Board of Directors

Dr. Kwame McKenzie is CEO of the Wellesley Institute. He is an expert on the social causes of illness, suicide and the development of effective, equitable health systems. As a physician, researcher and policy advisor, Kwame has worked to identify the causes of illness in cross-cultural health for over two decades. He is a researcher of social, community, clinical and policy issues with nearly 200 academic publications including five books.
 
Kwame is also the Director of Clinical Health Equity at CAMH and a full Professor and the Co-Director of the Division of Equity Gender and Population in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. He sits on the Boards of the United Way Toronto & York Region and the Ontario Hospitals Association. He is a Senior Fellow at Massey College.
 
Kwame is a member of the Ontario Government’s Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council and sat on the Expert Advisory Group for Ontario’s Homelessness Strategy alongside numerous other committees. Kwame completed his medical training at the University of Southampton and was trained in psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry and Harvard University.

Brian Lawson is a Vice Chair of Brookfield Asset Management.  In this role, he provides guidance and advice on the company’s finance and risk management activities.
Since joining Brookfield in 1988, Mr. Lawson has held a number of senior management positions in Brookfield’s investment and finance operations, including serving as CFO of Brookfield Asset Management from 2002 to 2020. In 2013, he was selected as Canada’s CFO of the Year by PwC, FEI Canada and Robert Half International.

Mr. Lawson is Chair of the Board of Directors of Community Food Centres Canada and Chair of the Governing Council of the University of Toronto. Brian and his wife are active in promoting changes in the food system to promote better outcomes for human health and the environment, including sponsoring the Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition and the Lawson Centre for Sustainability, both at the University of Toronto.

Ana Lopes, born in Lisbon, Portugal, is a Toronto-based social innovator and entrepreneur who has led numerous not-for-profit transformations with a focus on corporate governance and philanthropic strategy. She has worked for 25 years in senior positions in both the private and public sector and is Corporate Director of The Tapscott Group Inc. – a privately held think tank focusing on the digital revolution in business and society.

She is presently a Director of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), The Toronto Symphony Foundation, and Community Food Centres Canada. She is a former Chair of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors. Ana has served on the Board of numerous organizations including The Writers’ Trust of Canada, the World Wide Web Foundation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Foundation, Women’s College Foundation, Trent University, and Business for the Arts. She is a Member of the International Portuguese Diaspora Council in Lisbon. In addition to being a Governor of Trent University, Ana served on the executive of the capital campaign cabinet to establish Peter Czowski College.

Ana holds an Honours BA from the University of Toronto and has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) of Greater Toronto Fundraising Volunteer of the Year in 2009 and was listed as one of WXN 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in 2013.

Ana and her husband Don Tapscott reside in Toronto and are the proud parents of Nicole and Alex. They have four grandchildren. Don and Ana travel extensively and enjoy their family cottage on Lake of Bays where they are involved in supporting the local community. For the past three decades Don and Ana have collaborated alongside early pioneers such as the late Honourable Michael Wilson in awareness-raising for mental health and addiction research and services. Don and Ana endowed the Tapscott Chair in Schizophrenia Studies at the University of Toronto.

Ana is the recipient of the Order of Merit with grade of Commander – Republic of Portugal. She was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2011.

Phil is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Precision Nutrition, the largest private nutrition education and research company in the world. PN has advised top organizations like Apple, Nike, Titleist, the Seattle Seahawks (as Super Bowl champions), the San Antonio Spurs (as NBA champions) and numerous Olympic teams. Its work and research have been widely cited in the media, from the New York Times to the Harvard Business Review. Fast Company named Precision Nutrition one of the most innovative companies in the world. Personally, Phil advises young Canadian entrepreneurs and leaders, and he and his family have been long-time donors and supporters of CFCC.

Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed is the Associate Dean of Serving and Engaging Society for Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine, and Chair of the Board of Engage Nova Scotia. She is a public health specialist physician with 17 years' experience, having served as the former Medical Officer of Health for the Halifax area and Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health for Nova Scotia. She served as a member of the One Nova Scotia Coalition economic strategy table in Nova Scotia and was recently a member of the federal Task Force on Women in the Economy. Dr. Watson-Creed has an MD from Dalhousie University, an MSc from the University of Guelph, a BSc from the University of Prince Edward Island, and an honorary doctorate from Acadia University. She also sits as chair or member of several national population health councils and boards and is a passionate advocate for high-quality public health services in Canada.

Judy Pfeifer has held senior public affairs leadership positions across multiple sectors including the private, not-for-profit, and public sectors. Judy is a Chartered Director (C.Dir) from the DeGroote School of Business and is a past Professor at Seneca College.  She is a highly sought-after speaker on public engagement, stakeholder relations and communications. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Carleton University and a graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management from Seneca College.

Kelly has worked as a registered dietitian for over 18 years, focusing on community wellness.  Kelly is Kanyen’keha (Mohawk) and a proud mother of two energetic children.  A graduate of McGill University, she strives to use her experience and knowledge to support well-being within Indigenous communities.  Currently Kelly works with Six Nations Health Services as a team manager of health promotion; she previously worked for Toronto Public Health, Davenport Perth Community Health Centre and she continues to work with various Indigenous organizations.  Kelly is co-chair of the Nourish Indigenous and Allies Advisory, supporting work to increase access and availability of Indigenous foods within healthcare settings.  Kelly has presented and advocated to a variety of audiences speaking to how “food is a pathway towards reconciliation”, looking towards Indigenous food and food ways in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada’s calls to action. Kelly’s work focuses on acknowledging Indigenous knowledge and how it can be integrated into her everyday work, supporting community members on their journey towards their own wellness.

Sahba Fotovat is a co-founder and Director of Manufacturing at Riverside Natural Foods Ltd. In addition to her background in alternative medicine, Sahba has over 15 years' experience in the food processing industry. Sahba and her two siblings made the decision in 2013 to combine their expertise and launch a family-centric, purpose-driven company that would take health food manufacturing to the next level: Riverside Natural Foods Ltd. Under the label MadeGood Foods, they produce organic, gluten-free and top-eight-allergen-free snacks that don’t just taste good, they do good. Beyond their B Corp certification, Riverside Natural Foods is also a proud TRUE Zero Waste business (they divert a minimum of 90% of waste for reuse, recycling, composting and recovery for use in nature or the economy). Additionally, they support organic farmers and a range of community-based non-profits.