Leadership & Governance

Learn about our leaders and board of directors who inspire new ideas and make a difference in the lives our clients 

The success of Surrey Place comes from a tremendous team effort filled with, generosity, dedication and innovation. Our Community Board, made up of directors, clients, staff and families, is a significant part of it. Together, they are united under a shared vision: to provide the best services, programs and experiences to clients and community partners. We appreciate all of our members and their ongoing commitment. 

Our Executive Team

Dr. Terri Hewitt – Chief Executive Officer 

Terri is a highly recognized leader in the developmental services and health sector with extensive experience in clinical program leadership. As Chief Executive Officer, Terri has been instrumental in bringing together collaborative partnerships in new ways to support clinical programs and service gaps. She has worked at Surrey Place for more than 25 years, starting in the Adult Program as a Psychologist and moving to more senior clinical management roles including Vice President of Clinical Services. Prior to joining Surrey Place, Terri held psychology roles at various school boards, the Autism Clinic at CAMH. Terri is extremely passionate about the organization she leads, and the clients and families that Surrey Place supports.

Terri is a registered Clinical-Developmental Psychologist with a specialization in developmental disabilities. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Master’s in Developmental Psychology at the University of Manitoba and her Ph.D. in Clinical Developmental Psychology at York University. She completed her Executive Leadership certificate with the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. She has volunteered as a board member at a development services residential agency and a community health service agency.

Bruce Wilson– Vice President, People Services  

Bruce is accountable for Surrey Place’s Human Resources and Communications strategies. Previously, Bruce has held HR roles with LifeLabs (formerly MDS Diagnostic Services), Bridgepoint Health, LOFT Community Services and The Canadian Hearing Society. Bruce holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Studies from the University of Guelph, a Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management from Humber College and has recently completed an Executive Certificate in Conflict Management through the University of Windsor Law School. Bruce is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with the Human Resources Professionals Association. Bruce has over 20 years of experience in human resources in both the public and private sectors and with both union and non-union workforces. 

Lisa Binns – Vice President, Children Services 

Lisa Binns has over 25 years of experience working in Autism Services and prevously served as a Director of Children’s Intake and Wellness Services at Surrey Place. In her two years as a Director, Lisa launched both Wellness Services and Coordinated Service Planning. She also oversaw the integration of Intake Services and led the establishment of the Transitions Team. Before joining Surrey Place, Lisa worked at Kerry’s Place, holding senior positions such as Autism Consultant in the School Support Program, Director of Service and Supports for residential and community services and later, Regional Executive Director. Her educational background includes completion of the Public Sector Leadership with the Rotman Executive Program (University of Toronto), Leadership and Union Negotiations (Executive Management, Queen’s University) and a B.A. (Hons.) from York University. 

Jeanny Scantlebury – Vice President, Adult Services 

Jeanny has spent her 30+ year career at Surrey Place, building strong relationships with outside agencies and forging new relationships with non-traditional partners.  She began as a Senior Behavior Therapist, working her way to becoming an ASD Consultant, then Manager of School Support Program, Director of Adult Services and most recently, Senior Director of Adult Services. For many years, Jeanny has volunteered as a Board Member with a community mental health association and helped develop a Saturday respite program for a Korean community youth with ASD and their caregivers.  

She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto and has experience as a sessional lecturer at George Brown College. Continuing education is important to Jeanny, and she has taken numerous communication and conflict resolution courses. She recently completed the prosocial Facilitator certificate and currently, she is completing the Public Sector Executive Leadership program at the Rotman School of Business.

Felix Camposano – Vice President, Quality & Strategy 

Felix has been with Surrey Place for 30+ years and is responsible for the overall management, direction and leadership that strengthens quality, strategy, continuous improvement, and performance outcomes across the organization.

Felix is a result-oriented leader with a deep commitment to continuous quality improvement and team development. Prior to joining Surrey Place, he held roles in various health care settings including Sinai Health Systems, North York General Hospital, Ontario Shores, CAMH and SickKids. His past roles encompass health records, admitting/patient registration, accreditation lead and quality improvement.    

Felix holds a Master’s in Business Administration Health Leaders from Athabasca University and a Bachelor of Science from Brock University. He also has a post-graduate degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Health Law and Privacy/Security and a UHN Advanced Health Care Leadership certificate through the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management.

Felix is board certified by the National Association for Health Care Quality in Professional Health Care Quality, is a certified Risk Manager from the American Society of Health Care Risk Management and has completed Health Information Management certification from the Canadian College Health Information Management.  

Our Board of Directors

Fern Gonzales, Fern Goncalves, M.Ed., CHRL – President 

As a Human Resources executive with almost 30 years of experience, Fern Goncalves has extensive experience in providing human resources and training services within healthcare and a regulatory association She has been actively involved in numerous board and committees, including the United Way of York Region and the Catholic Community Services of York Region. She is an active member with the Canadian Society of Association Executives and Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), She has also served on various HRPA committees and participated in mentorship programs.  Fern holds a Masters of Adult Education (M.Ed.) from the University of Toronto – OISE as well as the designation of Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) from the Human Resources Professionals Association. Currently, Fern is currently the Director of People Development at Professional Engineers Ontario. Fern joined the Board of Directors in March 2016. 

Carolyn Acker, C.M., R.N., M.A., D.Sc. h.c. – Vice President 

Carolyn Acker began her professional nursing career in the health sector, working her way up the ranks of executive leadership through a combination of education, practical experience and, above all, a desire to give back. She has over 40 years of experience in the health care sector. Carolyn was the founding CEO of Pathways to Education Canada, a public foundation dedicated to helping youth from low-income communities to graduate from high school and successfully transition into post-secondary education.

In 2010, she received an Honourary Doctorate of Science from the University of New Brunswick, on July 1, 2012 she was awarded Membership in The Order of Canada and in 2014 she received an Honourary Doctorate of Science from Queen’s University. Carolyn previously served as Board member from October 2010 to February 2017. She joined the Finance Committee in July 2019 and the Board in June 2020. 

Andrea Englert-Rygus, B.Comm., CSMP – Treasurer 

Andrea Englert-Rygus has extensive business experience from the chemical, retail, healthcare and public sectors. Her career has included roles in finance, sales, customer service, human resources, labour relations, operations and manufacturing. Previously, Andrea held leadership positions with Baxter Healthcare, PepsiCo and DuPont Canada. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and has been actively involved in numerous Boards and associations. 

Andrea is currently Chief Procurement Officer and Vice President Customer Relationship Management at Plexxus, a Toronto based healthcare shared services organization with expertise in supply chain management, IT and business transformation. Andrea is also currently a member of the Conference Board of Canada Innovation Procurement Council. Andrea joined the board in October 2016 and was appointed as Treasurer in May 2020.

 Ashan Fernando – Director

Ashan Fernando has over 20 years of experience in a range of industries, including customer service, hospitality, office administration, telecommunications and retail. He is a former City of Toronto Councillor Candidate for Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park Toronto Municipal Election 2022. He is the Co-Chair of the Port Union Community Winterfest 2023 and an active member of the West Rouge Community Association and Centennial Community and Recreation Association (CCRA). Ashan is actively involved in the Advocacy Disability Council at Surrey Place and advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Ashan holds an Honours Diploma in Hotel Management from George Brown College and received the Culture Award and Customer Service Excellence Award from Rogers Communications and the MVP Awards from Fido Canada and Best Buy Canada.

 Ashan joined the Board of Directors in October 2022.

Baaba Forson, B.A.(Hons.), LL.B. – Director 

Baaba Forson is a lawyer and practices general civil litigation.  Baaba handles a wide variety of public law cases and has appeared before tribunals and at all levels of  court, including the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Federal Court, Ontario Court of Appeal, Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. She is a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of Equity for the Association of Law Officers of the Crown (“ALOC”), a collective bargaining association that represents civil lawyers and articling law students employed by the Ontario government.  

Baaba holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree from York University and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law.  She is a recipient of the ALOC Michael Fleishman Crown Counsel Award and the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law, Honourable Julius Alexander Isaac Award and Scholarship.  

Baaba joined the Board of Directors in September 2021. 

Kemi Oduwole LL B, LL M, M. CIARB – Director 

Kemi is a law professional with over 20 years of experience. She is a managing partner of Topmarké Attorneys LLP in Toronto where she has successfully represented a long list of clients at different levels of courts in Ontario. Kemi specializes in Kemi has extensive proficiency in wide-ranging human rights issues, workplace Code and none-Code investigations, including anti-Black racism investigations, immigration and refugee protection law and appeals, and consent and capacity law practice. As a trained investigator, Kemi adopts a surgical approach to fact-finding and analyses while balancing the rights and freedoms of the parties and witnesses.  

Kemi is currently the managing partner of Topmarké Attorneys LLP in Toronto. In her practice, she has successfully represented a long list of clients at different levels of courts in Ontario. As a managing partner, she is also responsible for setting strategic goals, supervising daily activities, monitoring performance, driving business growth, and guiding business operations and employees to achieve organizational goals and objectives. 

Kemi holds multiple law degrees, including a Master of Laws degree from the University of Toronto and the University of Lagos. She is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration (UK) and the), Association of Workplace Investigators.  Kemi’s volunteer work includes etc. In addition, Kemi loves to share her thoughts and opinions on varying issues through speaking engagements. 

Kemi is also an academic. Her students have benefited from her practical and experiential approach to teaching. In addition, Kemi volunteers extensively with varied organizations, including representation at consent and capacity hearings, Pro Bono Ontario, and mentorship to youths and young lawyers. Kemi is dedicated to using her expertise, professional and personal experience to advance the interest of the vulnerable in society.   

Kemi joined the Board of Directors in September 2021.

Michael Richardson, HBA – Director 

Michael Richardson is a Partner and co-owner of Eclipsys Solutions, Yoppworks and GoSpaces, three Canadian-based Software and professional services organizations. Prior to founding these companies with his partner, Michael enjoyed an extensive career within the I/T industry working in executive and senior management roles at Oracle, Sun Microsystems and IBM. Michael also spent eight years as the Canadian President and CEO of Business Travel International (BTI), a leading global travel management company. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario. 

Michael is the father of an adult son severely affected by autism and is familiar with the challenges parents face as they navigate the various service models across the province. This personal experience inspired Michael to become a board member at Surrey Place.  

Michael joined the Board of Directors in September 2009, and he served for eight years. He rejoined the Board in June 2020.

Michael Rooke, BBA, CPA, CA, LPA – Director

Michael is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Licensed Public Accountant. He provides professional services in areas of financial risk management, budget analysis, board governance and advancement, financial policy development and charity and government reporting and compliance.  

Currently, he is an Associate Partner with Tinkham LLP with extensive experience providing assurance, business advisory and tax and financial reporting advice to owner-managed businesses, not-for-profit organizations and registered charities. 

Michael holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Honours from Wilfrid Laurier University. He joined the Board of Directors in 2020. 

Vivian Leong, M.Sc – Director

Vivian is an epidemiologist by training who has dedicated her career to advancing access to and improving the delivery of health care.  She has led numerous initiatives requiring navigation through policy, fiscal and legislative processes in government, including the expansion of public drug benefits for children and youth in Ontario. In addition to health policy expertise, Vivian is skilled in strategy, data analytics and management, quality improvement and procurement. She has extensive experience leading change management initiatives across the health sector and is adept at building consensus across diverse stakeholder groups.  She holds a Master of Science Degree from the University of British Columbia.  

Vivian joined the Board of Directors in June 2020. 

By 2 months

Has your baby had their hearing screened? YES NO

By 6 months

Does the child?

Startle in response to loud noises? YES NO
Turn to where a sound is coming from? YES NO
Make different cries for different needs (hungry, tired)? YES NO
Watch your face as you talk? YES NO
Smile/laugh in response to your smiles and laughs? YES NO
Imitate coughs or other sounds such as ah, eh, buh YES NO

By 9 months

Does the child?

Respond to their name? YES NO
Respond to the telephone ringing or a knock at the door? YES NO
Understand being told no? YES NO
Get what they want through using gestures (reaching to be picked up)? YES NO
Play social games with you (Peek-a-Boo)? YES NO
Enjoy being around people? YES NO
Babble and repeat sounds such as babababa or duhduhduh? YES NO

By 12 months

Does the child?

Follow simple one-step directions (sit down)? YES NO
Look across the room to a toy when adult points at it? YES NO
Consistently use three to five words? YES NO
Use gestures to communicate (waves hi/bye, shakes head for no)? YES NO
Get your attention using sounds, gestures and pointing while looking at your eyes? YES NO
Bring you toys to show you? YES NO
Perform for social attention and praise? YES NO
Combine lots of sounds together as though talking (abada baduh abee)? YES NO
Show an interest in simple picture books? YES NO

By 18 months

Does the child?

Understand the meaning of in and out, off and on? YES NO
Point to more than 2 body parts when asked? YES NO
Use at least 20 words consistently? YES NO
Respond with words or gestures to simple questions (Where's teddy? What's that?)? YES NO
Demonstrate some pretend play with toys (gives teddy bear a drink, pretends a bowl is a hat)? YES NO
Make at least four different consonant sounds (p ,b, m, n, d, g, w, h)? YES NO
Enjoy being read to and sharing simple books with you? YES NO
Point to pictures using one finger? YES NO

By 2 years

Does the child?

Follow two-step directions (Go find your teddy bear and show it to Grandma.)? YES NO
Use 100 to 150 words? YES NO
Use at least two pronouns (you, me, mine)? YES NO
Consistently combine two to four words in short phrases (Daddy hat. Truck go down.)? YES NO
Enjoy being around other children? YES NO
Begin to offer toys to other children and imitate other children's actions and words? YES NO
Use words that are understood by others 50 to 60 per cent of the time? YES NO
Form words or sounds easily and without effort? YES NO
Hold books the right way up and turn the pages? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 30 months

Does the child?

Understand the concepts of size (big/little) and quantity (a little/a lot, more)? YES NO
Use some adult grammar (two cookies, bird flying, I jumped)? YES NO
Use over 350 words? YES NO
Use action words such as run, spill, fall? YES NO
Participate in some turn-taking activities with peers, using both words and toys? YES NO
Demonstrate concern when another child is hurt or sad? YES NO
Combine several actions in play (puts blocks in the train and drives the train, drops the blocks off.)? YES NO
Put sounds at the beginning of most words? YES NO
Use words with two or more syllables or beats (ba-na-na, com-pu-ter, a-pple)? YES NO
Recognize familiar logos and signs involving print (Stop sign)? YES NO
Remember and understand familiar stories? YES NO

By 3 years

Does the child?

Understand who, what, where and why questions? YES NO
Create long sentences using five to eight words? YES NO
Talk about past events (trip to grandparents house, day at child care)? YES NO
Tell simple stories? YES NO
Show affection for favourite playmates? YES NO
Engage in multi-step pretend play (pretending to cook a meal, repair a car)? YES NO
Talk in a way that most people outside of the family understand what she/he is saying most of the time? YES NO
Have an understanding of the function of print (menus, lists, signs)? YES NO
Show interest in, and awareness of, rhyming words? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 4 years

Does the child?

Follow directions involving three or more steps (First get some paper, then draw a picture and give it to Mommy)? YES NO
Use adult type grammar? YES NO
Tell stories with a beginning, middle and end? YES NO
Talk to try and solve problems with adults and with other children? YES NO
Show increasingly complex imaginary play? YES NO
Talk in a way that is understood by strangers almost all the time? YES NO
Generate simple rhymes (cat-bat)? YES NO
Match some letters with their sounds (letter b says buh, letter t says tuh)? YES NO