Search Results

Board Member, Acting Secretary Skylar Turkiewicz-DaBreo-, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Skylar Turkiewicz-DaBreo- Board Member, Acting Secretary Skylar is a past Lansdowne Foundation board member and treasurer. She joined the Lansdowne Centre board in 2025.

Board Treasurer, Chair Finance and Personnel Comm. [F&P] Justin Wareham, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Justin Wareham Board Treasurer, Chair Finance and Personnel Comm. [F&P]

Board Member, Vice-Chair Prof. Advisory Committee (PAC), (Leave Nov. 2026) Jamie Toner, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Jamie Toner Board Member, Vice-Chair Prof. Advisory Committee (PAC), (Leave Nov. 2026) Jamie Toner joined the board in 2023. As Director of Inclusive Supports with Rygiel, Jamie brings 15 years of nursing expertise to her role and is deeply passionate about fostering inclusive environments where everyone feels valued and connected. Jamie holds specialized certifications, including Infection Control from Queen’s University, Competent Supervision, and Health & Safety training tailored for group home facilities. Her additional credentials in nursing, physical assessments, and navigating legal aspects in care reinforce her commitment to quality and safety. A lifelong learner, Jamie also attended Humber College’s Developmental Services Worker program, expanding her skills to better support individuals with diverse needs. Her lived experience is equally inspiring; Jamie and her husband spent years residing in a group home, supporting five individuals, and providing treatment foster care for at-risk youth. Known for her advocacy, networking, and ability to educate, Jamie collaborates with others to promote inclusion and ensure that every individual feels a sense of belonging within their community. Her leadership is rooted in compassion, expertise, and a commitment to creating meaningful connections that empower others to thrive.

Board Member, Chair Diversity Equity & Inclusion SubCommittee, Chair of Prof. Advisory Comm., Vice-Chair Governance Comm. Vicky Smith, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Vicky Smith Board Member, Chair Diversity Equity & Inclusion SubCommittee, Chair of Prof. Advisory Comm., Vice-Chair Governance Comm. Vicky Smith joined the board in 2023. Vicky's work experience has been in the field of client care, both direct client care and managerial leadership experience. Vicky is a lifelong advocate of client/family centred care and believes this will assist her in becoming an effective Lansdowne Centre board member.

The Lansdowne Children's Centre Board of Directors governs the Centre operations, providing oversight to the pursuit of the organization's Mission and Vision, guided by the Values. Board of Directors Board Portal Login Application Form Growing with you... The Lansdowne Children's Centre Annual Report is available to read and download online. Past annual reports are also available, located below the roster of the Lansdowne Children's Centre Board of Directors. 2023+ Strategic Plan Overview 2025-26 Annual Report PDF 2025-26 Annual Report Online Ashley Veldkamp Board Chair, Chair of Long Range Planning Committee More Info Anne Noyes Board Secretary (Leave, July 2026) More Info Jason Lickers Board Member, (Leave, June 2026) More Info Skylar Turkiewicz-DaBreo- Board Member, Acting Secretary More Info Mike Gatopoulos Board 1st Vice Chair, Chair of Capital Steering Comm. More Info Dr. Benjamin Klein, Ex Officio Medical Director, Lansdowne Children's Centre More Info Joe Persia Board Member More Info Vicky Smith Board Member, Chair Diversity Equity & Inclusion SubCommittee, Chair of Prof. Advisory Comm., Vice-Chair Governance Comm. More Info Jennifer Steffler Board 2nd Vice Chair More Info Holly Clark Board Member, Co-Chair Capital Steering Committee (CSC) More Info Kathy Straus Board Member More Info Vincent Vilaca Board Member More Info Justin Wareham Board Treasurer, Chair Finance and Personnel Comm. [F&P] More Info Jamie Toner Board Member, Vice-Chair Prof. Advisory Committee (PAC), (Leave Nov. 2026) More Info Rick Rozak Board Member, Chair of the Governance Committee More Info Will Bucholtz Board Member More Info We need you. Join The Board. APPLY Annual Report Archives 2024-25 Annual Report PDF 2023-24 Annual Report PDF 2022-23 Annual Report PDF (7 Mb) 2021-22 Annual Report PDF (6 Mb) 2023-24 Annual Report Online 2023-24 Annual Report Online 2022-23 Annual Report Online 2021-22 Annual Report Online Learn more about our Lansdowne Mission, Vision and Values. Who We Are Our Strategic Plan What is a board's purpose? The Lansdowne Children's Centre Board of Directors governs the Centre operations, providing oversight to the pursuit of the organization's Mission and Vision, guided by the Values. • The mission is our statement of what the organization does and its intended purpose. Providing safe, accessible and quality family-centred services for infants, children and youth with physical, developmental and communication needs • The vision is our goal for the outcomes achieved when the Centre successfully carries out its mission. Working together to realize optimal potential for infants, children and youth • The values are the philosophies that guide our decision-making. Lansdowne Children's Centre values Respect, Inclusion, Diversity, Empowerment & Safety (RIDES) More About Our Board Who are the current board members and committee members? As of June 2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1. Board Chair, Ashley Veldkamp 2. 1st Vice Chair, Mike Gatopoulos 3. 2nd Vice Chair, Jennifer Steffler 4. Treasurer, Justin Wareham 5. Secretary, Anne Noyes [Leave, June 2026] 6. Will Bucholtz 7. Holly Clark 8. Jason Lickers [Leave, June 2026] 9. Joe Persia 10. Rick Rozak 11. Vicky Smith 12. Rita Stratford 13. Kathy Straus 14. Jamie Toner 15. Skylar Turkiewicz-Dabreo-Act. Secretary Vincent Villaca Dr. Benjamin Klein, Medical Director Ex Officio Rita-Marie Hadley, Cheif Executive Officer, is a non voting Ex Officio member of all bodies Capital Steering Committee [CSC] Mike Gatopoulos, Co-Chair Holly Clark, Co- Chair John Bradford* Will Bucholtz Mike DeBruyn* Marc Lazenby* Scott Lyons* Ashley Veldkamp Justin Wareham Jacqueline Willson* Cindy Rock* Lynda Henriksen* Diversity Equity & Inclusion SubCommittee Vicky Smith, Chair Patricia Gonzalez* Jason Lickers Joe Persia Sarah Consoli* Alissa Shuker* Finance/Personnel Committee [F&P] Justin Wareham, Chair Skylar Turkiewicz, Vice Chair Will Bucholtz Holly Clark Mike Gatopoulos Jason Lickers Lloyd St. Amand Jennifer Steffler Ashley Veldkamp Sarah Consoli * Cindy Rock* Governance Committee Rick Rozak, Chair Vicky Smith, Vice-Chair Mike Gatopoulos Jennifer Steffler Ashley Veldkamp Vincent Vilaca Long Range Planning Committee Ashley Veldkamp, Chair Will Bucholtz John Bradford* Mike Gatopoulos Tamie Aubin * Sarah Consoli * Cindy Rock* Professional Advisory Committee [PAC] Vicky Smith, Chair** Jamie Toner* Vice Chair (LEAVE, November 2026) Patricia Gonzalez* Casidy Guzar* Dr. Ben Klein Anne Noyes Joe Persia Rick Rozak Rita Stratford Kathy Strauss** Vincent Villaca Jacqueline Willson** Tamie Aubin* Sarah Consoli * Cindy Rock* * Non-Director Committee Member ** liaisons to Quality Mgt. Council ***Also Committee chairs Italics=staff updated June 2026 What are the roles and responsibilities of Board members? an excerpt from the Board Manual, Policy B1-100, Role of Committees and Directors Board Committees provide a forum for broad discussion of issues in order to develop recommendations for board action. The Board is the final decision-making body. Standing Committees of the Board are: • Finance/Personnel Committee [which serves as the Audit Committee] • Professional Advisory Committee • Governance Committee • Long Range Planning Committee • Executive Committee Directors: As stewards of Lansdowne Children’s Centre, Directors are responsible to perform the duties of the Board stipulated by Centre bylaws. Selected to bring individual expertise and a collective skills mix established by the Nominating Committee, Directors have a primary responsibility for the best interests of Lansdowne, representing the children and youth and their families. A Director’s ethical obligation is to support the Mission, Vision and Values in pursuing the strategic direction of the Centre. In addition to personally signing a Code of Ethics and consenting to background checks, Directors collectively ensure adherence to legal standards stipulated by the Corporations Act, and to ethical norms by establishing policies and adherence to Centre by-laws and Letters Patent. What are the guidelines for Board member duties and responsibilities? an excerpt from the Board Manual, Policy B3-20, Board Code of Ethics Recognizing its legal and ethical responsibility for the direction and operations of Lansdowne Children’s Centre, the Board of Directors will keep the following uppermost in all its decision making: a) the health and well being of children and their families; b) the delivery of high-quality services; and c) the welfare of staff. 1.0 Ethical Duties and Obligations 1.1 Directors will exercise reasonable care (care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise in a like position and under similar circumstances) when making decisions as stewards of Lansdowne Children’s Centre. 1.2 Directors will be faithful to Lansdowne’s mission and will not act in a way that is inconsistent with the agency’s central goals. 1.3 Directors will protect the confidentiality of all information acquired in their role as a Board member. 1.4 Directors will avoid conflict of interest (a conflict of interest arises when a director has a personal interest in the result of a decision made by the Board of Directors). Directors will consider the interests of Lansdowne first, and will not use information obtained as a director for personal gain. Directors with a financial conflict of interest will not participate in discussions or vote on matters that affect decisions made by the Board of Directors. 1.5 A Director with a conflict of interest will be responsible for declaring such conflict. 1.6 Directors will present consolidated support for decisions made by the Board of Directors, so as to demonstrate the integrity of the Board. 2.0 Primary Organizational Responsibilities 2.1 The Board of Directors will be responsible for the creation of the mission and purpose of Lansdowne Children’s Centre and review them periodically for accuracy and validity. Each Director will understand the mission and support it. 2.2 The Board of Directors selects and supports the Executive Director through regular performance reviews. The Board of Directors will ensure that the Executive Director has the moral and professional support needed to further the goals of Lansdowne Children’s Centre. 2.3 As stewards of Lansdowne Children’s Centre, the Board of Directors will actively participate with staff in an overall planning process to assist in implementing the agency’s goals. 2.4 One of the Board of Directors foremost responsibilities is to ensure adequate resources for Lansdowne Children’s Centre to fulfill its mission. 2.5 The Board of Directors review and approve Lansdowne’s annual budgets and ensure that proper financial controls are in place. 2.6 The Board of Directors will ensure that programs are consistent with Lansdowne’s mission and monitor their effectiveness. 2.7 As the primary link to the community, the Board of Directors must clearly articulate Lansdowne’s mission, accomplishments and goals to the public, and garner support from relevant members of the community. 2.8 The Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for ensuring adherence to legal standards and ethical norms. The Board of Directors will establish pertinent policies and adhere to the provisions of Lansdowne’s Bylaws and Letters Patent. 2.9 The Board of Directors will articulate and make known its needs in terms of its members’ experience and skill to ensure a balanced Board composition. The Board of Directors will help orient new Directors to their responsibilities and to Lansdowne’s history, needs and challenges. The Board of Directors will evaluate its performance and identify and act on areas of improvement needed to fulfill its responsibilities. Who holds Board members accountable? How is their performance evaluated? an excerpt from the Board Manual, Policy B3-40, Board Evaluation In order to monitor the effectiveness of the collective operations of the Board of Directors, a Board Evaluation will be completed annually. The Board Evaluation will be comprised of the following to also evaluate performance of individual board members and of the President: 1. All members of the Board of Directors will complete the Board Effectiveness Evaluation Survey in June of each year except when accreditation is completed in that year. 2. To cultivate a sense of group and individual responsibility for effective Board functioning, the Board will support assessment of Directors’ “fiduciary duty”, namely the Director’s active concerted effort beyond meeting attendance, to be knowledgeable and prepared to provide informed advice and make informed decisions. Individual performance will be assessed by provision of attendance reports and self-monitoring tools to compare activity and discipline to policies in the Board Manual. All Directors except the President will also annually conduct self-assessment by using the Individual Board Member Self-Evaluation Form and offer feedback on colleagues by completing the Self-Evaluation Form for each of their colleagues, as submitted to the President; the President will consolidate results and share them with each Director to support identification of actions to enhance their work 3. President Performance is assessed by the President completing a Self-Assessment annually as well as each Board member completing a President Assessment to be submitted to the Vice-President. The 1st Vice-President consolidates the President Assessments and shares results with the President to support the President to identify actions to enhance their work. 4. A survey of each Board member’s linkages in the community: all Board members will be asked to outline other volunteer or service clubs that they are members of. The above information is presented at the October Meeting of the Board of Directors. This information provides a basis for developing Board development goals for the upcoming planning year. Within the accreditation cycle, governance functioning self-assessment tools will be completed by each member of the Board. How does the Board evaluate the performance of the Executive Director? an excerpt from the Board Manual, Policy B4-60, Executive Director: Performance Appraisal and Salary Review The Chair and two other members of the Board shall conduct in the first year of the Executive Director’s employment a performance appraisal at six (6) months and at twelve (12) months. Thereafter, performance appraisals will be conducted on or about the anniversary of the Executive Director’s commencement date, in accordance with the Centre’s policies for performance appraisals. How does a Board member get started? Each Board member upon acceptance of their position will complete a Onboarding Process. This process includes an Orientation Manual, that includes materials to help a new Board member get more familiar with items including Lansdowne operations, policies, procedures, history and strategic planning. New Board member onboarding also includes instruction on how to gain access to shared board resources using a private website portal. Where can I view the Lansdowne Strategic Plan? The four strategies of the Lansdowne Children's Centre multi-year Strategic Plan are: Culture of Excellence Strengthen workplace culture so it attracts and retains the very best and right fit employees and volunteers State of Art Environment Having the best possible space to provide our changing services in all our locations as well as the other resources needed to support our work Innovation to Enhance Service Engage needed tools and solutions to improve quality, safety and efficiencies. Tell Our Story Clarify, magnify and celebrate our story for greater understanding of what Lansdowne does and its significance Download our 2023 Staregic Plan overview PDF for more information, as shared at our June 2023 Annual General Meeting Where can I view the Lansdowne Communications Plan? The most recent Communications Plan for Lansdowne Children's Centre includes Strategies and desired Outcomes targeting four audiences: Clients and Families Employees Media Stakeholders View the full PDF document here. Join the Lansdowne Board Seats on the Lansdowne Children’s Centre board are currently filled, but we are always excited to connect with enthusiastic community members with diverse skills, backgrounds and perspectives interested in participating on our Board of Directors. Those with experience in the areas of governance and fee-for-service programming are especially invited to inquire. Board Member Application Form For more information please contact us by email at info@lansdownecc.com

Medical Director, Lansdowne Children's Centre Dr. Benjamin Klein, Ex Officio, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Dr. Benjamin Klein, Ex Officio Medical Director, Lansdowne Children's Centre Dr. Ben Klein is a Developmental Paediatrician and has been our Medical Director since 2011.

Board Member, Chair of the Governance Committee Rick Rozak, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Rick Rozak Board Member, Chair of the Governance Committee Rick Rozak joined our Board in 2018 and spent 23 years working in the Youth Justice System, now retired.

Board Member, Co-Chair Capital Steering Committee (CSC) Holly Clark, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Holly Clark Board Member, Co-Chair Capital Steering Committee (CSC) Holly Clark joined the board in 2023. Holly is a member of a client family who has benefitted from services and supports accessed at Lansdowne. Holly has joined the board to help enhance Lansdowne Centre's ability to serve more families in the region who also find themselves in need of specialized care for their children.

Board Chair, Chair of Long Range Planning Committee Ashley Veldkamp, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Ashley Veldkamp Board Chair, Chair of Long Range Planning Committee Ashley Veldkamp joined our board in 2017 and is a real estate agent and a parent of a child with special needs. As a member of a Lansdowne client family, Ashley has experienced multiple services and supports at Lansdowne.

Board Secretary (Leave, July 2026) Anne Noyes , Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Anne Noyes Board Secretary (Leave, July 2026) Anne Noyes joined our Board in 2019 and is Principal I.L Thomas Odadrihonyanita Elementary School in Ohsweken.

Board 2nd Vice Chair Jennifer Steffler, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Jennifer Steffler Board 2nd Vice Chair Jennifer Steffler joined the board in 2023. Jennifer is a Lansdowne client parent, and Executive Director of Rygiel Supports for Community Living, Hamilton. She is passionate about belonging and amplifying the voices of people supported and their families.

Board 1st Vice Chair, Chair of Capital Steering Comm. Mike Gatopoulos, Centre Board - Lansdowne Children's Centre. Serving the needs of the children and youth, and their families, who access services and support for communication, developmental and physical needs, at Lansdowne Children's Centre in Brantford, Caledonia, Dunnville and Simcoe. < Back Previous Next Mike Gatopoulos Board 1st Vice Chair, Chair of Capital Steering Comm. Mike Gatopoulos joined our board in 2020, is owner of Seventh Coffee Co. and parent of a child with special needs.