CGMH Foundation Announces the Appointment of 3 new Board Members

New board members bring critical expertise and experience to guide CGMH’s fundraising mission.  

The CGMH Foundation announced today the appointment of 3 new members to its Board of Directors and a new Executive Committee. 

Brad Miller has taken over the role of Chair of the Board from Michael Dick who moves to the position of Past Chair.  Monica Quinlan will remain as Treasurer for a second term and Kara McIntosh was elected Vice Chair.  The Executive Committee will serve for a two year term. 

New board members David Downie, Hilary Laidlaw, and Louise Watt each offer unique skills and expertise to govern the Foundation staff.

“David’s strong background in Canadian taxation, Hilary’s extensive legal expertise, and Louise’s operational pedigree will be invaluable to the Foundation as we move into the most important campaign in the history of the Hospital Foundation” says CGMH Foundation Board Chair Brad Miller.

Welcome, David Downie.
David Downie joined Baker Tilly WM LLP in 2021. Prior to joining the firm, he was a tax consultant with OMERS, one of Canada’s largest pension funds where he assisted in managing overall enterprise tax risk, tax department composition and design, and assisting OMERS deal teams in assessing multinational investments from an international tax perspective. David has 21 years of tax experience, many of which were focused on large Canadian multinationals and their international operations. David’s primary area of focus is international tax planning and compliance which includes assisting clients implement and defend their tax structures before tax authorities. He has extensive experience in dealing with the Canadian taxation of cross-border distributions, mergers and acquisitions and Canadian inbound financing. 

Welcome, Hilary Laidlaw.
Hilary Laidlaw is a Certified Specialist in Estates and Trusts Law, whose practice focused on estate planning and administration, with extensive experience in contested estates. For over 30 years, Hilary practiced with McCarthy Tétrault LLP, one of Canada’s largest national firms, representing both personal and corporate clients in a wide variety of estate disputes, and advising on complex estate planning, often working alongside other professionals to achieve integrated plans. Hilary is a sitting member of the Law Society of Ontario Solicitors’ Advisory Group for licensure examination, and maintains active involvement in continuing education and law reform initiatives. A former Chair of the Trusts and Estates Section of the Ontario Bar Association, she received the 2010 Award of Excellence in Trusts and Estates Law. Hilary is a Trustee of the St. Andrew’s College Foundation whose mandate is to support independent education by assisting with the funding for St. Andrew’s College in Aurora.   

“To join the CGMH Foundation Board at such a critical time is a tremendous honour.” says Hilary Laidlaw, “I look forward to working with the Board Members and Foundation staff to engage the community and support the development of South Georgian Bay’s Hospital of Tomorrow.” 

Welcome, Louise Watt.

Louise Watt is a former board member who also served as Vice Chair. Louise sits on the Foundation’s risk committee and is also a long time active member of the Communications Committee. As the former Vice President of Operations for Reinhart Foods, Louise proudly maintained a multi-generation Canadian family run business, recognized for quality products and superior customer service across Canada and the United States. Louise operated full-service production facilities across Canada along with a fleet of vans and tankers ensuring a commitment to quality and a team that was dedicated to unmatched reliable customer service and deeply committed to our local communities.

About the Collingwood Hospital Foundation
CGMH Foundation is a non-profit organization equipping the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital (CGMH) with over 90% of all equipment, tools and technology to serve the healthcare needs of South Georgian Bay. Our mission is to inspire and motivate our communities to invest in the future of healthcare, and to make an impact on the day-to-day lives of our healthcare teams and patients. This year CGMH will be investing in a new mammography unit with enhanced screening capabilities for better patient outcomes, comfort, and care.

At the CGMH Foundation, we believe that brighter tomorrows are possible, because of the care we take today. Please join us in our vision for outstanding care for life, learn more at cgmhfoundation.com 

For all press inquiries, please contact:

Alison Smith, Director of Communications
705-444-8645, [email protected]