About Us

Serving our local communities for 144 years.

About Us

Serving our local communities for 144 years.

Board of Directors

Successful and committed charities require an equally successful and committed board of directors. The YMCA of Northeastern Ontario has unique, committed and remarkable board members, all volunteers, drawn from the communities we serve. Each work to ensure our YMCA fulfills its mission and achieves its work for our constituent communities and for the region.

Alex McCauley – Chair

Tom Welton – Chair

Kristian Gareau – Treasurer

Andrew Finlay – Director

Micheline Lalonde – Director

Gisele Lynch – Director

Anna-Maria Marcuccio – Director

Shelly Moore-Frappier – Director

Hélène Philbin Wilkinson – Director

Jessica Pope – Director

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Alex McCauley – Chair

Alex is a lifelong resident of the Sudbury area. He and his wife Pirkko have raised two daughters and have five grandchildren. Alex is a graduate of Laurentian University and a retired Chief of Police for the City of Greater Sudbury Police Service.

Alex has served on numerous Boards and Professional Associations such as The Board of Governors – Cambrian College, The Board of the Cancer Research Foundation, the Rotary Club of Sudbury Sunrisers, the Royal Canadian Legion and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.

Alex is a strong advocate and supporter of the YMCA. Alex currently serves as the Chair of the Board for the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario.

Tom Welton – Vice Chair

A graduate of Lakehead University Forestry program, and Ryerson University Occupational Health and Safety Certificate Program, Tom Welton also holds the Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation.

With more than 30 years’ experience as a health and safety professional in the forestry, pulp and paper industry, and its designated health and safety association Workplace Safety North (WSN), Welton currently holds the position of WSN Director, General Prevention Services.

Tom is a board member of the local YMCA of Northeastern Ontario; Welton is an active member of the North Bay community and enjoys instructing downhill skiing for disabled youth.

Kristian Gareau – Treasurer

A lifelong resident of Sudbury, Kristian joined the YMCA NEO Board in January of 2017.

Kristian holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Edinburgh. He has been employed with Vale/Inco since 2000, and holds a Senior Leadership role within the Organization. Kristian currently holds the role of Treasurer for the Board.

Andrew Finlay – Director

Andrew joined the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario following a 30 year career with Scotiabank, leading an international team of labour and employee relations professionals. Andrew has led Canadian business on labour, human rights and employment related public policy, including as a representative on Governing Body of the United Nations International Labour Organization. He currently offers workplace investigation and mediation services.

Andrew has had a North Bay connection since his University days when he met his wife, Janet. He moved to North Bay in 2015 permanently. He loves the North Bay winter as much as the North Bay summer and believes that Northern Ontario offers the very best of lifestyle and life experience. Janet and Andrew have three grown children.

Andrew credits his YMCA experience during his teens for helping build his work ethic and personal values, and his ongoing commitment to his community.

Andrew has degrees from McMaster University (BA), University of Ottawa (LLB) and Osgoode Hall Law School (LLM), as well as a diploma in Recreation Studies from Mohawk College, and Mediation and Negotiation certificates from the University of Windsor. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1987. Andrew has lived most of his life in Hamilton and worked for many years in Toronto.

Andrew Finlay – Director

Micheline was born in the Northern Ontario forestry town of Dubrueville and moved to Blezard Valley at the age of 4. Being raised surrounded by a large extended family in the small town of Rayside Balfour it gave Micheline the sense of community that has propelled her throughout her life to help others and lend a hand when and where she can.

Graduating from Gestion Holtelliere (Restaurant and Hotel Management) at Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario gave Micheline the skills necessary to have a fulfilling 25 year career in the field of retail where after a series of promotions she was named the company’s first female District Manager in its 100 + year history overseeing all operations and sales for corporate stores in Thunder Bay extending to Nova Scotia. Retiring from the business sector Micheline now has taken her experience and drive to the position of Coordonnatrice of FARFO, Federation des ainés et des retaités francophones de l’Ontario. Micheline’s role with FARFO allows her to work as an advocate to ensure that the rights and services of the Aged in the Franco-Ontarian community are being upheld and are available to them in the French language. Micheline feels that community involvement is essential and has volunteered with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Sudbury Regional Hospital, Kinsmen, Science North, Genevra House, Sudbury’s Annual Christmas Parade, The Sudbury Food Bank and has served as a School Trustee.

Gisele Lynch – Director

Gisele Lynch spent thirty years with the Near North District School Board as a teacher and administrator. She has served as both vice chair and chair of the YMCA board since being on the Board of the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario. Gisele has one daughter, Nicole, currently living in Calgary. Gisele began attending the YMCA in North Bay for swimming lessons as a child and after moving back to North Bay with her daughter, rejoined the YMCA and has been a member since. She is also an active member of the Rotary Club of North Bay.

Gisele enjoys being active and regularly attends the YMCA for fitness classes, pickleball or just working out in the gym. She also enjoys curling and snowshoeing in the winter, golfing, biking and kayaking in the summer. Travel is also an activity enjoyed by both Gisele and her partner, Steve.

Anna-Maria Marcuccio – Director

Anna-Maria was born and raised in the City of Sudbury. After attending Osgoode Hall Law School, she was called to the Ontario Bar in April of 1984. While she worked in private practice for a few years, in the City of Sudbury, she became employed as a staff lawyer at the Sudbury Community Legal Clinic in November of 1987. After seven years of employment at the Sudbury Legal Clinic, she was appointed as a full-time member and Vice-Chair of the Social Assistance Review Board for a three year term. This was followed up with a one year part-time position with the Board, while she continued to sit as a part-time deputy judge of the Small Claims Court in the City of Sudbury, having been originally sworn in on October 16’th 1992. Once she completed her term with the Social Assistance Review Board, she returned to the Ontario Legal Clinic system and worked at Clinics in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Kapuskasing before accepting a position as a Director of the Legal Clinic which operated out of York Community Services, a multi-service organization, in the City of Toronto.

Anna-Maria returned to Sudbury to care for an aging parent and returned to work as a staff lawyer at the Sudbury Community Legal Clinic in September of 2007 and retired on August 31, 2009. She has volunteered on a number of Boards, including the C.N.I.B., the Sudbury and Manitoulin District Alzheimer Society and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Shelly Moore-Frappier – Director

Shelly Moore-Frappier is a Teme Augama Anishinabai kwe who has worked in Indigneous education for 25 years. Currently, she is the Director of the Indigneous Sharing and Learning Centre at Laurentian University and although she has spent most of her career at the post secondary level she has also overseen the Indigenous portfolio at the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.

Shelly has gained valuable board experience serving the Children’s Aid Society and the Bear Island Education Authority. For fun, Shelly enjoys team sports and enjoys spending time in the great outdoors. She has a strong passion for land based learning, local history and Northern Ontario. She is the mother of two almost adult children and partner to Lee who has walked with her for over 28 years.

Hélène Philbin Wilkinson – Director

Hélène was born and raised in North Bay, Hélène has been a YMCA member most of her life. She has over 30 years of clinical and leadership experience in health care having held positions in health promotion, community development, systems planning and service delivery both locally and across the Northeast.

Hélène is skilled in operational reviews, service transformation, project/risk management and developing cross-sector partnerships. She brings considerable knowledge about health, safety and quality standards acquired by being a surveyor and expert advisor with Accreditation Canada. She holds a Master’s Degree in Nursing and is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

A positive, creative and trusted leader with an open and consultative style, Hélène is committed to teamwork and bringing out the best in people, and is thrilled about having the opportunity to give back to the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario.

Jessica Pope – Director

Jessica Pope is a radio broadcaster and journalist in Sudbury. She volunteers her time to the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario as a board member and a volunteer fitness instructor, teaching classes including Cycle Fit and Strength Fit. Jess and her wife Kate have one son, who’s been playing, learning and growing at the YMCA in downtown Sudbury since he was 3 months old.

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