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.
Linda Annis
Past Chair | Surrey, BC
Linda Annis is a proud resident of Surrey where she has lived for the past 20 years. She is a City Councillor and serves on the following committees: City of Surrey Finance Committee, City of Surrey Audit Committee, City of Surrey Parks and Recreation Committee, City of Surrey Heritage Advisory Commission – Chair, and SAFE Program Leadership Group.
Linda serves as a Director on the Metro Vancouver Regional District Board including the Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation and Indigenous Relations Committee. Linda is also the Executive Director of Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers. Prior to this, she held several senior marketing and communications roles in both the corporate and not for profit sectors.
Passionate about her work within the community, she is actively involved in various community groups including the Osteoporosis Canada (Chair), Surrey Community Cares Foundation and serves as a Director of Semiahmoo House. She recently completed her term as Chair of the Zajac Ranch for Children.
Linda is a member of the Order of St. John and serves on the Kwantlen College Criminology Curriculum Advisory Committee.
Linda is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal for her volunteer service.
Katharine Christopoulos
Director | Burlington, BC
As a Senior Principal with the Canadian Accounting Standards Board’s staff, Katharine works directly with accounting professionals to develop accounting and financial reporting standards and other guidance. In her role, Katharine works across accounting frameworks by working with public companies, private enterprises and not-for-profit organizations. She also helps in the development of the Canadian Accounting Standards Board’s strategic and annual plan.
Katharine is very interested in giving back and has been many years of experience being a volunteer board member for charities and committees of varying sizes. She hopes her unique background and skill set will lend itself nicely to be a Board member on Osteoporosis Canada.
Katharine is a CPA, CA.
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. 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
William 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. William holds an MD from McGill University, as well as a BEng in Electrical Engineering.
Prior to medicine, William 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.
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
Rowena 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.