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Our Board

We have a team of dedicated board members who are working to make Sloane’s House a reality. They understand the need and importance of building Sloane’s House Respite & Hospice Care Centre here in Durham Region. 

Jason Hunt

Chair

Jason is the Regional Solicitor and Director of Legal Services for the Regional Municipality of Durham.

Neil Pasher

Founder / Board Member

Neil is the father of Sloane and the founder of Sloane’s House. Neil’s firsthand experiences throughout Sloane’s life has resulted in a passion for supporting kids with medical complexities and their families. Neil has been a vocal advocate for these kids and their families in the medical and political communities. He has participated on a number of patient and parent advisory groups including those at the Ministry of Health, Sick Kids Hospital and local community health organizations. Neil currently lives in Bowmanville with his two daughters, Avery and Kinleigh.

Audrey Andrews

Board Member

Audrey recently retired from her role as Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives, Social Services, Region of Durham. Audrey’s 34 year career began with front line service delivery. This work inspired her to shift her energy into making change at a policy level with a focus on systems level thinking and integration. She has held a number of leadership positions at the Region of Durham and in the community.

Audrey is a life longer learner with degrees and advanced learning in history, political science, municipal management, adult learning, capacity building, alternative service delivery and partnership development.  A resident of Durham Region her whole life, Audrey is committed to finding new ways to contribute to the Durham community. She resides in Courtice with her husband.

Katie Cronin-Wood

Board Member
Currently an instructor in the International Health Care Administration Program at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Katie retired in May 2019 from the Central East Local Health Integration Network (Central East LHIN) after holding a number of senior positions, including Director, Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Relations.  She is now sharing her knowledge, skill and passion with clinicians from around the world who are relocating to Canada.
 
A long time resident of Ajax, Katie and her husband have raised three children.  As members of St. Paul’s United Church Ajax, they both donate their time to numerous church committees.  Katie is committed to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and their families in Durham Region and achieving the strategic goals of Sloane’s House.

Dr. Julie Johnstone

Board Member

Dr. Julie Johnstone is a Staff Paediatrician and Hospitalist at the Hospital for Sick Children with a special interest in feeding and growth issues in the context of medical complexity.  She supports decision making for children requiring enteral tube feeding and runs an outpatient Enteral Tube Weaning Program. She is the lead physician for the Durham Complex Care Program and works to support interdisciplinary teams in the care of children with medical complexity.

As a medical educator, Dr. Johnstone has a MScCH in Health Practitioner Education with a current focus on assessment in residency training and the implementation of Competence By Design. She is the Director of Assessment and Special Projects and Competence Committee Chair for the Core Paediatrics Residency Training Program at the University of Toronto.

Diane MacEachern

Board Member

Diane has been nursing for just over 31 years – 25 years as a Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner. She holds a BScN from McMaster University, Nurse Practitioner Certification (1997) and an MScN (2013) from York University with a focus in leadership and education. She spent the first few years of her career as a staff nurse in Oshawa and as a Public Health Nurse in Scarborough and practiced at The Youth Centre, Community Health Centre in Ajax for 13 years.

About 14 years ago Diane shifted her focus to providing primary health care to the frail elderly where she maintains a small private practice in a local retirement home. She enjoys working with families and appreciates both the rewards and challenges in caring for this vulnerable population. Diane’s main role at present time is as a full time nursing professor in the Collaborative Nursing Program with Toronto Metropolitan University, Centennial College and George Brown College.

Jatinder Singh

Board Member

Jatinder Singh is presently serving as Director, Internal Audit, at the Region of Durham. Prior to this he served as CFO (Chief Financial Officer) at the Ministry of the Attorney General. He has over 20 years of experience in risk management, finance, strategic planning and audit and compliance. He has also served on other non-profit boards including Indus Community Services and CCGA (Canadian Council for Government Auditors). Jatinder holds CPA (Certified Professional Accountant), MBA (Masters in Business Administration), and CIA (Certified Internal Auditor).

Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann

Board Member

Lorraine recently retired from her role as the Chief Executive Officer of Grandview Kids. Lorraine began her career as an early childhood educator working with children with special needs. This work fuelled her interest in a career in nursing. Lorraine has held senior leadership roles at Lakeridge Health (Durham Region) and St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto), including Chief Nursing Executive.

Lorraine holds a diploma in Early Childhood Education for the Developmentally Handicapped (Humber College), a diploma in Nursing (Durham College), a Bachelor of Arts – Health Studies (York University) and a Master of Business Administration (Heriot-Watt University). Lorraine completed the Public Sector Leadership Institute at Rotman University of Toronto in 2013. Between 2000 and 2006, Lorraine served on the Durham College and University of Ontario Institute of Technology Governing Boards including as Chair from 2004-2006.

Chris Vanclief

Board Member

Chris Vanclief is one of four founding owners of Brock St. Brewing Company. He was born and raised in Whitby.  He left his home town to complete an Honours Degree in Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo. His graduating thesis was on the Epidemiology and Mechanism of Spinal Chord injuries in hockey and football.  It was this thesis that inspired him to obtain his Chiropractic Degree in Chicago at National Chiropractic College. After obtaining this degree he knew that he wanted to come back to Whitby, the “centre of his universe”. His dream in 1999 was to start his own practice and bring up his family in the town that held a coveted place his heart.

Chris’s dedication to the people of Whitby as a Chiropractor has evolved from meeting the needs of his patients as a Chiropractor to include meeting the needs of his Brewery customers. While he focuses his efforts and energy in the ever evolving productions of Brock St. Brewery products, his favourite part of the Brock St. business, much like that of his role as Chiropractor, is being able to connect with and being there for his customers.
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Lindsay Watt

Board Member

Lindsay Watt is Vice President, North America Human Resources for DLF. Lindsay has been in Human Resources for 20 years working with global companies, focus on building foundational programs, organizational transformation, and strategic execution of the business and people strategy.

Lindsay joined the Sloane’s House Board in 2019 to lead the People Strategy and Human Resources function.

Lindsay was raised in Ajax and now makes her home in Whitby Ontario with her husband Chris and son Cooper.

Brenda Slomka

Executive Director
Brenda is a creator of innovative ideas and an activator of people and projects. She is focused on engaging others and creating spaces where people can flourish. She’s also comfortable dealing with complex situations and competing priorities. A Canadian whose feet are deeply woven into our natural, environmental identity, and someone committed to reconciliation, Brenda is an advocate, one seeking to use her skills and ability to be part of a new narrative of equality and justice. She loves serving people and seeing projects that have an impact on community take shape. 

For the past 20 plus years Brenda has been privileged to work in various Post-Secondary Education leadership roles including Applied Research, Administration, Governance (Board of Governors and Senate), Student Life, Admissions, Residence Life, Academic Success and Well Being, Town and Gown, and Recruitment.  She has also been active in community leadership, sitting on a municipal accessibility committee, as a board member of the Kingston Youth Shelter and has volunteered in many other capacities. 

When not at work, Brenda is out and about in creation, actively biking, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, cross country skiing or snoeshoeing, engaging in a community event or helping to facilitate activities. She enjoys the arts and supporting local as much as she can. 

Brenda is excited to be part of stewarding this important and meaningful vision of Sloane’s House.