Appointee Biographies

ROBERT FALCONI

RJ Falconi is currently Managing Director of RayleeValleyGroup that provides clients and corporate boards guidance and advice in various areas of the law including public policy, transportation safety, government relations, intellectual property and corporate governance. In 2019, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) and is currently Chair of the Board where he has championed the creation of a strategic and diverse board to ensure proper oversight and representation of TSSA’s stakeholders. In 2020, he was appointed a Commissioner to the Board of Directors of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) and currently serves as its Vice Chair, Chair of its Governance Committee, and a director on the Nipissing Central Railway Co. He is also currently a member of the Board of Directors of Tarion Warranty Corporation since 2019 where he continues to serve as Chair of its Stakeholder Committee that oversees the Ombuds Office, the Consumer Advisory Council and the Industry Advisory Council. He served as a member of the national board for Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Inc. and of CME’s Ontario Advisory Board, the board of the US-based Electrical Safety Foundation International, Inc., the Toronto-based Hannaford Orchestra and was Secretary General & Chair of CIAC – Certification Industry Against Counterfeiting. From 2021 to 2023, he served as Board Advisor to the York Durham Railway, a not-for-profit tourist railway in Uxbridge, ON, that was labelled as one of Ontario’s top tourist attractions. He is also a member of the board of Amida3D Inc., that has developed a leading new 3D printing technology primarily used in concrete construction. Mr. Falconi was formerly Executive Vice President, Chief Legal & Government Affairs Officer, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at CSA Group (Canadian Standards Association) for 17 years where he was responsible for corporate governance and policy, administration of its Board of Directors, protecting CSA’s intellectual property portfolio (anti-counterfeiting), government relations activities and for liaison with governmental regulatory authorities. Previously, Mr. Falconi was VP, General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary for Parsons Corporation, a global multi-disciplinary consulting engineering firm, and was Legal Counsel for the Consumer Banking Division of Citibank Canada., a subsidiary of US-based Citicorp. Mr. Falconi has a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto, an LL.B. (J.D.) from Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1985. In October 2012, he was certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors as an Institute-Certified Director (ICD.D). Mr. Falconi is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian, American and International Bar Associations, the Institute of Corporate Directors, Governance Professionals of Canada and the US-based National Association of Corporate Directors. In June 2023, he was designated as a King's Counsel (KC) by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and Attorney General.

WILLIAM FERGUSON

William Ferguson is VP Creative and Partner at TWG Communications. With over 26 years of industry experience, William’s insight, knowledge, and expertise have been the driving force behind TWG’s diverse creative portfolio. As one of the agency’s founders, he has built a reputation of scouting the best design talent and directing strategic branding and innovative campaigns for a myriad of regional, national, and international clients. William’s community involvement is extensive and includes his current role as Vice President of the Canadore College Foundation, and previous roles including past Chair of the Board of Governors of Canadore College, past Chair of the North Bay Police Services Board, past Chair of Heritage North Bay, and a variety of community initiatives. William has been credited on many award-winning creative projects, has received awards for his sound and proven leadership and business acumen, and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

ORLANDO ROSA

Orlando Rosa, of Sault Ste Marie, serves as a member of the Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology. He is also Lawyer/Managing Partner with WIshart Law Firm LLP. His community involvement has included serving as Director of the Children's Rehabilitation Centre.

ROBERTA SAWCHYN

As a Certified Hotel Administrator Roberta Sawchyn has worked in the hospitality industry for over 25 years. For the past 19 years she has held the position of General Manager for the Best Western Plus Nor'Wester Hotel & Convention Centre. She is Chair of the Thunder Bay Hotel Association, Board Director of the Thunder Bay CEDC, past board director of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and has volunteered for many local organizations such as the United Way and Easter Seals. Roberta is a life long resident of Thunder Bay and she works passionately in bringing her visions and experience of excellence to the community and surrounding areas. Having a strong and healthy community for her family to live and grow in is paramount.

RANDY NICKLE

is a Franchise Owner for A&A Restaurant Kenora. His community involvement includes formerly serving as a Chair of Tourism for Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

KADIE WARD

Kadie Ward Philp is an award-winning economic and workforce development executive who has built a global career collaborating across public, private and non-profit organizations to attract investment into municipal infrastructure, promote local economic growth, and local workforce development. Following time with a municipality, Kadie established her own consultancy working with over 100 cities from 30 countries on a variety of investment, trade, and workforce development programs. There she partnered with the World Bank to pilot and promote municipal infrastructure investment financing tools and created community and investor outreach campaigns. Kadie serves as Commissioner and CAO of a provincial agency in the Ministry of Labour, Training, Immigration and Skills Development where she supports a vibrant equitable workforce in Ontario.

ALLAN YOUMANS

Al Youmans is the founder and chief executive officer of Matheson Group of companies. Hailing from Timmins, Ontario, Al founded Matheson in 2008, and has moved the organization forward with consistent focus on Matheson’s future. Today, Matheson Group of Companies employs over 500 people directly, in locations spanning from southwestern Ontario to Northern Ontario. Matheson is proud to build projects across the province that brings communities together today, and for generations to come. Al lives in King City, with his wife and two daughters.

CHAD EVANS

Chad Evans has over 20 years leading change and continuous improvement in the private and public sector. Under Chad’s leadership, Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) has embarked on an enterprise asset management journey and built a strong plan for the return of passenger rail to Northeastern Ontario. He is certified as an ITIL Expert, ISO20000 Practitioner, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and holds an MBA from the University of London, England.