DIRECTOR, EDUCATION RELATIONS
Jen Lummiss has been a professional educator for over 15 years, and has taken severalcourses which qualify her to teach grades Kindergarten to grade 12 with a specializationin Literacy, History, Physical Education and Outdoor Education. Jen is well-known in her community for being the teacher who strongly advocates for outdoor education as part of each child’s everyday learning, and is an avid gardener who teaches this art to her children at home and within her classroom.
DIRECTOR, BUSINESS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
A visionary community builder, Steve Bruno has brought masterfully-designed and superior constructed homes to Ontario families for over 20 years. As Principal of Calibrex Developments, based in Newmarket, Steve, is at the helm of a young-thinking, vertically-integrated development company with an executive team dedicated to raising the innovation bar with every new project undertaken. A consummate professional, mentor and philanthropist, Steve gives back in many ways including joining the Newmarket Economic Development Advisory Committee as a member for the last four years. A long-time supporter of the United Way, the Niagara Furniture Food Bank and The Food Pantry, Steve and Calibrexalso support the YWCA, Yellow Brick House, Bike Me Up, Westview Centre for Women, and Nightlight Youth Shelter by providing furniture, bicycles and household items for residents all year round.
DIRECTOR, NATURAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Dr. Jessica Dupont is a Naturopathic Doctor, Birth Doula, mother, author, and public speaker. She maintains a medical practice specializing in Women’s Health and Pregnancy with a concentration on functional medicine and detoxification. Jessica is on a mission to support women and families so they can educate and empower their children to achieve optimal wellness with a ripple effect of creating and strengthening healthier communities. She has recently been working in the corporate food service industry, consulting and providing guidance on healthy nutrition and the importance of organics in the workplace. She is passionate about a low-tox lifestyle, children’s development and success, nature as medicine, and organics.
VICE PRESIDENT / TREASURER
Cynthia is a Registered Nutritional Consultant Practitioner, with a focus on Functional Medicine. Cynthia has worked over 30 years in the field of corporate food service, providing healthy foods and nutrition education in the workplace. Her focus is to improve health through organic foods, healthy lifestyle, and supporting optimal function of the digestive system, micro-biome, and detoX pathways. She has a passion for nature, and organic regenerative agriculture. She has worked in a private practice as well as at Magna International Inc, Good For You Food Services, Adena Farms, and Frank’s Organic Garden.
Frank Stronach came to Canada from Austria in 1954. He started in a garage and built up his company Magna International into one of the world’s largest diversified automotive suppliers with 170,000 employees worldwide. His success was due to the culture he created at Magna called Fair Enterprise where the employees share in the profits. He has also served on the boards of hospitals, universities, banks, and Nasdaq corporate governance.
Frank Stronach is currently the Chairman of Stronach International, a company whose mission is to enhance society and the environment through micro-mobility transportation and organic agri-business – two of the fastest growing economic trends in the world today.
Frank has given long thought over how he can best serve society. With much concern that 95% of the food we eat comes from industrial farms and the trend of increasing sickness among our youth, he created the GUHAH Way Foundation.
VICE CHAIRMAN
Melinda DeNicola is an entrepreneur and communications consultant with more than 20 years of experience in business management and marketing, having served as a driving force behind numerous successful fundraising, communications and brand awareness campaigns for both not-for-profit and for-profit organizations in the energy, sustainability, education, philanthropic and technology sectors. In 2022, Melinda founded and has since been the leader of a small private elementary school in York Region that implements the GUHAH Fundamentals, including integrating nutrition education and serving organic meals, hands-on learning in outdoor gardens and greenhouses, and supporting local farmers. She is passionate about bringing awareness to children’s health and redeveloping our school system to include a deeper connection to both nature and personal well-being