Nick Foligno is the Honorary Chair of NEO Kids Foundation. Nick currently plays for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, serving as the team captain. Previously he played for the Ottawa Senators and the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. Nick is director of the Janis Foligno Foundation, which was created in honour of his mother and seeks to provide support to local charities who are committed to finding a cure for cancer. In 2013, his daughter Milana was born with a rare heart condition and understands the stress and fear of having a sick child, and the impact it has on a family. Having dealt with NEO Kids first-hand, Nick believes that there is a need to better serve children and young patients in the North. Nick and his wife Janelle have two children – Milana and Landon and are expecting a third child this spring.

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.

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.​

With close to two decades of experience in finance, education, administration, media, production and internet industries under her belt, Dionne Elgie brings a wealth of knowledge to her current role as President of Village Electric, a multimedia production studio, located in Sault Ste Marie, focusing on high quality video and audio recording, photography, livestreaming and virtual set design. Dionne is also Project Manager at her digital consulting firm DIG – Digital Intelligence Group, Project Manager at Village Media, a growing community of digital news sites across Northern Ontario, Director of Mackinac.com and editor-in-chief of Sault Ste. Marie content on NorthernOntario.travel.

Kristen Pollesel completed her Honours Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University and shortly after started working at the family business, Crosstown Chevrolet, currently serving as General Manager. Over the years, Kristen has held several positions throughout the dealership which has allowed her to fully understand the dynamics of all departments while developing her strong leadership and management skills. Her experience working at Crosstown Chevrolet has also increased her involvement within the local community through charitable events and sponsorship opportunities, and she is passionate about assisting children in Northeastern Ontario.

Patricia Mills is the President of NEO Kids Foundation. With a background in journalism and publishing, Patricia has over 25 years in the communications and business field. She was previously the publisher of Northern Ontario Business magazine and Sudbury Living Magazine Group. In 2014, Patricia launched her own company patriciaAmills Inc., where she provides advice to clients on marketing, sales, communication strategies and business development.