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.