About Us

Nick Foligno is the Honorary Chair of NEO Kids Foundation. Nick currently plays for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, serving as the team captain. Previously he played for the Ottawa Senators and the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. Nick is director of the Janis Foligno Foundation, which was created in honour of his mother and seeks to provide support to local charities who are committed to finding a cure for cancer. In 2013, his daughter Milana was born with a rare heart condition and understands the stress and fear of having a sick child, and the impact it has on a family. Having dealt with NEO Kids first-hand, Nick believes that there is a need to better serve children and young patients in the North. Nick and his wife Janelle have three children – Milana, Landon and Hudson.

Richard Spadafora is a Senior Manager, Tax at KPMG in Sudbury, having joined the company in 2005. Richard holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from Laurentian University and received his designation as a Certified General Accountant in March 2007 and as a Chartered Accountant in November 2007. Having witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by families who are required to seek treatment outside of Northern Ontario, he is passionate about ensuring that children from Northeastern Ontario have access to quality healthcare in the North. Richard is also actively involved in coaching in local minor hockey and soccer.

Rick has a degree in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University, and has been involved in the family business since 1995. Rick is the co-owner of O C P Construction Supplies Inc. Most important in Rick’s life are his wife and children, and it is this love for family that drives him to serve with NEO Kids Foundation. He fully believes that keeping families at home (or at least closer to home) will make their children’s health challenges that much more manageable.

Matthew is a partner with Stratum Advisory Group Inc., a boutique tax and insurance planning firm. A two time academic All-Canadian, Matthew completed his business degree at the Fred C. Manning School of Business, Acadia University. In addition to his appointment as Treasurer of NEO Kids, Matthew holds a board position at the Idylwylde Golf and Country Club where he was appointed Long Range Planning and Corporate Restructuring Chair. Matthew holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. He is married to Jenna, and they have two children, Norah and Thomas.

Michael Macnamara is a barrister, solicitor and notary at Desmarais, Keenan LLP. He received his BA from Carleton University followed by his Juris Doctor from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Michael is a champion for Greater Sudbury and its role as a medical services provider and treatment hub of Northern Ontario. He is a strong believer that a community’s geographic location should not in itself be a barrier to quality care. In addition to serving on the NEO Kids Foundation Board he sits on several other community associations and not-for-profits.

Sherri Koren (Sherri K) is the Program Director and morning show host at the New HOT 93-5. She is an active member in the Sudbury community and is passionate about fundraising events. She is eager to bring her fundraising experience to the NEO Kids Board. Sherri is finishing her first year in Organizational Management at Cambrian College.

Alyson Laking is the Executive Manager for the Laking Group of Companies. Alyson obtained her H.BSc from the University of Guelph in 2006. After graduating, she returned to Sudbury and began working full time at the family business. In addition to NEO Kids, Alyson holds a board position with the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce and Cinefest Sudbury. Alyson and her husband Matthew have two children, Connor and William.

Mike Commito is the Director of Applied Research & Innovation at Cambrian College. He holds a PhD in History from McMaster University. Outside of his work at Cambrian, Mike writes about hockey and is the author of two books. He lives in Sudbury with wife, Chantal, and two daughters, Zoe and Sophia.

 Stephanie Dales is the Director, Finance and Administration at BESTECH Canada Limited, a multi-disciplinary engineering firm, where she is responsible for the oversight of financial, HR and operational matters. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen’s University and received her CPA, CA designation in 2012. Stephanie is married to Behn and has two young boys, Nash and Teddy. 

 Pamela Therrien joined Petryna Advertising as CEO in 2019, bringing with her more than 20 years’ professional experience in marketing, advertising, not-for-profit, charitable and private sector business. Before joining Petryna Advertising, she was Vice President of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Marketing Specialist at Science North, Development Officer at SickKids Foundation and previously worked for several major international advertising agencies, such as BBDO Toronto and Leo Burnett. Pam loves managing the creative process, and has worked with clients such as P&G, Zeller’s, Pizza Hut, Smucker’s, Sears, GlaxoSmithKline, and Dairy Queen. While at Petryna Advertising, Pam has developed marketing strategies and managed creative development for clients such as Future North, M.I.C Canadian Eatery & Whisky Pub, GOVA Transit, Collège Boréal, Science North, and Ionic Mechatronics – just to name a few. 

Pam holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University and a post graduate diploma in Marketing Management from Sheridan College. 

Dominic Giroux serves as President and CEO of Health Sciences North and the Health Sciences North Research Institute since 2017, a regional academic health sciences centre and Northern Ontario’s largest health system with 7,700 employees, medical staff, learners and volunteers in 15 sites in Greater Sudbury and 17 other locations across Northeastern Ontario with a $616 million budget. Under his leadership, HSN eliminated a substantial deficit, achieved performance above Ontario hospital average on most indicators tracked by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, completed three capital expansions with a fourth one underway, secured funding to increase bed capacity, acquired a second MRI and a PET-CT, launched initiatives to be digitally-enabled and for leadership development, strengthened its fundraising, expanded mental health and addictions care and implemented new collaborations with other academic hospitals for world-class medical imaging.

Dominic currently chairs the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA), chaired the OHA’s Labour Relations Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee, served as Vice Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and on OHA committees on the financial impacts of the pandemic, health research, budget advocacy and government transition. He co-chairs Ontario Health’s COVID-19 Northern Ontario Regional Steering Committee which helped coordinate the pandemic response in 46 hospital sites, 102 long-term and retirement homes, 7 public health units and First Nations. He served on Ontario Health’s COVID-19 Health System Response Oversight Table and on provincial committees focused on patient flow between hospitals and long-term homes, and pandemic recovery. He was appointed by the federal government to the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

A Certified Health Executive (CHE) with the Canadian College of Health Leaders, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), holder of an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, member of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) and mentor to new hospital CEOs, he has 25 years of senior executive experience in health care, as President of Laurentian University, as Assistant Deputy Minister with the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, and in two newly-created French language school boards in Ottawa and in Central-Southern Ontario.

He served on the Drummond Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services that made over 100 health-related recommendations, on Ontario’s Economic Advisory Panel, and on advisory panels for the Bank of Canada, The Globe and Mail, Hydro One and the Mowat Centre.

Dominic was a school board trustee at age 19 and chaired Ottawa’s French Catholic School Board at 21, was Vice Chair of the Francophone Association of Ottawa (ACFO), Vice Chair/Chair-Elect of Universities Canada, chaired the board of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, co-chaired a national consortium for French-language health training, and served on or led more than a dozen other boards in health, education, mining innovation, public policy, community and economic development.

He holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Public Policy and Management and Political Science and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa, a MBA from HEC Montreal and completed the Public Executive Program at Queen’s University.

In 2011, he received one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 awards. He received a Community Builders Award of Excellence in Sudbury and a Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary Club. He was named by the French government as “Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes académiques de la République française” for his contribution to the influence of the French language in Canada, received the annual award of “Pillar of the Francophonie” from the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario, received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and an Eagle feather for his leadership in Indigenous relations.

Anthony Keating is an award-winning Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) who has served in fundraising leadership roles over the past 14 years with Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Kids Help Phone, Seneca College and the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Most recently, he served as Campaign Director, Major Gifts, at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation in Toronto where he successfully co-led a $50 million research campaign to completion a year ahead of schedule, and was also responsible for raising millions of dollars for Malignant Hematology priorities. In 2010, he received the “New to Fundraising Professional of the Year” award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Anthony is an active community member who has volunteered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. John’s, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation, and is currently a Director with the Roberta Bondar Foundation.

In Anthony’s role he will oversee each of the three Foundations, and the Volunteer Association. He will also supervise HSN’s Volunteer Services and serve on the senior leadership teams of HSN and HSNRI, ensuring a strong alignment with health care needs in Northeastern Ontario.