OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Welcome to the driving force behind our vision - IHSTS's Board Members. Each member of our esteemed board brings a wealth of expertise, diverse perspectives, and unwavering commitment to shaping the future. Meet the dynamic individuals steering IHSTS toward innovation, sustainability, and success. From industry leaders to seasoned professionals, our board comprises a formidable team dedicated to realizing our mission. Explore the profiles below to get acquainted with the leaders steering IHSTS to new heights.
Chief Executive Officer
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Kathleen Chouinor
With an extensive background spanning more than three decades in health care leadership, Kathleen brings a wealth of experience to her role. Her career within BC health authorities has been dedicated to enhancing primary care, managing chronic diseases, and improving home health and long-term care. Kathleen's expertise extends to the government sector, where she spent three years at the Ministry of Health as a strategic advisor for Community Care.
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Director
Dr. Samuel Abraham
Dr. Abraham boasts an extensive career at the crossroads of research, business development, and clinical care within the BC health sector. With 15 years of dedicated service to the BC Cancer Agency and BC Provincial Health Services Authority, he has held diverse executive leadership roles in research and business development. Dr. Abraham is a distinguished professional with a Ph.D. in Genetics.
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Director
Dr. Shannon McDonald
Dr. Shannon McDonald is proudly Metis/Anishinaabe with deep roots in the Red River Valley of Manitoba. She lives as a guest on Tsawout First Nation, just north of Victoria BC.
After completed her MD in 1998, Dr McDonald has worked for over 25 years focused on Indigenous Health - working in the federal and provincial government contexts, and subsequently joining the First Nations Health Authority in 2015. She retired from the position of Chief Medical Officer in January 2023 but continues to work in consultant roles on issues important to Indigenous people’s wellness.
In 2022, Dr McDonald was recognized by her peers with the Dr David M Bachop Gold Medal for distinguished medical service by Doctors of BC, and has recently been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
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Board Chair
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Dr. Alan Ruddiman
Dr. Ruddiman, an internationally trained rural generalist physician, boasts more than 25 years of service and is the immediate past-president of Doctors of BC. Born in Dundee, Scotland, he earned his MB.BCh. medical degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
He currently serves in as a consultant to the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCBC), holding an Associate Director role, by promoting the enhancement of rural health in BC through education and advocacy.​​​​​
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Director
Dr. Arturo Arguello
Dr. Arturo Arguello
Arturo is a Medical Doctor with a Master’s in Education, a Specialization in Deep Machine Learning, and over 15 years of experience in healthcare innovation and digital transformation. He has led pioneering initiatives in Latin America, including the creation of one of the region’s first telemedicine center in 2010 and Dr. Chat in 2008, an innovative sexual and reproductive health education service.
As a Principal Investigator in the e-health research group, Arturo advanced healthcare education through programs such as Expert Patient, Virtual Patient, and other e-health initiatives. He also served as an Associate Researcher in a multinational Eco-Health project, focusing on the prevention of vector-transmitted diseases across Central and South America.
After moving to Canada, Arturo led the renewal of the workplace learning ecosystem and the professional and leadership development initiatives at the University of British Columbia. Currently, he is the CEO of Paiget Inc., an AI Studio that develops AI-driven solutions to tackle challenges in education and the future of work, emphasizing scalability, meaningful impact, and a conscious, human-centered approach to AI.​
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Director
Diana Miles
Ms. Diana Miles brings a wealth of leadership experience from her extensive career. Formerly the President and CEO of WorkSafeBC (Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C.), where she concluded her tenure in 2019, Diana held pivotal roles in HR, Operations, Administration, and Executive Leadership in both public and private organizations. Beyond her executive responsibilities, she actively participated in non-profit boards, showcasing her commitment to community service. Diana's retirement didn't diminish her commitment to community causes. Even after stepping down from her executive role, she continues to serve on numerous non-profit boards, embodying her enduring commitment to making a positive impact in her community.
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Board Vice Chair Secretary-Treasurer
Anna Nyarady
Anna is the retired President of The Dupuis Langen Group (DLG), an employee benefits firm.
Anna is a Chartered Director (C. Dir), having received her designation from McMaster University and is also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP).
Anna has also served on the boards of numerous organizations such as BC Assessment Authority, Royal BC Museum, Richmond Olympic Oval, BC Cancer Foundation, Richmond Hospital Foundation, and BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.​​​
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Director
Salman Azam
Mr. Salman Azam has decades of senior leadership experience in business planning, technology, finance, corporate services, human resources, and labour relations. He joined Legal Aid BC in 2021, first as our VP of corporate services and public relations, before transitioning to his current role in 2023.
As Chief Operating Officer and the lead of the Legal Operations Division, he is primarily responsible for the delivery of Intake and Referral Services, Parents Legal Centres, Lawyer Services, and Family Law Advice Services. Prior to joining us, he held several assistant deputy minister positions in the provincial government with a reputation for creative problem solving, sound fiscal management, excellent team building, and collaborations that supported cross-sector solutions.
In addition to specialized leadership roles, Salman spent several years as the chief operating officer for the Independent Investigations Office of BC, where he was responsible for finance, human resources, information technology, public engagement, policy, training, and project management.
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Director
Heidi Worthington
Heidi is passionate about closing inequitable gaps in health. In her current role as President & CEO, YMCA BC, Heidi stewards the organization’s 2500 staff and 1100 volunteers to ignite belonging in community, and to help close inequitable gaps in physical, mental and socio-economic health for people of all ages, stages, backgrounds and abilities. In her volunteer time, she supports Preventable BC as a Board Director, with the aim to eliminate preventable injuries in BC. Heidi’s previous work experience included executive roles at Pacific Blue Cross, BCAA, and Unilever, spanning regional, provincial, and global levels.
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