Meet the Board

Brenda Gefucia is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) and an accredited Executive Coach (CEC).  Ms. Gefucia spent 30 years of her professional career with Canadian Tire Corporation, retiring in 2010 as a financial executive.  In 2011 she became associated with Forrest & Company and began what is now her second career as a Business Consultant and Executive Coach.

Since joining the MAHC Board of Directors in June of 2014, Ms. Gefucia has served as Treasurer and Chair of the Resources & Audit Committee, as well as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and the Master Program/Master Plan Ad Hoc Steering Committee.  She is currently the Chair of the MAHC Muskoka and Area Ontario Health Team Committee, Chair of the Nominations Committee and a member of the Executive Committee and the President & CEO Search Committee.

For four years she served on the Board of Directors of Community and Home Assistance to Seniors (CHATS) in York Region as Vice Chair of the Board and on the Finance & Audit Committee, Business Development Committee and Planning Committee.

Born and raised in Bracebridge, and after spending 30 years in the GTA, Ms. Gefucia has returned to her roots and now makes her home in Bracebridge.

Mr. Roy Stewart earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in 1975, a Masters of Business Administration from York University in 1977 and a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University in 1984. Mr. Stewart spent the first portion of his professional career from 1986 to 2000 in private practice with Fraser & Beatty (now Dentons LLP) with a commercial practice in their Financial Services Group, leaving as a partner. From 2000 until his retirement in 2013, he was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), a provincial agency responsible for maintaining the reliability of the high-voltage transmission system and operating the wholesale electricity-related markets.

As Corporate Secretary with the IESO, he was intensely involved with the Board of Directors and its Standing Committees preparing for, attending and taking minutes of hundreds of meetings. He also worked closely with the Board and Committee Chairs in researching and adopting best practices appropriate for a company such as the IESO. As General Counsel, he was a member of the Senior Management Team responsible for the achievement of the IESO’s legislated mandate.

Mr. Stewart and his wife love being at their cottage in Algonquin Park and spend almost all summer there and much of the shoulder seasons. They also enjoy travelling and two winters ago spent four weeks in South Africa and Botswana, including nine days in various safari camps enjoying the wonderful wildlife experiences. To escape Canada’s cold and snow, a portion of their winters is spent in Florida.

As an avid outdoorsman, Mr. Stewart stays fit by running and biking in the summer, and running and cross-country skiing in the winter. He has been on six extended canoe trips in northern Canada paddling down the Nahanni (twice), the Snake, the lower Stikine, the Coppermine and the Mountain Rivers to experience the breathtaking scenery and make many wonderful memories.

Mr. Stewart was elected to the MAHC Board of Directors in June 2019 and is currently the Chair of the Governance Committee, a member of the Executive Committee and a member of the MAHC Muskoka & Area Ontario Health Team Committee.

Mr. Dave Uffelmann graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Laurier. He subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Dave is currently Vice-President Sales at Krug, a manufacturer of contract furniture.

He brings extensive volunteer experience having served in board leadership roles with United Way at the local, provincial and national levels, and Community Foundations locally, nationally and as the Canadian representative to the US leadership team. He has also served on the boards of Conestoga College and Waterloo North Hydro.

Most recently, Dave sat on the board of Grand River Hospital. There he served as chair of the Resources Committee. He also participated on the Quality and Patient Safety, Audit and Executive Committees.

Dave and his wife, Kitty, have cottaged on Lake of Bays for over 30 years. At the beginning of 2018, they moved from Waterloo to make Lake of Bays their home. They have five children and two grandchildren (and counting).  One of their daughters and family lives in Bracebridge.

Dave was elected to the Board of Directors in 2019 and currently serves as the Treasurer and Chair of the Resources & Audit Committee, as well as a member of the Executive Committee and the President & CEO Search Committee.

John Sisson is a skilled municipal leader with over 30 years senior management experience with the Town of Bracebridge and the City of Barrie. John retired from the Town in September 2020 after serving as Chief Administrative Officer since June 2007. As the CAO for the Town, he was responsible for the general, financial and human resource management of the Town’s operations including planning and development; public works; engineering; culture and recreation; finance and administration; economic development; and fire services.

Sisson joined the Town after an eighteen-year career with the City of Barrie where he served in a variety of positions including Assistant Director of Personnel, Executive Assistant to the Chief Administrative Officer, Deputy City Clerk and City Clerk.

John graduated from Queen’s University with a Masters Degree in Public Administration. He received an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University with a major in Political Science and courses in Urban Studies. He holds the Certified Human Resource Leader (CHRL Ret.) designation from the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario and the Certified Municipal Officer (CMO) designation from the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario.

John has also completed advanced training in not-for-profit governance essentials through the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Sisson has been an active volunteer with Hospice Muskoka for over 10 years. He has been active in the United Church of Canada and was previously a volunteer with the Hospice Simcoe Capital Campaign Team. John resides in Bracebridge with his partner Robin Hiltz.

John joined the MAHC Board of Directors in August of 2020 and is currently serving as a member on the Quality & Patient Safety Committee as well as the Local Share Working Group and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism Working Group.

Mr. Tim Ellis completed a Bachelor of Business Administration at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. He subsequent achieved Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) credentials as a CMA in 2010. Tim is currently serving as the Superintendent of Business and Chief Financial Officer for the Trillium Lakelands District School Board.

A very active family of five with deep sporting roots, he and his wife Crystal are proud of their three children aged 19, 12 and 9 who are all avid lacrosse players. This commitment keeps the family busy with travel to the United States including visits to Baltimore, upstate New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania. When not shuttling children here and there, hiking, biking and paddling are things they enjoy in their down time. The family is also members of the Muskoka Paddle club.

Tim joined the Board of Directors in August of 2020 and is currently serving as a member on the Resources & Audit Committee as well as the Strategic Planning Committee and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism Working Group.

Sally Ashton

Sally Ashton began her professional life as a clinical music therapist. After hospital and teaching placements, she obtained both her Bachelor and Master’s degrees in law.

She was senior counsel to the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General for over 20 years, including with the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, and ultimately as Team Lead on Indigenous issues related to lands and resources. She has extensive experience with community outreach and her board experience varies, including most recently as Senior Counsel, Strategic Issues, with the Board and CEO of the Law Society of Ontario where she provided leadership on access to justice and equity, and diversity issues among others.

Sally joined the MAHC Board of Directors in August 2021, and currently serves on the Quality & Patient Safety Committee and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Anti-Racism Working Group. 

Evelyn Bailey

Evelyn Bailey joined the MAHC Board of Directors in August 2021 as a Global Managing Director and business transformation professional at IBM and a relatively new resident of Port Carling.

She is passionate about her community and seeing people succeed in community efforts. Evelyn brings enterprise risk management, innovation and transformation skills to the Board in addition to a decade of board and community experience.

She currently serves MAHC as a member of the Governance Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee.

Marsha Barnes, a health care executive is currently working as CEO for a health care consulting firm. In her distinguished career, Marsha has held many executive positions with the Government of Ontario, including 20-plus years in various leadership roles with the Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care. Marsha has deep roots in Muskoka and was involved in the successful development of the Muskoka and Area Ontario Health Team.

She joined the MAHC Board of Directors in August 2021 and serves as a member of the Quality & Patient Safety Committee and the President & CEO Search Committee.

Carla Clarkson-Ladd has a 30-plus year career as a municipal civil servant. She has worked as a Chief Administrative Officer for the Cities of Kitchener and Barrie, and holds a Masters of Science in Urban Planning. She brings impressive board experience and community participation and has a strong background in governance and policy development.

Carla joined the MAHC Board of Directors in August 2021 and currently serves as a member of the Resources & Audit Committee and the MAHC Muskoka and Area Ontario Health Team Committee.