About the Board of Directors

Next Board Meetings 


December 9-10, 2024
Meeting Materials

Livestream Day 1
Livestream Day 2

March 24-25, 2025

June 23-24, 2025

For more information contact:
cokelly@collegept.org

Unless otherwise noted,
Board meetings are held at
375 University Avenue,
Suite 800, Toronto.

Board meetings will be livestreamed, but recordings will not be available afterward.

The Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) gives health care consumers a strong voice in health care regulation by requiring an equitable balance of public appointees and elected professionals and academics on all College Boards.

The Board of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario is the governing body for more than 11,000 physiotherapists practicing in Ontario. It is made up of eight elected physiotherapists from regions across the province, two academic representatives and seven members of the public appointed by the government.

Directors are responsible for ensuring the protection of the public interest and improving the quality of physiotherapists' care in the province. Directors are involved in establishing policies to ensure College operations reflect corporate goals and safeguard the organization’s assets.

In addition to attending four Board meetings each year, Directors serve on at least one statutory Committee.

Board meetings are open to the public. Meetings address a broad spectrum of issues important to the provision of high quality physiotherapy services and develop policies to guide the profession.

Board Minutes and Meeting Materials

Board Highlights
 

Meet the Board

Nitin Madhvani College Council Member

Nitin Madhvani

Public Director

Nitin Madhvani

Chair
boardchair@collegept.org

Nitin Madhvani (he/him) has served the public interest for 15 years through various roles in the health care, mass transit and utilities sectors in Ontario and British Columbia. He is currently an Account Executive with Salesforce, helping hospitals and health systems transform how they manage relationships with patients. Nitin is a graduate of the Ivey Business School at Western University.

Katie Schulz

Katie Schulz  

Vice-Chair

Central Western

Read Bio

Katie Schulz

Central Western

Katie Schulz (she/her), PT has worked in acute care for the past 13 years. She currently works for Hamilton Health Sciences and as sessional faculty at McMaster University in the MScPT program.

Carole Baxter - Public Council Member

Carole Baxter

Public Director

Read Bio

Carole Baxter

Public Director
 
Carole Baxter (she/her) manages fundraising and program development for a charity that assists financially disadvantaged children and families. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto and began her career in academic research.


Frank DePalma Board Director

Frank DePalma

Toronto West

Read Bio

Frank DePalma

Toronto West
 
Frank DePalma (he/him), PT has worked as a Physiotherapist for 29 years in the hospital setting. He started his career as an in-patient physiotherapist at the former York-Finch General Hospital and now specializes in outpatient orthopedics at the Toronto Western Hospital. Frank has served as a Clinical Practice Leader for the past 10 years.


Final Sinead

Sinéad Dufour 

Academic Director (McMaster University) 

Read Bio

Sinéad Dufour 

Academic Director (McMaster University) 
 
Sinéad Dufour (she/her) is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Health Science at McMaster University. She teaches and conducts research in the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Rehabilitation Science. Sinéad stays current as a pelvic health physiotherapist. 


Jesse Finn - College Council Member

Jesse Finn

Public Director

Read Bio

Jesse Finn

Public Director

Jesse Finn (he/him) is a communications expert who has served leading Canadian companies and CEOs with executive communications and public relations campaigns. He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, the Canadian Forces College Foundation, and the NATO Association of Canada.

Mark Heller, Council Member College of Physiotherapists of Ontario

Mark Heller

Public Director

Read Bio

Mark Heller

Public Director

Mark Heller (he/him) has over 30 years experience in the healthcare field, including as a provincial executive with Alberta Health Services. His expertise is in health facilities operations, and he is recognized as a subject-matter expert in the areas of Environmental Hygiene and Infection Prevention and Control. Mark has a degree in Business and Marketing from Queen’s University and previously served as a Council President for the College of Homeopaths of Ontario.

 
columns

Trisha Lawson

Academic Director (Queen's University)

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Trisha Lawson

Academic Director (Queen's University)

Bio available soon.

Frank Massey Council Member College of Physiotherapists of Ontario

Frank Massey

Public Director

Read Bio

Frank Massey

Public Director

Frank Massey (he/him) works in Enterprise Risk Management & Emerging Technology with experience in Western Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Frank has worked for American Express, CIBC, Citigroup, and Riyad Bank, where he built a risk management department and led regulatory governance programs. He has a background in computer science, an MBA in finance and has completed the Directors Education Program at the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Kate Moffett Board Director

Kate Moffett

Toronto East

Read Bio

Kate Moffett

Toronto East

Kate Moffett (she/her) is a physiotherapist and clinic director who works in outpatient, sports medicine settings providing musculoskeletal, vestibular, and cardiorespiratory treatment with a neurofunctional approach. She has a background in theatre and dance and is excited to serve the public in her first term with the College.

Sharee Mandel

Dennis Ng

Central Eastern

Read Bio

Dennis Ng

Central Eastern

Dennis Ng (he/him), PT, has been practicing physiotherapy for over 20 years in an outpatient setting. He previously served as a Council member with the College for nine years. Dennis speaks English and Cantonese fluently.  

richard-obrien

Richard O'Brien

Public Director

Read Bio

Richard O'Brien

Public Director

Richard O'Brien (he/him) has been involved in the housing industry and successfully helped many Ontarians achieve home ownership as a Broker of real estate and mortgage financing. Richard's social interests include helping members of the community by volunteering with local food banks. 

Kirsten Pavelich Board Director

Kirsten Pavelich

Northern

Read Bio

Kirsten Pavelich

Northern

Kirsten Pavelich (she/her), PT, is a consultant in healthcare education and collaborative practice, and an assistant professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. She has clinical experience in a variety of settings in both public and private sectors. She has previously worked with the College as a Practice Advisor and a Practice Enhancement Coach. 

Gary Rehan

Gary Rehan

Eastern

Read Bio

Gary Rehan

Eastern
 
Gary Rehan (he/him), PT, works for the Department of National Defence and specializes in musculoskeletal physiotherapy and sports medicine. Gary is an experienced Council member who previously served as Council President, Vice-President and Chair of the Executive Committee. 


Theresa Stevens

Theresa Stevens

South Western

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Theresa Stevens

South Western

Theresa Stevens (she/her), PT, has over 30 years of experience as a clinician and operations manager in both the public and private sectors. She has also worked with the College for the last 17 years in a variety of roles, including Chair of the Quality Assurance Committee, a member of the Quality Assurance Working Group and a member of the Executive, Finance and Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committees.

Maureen_Vanwart_HR

Maureen Vanwart

Central

Read Bio

Maureen Vanwart 

Central 

Maureen Vanwart (she/her) is a physiotherapist with 30 years of clinical experience, specializing in orthopedics. She is a long-serving PT at Brampton Civic Hospital. 

Christopher Warren, Public Member

Christopher Warren

Public Director

Read Bio

Christopher Warren

Public Director
 
Christopher Warren (he/him) is an experienced non-profit executive, public affairs professional, and governance board member. He is currently the Executive Director of Sustainability Leadership, and previously served as Director, Government and Community Relations at Brock University, senior policy and stakeholder relations advisor to Ontario’s Ministers of Energy, Infrastructure, and Colleges and Universities, and as a Member of Provincial Parliament. Christopher is a passionate advocate for non-profit community organizations.

 


College Committees

In addition to the Board, the College has statutory and non-statutory Committees as described in the legislation. Committees include Board Directors and Committee members.

Executive Committee

Nitin Madhvani, Chair
Katie Schulz, Vice-Chair
Carole Baxter
Theresa Stevens
Gary Rehan 

Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC)

Gary Rehan, Chair 
Greg Heikoop, Vice-Chair
Carole Baxter
Diana Hatzoglou
Christine Morris-Bolton
Tammy Morrisey 
Katie Schulz
Theresa Stevens
Christopher Warren 

Discipline and Fitness to Practise Committee 

James Wernham, Chair 
Angelo Karalekas, Vice-Chair
Carole Baxter
Frank DePalma
Sinéad Dufour 
Jesse Finn
Nicole Graham
Sue Grebe 
Mark Heller
Theresa Kay
Trisha Lawson
Frank Massey
Kate Moffett
Daniel Negro
Dennis Ng
Richard O’Brien 
Kirsten Pavelich
Gary Rehan 
Richa Rehan
Katie Schulz
Theresa Stevens
Maureen Vanwart 
Christopher Warren

Quality Assurance Committee

Antoinette Megens, Chair
Richard O’Brien, Vice-Chair 
Dennis Ng
Halak Patel
Maureen Vanwart  

Registration Committee

Juliana De Castro, Chair 
Sinéad Dufour, Vice-Chair
Jesse Finn
Yee Mei Mavis Fung
Frank Massey
Einat Mei-Dan 

Patient Relations Committee

Anna Grunin, Chair
Kim Westfall-Conner, Vice-Chair 
Einat Mei-Dan
 

Risk, Audit & Finance Committee (Non-Statutory)

Nitin Madhvani, Board Chair
Katie Schulz, Board Vice-Chair
Frank Massey, Committee Chair
Gary Rehan, Committee Vice-Chair
Kate Moffett

 

Examinations Committee (Non-Statutory)

Alireza Mazaheri, Vice Chair
Hari Gopalakrishnan Nair, Chair
Lea Damata 
Enoch Ho
Greg Pope

 

Provincial Alliance Representative

Anita Ashton

Committee Descriptions

The Board of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario makes decisions and establishes by-laws, Standards and programs that serve the public interest and support its statutory responsibilities and mandate. In addition to the Board, the College has statutory and non-statutory Committees as described in the legislation. Committees include Board Directors and non-Board Committee members.


Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee 

The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee, often called the ICRC, is the statutory Committee that reviews concerns that come to the College about physiotherapists. These concerns come from the public (patients and families), other physiotherapists, other health care professionals or a facility. Concerns can come in the form of complaints, mandatory reports (duty to report incidents) or other information that prompts the Registrar/CEO to launch an inquiry.

The Committee screens and reviews information about the concerns and decides whether any action should be taken related to concerns (allegations) that a physiotherapist committed an act of professional misconduct or is incompetent. Sometimes the Committee may have to consider whether a physiotherapist’s health is affecting their ability to practice safely and competently.

The Committee can make a number of different decisions, all of which are outlined in the Health Professions Procedural Code, Schedule 2 of the Regulated Health Professions Act.

See the Committee's Decision Making Flowchart
 

Member Commitment

The Committee meets about nine times a year for full-day meetings that are held at the College office in Toronto. On occasion, meetings may be held by teleconference. Committee members typically require a half to a full day to prepare for each of these meetings. Members are compensated for meeting and preparation time and additional expenses.

The ICRC is made up of six members and includes physiotherapists and a member of the public.


Discipline Committee

The Discipline Committee is the statutory Committee that holds public hearings during which they consider serious allegations regarding a physiotherapist’s practice. Cases are referred to the Discipline Committee by the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC).

Discipline hearings are legal proceedings open to the public. The results are in most cases made available on the College’s website and the online Public Register.

Discipline Committee Rules of Procedure

Member Commitment

It is challenging to estimate how many hearings there will be each year and how long each hearing will last. In the past, the College has held two to four Discipline hearings per year and hearings can be one day in length or span over many days.

This statutory Committee is made up of 10 members and includes physiotherapists and members of the public. A panel of no more than five members of the Committee hears each case.

Discipline hearings are held at the College office in Toronto.


Fitness to Practise Committee

The Fitness to Practise Committee’s role is to hold hearings related to specific allegations about a physiotherapist’s capacity to practice. This means that a physiotherapist may be too sick to practice safely and the public is at risk.

A health inquiry panel will obtain information about this matter and if, at the conclusion of their inquiries they believe that a physiotherapist may be incapacitated (suffering from a physical or mental condition that makes it necessary that the physiotherapist’s certificate of registration be subject to terms, conditions or limitations or that the physiotherapist no longer be permitted to practice to protect the public), the panel can refer the physiotherapist to the Fitness to Practise Committee for a hearing.

Fitness to Practise hearings are legal proceedings. Unlike Discipline hearings, Fitness to Practise hearings are closed to the public because of the sensitive nature of the information disclosed.

Member Commitment

It is difficult to estimate the number of hearings that will take place in a year and the amount of time required for each. Fitness to Practise hearings are quite rare. The College has only held two such hearings in its history.  

This statutory Committee consists of 10 members and includes physiotherapists and members of the public.


Registration Committee

Applications that come to the College that may not meet registration requirements are referred on to the Registration Committee. The Committee must decide whether to issue registration in these cases. This  statutory committee also monitors entry to practice issues in the provincial, national and international environments and raises important issues to the Board.

The Committee makes decisions based on a number of factors. The Good Character & Reputation Decision-Making Guidelines is one of the factors considered. 

Member Commitment

The Registration Committee meets eight to nine times per year for one to two hour meetings generally held by teleconference. There is at least one in-person, full-day meeting held at the Toronto offices.  Preparation time for these meeting is generally one to two hours for each meeting. Council members are compensated for both meeting and preparation time. 

The Registration Committee is made up of one professional Board Director, two Public Board Directors, one Academic Board Director and one member who is a physiotherapist registered with the College. 

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee’s role is to provide leadership to the Board, promote governance excellence and facilitate the effective functioning of the College. In certain circumstances, the Executive Committee can act on behalf of the Board regarding matters that require immediate attention between Board meetings.

Member Commitment

This statutory Committee meets about four times a year, for full-day meetings that are held at the College’s offices in Toronto and on occasionally by teleconference. Each meeting requires one day of preparation.

The Committee is made up of five members who include the Board Chair (who automatically becomes the Committee Chair), the Board Vice-Chair, up to two Public Board Directors and up to three Professional Board Directors.


Quality Assurance Committee

The Quality Assurance Committee’s role is to develop, implement and administer the Quality Assurance program. This statutory Committee supports physiotherapists in continually improving their skills and knowledge.

Member Commitment

The Quality Assurance Committee is made up of two Professional Board Directors, two public Public Board Directors and two other Committee members.

The Committee usually meets four to six times a year for full-day meetings at the College office in Toronto. On occasion they meet by teleconference. Each meeting requires between a half-day and a full day of preparation time. Committee members are compensated for their meeting and preparation time. 


Patient Relations Committee

The role of the Patient Relations Committee is to advise the Board with respect to the patient relations program and to administer the program to provide funding for therapy and counseling.

Member Commitment

The statutory Committee meets only if there is an application for funding or if there is a special project. The Committee is made up of two Professional Board Directors, one Public Board Director and one member who is a physiotherapist registered with the College.


Risk, Audit and Finance Committee (Non-Statutory)
 

The Risk, Audit and Finance Committee is responsible for providing oversight of the College’s finances and enterprise risk management. This non-statutory Committee meets with the auditors about the audit plan, to review the quarterly and annual audited financial statements, to review the annual budget, to assess the performance of the external auditors, to make recommendations about finances to the Board, and to review the College’s enterprise risk management plans and risk registers.

Member Commitment

The Committee generally meets quarterly for a short teleconference with additional meetings related to the audit and budget. Preparation is about one hour per meeting. The only meeting held at the College office in Toronto is the half-day for budget review in January. 

The Committee is made up of at least one Professional Board Director and two Public Board Directors.

Interested in Becoming a Director?

 The College's Board and Committees are made up of eight elected physiotherapists from regions across the province, two academic representatives selected by their peers and seven members of the public appointed by the Government of Ontario. Physiotherapists on the Board are nominated and elected by their peers to serve a three-year term.

About the Election Process