Appointee Biographies

GORDON CLARK

Gord Clark is a former Manager with both the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Ministry of Labour in the Northern and Eastern Regions, and Manager in a central government secretariat in Toronto. Following his retirement from the OPS he engaged in consultancy work for the Ministries of Labour and Environment. He holds a diploma in Forestry from Sir Sanford Fleming College. He was appointed to the Algonquin Forestry Authority Board of Directors in 2016, served as Chair of the Governance Committee, appointed as Vice-Chair in 2020, and appointed as Chair in March 2023.

SARAH BROS

Sarah Bros, R.P.F. has been serving as a member (part-time) since 2013. She is a Partner at Merin Forest Management and is currently the Planning Forester on the Whitefeather Forest. Sarah divides her work time between private land forestry and certification auditing across North America. Her community involvement has included serving as Council Member for the Ontario Professional Foresters Association, Board member of the Ontario Forest History Society, Elected member Girl Guides of Canada and Board member Skate Canada - Northern Ontario.

BRIAN SARGINSON

Brian Sarginson is retired and lives in Callander, Ontario. He spent his career in the forest industry across Ontario and North America. From 1977 to 1984, he managed forest operations across Ontario for Martin Lumber, assuming the role of President and CEO from 1984 to 1989. Brian worked closely with AFA staff during these years since five of Martin’s mills received wood from Algonquin Park. He transitioned to the composite industry as Wood Procurement Director North America for Flakeboard Company (now Arauco) until 2019. In his retirement, Brian enjoys downhill skiing, golfing, hunting, and fishing.

ELEANOR REED

Eleanor Reed, of Kirkfield, a self-employed Forester. Her community involvement includes serving as Chairperson of the Ontario Woodlot Association.

LEO HALL

Leo Hall is the President of Opeongo Forestry Service, a private land forestry business in the Ottawa Valley, with a personal passion for sustainable forestry. Mr. Hall also serves on the Board of Directors for both Hospice Renfrew and Renfrew Power Generation. An avid outdoors person, Mr. Hall and his family enjoy regular visits to Algonquin Park for canoeing, hiking and skiing. Mr. Hall has a Master of Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business, and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University.

ROBERT CRAFTCHICK

Robert Craftchick has worked in both private and public sector aspects of the forestry industry. His Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry from Lakehead University is complemented by diplomas from Trent University (Small Business Management & Native Economic Development) and Sault College of Applied Arts (Aboriginal Resource Technician). Since 2005, Mr. Craftchick has been the duly elected Algonquin Negotiation Representative for Whitney and Area Algonquins. Proudly representing the Algonquins of Ontario in the forestry sector by participating in the Aboriginal Resource Group, the wood supply competitive process, and the forestry tenure and pricing process, Mr. Craftchick takes great pride in being actively involved in his community.

TIM WITHEY

With a degree in Environmental Studies and Business Administration from Trent University, Tim Withey is the President, Founder and Principal Broker of Withey Insurance Brokers, Inc. located in Huntsville where he is also currently a member of the Board of Directors of Rosseau Lake College. Since 1994, Mr. Withey has demonstrated his commitment to serving the public interest in a series of elected and appointed positions, including the Huntsville Hospital Board, Huntsville Town Council, District of Muskoka Council, and the Boards of Huntsville Health Services, the Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound and Timiskaming District Health Council, the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network, Huntsville Hospice, Fairvern Nursing Home, Crimestoppers, the Chamber of Commerce, and Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, where he served as the Vice-Chair. A longtime supporter of Algonquin Park, Mr. Withey currently resides in Huntsville with his family.

DAMION KETCHUM

Damion Ketchum resides in London, Ontario and is responsible for fiscal planning and reporting at Legal Aid Ontario, where he oversees financial stewardship for a portfolio exceeding $700 million. With more than two decades of experience in public sector finance, governance, and enterprise transformation, he has led initiatives that modernize financial systems, strengthen accountability, and align resources with strategic priorities. His work supports Ontario’s goals of fiscal prudence, infrastructure modernization, and operational excellence. Damion has played a central role in advancing financial modernization at Legal Aid Ontario, including the implementation of Oracle EPBCS (Enterprise Planning & Budgeting Cloud Service), which enhanced scenario modeling, multi-year planning, and transparency through digital dashboards. He introduced a division-centric budgeting model that improved forecast accuracy and accountability across the organization. His leadership in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies has resulted in significant operational efficiencies, including a 50% reduction in finance cycle times and improved auditability. He serves as Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee for the Algonquin Forestry Authority, a Crown agency, where he provides governance oversight on budgeting, risk management, and compliance. His contributions include implementing an executive compensation framework, advancing inclusive succession planning, and reinforcing procurement and asset protection policies. His governance work reflects a commitment to transparency, value for money, and inclusive leadership. Damion has held senior roles in both the retail and banking sectors, including leadership positions at Sears Canada, Nine West Shoes (The Sherson Group), BMO, CIBC, and President’s Choice Financial. His experience spans financial strategy, operational risk, and enterprise-wide transformation. At Sears, he served as Divisional Chief Financial Officer for portfolios totaling $1.7 billion, improving forecasting variance by 90% through advanced analytics. At President’s Choice Financial, he led restructuring efforts that streamlined forecasting and reporting, reducing lead times by 50%. He also led post-merger integration across IT, HR, Facilities, and Finance for three companies as Principal at Delphi Management Consulting, delivering a 38% expense reduction and unified reporting structures. His early career includes roles in engineering and process improvement, including work with the U.S. Army and Alstom. Damion has held a number of board directorships, contributing to financial oversight and community development. His governance experience includes serving as Treasurer for Cycle Toronto and the Association for Bright Children, and as a member of the Audit Committee for Rugby Ontario. He has also supported youth education through the Scarborough Math Olympiad and community outreach programs with The Salvation Army in London. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA), holds a Master of Business Administration from the Ivey Business School, and a Bachelor of Science in Electromechanical Engineering from Alfred State College. He is a graduate of the Ontario Public Service’s Finance Leadership Development Program, reflecting his deep commitment to public service and continuous leadership growth. Damion’s career reflects a commitment to public service, operational excellence, and inclusive governance. His leadership continues to support Ontario’s strategic priorities through transparent financial management, collaborative engagement, and a focus on outcomes that improve service delivery and public value.

TRACEY BRADLEY

Tracey Bradley grew up in eastern Ontario. That is where her love of nature and forests took hold. She pursued a degree from the University of New Brunswick in Forestry (Bachelor of Science, Forestry) and began her career in northern Ontario working for the forest industry. Tracey has held varied roles in the forest industry including forest operations, silviculture, and forest management planning. Tracey also spent time with Forestry Futures Trust in Thunder Bay working on the silviculture and eFRI funding programs. Tracey was a key member in the development of the Knowledge Transfer and Tool Development program in her time at Forestry Futures. Tracey joined the Algonquin Forestry Authority in 2015 as Silviculture Forester working from the Pembroke office. Tracey became the Area Forester and moved to Dwight, near Huntsville in 2016. Tracey was promoted to Area Manager in October 2021, providing leadership to the AFA Huntsville operations group and part of AFA’s senior leadership team.