From Mental Health Commission of CanadaThe Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is pleased to announce that the Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, confirmed Chuck Bruce, formerly MHCC’s Vice-Chair, will assume the role of Board Chair.
Mr. Bruce has been involved with the MHCC since the organization’s inception – first as a member, then Chair, of the Workforce Advisory Committee – and later as a member of the Advisory Council. Most notably, he lent his expertise to the development of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. A senior executive with experience in finance, operations and corporate governance, Mr. Bruce’s interest in mental health was piqued when he became aware of the economic impact of mental illness within Nova Scotia’s public service.
As he immersed himself in the subject, he realized the far-reaching implications of mental health problems and illnesses extend well beyond financial ramifications, and he became interested in championing the cause. Mr. Bruce was hand-picked by the MHCC’s late Board Chair, the Hon. Michael Wilson, to serve in the capacity of Vice-Chair, an experience Mr. Bruce describes the “honour of his professional career.”
Currently the inaugural CEO of Provident10 – the administrator of Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest public pension fund – and formerly the Chair of the Nova Scotia division of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Mr. Bruce brings a unique blend of business acumen and non-profit expertise.
He will be supported in his new role by Ms. Anne-Marie Hourigan, Chair of the MHCC’s Governance and Nominating Committee, who has officially accepted the position as Vice-Chair. A retired judge of the Ontario court of justice, Ms. Hourigan presided exclusively over criminal matters for 12 years. Prior to her appointment to the court, she practised criminal law in Toronto, both as a defence counsel and as a prosecutor for the attorney-general of Canada.
Over the course of her 30 years in the Canadian criminal justice system, Ms. Hourigan worked with thousands of people affected by mental illness and came to appreciate the direct and repeated correlation between the gaps in their mental health care and their appearance before the courts. She retired early from the bench to bring awareness to this issue.
Rounding out the new composition of the MHCC Board is Ms. Neilane Mayhew, the new provincial/territorial government representative, who serves as the deputy minister of the British Columbia Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.
The MHCC is fortunate to have strong and impassioned leaders at the Board level, and we look forward to working with them to shape our efforts to improve the mental health and wellness of Canadians.
Louise Bradley
President and CEO, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Contacts
Mental Health Commission of Canada, Media Relations
613.683.3748 / media@mentalhealthcommission.ca
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