About Us

Boards and committees

Board of Directors

Co-chairs:

David Salter
David Salter currently works at Oxfam Canada as a specialist in program development and funding management. Involved in issues related to HIV/AIDS and social justice for 20 years both as a volunteer and professionally, David has worked in Africa and Asia as well as Canada and Australia. His key areas of interest include domestic and international policy and practice work on women’s rights, HIV/AIDS from a rights-based perspective, labour rights and education. David worked on the development of Australia’s Fourth National HIV/AIDS Strategy as well as the first National Hepatitis C Strategy. David currently lives in Ottawa with his partner and their rigorously managed garden and sits on CWGHR’s Development Committee.

Glyn Townson
Glyn is BCPWA's board member representative to CWGHR, he also chairs the Treatment Information and Advocacy Department Standing Committee of BCPWA and is a member of the Living + Editorial Board, BCPWA's bimonthly magazine. He is a retired Program Manager for Community Living projects for Developmentally Disabled Adults and Brain Injury Programming in the Vancouver area. Glyn also volunteers on the Vela Microboard Association of BC's Information Technology and Communications Committee and is an active advocate for other PHAs and other disability groups.

Members:

Larry Baxter
Larry is the chair of the Nova Scotia Advisory Commission on AIDS, which is currently co-ordinating the implementation of Nova Scotia’s Strategy on HIV/AIDS. He is also a Director with The NAMES Project - Canada (AIDS Memorial Quilt) and a person living with HIV/AIDS. Previously, he served on the Board of AIDS Nova Scotia and the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia; and worked for the Canadian Red Cross Society in Nova Scotia for over 20 years as a program director.

Tara Carnochan
As Manager of the Health Promotion and Outreach Programs at Nine Circles Community Health Centre in Winnipeg, Tara works with an inter-disciplinary group of professionals to provide integrated HIV prevention, care, treatment and support activities. In the last year, Nine Circles has developed a partnership with CWGHR to expand its capacity in relation to rehabilitation programs and services. Tara also acts as the Health Promotion lead for the Manitoba HIV Program.

Alan Casey
Alan is a physiatrist in Winnipeg and teaches in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation section of the Department of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. He has been involved with CWGHR since 2004 as the representative of the Canadian of Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (CAPM&R) and has been active in a number of CWGHR initiatives. Alan sits on CWGHR’s Research, Education and Practice Advisory Committee (REPAC). He is also involved in CWGHR’s update of rehabilitation practice guidelines for HIV and interprofessional course on rehabilitation in the context of HIV.

Paul Curwin
Paul works as a physical trainer with people with various disabilities and has become familiar with the rehabilitation process from that perspective as well as from the client’s perspective.  As an HIV+ man, Paul has experienced first hand the complicated and sometimes frustrating process of rehabilitation in the context of HIV disease. Paul has been involved with CWGHR for about four years and sits on the Episodic Disabilities Network, the episodic Disabilities Initiatives Advisory Committee and most recently has been working with Melissa Popiel to develop a network devoted to work issues important to HIV+ people.

Richard MacLachlan
Richard is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine of Dalhousie University and was Head of that Department from 1995-2005. Richard represents the College of Family Physicians of Canada on the Expert Advisory Panel on HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing of the Public Health Agency of Canada and is a member of the First Nations Addictions Advisory Panel of First Nations and Inuit Health, Health Canada.  Richard Chaired the Drug Utilization Evaluation Advisory Committee of Non Insured Health Benefits, Health Canada from 2003-2007. Richard has been a member of CWGHR since 2005, representing the College of Family Physicians of Canada. He has been extensively involved in a number of activities in West Africa, namely The Gambia and Sierra Leone, over the past twelve years. Richard's activities have included counselling sessions with adolescents and adults regarding HIV/AIDS and for the past three years, he has been involved with a Voluntary Confidential Counselling and Testing Program for HIV/AIDS in Sierra Leone. Richard is also extensively involved in Aboriginal Health both in Atlantic Canada and on a national basis.

Kelly O’Brien
Kelly is a physical therapist and researcher with an interest in HIV, disability and rehabilitation.  Kelly graduated from the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto in 1998. After working for a few years at St. Michael's Hospital she returned to graduate studies in the Graduate Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.  She completed herPhD in the Clinical Epidemiology Program in June 2008 where she conducted a qualitative study exploringthe episodic nature of disability from the perspective of adults living with HIV.  In September 2008, Kelly started a postdoctoral research fellowship at McMaster University where she is currently working with a team of academic investigators and a Community Advisory Committee to develop a questionnaire to describe HIV-related disability.  She is also a Lecturer in the Department of Physical Therapy where she teaches PT students about research methodology and HIV within their program.

Marina Sampson
Marina Sampson is a lawyer practicing litigation at Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, a law firm in Toronto. As an advocate, she is drawn to issues of equality and justice and has long held a particular interest in HIV and rehabilitation matters. Prior to joining the CWGHR board, Marina served on its development committee since 2005. Marina is also currently a member of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) and sits on its education and programming committee.

Board Committees

• Communications Committee members
• Development Committee
• Income Support Committee
• Research, Education and Practice Advisory Committee