Jeannette Briggs
Chair | Oakville, ON
Jeannette has more than 25 years of experience working in the energy sector. She has held a wide-range of jobs within Corporate Finance – Head of Internal Audit, Director Corporate Planning (Strategy, Enterprise Risk, Performance Measures, Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations) Director of Settlements ($20 billion in energy transactions) and is currently the Director of Corporate Finance (Finance, Treasury, Pension, Business Planning/Budgeting and Strategy. She is the chair of her company’s pension management committee. Jeannette has family living with the disease and wishes to support the work and research of Osteoporosis Canada in a meaningful way through Board membership.
Jeannette has an Honours BA, Economics and a MBA. She is a CPA, CMA and holds a Fellow of Board Governance certification.
Demetrios (Jim) Papamanolis
Vice-Chair | Toronto, ON
Jim Papamanolis is a corporate lawyer with extensive experience in the energy sector. His practice focuses broadly on corporate-commercial matters relating to the development of energy projects, including project finance, construction and mergers and acquisitions. Jim holds a BA (Honours) from the University of Toronto and an LL.B. from Queen’s University. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2007. Jim values and is committed to the important work of Osteoporosis Canada, having a close family member affected by the disease.
Emily Bartens
Director | Hamilton, ON
Emily Bartens is a retired Certified Professional Bookkeeper who worked for a diverse group of businesses in the Hamilton/Burlington area.
Emily has been an active volunteer with Osteoporosis Canada since 2002 and she served the Hamilton Chapter in various leadership roles. Emily became the first Chair of the National Operations Advisory Council, a position she held for 3 years ending in June 2007. From this role, Emily became a National Board member in addition to sitting on various committees working her way to National Chair and Past Chair. Emily is pleased to be back on the National Board.
With a family history of osteoporosis, she strives to do all that she can to support Osteoporosis Canada.
Dr. Claudia Gagnon
Director | Quebec City, QC
Dr. Claudia Gagnon is an adult endocrinologist at CHU de Québec-Université Laval. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at Université Laval and a researcher at CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre and at Québec Heart and Lung Institute Research Centre in Québec City. She is a scholar of the Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé (FRQS). After completing residency training in adult endocrinology at Université de Sherbrooke in 2006, she undertook a 3-year fellowship in metabolic bone diseases and phosphocalcic metabolism in Melbourne, Australia.
A large part of her clinical practice focuses on the treatment of osteoporosis, metabolic bone diseases and disorders of phosphocalcic metabolism. Her main research interests are on the impact of obesity, diabetes, and their treatments (in particular bariatric surgery) on bone health.
She received funding from Diabetes Canada, Diabète Québec, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. She published several articles in peer-reviewed journals, some of which were cited in the most recent bone guidelines of the American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery. She has been awarded the 2022 Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism Young Investigator Award, the 2019 Jean-Davignon Young Investigator Award from the Cardiometabolic, diabetes and obesity FRQ-S network, the 2017 research prize of the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec, and the 2015 New Investigator Award at the International Symposium on the Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis. She has been involved in the Scientific Advisory Council of Osteoporosis Canada since 2018 (2018, 2020 and 2023 CMC planning committee, rapid response team, beyond the break presentations, podcasts). She is also actively involved in various provincial and national committees including Diabète Québec, Diabetes Canada, and INESSS (2023 provincial bone mineral density screening program for osteoporosis). Finally, she is involved in the international guidelines on vitamin D supplementation after bariatric surgery and X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets.
Dr. Robert G. Josefchak
Director | St. Catharines, ON
Dr. Josefchak grew up in Thunder Bay, was educated at Western in London, and has practiced orthopaedic surgery in St. Catharines, where he continues to run an orthopaedic office practice. He and Maureen have been married for 38 years, have two adult children and have recently become grandparents. They are in the process of transitioning his surgical orthopaedic practice to share in the family’s mutual interests in golf, skiing, cycling, wine and travel.
He is an Associate Clinical Professor at the Department of Surgery, McMaster University and has been the Principal Investigator in over thirteen orthopaedic research studies.
He has served as the Ontario Orthopaedic Association’s Regional Representative to Osteoporosis Canada from 2006 – 2016, He has successfully completed the McMaster University Chartered Director Program. He has served on the Niagara Health Foundation, Board of Directors since 1986 and sits on their nominating Committee. He is also presently on the Board of Directors for Community Living Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln.
Dr. William Chu Kwan
Director | Toronto, ON
Dr. Chu Kwan is currently an Orthopedic Surgery resident while completing a graduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto through their Surgeon-Scientist Training Program. He is a holder of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships for his research which focuses on improving musculoskeletal health and related conditions through innovative and non-invasive treatments. He holds an MD from McGill University, as well as a BEng in Electrical Engineering.
Prior to medicine, Dr. Chu Kwan worked as a telecommunication engineer for a multinational telecommunications company. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, William has volunteered for numerous causes such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and developing programs for seniors at Montreal Royal Victoria Hospital.
Roy Marra
Director | Caledon, ON
Roy has more than 25 years of experience in the Information and Technology sector. He has held a wide range of roles within the IT sector across a range of verticals (Healthcare, Financial, Public and Private) and is currently the Director of Business Services and Solution Delivery with the organization that operates and manages the power grid and wholesale energy market for the Province of Ontario. Roy is committed to the important work of Osteoporosis Canada.
Roy has a B.Sc (Computer Science) an MBA and many IT industry related certifications.
Celeste Munger
Director | Vancouver, BC
Celeste is a CPA, CMA currently working as Controller for MEC Mechanical Inc., a mechanical construction company in Vancouver British Columbia. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of British Columbia. Prior to her business career, Celeste spent 2 years teaching in South Korea and 3 Years teaching in Japan. She has volunteered with her community centre association, with CPABC, and with multiple community theatre groups in the past.
Petra Newton
Director | Toronto, ON
Petra served as a Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice from 1989- 2019 presiding in Criminal matters. She was president of the International Association of Women Judges, Canada, on the Board of Directors and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Petra was elected for two terms to the International Association of Women Judges Board of Directors representing North America.
Petra was Chair of the Gale Moot, Committee Member and continues to participate as a judge. She has been a panelist with respect to a variety of issues including women in the justice system and advocacy.
Prior to her appointment to the Bench she was a Prosecutor and Legal Advisor with the Department of Justice and Criminal Defence Counsel.
Petra received a Bachelor of Arts and Law Degree from the University of Manitoba and Certificate de Langue Française from the Sorbonne.
Dr. Rowena Ridout
Director | Toronto, ON
Dr. Ridout is a physician in the UHN/MSH Osteoporosis Programme and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism at the University of Toronto. She has been involved in clinical research in osteoporosis including the attainment and maintenance of peak bone mass, the treatment of steroid-induced osteoporosis in children and interventions in the fracture clinic. She is currently the Chair of Osteoporosis Canada’s Scientific Advisory Council, and has served on a number of committees, including 6 years as the medical advisor to COPN. She has also been involved in updating the Canadian Osteoporosis Clinical Practice Guidelines. Dr. Ridout is actively involved in medical education at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Paula Rietta
Director | Toronto, ON
Paula Rietta is Group General Counsel for Cox Automotive Canada Company. She has an extensive background in automotive and financial industry experience, and most recently held the position of Vice-President, Legal at Ford Credit Canada Company. In her current role, she oversees legal services to all aspects of the company’s business, with a particular emphasis in corporate/commercial law and in digital software, financial and wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers and dealers on a national basis.
Prior to joining Ford Credit, Ms. Rietta worked at a financial institution in Toronto and at various equipment financing and leasing companies over much of her career. She has been an active member of the Canadian Finance & Leasing Association, Canadian Bar Association and served as Board Secretary to the Association of Corporate Counsel – Ontario Chapter. Over the years, she has been extensively involved in the University of Toronto (Faculty of Law) LAWS – Law in Action Within Schools Program involving high school students- and advocate of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Ms. Rietta graduated from the University of Toronto with a Masters and undergraduate degree in Political Science. She also received a law degree from the University of Windsor.