Richard Spadafora is a Senior Manager, Tax at KPMG in Sudbury, having joined the company in 2005. Richard holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from Laurentian University and received his designation as a Certified General Accountant in March 2007 and as a Chartered Accountant in November 2007. Having witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by families who are required to seek treatment outside of Northern Ontario, he is passionate about ensuring that children from Northeastern Ontario have access to quality healthcare in the North. Richard is also actively involved in coaching in local minor hockey and soccer.

Matthew is a partner with Stratum Advisory Group Inc., a boutique tax and insurance planning firm.  A two time academic All-Canadian, Matthew completed his business degree at the Fred C. Manning School of Business, Acadia University.  In addition to his appointment as Treasurer of NEO Kids, Matthew holds a board position at the Idylwylde Golf and Country Club where he was appointed Long Range Planning and Corporate Restructuring Chair.  Matthew holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.  He is married to Jenna, and they have two children, Norah and Thomas.

Dominic Giroux joined HSN and HSNRI on October 2nd, 2017. With over 4,250 employees in 24 locations in Greater Sudbury and across Northeastern Ontario, 500 physicians, 2,100 learners, 700 volunteers and 446 beds, HSN is one of Northern Ontario’s largest employers, its largest hospital, and ranks among Canada’s Top 40 research hospitals.

Prior to joining HSN and HSNRI, Mr. Giroux was Laurentian University’s longest-serving President and Vice-Chancellor from 2009 to 2017.  Under his leadership, Laurentian successfully completed a multi-million dollar campus renovation, secured private and public investments in research and infrastructure, and rose to Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities on Maclean’s rankings.

Mr. Giroux has 19 years of senior executive experience in the public sector and policy setting having served as Assistant Deputy Minister with the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities, and as a senior executive in two Ontario school boards. He was one of four members of the 2012 Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services that made over 100 health-related recommendations. He chaired the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and co-chaired the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS).

Mr. Giroux currently serves on the Executive of Universities Canada, on Ontario’s Economic Advisory Panel, the Mowat Centre’s Advisory Board, the Board of the Greater Sudbury Food Bank and volunteers as a mentor in the Northern Leadership Program. He is a regular keynote speaker on strategic planning, leadership, organizational development and governance.​

Julie DeSimone is the owner of DeSimone Foot & Ankle Centre. She has a Bachelor of Science in Podiatric Medicine and was a former Director of the Chiropody Department at Laurentian Hospital for 9 years. Due to her dedication to promoting health care in the North, Julie has recently been appointed as a director of the inaugural NEO Kids Foundation Board and has been chosen as chair of their NEO Kids Foundation Fundraising Committee. She was also the Chair of Meals on Wheels Sudbury, Director of the Ontario Society of Chiropodists, as well as many other local charities.

Anthony Keating is an award-winning Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) who has served in fundraising leadership roles over the past 14 years with Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Kids Help Phone, Seneca College and the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Most recently, he served as Campaign Director, Major Gifts, at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation in Toronto where he successfully co-led a $50 million research campaign to completion a year ahead of schedule, and was also responsible for raising millions of dollars for Malignant Hematology priorities.  In 2010, he received the “New to Fundraising Professional of the Year” award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Anthony is an active community member who has volunteered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. John’s, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation, and is currently a Director with the Roberta Bondar Foundation.

In Anthony’s role he will oversee each of the three Foundations, and the Volunteer Association.  He will also supervise HSN’s Volunteer Services and serve on the senior leadership teams of HSN and HSNRI, ensuring a strong alignment with health care needs in Northeastern Ontario.

Alyson Laking is the Executive Manager for the Laking Group of Companies. Alyson obtained her H.BSc from the University of Guelph in 2006. After graduating, she returned to Sudbury and began working full time at the family business.  In addition to NEO Kids, Alyson holds a board position with the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce and Cinefest Sudbury.  Alyson and her husband Matthew have two children, Connor and William.