The HCRA is to be governed by a nine-person Board of Directors comprised of six elected members and three members appointed by the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. The HCRA’s Board of Directors is responsible for providing strategic leadership to the HCRA.
The HCRA’s current Board is comprised of the following members:
Chair
Marg Rappolt
Strategic leader in public policy and human service transformation. Worked for 36 years in two provincial administrations (Ontario and Saskatchewan) and retired in 2014. Former Deputy Minister with the Ontario government with portfolios including: Community and Social Services, Health and Long-Term Care, Health Promotion, Seniors, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Ministry of the Attorney General. Marg is past chair of the Board of Trustees of the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Woodgreen Foundation, and serves on its Governance Committee.
Vice Chair
Av Maharaj
Named by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine as one of the top 50 Executives in Canada in 2020, Av Maharaj is the Chief Administrative Officer & VP of Legal, Corporate Affairs and HR for Kraft Heinz Canada. Prior to that Av held senior positions at the Kellogg Company including serving as a member of the Canadian Executive Leadership Team, and Vice President, International, Legal, where he was responsible for all legal operations of Kellogg across the globe outside of the United States. Av is the past Chair of Legal Leaders for Diversity and continues to be a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Av has also been named In-House Counsel of the Year by the South Asian Bar Association and a Diversity Champion by Women of Influence. Prior to his roles at Kellogg, Av practiced law at Fasken Martineau and Blake, Cassels & Graydon, focusing on securities, M&A and corporate law. Av holds an Honours Degree in Economics and a Law Degree from Western University.
Salvatore “Sam” Biasucci
Sam Biasucci is the President and owner of SalDan Developments Limited. With over 40 years of experience in residential construction, land developments and civil construction, Sam has built homes across Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, and the Greater Toronto Area. Sam is an involved member of the builder community in Northern Ontario and sits on the Board of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, and Missanabie Cree First Nations Business Development Corporation. Throughout his career, Sam has received several accolades including being the recipient of the Builder of the Year in Northern Ontario, the Ernest Assaly Award, the Sault Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Award, and most recently was the recipient of the Best Multi Rise Residential ICF building Construction in North America award.
Rinku Deswal
Rinku Deswal is a lawyer and the owner of RD Law Professional Corporation. She has 19 years of litigation experience. She also serves as general counsel to a number of businesses in the GTA. Rinku has served as Board Chair for Peel Crime Stoppers and as a Board member for St. John Ambulance (Peel Region). She has been awarded the Safe City Mississauga Bell Hero Award for her work in crime prevention in the Region of Peel. She is a recurring guest lecturer at the University of New Brunswick Law School.
Hugh Heron
Hugh Heron is the Chairman of Heathwood Homes and Heron Homes. With over 50 years of building experience, Hugh’s building entities have built over 8,000 homes across Ontario. He has been a leader in the industry previously serving as Chair of the Tarion Warranty Corporation, President of both the Greater Toronto and Ontario Builders’ Associations as well as a Senior Board Member of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. In 2018, Hugh was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Building Industry and Land Development Association. Hugh is also Chairman of the Mikey Network, a charity placing defibrillators throughout Canada.
Mary Kardos Burton
Mary Kardos Burton is a former Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ontario government with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. She also held executive positions with the Ministry of Community and Social Services. Mary has held various consulting assignments in health and social services including Chair of Built Environment Standards for the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario and Interim Vice-President for Health Quality Ontario. In addition, she served as a public member for the College of Registered Psychotherapists and as Chair of the Board for Belmont House, a long-term care and retirement home. Mary is a graduate of the Rotman-ICD NFP Governance Essentials Program.
David Stimac
David Stimac is the President of the Ironstone Building Company Inc. and Talu Properties Inc. David previously served as the President of the London Home Builders Association and served on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association. David also holds and MBA from the University of Windsor.
Virginia West
Virginia West is a former Deputy Minister in the Ontario government serving in five successive portfolios over a twelve-year period, which included the Solicitor General Public Safety and Security, Environment, Labour, and Natural Resources. She has also held leadership positions at the municipal level of government as Commissioner of City Property for the City of Toronto, Chief Administrative Officer for the Borough of East York, and the first Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development for the amalgamated City of Toronto. Virginia is also the Chair of the Board at the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council and a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Red Cross. Until June 2021 Virginia was a Board Director and Vice-Chair of Unity Health Toronto.
Terence Young
Terence Young is the President of Gravitas Strategies, a strategic communications firm. He has 30 years’ experience in the private sector, and served as Board Member and adjudicator for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission. Terence served as an elected Member of the Ontario Legislature from 1995 until 1999, as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance, and Colleges and Universities, and also served as a Federal Member of Parliament from 2008 to 2015 where he conceived, and galvanized Parliament to pass Vanessa’s Law: The Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act. Terence also holds an ICD.D designation.