Our Board of Directors
- Deb Crawford Board Chair
- Stephanie Dries Vice Chair
- Geetu Pathak Vice Chair
- Susan Ruth Vice Chair
- Russ Weir Vice Chair
- Tina Furlan Board Member
- Angelo Ligori Board Member
- Chief Leela Thomas Board Member
- David Taylor Board Member
- Jessica Popieul
- Valerie Colasanti
Deb Crawford was born and raised in Toronto and moved to Chatham-Kent in 2001. She retired as Director of Education for the St. Clair Catholic District School Board in 2021 after serving as a teacher, vice principal, principal, superintendent, and director of the board. Ms. Crawford began her career in education in 1983 with the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from York University, a Bachelor and Master of Education from Brock University and The Ontario Directors of Education Leadership and Strategic Impact Certificate from Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Ms. Crawford served on the Executive and as President of the Ontario Catholic Supervisory Association (OCSOA), and on the Executive Board for the Council of Directors of Education (CODE). She has been active on national, provincial, and local committees and boards and was a member of the board of directors of the former Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).
Stephanie Dries is a resident of Chatham and holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. Stephanie has progressive career experience in a number of diverse roles including consulting, communications and corporate human resources.
Geetu Pathak is an area business owner and executive. She serves as CEO of Milo-FAIS and is Vice Chair of Ekagrata Inc. She has considerable experience in turn around management, business building and strategy consulting. Geetu has extensive governance experience and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Toronto International Film Festival, where she Chairs the Audit Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Ryerson University. Recently, Geetu completed her term as a member of the Board of TV Ontario where she was Chair of the Audit Committee. Geetu has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahemadabad and a B.Tech degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology.
Susan Ruth, a retired Pharmacist, has extensive experience as a health care executive and volunteer governor. She has over 30 years of successful experience in clinical and business management, operational and strategic development. She was recognized consistently for performance excellence and contributions to success in Health Care. Her strengths are strategic planning, risk management and quality control. Susan Ruth was a Member and Chair of Board of Directors of a not for profit Board managing McCormick Home and Wellspring London.
Russ Weir is a resident of Pain Court. He graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Batchelor of Mathematics. He is a CPA, CA. Currently Russ is the President of Weir Mediation Services helping families and businesses in Southern Ontario. He retired from BDO Canada LLP after 41 years of service. During that time, he was in charge of various offices and was the COO for 6 years. Russ has vast experience on Not-For-Profit Boards and was a board member of the Brant Community Health Alliance. Currently Russ is the Treasurer of the Chatham Kent Community Foundation
Tina Furlan is a seasoned executive and marketing strategist with over two decades of experience driving growth across highly competitive and regulated industries like telecom and Canadian distribution. She began her career at BlackBerry, managing global marketing and pioneering strategic partnerships. Later, she led a brand transformation at TekSavvy Solutions Inc., boosting subscribers by 400%, and held executive roles in rapidly growing sectors, overseeing licensing, compliance, and marketing. Currently, as Vice President of Marketing at TDL Gentek, she shapes go-to-market strategies and modernizes digital operations, solidifying the company’s leadership. Tina consistently delivers results through bold initiatives that accelerate growth and build strong relationships across multiple sectors.
Born in Italy, Angelo Ligori grew up in Leamington, where he met his high school sweetheart, Rosella, to whom he has now been married for 42 years. His early years were spent working on farms, picking just about every fruit and vegetable imaginable. Today, Angelo and Rosella live near their son, Daniel, who resides in Chatham. Outside of his professional life, Angelo is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a passion for gardening, biking, and kayaking, and he proudly completed the Boston Marathon in 2004.
Angelo brings 45 years of manufacturing and life experience to the table. After earning his engineering degree from the University of Western Ontario, his career led him through roles at Shell, BASF, and Greenfield Global, taking him to Sarnia, Edmonton, Cornwall, Mississauga, Tecumseh, and Pain Court. In 2005, he made Chatham his home when he stepped into the role of Plant Manager, overseeing 70 employees and managing a $50 million budget. Following his time in plant operations, Angelo continued serving as a business development advisor until his retirement this year.
He is deeply committed to the Chatham-Kent community. Over the years, he raised more than $100,000 for the United Way through the Harvest Run, spearheaded the development of the Thames River Trail, founded Angelo’s Gardens, and continues to give back as a spin instructor at the YMCA. As a lifelong learner and practical thinker, Angelo is eager to leverage his experience to make a positive difference in the community as a member of the CKHA Board.
Chief Leela Thomas has served as Chief of Walpole Island First Nation since 2024, providing strong leadership in governance, strategic planning, and community development. She brings extensive experience in financial management, including budgeting, auditing, and reporting, supported by a professional background in accounting and taxation. Over her career, she has held senior roles in employment and training, community care, and financial administration, and has worked with organizations such as the Canada Revenue Agency. Chief Thomas is recognized for building effective partnerships with provincial and federal governments, while advocating for Indigenous rights, infrastructure development, and cultural preservation. She has led community engagement efforts through public consultations and has overseen crisis response and organizational improvements to strengthen accountability and transparency. A committed community leader, she also contributes through volunteer work, mentorship, and ongoing professional development in leadership and career services.
David Taylor has an extensive background in law, currently serving as the Director of Legal Services for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. His career at the Municipality includes previous roles as Manager of Legal Services, Senior Legal Officer and Solicitor. Before joining the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, he worked as a Solicitor for Sanders Cline LLP. David earned a Bachelor of Political Science from the University of Ottawa in 2006, a Juris Doctor from Western University in 2009 and a Masters of Public Administration in 2017. David also contributes to academia as an Instructor in the Local Government Program at Western University.
David has held various governance roles, including Board Member for the Chatham-Kent Community Foundation and the Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre, and Treasurer and Board Member for Restorative Justice Chatham-Kent. He is an active member of the Kent Law Association and the Law Society of Ontario.
Valerie Colasanti has extensive executive leadership experience in municipal social services, community development, and public-sector governance across Southwestern Ontario. 