ms. Dumanian has been a leader and accomplished executive in the field of healthcare administration and operations. Serving in the public, non-profit and private sectors, she has held CEO and senior executive roles in multiple Canadian organizations.  

Recognized nationally as a transformational leader, Ms. Dumanian has a unique ability to maximize the impact of organizations that are built to deliver positive human outcomes and empower lives. She brings a passion and vision to every organization that she touches, and Canadian Hearing Services is no different. Inspired by a world in which all individuals have equal opportunity for participation – she is relentless in her pursuit of providing a barrier-free society for Deaf and hard of hearing Canadians. 

Ms. Dumanian has taken the bold steps necessary to set Canadian Hearing Services on a path to become the most comprehensive full-service hearing health care provider in Canada. An innovative and strategic Chief Executive Officer, she has set a five-year evolution that is overflowing with ambition yet grounded in a realistic and measurable blueprint. Her vision for the organization becomes attainable in part through her commitment to meticulous planning, but most importantly through her ability to empower and inspire her people.

Ms. Dumanian is unwavering in her belief in the potential that Canadian Hearing Services has to empower the lives of Deaf and hard of hearing Canadians. Through her commitment to the organization and her unique and unparalleled leadership style, she continues to raise the bar for the communities and people that she serves.