CCSA reports annually to Parliament and the provincial and territorial legislatures and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that meets three to four times a year. The Board is composed of 15 members. The Chair and five of those members are appointed by the Governor in Council. Other directors, known as members-at-large, are recruited from a number of sectors, including the business community, labour groups, and professional and voluntary organizations. Board members serve a three-year term, which may be extended up to two additional terms.
Governor in Council Appointees:
Beverly Clarke (Secretary)
Anne M. Lavack, Ph.D. (Vice Chair)
Darryl Plecas, Ed.D.
Sherry H. Stewart, Ph.D.
Members-at-Large:
Dr. Jean-François Boivin
Normand (Rusty) Beauchesne
Jean T. Fournier (Treasurer)
Edgar F. Kaiser, Jr., O.B.C., LL.D. (Honorary)
R.A. (Sandy) Morrison
Michael Prospero
Pierre Sangollo
Paula Tyler
Ex-Officio Board Members:
Michel Perron
Morris Rosenberg
Barry MacKillop
Board Alumni:
Barry V. King, OOM (Chair of Alumni)
Alumni Members
Dr. Jean-François Boivin
Dr. Jean-François Boivin is a Full Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health of McGill University. He is also a consultant in infectious diseases at the Department of Public Health, Montréal General Hospital, and a staff investigator with the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital. Dr. Boivin has conducted epidemiologic research in a number of domains, including screening, health services organization, the health of street youth, drug injection practices and infections, and drug injection behaviours.
Dr. Boivin has served on numerous scientific and professional committees and boards, including the Advisory Board of the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Scientific Council of the Institut de recherché en santé et sécurité du travail du Québec, the Scientific Council of the Mutuelle générale de l'éducation nationale (France), and the Québec Regional Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Dr. Boivin holds a medical degree from Laval University (Québec, 1973) and a doctoral degree in epidemiology from Harvard University (1981). He completed a medical specialty in community medicine at the Université de Montréal (1990).
Normand (Rusty) Beauchesne (Ontario)
Rusty Beauchesne is a part-time member of the National Parole Board of Canada (Ontario Region) following his appointment in 2002. During his career, he worked as an officer and detective with the Toronto Police Service. Following completion of a law degree, he articled at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario and spent a year at the City of Toronto Legal Department before returning to the Toronto Police Service. He was appointed as civilian legal advisor to the Toronto police in 1989 and provided legal advice to the Chief of Police and other members of the Service. He then became the Director of the Legal Services Unit and served in that capacity until his retirement in January 2002.
Mr. Beauchesne has been a member of the CCSA Board since 2003 and is a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee and the Audit Committee. He is also a member of numerous community and charitable organizations. He is a Life Member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He currently sits as a Trustee of Lakeridge Health Corporation, which oversees the administration of four hospitals in the Durham Region. He is also a member of the Federal Minister of Health's Stakeholders Committee on the Medicinal Use of Marihuana.
Mr. Beauchesne studied Pharmacology at the University of Toronto and obtained his licence as a Funeral Director before obtaining a degree in Law from Osgoode Hall.
Beverley Clarke (Newfoundland)
Ms. Clarke is the Chief Operating Officer for Community, Children and Mental Health/Addictions Services, and Executive Officer of Health and Community Services for the St. John's region in the Regional Integrated Health Authority-Eastern Health, Newfoundland and Labrador. Prior to this position she was the CEO for Health and Community Services-St. John's. She has also held various senior posts within the Department of Health and Community Services, including Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy and Planning (2000-2002) and ADM of Community Health (1998-2000). She was formerly Director of Addictions Services with the government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Beverley Clarke has been a CCSA Board member since 2003 and is a member of the Executive Committee. From December 2003 to June 2004, Ms. Clarke also was the Chair of the OxyContin Task Force in Newfoundland and Labrador, which presented a comprehensive report to government on this important addictions issue.
Ms. Clarke obtained her Master of Social Work at Carleton University in Ottawa and was a part-time lecturer at the School of Social Work at Memorial University.
Jean T. Fournier (Ontario)
Mr. Jean T. Fournier became Canada's first Senate Ethics Officer in April, 2005, following a distinguished career in the Federal Public Service. He joined Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1968 and held a number of positions there, including Executive Director of the Office of the Native Claims, which he was responsible for establishing. He has also served as an Assistant Deputy Minister in the Departments of Communications and Finance, as Under Secretary of State and a member of the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada, as Executive Director of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, and as Deputy Solicitor General. In this last position, he served as Chair of the Organization of American States' 34 member state committee on drugs. In 2000, Mr. Fournier was appointed Canada's High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of Australia.
Mr. Fournier is a past member of the Boards of Directors of the Canadian Arctic Producers and Canadian Arctic Cooperative, Telesat Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Public Service Management Insurance Plan He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Vanier Institute of the Family. Mr. Fournier has been a CCSA Board member since 2006 and is a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee as well as the Executive Committee; he is also Chair of the Finance Committee.
Mr. Fournier graduated from Stanislas College in Montreal and earned a bachelor's degree in Economics at Queen's University and master's degree in Economics at Laval University.
Edgar F. Kaiser, Jr., O.B.C., LL.D. (Honorary)
(British Columbia)
Edgar F. Kaiser, Jr. is the founder of the Kaiser Foundation and Chairman/CEO of Kaiser Resources. He is currently Chairman Emeritus of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a member of the Board of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and a member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Addictions Research of BC at the University of Victoria. Mr. Kaiser was also Vice-Chairman Emeritus of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, as well as the government-appointed Chairman of the Royal Commission on Education Reform for the Province of British Columbia. His broad business experience includes the former roles of Chairman/CEO of both the Bank of BC and Kaiser Steel Corp., and former Director of the Toronto Dominion Bank.
Mr. Kaiser was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of British Columbia in June 2005, and was awarded the Order of British Columbia in June 2003. The Kaiser Foundation was awarded the Medallion of Distinction of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse in 1993.
A CCSA Board member since 2002, Mr. Kaiser is the Chair of the Audit Committee and is also a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee and the Executive Committee.
Edgar F. Kaiser, Jr. is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Business School.
Anne M. Lavack, Ph.D. (Saskatchewan)
Dr. Anne Lavack is Dean of the Paul J. Hill School of Business at the University of Regina. She has previously taught at the University of Winnipeg, Concordia University in Montreal, and Bond University in Australia. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Lavack worked in the advertising field for more than 10 years where she coordinated numerous tobacco, alcohol, and drug campaigns for Health Canada and other organizations. Her Ph.D. thesis examined the use of fear appeals in social marketing advertising campaigns directed at tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse. Her current research focuses on tobacco denormalization.
A member of the CCSA Board since 2002, Dr. Lavack is Interim Chair of the Board, Vice-Chair, as well as Chair of the Executive Committee and the Nominations and Governance Committee. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the board of directors for Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI).
Dr. Lavack has a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Toronto (1984), an M.B.A. from the University of Manitoba (1988), and a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of British Columbia (1997).
R.A. (Sandy) Morrison (Ontario)
Sandy Morrison is Senior Counsel, Temple Scott Associates Inc. Mr. Morrison is also President of Sakamor & Associates Inc., a consulting and business services firm specializing in government relations, charitable fundraising, and event planning.
He is immediate Past-Chairman of Nav Canada, the private air traffic control service provider for Canada. He served on the Board of Nav Canada from 1996 to 2007. Mr. Morrison also had a long career with the Brewers Association of Canada as President and Chief Executive Officer. Among his many achievements there, he developed, executed and managed the brewing industry's "Responsible Use" programs promoting the moderate use of alcoholic beverages. It was also during his tenure that the Brewers joined forces with other beverage alcohol industry representatives and Health Canada to fund CCSA's Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Information and Consultation Service. Mr. Morrison also served as Vice-President, Government Relations and Corporate Communications with Air Canada between 1991 and 1995. He served as Chairman of the Board of the Air Transport Association of Canada and is an honorary Life Member of the Association.
Mr. Morrison has been a member of the CCSA Board since 2004 and serves as a member of the Finance Committee. He is also Past-Chairman and Director of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, and Past-Chairman and member of the Board of Trustees of the Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation in Baltimore, MD.
Darryl Plecas, Ed.D. (British Columbia)
Dr. Plecas is the RCMP University Research Chair in Crime Reduction and Director of the Centre for Criminal Justice Research in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of the Fraser Valley. He has worked at the University for 30 years, serving as Chair of the School for various terms over 14 of those years. He is also Affiliated Research Faculty at John Jay College, City University of New York, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Regina. Dr. Plecas has served as an Associate of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy at the University of British Columbia, as an Expert Observer to the 10th UN Congress on the Prevention and Treatment of Offenders, and as an invited participant at the UN Scientific and Professional Advisory Committee.
Dr. Plecas has been a member of the CCSA Board since 2006 and serves as a member of the Finance Committee. He also serves on the Editorial Board of Criminal Justice Research and is the author or co-author of more than 150 research reports, international journal articles, and other publications that address a broad range public safety issues. Dr. Plecas also served for three years on the Correctional Service of Canada’s National Programs Accreditation Audit Team, and for six years as an Independent chairperson of the Pacific Region. In 2005, he received the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Public Safety and in 2006, the Order of Abbotsford.
Dr. Plecas holds two degrees in criminology from Simon Fraser University and a doctorate in Higher Education from UBC. He has also completed the Management Development Program in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.
Michael Prospero, B.Ed, M.A. (Ontario)
Michael Prospero is a Superintendent of Education for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. His position includes responsibility for providing innovative leadership and administrative efficiency for 16 elementary schools and three secondary schools. Other responsibilities include Safe Schools, Health and Safety Program and Special Education.
Mr. Prospero has been involved in education as a teacher, Vice-Principal, Principal and Superintendent for 34 years.
He has a B.A. from the University of Toronto, a B.Ed. from York University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Niagara University.
Pierre Sangollo (Quebec)
Since May 2003, Pierre Sangollo has worked for the Correctional Service of Canada as Director of Intelligence and National Project Manager, Public Safety, and has acted on several occasions as Director, General Security Branch. Before that, Mr. Sangollo served as Director of Public Security in Sainte-Julie where he also helped develop a working paper on the amalgamation of the seven police forces serving 17 Quebec cities and municipalities.
Pierre Sangollo joined the Montreal Police in 1963 and eventually became Assistant Director of the police service of the MUC before moving to Sainte-Julie. Mr. Sangollo spent much of his career in operations and the management of criminal investigations. He has headed task forces on organized crime and crimes against persons, in addition to assuming command of several hostage-taking and barricade situations. Mr. Sangollo has helped develop various courses in investigation taught at Concordia University, the Canadian Police College and the Institut de police du Québec. He has taught police techniques for 20 years in Quebec CEGEPs and has trained investigators from various federal and provincial departments.
Mr. Sangollo has been a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) Law amendments committee, national drug abuse committee, and a member of the executive committee of the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada. He is Chair of the National Joint Committee of Senior Criminal Justice Officials, and sits on the boards of the Centre québécois de lutte aux dépendances and the Fondation québécoise des jeunes contrevenants.
Mr. Sangollo joined the CCSA Board in 2008 and serves as a member of the Finance Committee.
Sherry H. Stewart, Ph.D. (Nova Scotia)
Dr. Sherry H. Stewart is a Killam Research Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Dalhousie University. She is currently the Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at Dalhousie.
Dr. Stewart is internationally respected for her research on psychological factors contributing to addictive disorders, and the co-morbidity of mental illness and addictions. She has published several clinical trials of novel approaches to the treatment and prevention of substance abuse and co-occurring mental health problems. She has received over $10 million from granting agencies worldwide to support her addictions and mental health research.
Dr. Stewart joined the CCSA Board in 2007 and serves as a member of Nominations and Governance Committee.
Paula Tyler—Executive Director, Alberta Family Wellness Initiative
Paula Tyler has had a long and distinguished career in the field of human services. Most recently, Paula was Vice President, Child and Women's Health and Specialized Clinical Services for the Calgary Health Region. Prior to this, she served as Vice President and CEO, Mental Health at Capital Health in Edmonton, Alberta. Her other professional experience includes the position of Chief Executive, Child Youth and Family Services for the Government of New Zealand and Deputy Minister for Alberta Children's Services. Paula has also held several other senior executive positions with the Alberta Government including Deputy Commissioner for Children's Services and Assistant Deputy Minister for Alberta Family and Social Services. As well, Paula has been active in community volunteer work; she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Calgary YMCA and has served in a number of senior volunteer roles locally, provincially and nationally in the area of disabilities.
Ex-Officio Board Members
Michel Perron
Michel Perron was re-appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) by the Governor in Council of Canada for a third five-year term in November 2007. As CEO, Mr. Perron is responsible for ensuring that CCSA provides national leadership and evidence-informed analysis and advice to mobilize collaborative efforts to reduce alcohol- and other drug-related harms.
Mr. Perron has led CCSA through a critical growth phase, in terms of both size and mandate. Under his skillful leadership and deep commitment to employees, CCSA continues to expand its focus and reach as the key national resource on substance abuse issues in Canada.
Mr. Perron was among the first to champion the creation of a National Framework for Action to Reduce the Harms Associated with Alcohol and Other Drugs and Substances in Canada, an initiative that forges new, results-driven partnerships between government and the not-for-profit and private sectors. Mr. Perron is also Vice-Chair of the Vienna Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Committee on Narcotic Drugs, and Chair of the Steering Committee for “Beyond 2008”, a global NGO forum that provides input on the 1998–2008 review of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on illicit drugs (UNGASS).
Prior to his appointment as CCSA’s CEO, Mr. Perron held a number of positions in the federal government with Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Health Canada, and the Office of the Solicitor General.
Mr. Perron is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg and the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
Morris Rosenberg
Morris Rosenberg is Deputy Minister, Health Canada
Barry MacKillop
Barry MacKillop is Director General, Law Enforcement and border Strategies, Public Safety Canada.