Governance

Lise Bourgeois has devoted her entire career to education. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in education, as well as a certificate as an education supervisory officer in Ontario. She has worked in school boards in Eastern Ontario, first at the CSDCEO and then at the CECCE, where she was Director of Education from 2003 to 2010.

From 2010 to 2024, she served as President and CEO of Collège La Cité, Ontario's largest Francophone applied arts and technology college. Under her leadership, the College pursued its vision that every student can succeed and is an important Francophone talent to be developed. Ms. Bourgeois established the means to grow La Cité to more than 7,000 students, including more than 2,000 international students, in state-of-the-art, cutting-edge facilities. She propelled the institution to become a national benchmark among the best Francophone institutions in the country. She has been able to chart new horizons and forge a path where innovation offers nothing less than excellence in Francophone education in Ontario.

Ms. Bourgeois has received numerous awards in recognition of her contribution to the Francophone community, including the Dirigeante de l'année dans le secteur parapublic award from the Regroupement des gens d'affaires (2006) and the Education Award at the Prescott-Russell Women's Gala (2007), and the ACFO Ottawa's Bernard-Grandmaître Award for her commitment, leadership and overall achievements within Ottawa's Francophone community (2019). She was also inducted into the ACFO Prescott-Russell's Ordre de la Francophonie (2019), was named a Chevalière de l'Ordre de La Pléiade (2024), and is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal and the Order of Ontario (2025), the province's highest civilian honour.

Originally from Kapuskasing, Ontario, Angèle Brunelle is a key figure in the province's northwestern Francophone community. A resident of Thunder Bay since 1978, she has distinguished herself through her ongoing commitment to equitable access to services in French, particularly in the health care sector.

For 27 years, Ms. Brunelle led Accueil francophone, a non-profit organization dedicated primarily to medical interpretation and the management of two programs funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health. Under her leadership, the organization grew significantly and became an essential pillar of the region's Francophone community.

A woman of vision and collaboration, she has served on numerous boards, including those of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, the Réseau du mieux-être francophone de Nord de l’Ontario, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario (AFO). She is currently Board Chair of Société Santé en français, continuing her strong commitment to advancing French-language health care in Canada.

Florence Ngenzebuhoro has worked in community health for over 25 years. She began her career in Canada at the Hamilton-Niagara Community Health Centre, where she held positions as community health worker, health promoter and program director. In this capacity, she established several programs and services, including health promotion and mental health programs, and oversaw primary health care.

Ms. Ngenzebuhoro served as President and CEO of the Centre francophone du Grand Toronto (CFGT) between 2017 and 2024.

She served on the executive committee of the Toronto West Health Team and oversaw primary health care and mental health care.

In the 2010s, Ms. Ngenzebuhoro was involved in the establishment of Entity 2. In 2018, she was a member of the board of directors of Entity 3.

Between 2007 and 2017, she worked with the Ontario government, where she coordinated access to French-language services for two ministries and managed funding for early childhood and mental health programs. Between 2022 and 2024, she served as a member of the French Language Health Services Advisory Council to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Long-Term Care.

With this knowledge, Ms. Ngenzebuhoro is well equipped to establish the new French Language Health Planning Centre. Ms. Ngenzebuhoro has been a member of the Order of Ontario since 2024.

Born and raised in Northeastern Ontario, Dawn Morissette is passionate about ensuring equitable access to health care for Northern residents. Bilingual and highly experienced in the health care sector, she has lived and worked in Alberta, Quebec and Ontario.

Ms. Morissette currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the West Nipissing General Hospital. Throughout her career, she has held a variety of leadership roles, including member of the Board of Governors of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), Chief Executive Officer of Chapleau Health Services, Business Professor at Sault College, Executive Director of the Huron Shores Family Health Team, Chief Executive Officer of a private health care organization, consultant, interim executive, Deputy Mayor of the City of Elliot Lake, physician recruiter and organizational development specialist. Drawing on her extensive experience across multiple areas of health care, she is particularly interested in advancing service integration and optimizing processes.

Ms. Morissette holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Arts (Leadership) from the University of Guelph. She has also completed the mediation program at the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution and AdvantAge Ontario’s Leadership Program for Long-Term Care Administrators.

Estelle Ah-Kiow is a Strategic Advisor at the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), where she works to help shape a better future for health care. She specializes in public policy, strategy and government relations.

Prior to joining the CMA, Estelle served as Senior Advisor to Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General. Her career has focused primarily on technology and regulatory policy, with roles at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the Task Force on the Review of the Employment Equity Act, the Ontario Ministry of Finance and Export Development Canada. She also worked at Amazon France’s headquarters in Paris.

Of Mauritian heritage and raised in Mississauga, Estelle is a proud Franco-Ontarian. Since 2014, she has served as a School Trustee with the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir. At the time of her first election, she was one of the youngest elected officials in Canada.

Passionate about the economic inclusion of women and Francophones, Estelle has appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women and has conducted academic research on the labour market integration of Francophone immigrants in Canada.

In recognition of her professional achievements and community involvement, Estelle was named a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum and was included on The Peak’s Emerging Leaders list, which highlights young leaders shaping Canada’s economy, culture and society.

Estelle graduated with High Distinction from the University of Toronto. She holds master’s degrees from Glendon School of Public and International Affairs and Sciences Po Strasbourg.

France Vaillancourt was born and raised in Hearst, Northern Ontario. She has served as Executive Director of the Hamilton Niagara Community Health Centre since September 2021, having previously held the position of Associate Executive Director from 2012 to 2017. During her four-year absence from the Community Health Centre, France served as Executive Director of the Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln Community Integration Centre.

Before transitioning to the non-profit sector, France worked for the Government of Ontario for 15 years in a variety of frontline and management roles. She began her career as a Probation and Parole Officer working with both adults and youth. She later joined the Ministry of the Attorney General, where she served as Program Supervisor for the Ontario Victim Services Secretariat before becoming Manager of the French-Language Professional Development Institute within the Office of the French Language Services Coordinator. Her final role with the provincial government was Area Manager at the Hamilton Centre Probation and Parole Office.

An experienced manager and community leader in Ontario, Idrine Matenda-Zambi brings more than a decade of expertise in strategic leadership, change management and inclusion. Following a successful progression through various leadership roles as a school principal with the Conseil scolaire catholique Providence, he currently serves as a Service Director. In this role, he helps shape institutional priorities aimed at fostering high-performing, equitable environments rooted in Francophone culture.

Deeply committed to governance and community well-being, Mr. Matenda-Zambi serves on the Hôtel-Dieu Advisory Committee, reflecting his dedication to ensuring equitable access to high-quality French-language health services. Recognized for his systems-thinking approach and collaborative leadership style, he brings to the Board of Directors extensive expertise in public-sector management and a strong voice in advancing the organization’s strategic priorities.

Kim Morris is the Executive Director of the Fédération des aîné·e·s et des retraité·e·s francophones de l’Ontario (FARFO) and brings more than 30 years of experience in governance, strategic planning and the management of public and community organizations. Deeply rooted in Northern Ontario, she currently serves as Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Sudbury. She has also served as Chair of the Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario and of the Board of Directors of the North East Community Care Access Centre, and as Vice-Chair of the North East Local Health Integration Network.

Her experience combines expertise in the community health sector, an in-depth understanding of Ontario public policy—gained in part through eight years with Ombudsman Ontario—and extensive fiduciary governance experience acquired through her work with Collège Boréal and the Municipality of Markstay-Warren. Holding a Master’s degree in Strategic Communications from McMaster University, she brings to the CPSSF a strong Franco-Ontarian regional perspective and a longstanding commitment to advancing and modernizing French-language health services.

Pascal Bessette is a strategic leader in human resources and organizational governance, with more than 25 years of experience in complex and highly regulated environments. He began his career at La Cité College as an Advisor in 2004 and subsequently held a series of progressively senior leadership positions within the organization. Over the years, he served as Manager, Director and Executive Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development before being appointed Vice-President, Human Resources and Organizational Culture in 2017.

Recognized for his sound judgment and strategic thinking, Pascal supports decision-making bodies in risk analysis and in ensuring alignment with legal and organizational requirements. He is known for his ability to combine strategic vision with operational excellence. He also possesses extensive expertise in province-wide collective bargaining, having chaired several employer bargaining teams since 2015. His leadership experience extends to project and change management, organizational development and human resources governance.

Pascal holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resources from the University of Sherbrooke and an MBA from the University of Ottawa. He has also been a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés (CRHA) since 1998.