Appointee Biographies

ALISON BURGESS

Alison Burgess is the Director of Communications and Engagement at the Region of Durham where she oversees corporate communications, government relations and community engagement. She came to the Region from the academic sector where she managed research partnerships. She also has experience teaching at community college. Alison’s background in education, stakeholder relations and community engagement, combined with her PhD research in neuroscience, provide her with a unique perspective. Alison enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering in her community.

MICHAEL CVITKOVIC

Michael Cvitkovic was named president and chief executive officer of Abilities Centre on January 16, 2024. He has been a fixture of the Canadian sport and recreation scene since the late 1990s, helping build some of the most successful brands in our country, including the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club, Tennis Canada, Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, and most recently, launching the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) since its inception in 2019. He has also provided leadership to underserved communities while bringing greater awareness to sport within Truth & Reconciliation as the General Manager of the successful 2017 North American Indigenous Games in Toronto. A proud supporter of parasport, Cvitkovic was the Press Chief for Team Canada at the 2010 Paralympic Games. Locally, Cvitkovic has served as Chair, Governance on the Whitby Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

PETRINA MCGRATH

Petrina McGrath RN MN PhD, is an accomplished health-care leader with extensive experience leading change, developing people and achieving results within several complex health-care environments. Throughout her career, Petrina has been a committed leader, educator, and researcher in the areas of patient and family partnerships, quality, safety, and interprofessional practice. She currently provides leadership and supports teams at Lakeridge Health in Durham Region, in the role of Health System Executive – People Quality and Practice and the Chief Nurse Executive. Petrina worked for the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) supporting the design and delivery of the inaugural Chief Quality Officer Program. She is a past board member for Health Excellence Canada (HEC), the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) and Saskatchewan Association of Safe Workplaces in Health (SASWH).