Lisa Bell-Murray

Lisa Bell-Murray | Board Chair

Lisa, a CPA, CMA, is a Senior finance executive with over 30 years of gaming and lottery experience in the public sector, recently retiring from her role as the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.  In that role, Lisa was responsible for the company’s overall financial management and for multiple corporate functions including financial planning, controllership, procurement, finance strategy, systems and programs and corporate facility management.

She has experience in providing stewardship and advice to executives and other business partners, influencing corporate decisions and processes that support an accountability framework and regulatory legislation compliance. Lisa was the past Audit Committee Chair of the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation; the previous Chair of the Group Health Centre Audit Committee and held various Board roles with Algoma University. 

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and joined the SAH Board in 2015.

Mark Lepore

Mark Lepore | First Vice Chair

Mark is a lawyer practicing with Laidlaw Paciocco Dumanski Spadafora & Johnson LLP in Sault Ste. Marie.  His practice focuses on advising individual and institutional clients in areas of commercial law, municipal law, real estate and estate planning and administration.

Mark holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies from the University of Western Ontario.

He enjoys being an active member of the community through his experiences with many non-profit organizations. Mark is a proud member of the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie, as well as a member and Past President of the Algoma District Law Association.  Mark is also a member of the Board of Directors of Thrive Child Development Centre and currently serves as President of the Art Gallery of Algoma.

Armand Capisciolto

Armand Capisciolto | Second Vice Chair

Armand is the Canadian Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) Chair, leading the development of accounting standards for use by all Canadian entities outside the public sector. An active participant in Canadian standard setting, Armand has chaired and been a member of several Canadian financial reporting and assurance standard-setting committees in both the private and public sector areas.

Prior to chairing the AcSB, Armand was BDO Canada LLP’s National Accounting Standards Partner. He provided leadership to BDO on all matters related to accounting standards and financial reporting and leads BDO’s Accounting Advisory practice.

Armand’s previous community involvement includes being a Former Member of the Board of Directors of the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation.

Ila Watson

Ila Watson | President and Chief Executive Officer

Prior to joining Sault Area Hospital, Ila had a successful 20-year career in various leadership roles in the Ontario Public Service in Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto. 

Ila’s Ontario Public Service experience comprised leadership roles, including Director Enterprise Recruitment, Ontario Ministry of Government Services and Director Human Resources, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

Ila joined SAH in 2009 as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Ila’s portfolio included leadership of Strategic Planning, Communications, Transformation, Enterprise Risk and Volunteer Resources.  Throughout her time at SAH, Ila has been a valuable member of a number of initiatives, including the team responsible for the development of the new hospital and the executive lead for strategic planning and building SAH’s iCcare way.

Some accomplishments she is most proud of include SAH’s new vision – Trusted Partner. Outstanding Care. and ensuring SAH’s commitment to involving Patient and Family Advisors in key hospital decisions.

Dedicated to service, Ila has been a member of various boards, including the Superior Family Health Team and the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. Ila currently serves on both PUC Inc. and PUC Services boards.   Ila is the Co-Chair of the Canadian College of Health Leaders’ Chapter Advisor Council and Chair of its NEON Lights Chapter. Ila holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University in Industrial Relations.

Dr. John Heintzman | Chief of Staff

Dr. John Heintzman was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He was a Sir James Dunn scholarship recipient upon graduating from the former Bawating High School (now Superior Heights). He completed his undergraduate studies in Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo. He then studied medicine at Queen’s University, where he developed an interest in Child Psychiatry.

Dr. Heintzman accepted a psychiatric residency position at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and completed adult training, followed by a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship position. He accepted his first position in 1998 as a Child Psychiatrist in Warren, Pennsylvania.

In October of 2002, Dr. Heintzman returned to Canada and began a career with Grand River Hospital as Medical Director of Child Psychiatry Services. Since 2004, he has served as the Chief of Psychiatry and Medical Director of the Mental Health and Addictions Program, and he also worked as the deputy chief of staff from 2017-2023.  Dr. Heintzman also worked for many years as a consulting psychiatrist for student health services at the University of Waterloo, served as the psychiatry chief at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, and was the physician lead for Waterloo Wellington Canadian Mental Health Association.

Dr. Heintzman is committed to building collaborative partnerships both within SAH and the community at large.

Sue Roger | Vice President & Chief Nursing Executive

Sue began at SAH in August 2016 as the Director, Clinical Programs, Rehabilitation, Complex Continuing Care and Geriatrics.  She has been the operational lead for such corporate initiatives as Senior Friendly, Trillium Gift of Life and ALC. 

In 2018, as Senior Director of Clinical Program Development, Sue’s responsibilities expanded to include working with leaders to accelerate our progress on program goals and to advance operational plans.  At that time, the Critical Care and Cardiology portfolios were added to Sue’s responsibilities.  Sue is a Registered Nurse with a Master’s in Quality Assurance from the University of Leeds, England; past President of the Nursing Leadership Network of Ontario (NLN.ON);  and has held an appointment with the College of Nurses Discipline Committee. 

With a background built on operational planning,  health care innovation and patient-centred approaches to change, Sue has developed over 25 years’ experience improving the quality of care and service for patients and quality of work-life for her teams.

Dr. Russell Tull | President Medical Staff Association

Dr. Russell Tull is a highly experienced Family Physician with a career spanning 17 years. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University and subsequently pursued his passion for healthcare by obtaining a Doctor of Medicine from the University of British Columbia. Dr. Tull solidified his expertise through a rigorous Family Medicine residency program at the University of Alberta, earning him Board Certification from the Canadian College of Family Physicians.

Currently, Dr. Tull is pursuing further knowledge in healthcare administration with a focus on Health Informatics and Information Management. He is enrolled in the Master of Health Administration program at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina.

Dr. Tull’s diverse career has seen him contribute significantly to healthcare in various capacities. He began his journey in Edmonton, Alberta, practicing as a Family Physician in both solo and group settings. His commitment to serving the community extended to roles as a hospitalist, urgent care physician, and civilian physician at the Canadian Forces Base Edmonton.

Relocating to Sault Ste Marie in 2010, Dr. Tull continued his dedicated service at the Group Health Centre. His responsibilities included family medicine, urgent care, and hospital medicine. Notably, he played a crucial role on the ADMG board as the Department Head of Family Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Tull took on the role of Physician Champion IT Co-Lead for the implementation and support of the EPIC Electronic Medical Record system.

Following a previous transition to solo Family Practice, Dr. Tull has recently embraced the role of a full-time hospitalist at the Sault Area Hospital. In his current capacity, he is poised to continue making a significant impact on patient care and hospital operations.

Dr. Tull has recently assumed the position of Medical Staff President, where he advocates for fair treatment of Medical Staff Physicians. In this role, he maintains direct involvement with the Hospital Senior Leadership Team, ensuring effective communication and collaboration. Furthermore, he informs the Sault Area Hospital Board of Directors about Medical Staff concerns, contributing to the overall improvement of healthcare delivery.

DR. SHARP

Dr. Lorraine Sharp | Vice President Medical Staff Association

Dr. Lorraine Sharp is a family physician and Care of the Elderly specialist who trained at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. She has practiced primary care and hospitalist medicine in Sault Ste. Marie since 2011. Her passions include geriatric medicine and advanced care planning, as well as social media advocacy for mental health awareness. During her off-hours, you can find her playing with the kids and dog, reading murder-mysteries, or listening to podcasts. She never passes up a chance to thrift shop or plan a Disney vacation. 

Lori Bertrand

Lori Bertrand

Lori was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie.

After obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Laurentian University in 1987, she returned to the city and joined the SAH team.  For 32 years, Lori worked in a variety of roles at the hospital including clinical care provider, Clinical Educator, Clinical Informatics, Professional Practice Specialist and various Management roles.  Lori served on the SAH Board during her time as Interim Chief Nursing Officer. 

Lori transitioned into the education field in 2019, joining the Health Programs team at Sault College where she currently works as a Professor of Nursing.

Lori has board experience with the charitable / non-profit sector of the community, serving as a Director with the Sault Ste. Marie YMCA for 7 years, and more recently, the Soo Curlers’ Association.

Mia Carella

Mia Carella

Originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Mia practices law as an Associate Lawyer at Wishart Law Firm LLP. Mia’s practice focuses mainly on municipal law and litigation as well as other areas. In addition to her law degree, Mia holds an Honours Degree in Sociology, a Certificate in Human Resources Practices and a Certificate of Training in Facilitative Mediation.

In law school, Mia was a member of Amnesty International where she was involved in bringing awareness to human rights. She was also a member of the Italian Law Society where she was able to enjoy the celebration of her culture and continues to do so today by being a member of the Elettra Marconi Society.

In addition, Mia gives back to her community in a variety of ways including becoming a Member of the Board of Directors for the Algoma District Law Association. Prior to becoming a Director with the Sault Area Hospital Board of Directors, Mia was a Community Member with the Board and spent time on both the Quality and Services and Resource Committees.

Theresa Cassan

Theresa Cassan

Theresa was born and raised in the Sault area and returned to the Sault to work after completing her Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree.  She is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and worked in public accounting at Grant Thornton for 17 years where she achieved the role of Principal of the Sault Office.  She gained extensive experience in accounting, audit and tax, servicing a variety of different public, not for profit and private sector businesses.

Theresa worked in the financial services sector for 9 years before moving to her current role as Director of Tax & Treasury at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.  She has also dedicated much of her spare time to serving the community on various Boards and Committees.  She is the current Board Chair of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, member of the Group Health Centre Audit Committee and past Board member of the Group Health Centre for 11 years.  She has also served on the Sault College Business Advisory Committee since 2010.  Her community service resulted in a nomination for the Athena Award for Women in Leadership in 2018.

In her spare time Theresa enjoys spending time at her property at Pancake Bay, spending time with her family and she enjoys photography. She has attained Black Belt apprentice status in Kuk Sool Won at Pinder Family Martial Arts Centre where she also volunteered her time to train young students.

Erich Isopp

Erich Isopp

Born in Edmonton, raised in Toronto, and followed by 10 years in Vancouver, Erich moved to Sault Ste. Marie 5 years ago, after his wife (now of 10 years) was recruited to provide Autism support to the Algoma district. He is of Métis heritage, and his great-grandmother was a residential school survivor.   

Erich has worked at TELUS for the past 15 years, as a Business Analyst and Consultant, providing analytical thought leadership to process improvement and large scale efficiency programs, as well as leading and managing cross functional business transformation programs. Since November 2020, Erich has worked for TELUS Health, where he has focused on improving customer retention and improving the end-to-end patient experience for the TELUS MyCare service.  

Erich holds an undergraduate business degree from the University of Western Ontario, and a Master of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business, where he authored a business case, and graduated with distinction as a dean’s list member.  

Outside of work, Erich has served as the Treasurer of the Mole Hill Housing Society, in Vancouver, BC, and has volunteered to coach various youth soccer, hockey & baseball teams. He also keeps very busy as the father to a 7-year-old son, and an 18-month old daughter. He is a huge Toronto Raptors fan.  

Frank Kennedy

Frank retired from the Ontario Public Service as the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Science and Information Resources Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources. He has over thirty-five years of experience in science, resource management, land use and forestry planning and environmental assessment. He has served as Chairperson for several provincial and national committees.

After serving for eighteen years on the Board of Directors of the Anishinabek/Ontario Fisheries Resource Centre, Frank recently retired from the role of Treasurer.

Frank has a Bachelor of Forestry from Lakehead University. He is also a retired Registered Professional Forester and a member of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association.

Tim Lavoie

Tim is Vice President, Corporate Services & Indigenous Relations, and Corporate Secretary of FortisOntario, overseeing Human Resources, Information Technology, Business Development, Legal, Indigenous Relations, and acts as Board Secretary.

He is a leader in managing complex and diverse relationships in the Wataynikaneyap Transmission Power Project ($2.02 billion). Achievements include close confidant to First Nations’ leadership, pioneer of Rural and Remote Rate Protection, experience in approval of various Ontario Energy Board applications including large construction projects, and rates, as well as experience in business development, and governance. He is an instrumental executive team member for Wataynikaneyap Power Transmission Project (business, regulatory, First Nation relationships).

Tim has held several leadership roles and has extensive experience in the utility sector. Prior to his appointment to his current role, he held the positions of Regional Manager & Director of Northern Development for Algoma Power, FortisOntario, and various senior management roles at Great Lakes Power.

He sits on the Board of Canadian Niagara Power Inc., Cornwall Street Railway, Light and Power Company Limited, Algoma Power Inc., and Westario Power Inc. He is community focused and formerly served as Chair of the Algoma University Board of Governors. 

Johanne Messier-Mann

Johanne Messier-Mann

Johanne joined our hospital team in 1978. She has forty years of experience in the health care field working in various clinical and management roles, which include: Registered Nurse, Teaching Master of the Sault College Diploma Nursing Program, Manager and Director of various SAH departments and culminating in her role as the SAH Chief Nursing Officer.

Johanne went on to gain additional experience in another health care sector as the Administrator of a Long Term Care Facility from which she retired. Her academic preparation includes a Nursing Diploma, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, a Masters in Education, a Masters in Business Administration, a certificate in Catholic Leadership. Johanne is a Certified Health Executive and is very active on the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) including serving as Chair of the Canadian CCHL Quality Committee.  

Johanne is bilingual, has been involved with several local and provincial organizations and has published one article on the Dynamics of Long Term Care.

Joe Santa Maria

Joe Santa Maria

Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Joe is very proud to have worked at the Algoma District School Board for the past 25 years and for the past 12 years as the Executive Superintendent of Business and Operations.  He has supported the vision of the Board of Trustees and the organization as a whole through many continuous risk management and corporate governance strategies. 

Joe is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and has his Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Ottawa.  His portfolio has led to strategic leadership experiences in many organizational responsibilities in Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Information Technology, Plant and Corporate Services.  Joe also enjoyed serving on the Board of the John Howard Society for 8 years and coaching minor hockey for over 13 years.

He prides himself on the many personal and professional relationships he has been fortunate to be a part of and learn from over the years.  Joe looks forward to working with the SAH Board and Senior team to give back by contributing where he can and continuing to learn.  

Joe Tom Sayers – KananaTaywapit

A lifelong member of and hereditary keeper for the Anishenabe people, Joe Tom brings a wealth of indigenous traditional and academic knowledge to SAH.  Along with his Masters of Public Administration and part time pursuit of a PhD in Social and Political Thought, he has also worked with residential school survivors for decades in restoring cultural practices and traditional thought to Indigenous communities across the country. More recently, Joe Tom manages several social enterprises with the Missanabie Cree Business Corporation such as affordable housing and crisis response.

Sherri Smith

Sherri is the Vice President of Academics, Innovation, and Student Services at Sault College She was born in Sault Ste. Marie and raised in southern Ontario. With 17 years of dedicated service at Sault College, Sherri has consistently demonstrated strong leadership and a commitment to student-centred education.

Sherri holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in history from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She is deeply committed to inclusivity and celebrates the richness of human diversity. 

In addition to her professional achievements, Sherri is grateful for opportunities to serve the community. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Thrive Children’s Development Centre and was also the Chair. Sherri looks forward to continuing her community involvement on the SAH Board and values the growth and lessons from these meaningful experiences.

David Zuccato

David has worked for over 40 years in the public sector and for thirty-five years with the Ontario Government in the Ministries of Community and Social Services and Children’s and Youth Services.

He has held several progressive senior leadership positions in social service administration throughout Northern Ontario. David retired as the Assistant Deputy Minister of the operations division within the Ministry of Community and Social services.

David has had extensive leadership experience in the planning, implementation, and management of provincial government priorities and programs. He has also held senior leadership positions in project, and risk management.

Since his retirement David has operated his own consulting business specializing in organizational review, change management planning and executive coaching.

David received an Honours Bachelor of Social Work, from Laurentian University. He also attended executive career development through the Niagara Institute and Queen’s University, School of Business.

David also has governance experience having sat as volunteer on the Board of Governors Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology, the Water Commission and the Power Distribution Board at the Public Utilities. 

Community Members

Community members are an integral voice on the committees of the Board and they are our future members of the Board of Directors:

Diana Caputo

Diana Caputo

Diana, a CPA, CA joined as a Community Member in June 2020 and holds a Bachelors degree in Accounting from Algoma University.  Diana has over 20 years of experience in various accounting and finance roles within the community of Sault Ste Marie. Diana is currently Vice President, Controller at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation where she is accountable for oversight of such finance areas as Accounting, Taxation, Accounts Payable, Treasury and External Reporting. Diana previously was Treasurer for Women in Crisis (Algoma) and Youth Hope for Schools.

Emily Cormier

Emily is a bilingual business and sustainability professional with over a decade of experience, in the Canadian private, public and non-profit sector. She is currently employed at the City of Sault Ste. Marie where she leads sustainability initiatives across the organization. Emily is also a part-time Professor at Sault College in their School of Natural Environment.

Emily has held positions in the energy and natural resource space as a Program Manager for QUEST Canada in New Brunswick and has also worked on large scale energy conservation and demand management projects in Northwestern Ontario for Synergy North. She also developed the Wawa Municipal Energy Plan which received the 2017 Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) Community Project of the Year award.

Emily has experience in planning and operations for Forest Resource Inventory projects across Ontario, and has worked for the Federal Government in Ottawa. Emily holds an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in International Development and Globalization from the University of Ottawa and a Master’s in International Business from Hult International Business School in San Francisco, California. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Emily is passionate about giving back to her community. Since 2021, she has served on the board of the Algoma Community Legal Clinic. Emily is also a Board Member on StepUp, a volunteer run non-profit that focusses on advancing gender, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Canadian energy space. She has volunteered in the past as the Advocacy and Community Outreach Officer on the Sault Ste. Marie Strive Young Professionals Group, and with the United Way of Thunder Bay. 

J. Naccarato

Jason Naccarato

Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Jason is a project manager who specializes in leveraging opportunities and managing initiatives related to finance, engineering, stakeholder engagement, and market development activities. Jason utilizes his experience to assist his team in the areas of economic development and strategy.

He is a focused and driven individual who is results-orientated. Prior to starting Northstar Consulting, Jason was the Vice President of Development at the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) where he focused on economic development in the city of Sault Ste. Marie. During his tenure at SSMIC, he was also the CEO of Algoma Games for Health. Jason is also the CEO of Northern Advancement Capital which is a real estate development firm. He currently owns and manages 50 residential units and over 85,000 square feet of commercial real estate space in Sault Ste. Marie.

In the past, Jason has held positions with Magna International as an Advanced Purchasing and Business Development team leader, Nissan North America as a Senior Program Controller in Cost Economics, Nissan Technical Centre North America as a Development Engineer, and with Siemens VDO as Test Engineer.

Jason was awarded an Honors Bachelor of Engineering Science in Mechanical/Materials Engineering from the University of Western Ontario. He holds an MBA from Wayne State University and was awarded his Project Management Professional (PMP) designation. Jason has also taught project management at Sault College.

Jason has also served as a Director and/or Executive on numerous community-based Boards and Committees including: Vice Chair, Sault College Board of Governors, Director, Ontario Sustainable Energy Alliance (OSEA), and Past President, Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Jane Omollo

Jane is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager at Algoma University, a role she has held since 2020. Before joining Algoma University, Jane was the Manager of Newcomer Programs at the Sault Community Information and Career Centre.

Jane is a dedicated community leader with extensive experience promoting inclusion and equity for underserved groups. She has worked in diverse environments, advocating for equity within organizations and communities.

In addition to her role at Algoma University, Jane is a member of the Board of Directors of Algoma Family Services and serves as the director of the ACCANO Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians Program, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. As a community builder, she is the founding president emeritus of the African Caribbean Association of Northern Ontario (ACCANO). Jane has also contributed to various boards, including the City of Sault Ste. Marie Cultural Vitality Committee, Refugee705, the Local Immigration Partnership, and the Rural Northern Immigration Partnership Endorsement Committee.

Jane’s dedication has been recognized through numerous awards, including the 2023 Brock University Faculty of Education Distinguished Graduate Award, the 2023 BlackNorth Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2023 ACCANO Leadership Service Award, the 2022 Athena Leadership Award, the 2018 Honda Community Newcomer Ambassador Award, the 2017 Business and Professional Women’s Club of Sault Ste. Marie International Women’s Day Honoree, and the Great Lakes Honda Community Driven Passport to Unity Award.