Board Members
Norfolk General Hospital
Our Board of Directors oversees the activities at Norfolk General Hospital (NGH). The Board is made up of business leaders and community members who are committed to making sure NGH remains a leader in patient care and provides you and your family with high-quality, safe care.
We are always seeking passionate people who want to serve our community by providing leadership to the hospital. If you are interested in becoming a member of our Board, please contact Patti Emslie, Executive Assistant to the Board of Directors.
MARJORIE DAWSON – CHAIR
Marjorie retired as President and CEO for Portland Pipeline Corp and Montreal Pipeline Inc. after working in various management positions at Imperial Oil for 34 years. Marjorie brings a wealth of board-level experience to NGH. Currently, she is Co-Chair of Woodhouse and Port Dover Pastoral Charge Board for the United Church of Canada and the Chair of the Grace Church Council.
She had demonstrated experience and gifts in board governance throughout her career:
- Chair of Norfolk Energy and Vice-Chair of Norfolk Power,
- Chair of Strategic Planning Advisory Committee
- Inaugural Chair for Audit and Governance Committee for Board of Marine Spill Response Organization
- Board of Gulf of Maine Research Institute
- Board member of Association of Oil Pipelines
- Board of Maple Leaf Petroleum and Chair of Sarnia Lambton United Way
Marjorie also works with Nations Uniting in Ohswegen, taking Anishinaabe lessons with the Mississaugas of Credit and is involved with Pikangikum First Nation in many youth education programs.
She has a Bachelor of Applied Science Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and has earned the Chartered Director designation from McMaster University.
STEPHANIE PONGRACZ – 1st Vice-Chair
Stephanie was raised on a farm in rural Langton and both her family and her fiancé’s family live in Norfolk County.
She is currently the Manager of Health Protection at the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit. The portfolio includes a team and staff responsible for delivering services in environmental health, food safety, safe infectious disease; harm reduction services, sexual health services and vaccine/immunization programs. In her role, she is dedicated to ensuring the hospital continues to evolve and thrive.
Stephanie’s educational background in human biology and environmental health. She started her career in Elgin County as a public health inspector and after completing of Masters’s in Public Administration, moved into management. She worked for a number of years at the Windsor- Essex County Health Unit prior to moving back to Simcoe.
PETER KRAUSE – 2nd Vice-Chair
Originally from St. George ON, Peter now resides in Port Dover, where he is able to pursue his interests in reading, motorcycling, bicycling, walking, community, and family.
Peter has a BA in Geography, Urban Planning and Resource Management from the University of Toronto and has used his expertise in public speaking, report and proposal writing, negotiating contracts in a successful career in operations, marketing, public relations, financial stewardship, leading change initiatives. Besides his time at NGH, Peter continues to serve on the board at the Haldimand-Norfolk Literacy Council, something he has done since 2008.
RICHARD GELBARD, Director of Product and Services for Nova Mutual Insurance
A career Commercial/Industrial Insurance Specialist since 1980, Richard is an Insurance Specialist at Nova Mutual Insurance. Richard has held various positions in the Insurance Industry such as Broker, Underwriter, Market/Product Development, and Premium Financing.
Along with a designation of Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP), he has trained in the French Culinary Arts. Richard joined the NGH Board because he believes his background would be an excellent resource for Board Governance and to ensure our community continues to have a successfully-run hospital.
FRANK GELINAS
Born and raised in Simcoe, Frank’s career demonstrates his support for his community. After a time working for the Ministry of Revenue, Frank returned to Simcoe to work in many civic positions such as Assistant Director of Finance at NGH, Treasurer of the Town of Simcoe, CAO of the Township of Delhi and General Manager of Corporate Services with Norfolk County. Besides his work at the hospital, he volunteers with Venture Norfolk, the Simcoe Non-profit Housing Corporation and the Norfolk County Sports Hall of Recognition. Frank has a Post Graduate Diploma from Western in Public Administration, is a CPA and attained Municipal Professional Designations of AMCT, CMMIII and CMO.
TOM LEWIS
Tom recently retired and returned to Canada from the UK, settling just outside Simcoe. His background is in aviation management and he has been involved in organizational structure, people and financial management. A former Chair of a Town Council in the UK, Tom also served as Trustee of a charity directed to the welfare of elderly and disadvantaged people.
JIM MULHERON
Jim has served on the Board of Directors at Norfolk General Hospital since May 2016. His professional career has been almost exclusively in the commercial bank lending and capital equipment leasing sector, with an emphasis on institutional health care. Outside the finance sector, Jim’s interests include Tai Chi, kayaking, travel and classic cars. He has been a resident in Port Dover since September, 2013.
VERONICA PEPPER
Veronica has worked in the field of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) for more than 25 years. She currently is the HNHB Acquired Brain Injury System Navigator. As Provincial ABI Navigator Lead and ABI Consultant to the Ministry of Health, she provides support and guidance to the other 13 Provincial ABI Navigators. Veronica has a private practice and is an Expert ABI Consultant to a number of law firms in Toronto. She joined the Board in 2010 after first-hand experiences with the hospital due to unwell, aging parents and in-laws. She believes strongly in the motto “don’t just be part of the problem, be part of the solution.”
DAVE WILLIAMS
Dave grew up in Simcoe and now resides in Port Dover. Now retired, he worked in sales & management with IBM as well as at Deloitte Consulting and the Attorney General’s Office. Dave’s mother, now deceased, was a long-time member of NGH Auxiliary.
CARL BUTLER 
Carl recently retired as a Staff Sargent from the OPP. Besides serving as a frontline officer, he also worked as a Contract Analyst, Detachment Manager and Planning Officer. In his work, he liaised with municipal officials, the public and elected officials about policing services offered by the OPP. Carl currently lives in Simcoe.
DONNA CAPPER
Donna began work as a registered nurse, but spent most of her career as a Foreign Service Officer, primarily focussed on immigration issues. She is a recipient of the Deputy Minister’s Award for her work in Operation Parasol, the evacuation of 5,000 Kosovars from refugee camps in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (now Republic of North Macedonia). She also has extensive global volunteer experience with Habitat for Humanity. Donna recently moved to Simcoe from Sackville, NB.
JEFF GLAVES
Jeff is the former General Managing Director of Beckett Glaves Funeral Home in Brantford, ON. An expert presenter and negotiator, he has served on governance boards for a number of different organizations. A Norfolk County resident, Jeff is currently in the process of obtaining a Human Resource Management graduate certificate and CHRP designation.
Ex Officio Members
Dr. Amir Sheik-Yousouf
Chief of Staff
Dr. Aqeel Al Aqeel
Pres – Medical Staff
Dan Hill
VP and Chief Financial Officer
Kim Mullins
Interim President and CEO of Norfolk General Hospital, West Haldimand General Hospital and Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home.
Strategic Plan
In 2018, the Board of Directors undertook a strategic planning process. After consulting with stakeholders across the community, a 5-year Strategic Plan was developed that reflects the collective vision for the future course of Norfolk General and its role within an increasingly complex and dynamic health care landscape.
The full report can be viewed here
