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Marc Garson, LL.B., M.B.A., Chair

After a brief absence, Marc has returned to the SB&H board. He formerly served as the 1st Vice Chair from 1999-2001. He is the founding Chair of the Family Advisory Council for the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario. The Council provides advice on how to embrace the concept of family centered care and to improve the quality of healthcare service delivery to children and their families in Western Ontario. Called to the bar 1990, Marc currently works for the Ministry of the Attorney General as the Director of Crown Operations, Criminal Law Division, West Region. He is committed to a unified SB&H presence in Canada as well as the eradication of both conditions. Marc is the proud father of twin girls, one of whom has hydrocephalus.
 

John Maclachlan, B.A., 1st Vice Chair

John obtained his BA in Economics and went on to specialize in the area of Wealth Management. He holds Level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst accreditation, the Professional Financial Planning Designation and holds the Trust and Estate Practitioner Designation. John has held senior positions domestically and overseas with the Royal Bank and Scotiabank. In 2004, John became a volunteer board member of the Family Advisory Committee at the Hospital for Sick Children. The committee works in cooperation with the hospital to improve the overall experience from a family centered approach. John has two young children, one of whom has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus. This has motivated him to volunteer as a Board member of SB&H. John feels the board's goals are in line with his ambitions of helping other families in a similar situation, raising awareness and funds for research.
 

Claudio Cinapri, 2nd Vice Chair

With over 25 years of land development and construction experience, Claudio currently manages Forefront Initiatives Incorporated, a project management company implementing design solutions in all sectors of the construction industry. He has served as President of the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association, as a member of the Executive and Board of Directors for the Ontario Home Builders' Association and the Construction Industry Advisory Council of Ontario. His community achievements include serving as a Director, Chair or Board member on several school advisory councils, charitable foundations, and fund raising committees. Claudio was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada. He is also a parent of a teenaged daughter with hydrocephalus.
 

Mark Tyler, C.A., CFA, Treasurer

Mark is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst. Mark was born in Ottawa and obtained his Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from Carleton University. He then worked for Nortel Networks for 10 years in various roles in Canada, England, Hong Kong and Germany. Mark returned to Toronto in 2002 and has been active with many volunteer roles including the Chair of Finance for Fashion Cares from 2003 to 2007 and a member of the Finance Committee of the Toronto Society of Financial Analysts from 2006 to present. Mark is currently working for Symcor Inc. in a Corporate Development role based in downtown Toronto. He is pursuing the Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) designation. Mark's interest in SB&H stems from the fact that he had a sister with spina bifida.
 

Derryn V. Gill, Ph.D., Secretary

Derryn Gill has been a member of SB&H since 1984. She served on the Board of Directors in a number of positions culminating in serving as Chair from 1993 to 1995. She chaired the SB&H Education Committee and served on the Ontario Minister's Advisory Council on Special Education, the Provincial Parent Association Advisory Committee on Special Education Advisory Committees and on the Toronto District School Board Special Education Advisory Committee. Derryn returned as Chair of the SB&H Board in August 2001. At present, she chairs the Folic Acid Alliance of Ontario, serves as a client representative on the Bloorview MacMillan Children's Treatment Centre's Research Ethics Review Committee, and is an adjudicator for the Ontario Special Education Tribunal. She has two amazing sons who each day handle the challenges of Type 1 diabetes and spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
 

Todd McDowell, B.Comm., Member at Large

Todd attended Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and graduated in 1994. He has been working in the Health Care Industry since then. Todd began his career with the Codman division of Johnson and Johnson Medical Products. During this time he specialized in the areas of general surgery, neurosurgery and orthopedics. In 2001 Todd established Ivy Medical, a sales agency focused in the area of neurosurgery and neuroscience related technologies. He continues to represent the Codman division of Johnson and Johnson Medical Products in Ontario. Through his experiences in the health care field Todd has had significant exposure to spina bifida and hydrocephalus and the impact of these conditions on patients and families. Todd is also an advisory board member of the Ottawa Chapter of Think First, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of brain and spinal cord injuries. As a member of the SB&H Board, Todd hopes to help achieve the goals of increased awareness, patient/family networking and raising funds. He currently lives in Markham, Ontario and will soon be getting married to his fiancée Liz.
 

Justin Parappally, LL.B., M.B.A., Member at Large

Justin completed his Bachelor of Education in 1998 at Brock University and went on to obtain his LL.B./M.B.A. at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business. Justin was called to the bar in 2003 and practices with the business law firm of Stikeman Elliott LLP where he is a member of the corporate/commercial group with a particular emphasis on bank financing and mergers & acquisitions. Justin was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at the age of 10 and had surgery to insert a shunt. As someone living with hydrocephalus, he is deeply committed to the SB&H mission and wishes to make use of both his business skills and legal expertise to assist SB&H in furthering its mission. As a result of both his personal experiences and educational background, Justin also has a particular interest in making a positive impact on both children living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus and parents of children living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus. He is looking forward to joining and contributing to the Education Committee and the Finance & Audit Committee. Justin lives with his wife in Toronto, Ontario.

For information on how you can join the SB&H Board of Directors please call 1-800-387-1575 or email provincial@sbhao.on.ca.