Janet Montague, RN, BScN, MN, PhD(c)
President of the Board

Janet Montague (She/Her/Hers) is a Nursing Professor and Coordinator at Centennial College. She teaches in the Toronto Metropolitan, Centennial, George Brown Collaborative Nursing Degree program. Janet also works as a casual Peer Coach with the College of Nurses of Ontario. Janet obtained her Nursing Diploma from Centennial College, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), and her Master’s in Nursing from the University of Toronto. She has over 23 years of nursing experience, including academia, community health, acute/chronic care, long-term care, and project management.

Janet is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at Western University. Her doctoral dissertation explores Black students’ experiences of belonging in nursing education through the lens of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality. Janet’s scholarly interests encompass many areas, including direct teaching outcomes, promoting students’ success, nursing students’ sense of belonging, student transition, mentorship, and championing anti-racist pedagogies. Her contributions to nursing education and research are a testament to her dedication to fostering a culture of belonging within nursing education and paving the way for more equitable and inclusive learning environments.

Janet has been involved with RNFOO since 2013 and has served as Chair of the Gala Planning Committee and Awards Review Judge. In 2018, Janet joined the RNFOO Board of Directors and was named President of the Board at the Annual General Meeting in October 2024.

Allaina Lucier, RN, MPH
Board Member

Allaina is a graduate from the collaborative nursing program at St. Clair College and the University of Windsor, and more recently, a Master of Public Health graduate from the University of Waterloo.  She is currently Clinical Manager at the Erie Shores Family Health Team in Leamington and Kingsville.

 Allaina’s interests include community nursing and program evaluation.  She participated in the RNFOO Academic Awards Review Panel for two years prior to joining the Board.

Amanda McIntyre, RN, PhD
Board Member

Amanda McIntyre is a Registered Nurse and nursing educator with a research focus on health service delivery across the continuum of care. She also has clinical expertise in emergency nursing. Currently an Assistant Professor at Western University, Amanda teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. With a strong clinical background in critical care, Amanda has also taken on leadership and mentorship roles within the nursing community, including serving as Chair of the RNAO Nursing Research Interest Group.

Amanda is passionate about fostering meaningful connections within the nursing profession. She is excited to contribute to the RNFOO’s mission where she aims to inspire and support the next generation of nurses by advocating for professional development, lifelong learning, and compassionate patient care.

Ashley McKeown, RN, MN-ANP, CCNE
Board Member

Ashley brings a passion for advancing nursing education to her position of faculty member at the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at Western University.  As a Canadian Certified Nurse Educator and the Faculty of Health Sciences Teaching Fellow, Ashley is deeply engaged in developing evidence-based nursing practice through an epistemic justice lens, supporting students in practicing cultural humility and creating culturally safe healthcare spaces that honor diverse knowledge systems.

With clinical expertise in critical care, obstetrics, and global health nursing, Ashley combines a wealth of experience with a commitment to creating equitable, inclusive, and diverse healthcare environments.  Serving as the Vice-President for Awards and Scholarships and co-Chair of the Awards and Scholarships Committee at RNFOO, Ashley is dedicated to supporting the next generation of nursing professionals through recognition and scholarship.

Erica Cambly, RN, MN, CCNE, CCSNE
Board Member

Erica Cambly is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto and lead of the undergraduate simulation team.  She draws on her previous experiences in adult medicine, complex continuing care, nephrology and palliative care to guide her teaching.

Erica’s teaching interests include using gamification and simulation to enhance skill acquisition, critical thinking and clinical reasoning in undergraduate students. She has developed and evaluated several in-person and virtual simulations for use in nursing programs, and regularly presents her work at conferences.

Erin Courtney, EdD, RN
Board Member

Erin is a full-time nursing professor at Lambton Collegein the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. She has over 20 years’ experience in public health, and her interests and research is related to vaccines and science communication.

She was excited to join RNFOO Board in 2022 to extend her passion and support for nursing students and the wonderful profession of nursing. Erin also serves on the Fund Development, Marketing, and Communications Committee.

Farah Khan, RN, MN
Board Member

A Registered Nurse by training, Farah has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and has held progressive leadership roles in clinical operations, regional planning and administration.  

Farah is a local and provincial award winner for many of the accomplishments she has led, including the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario’s President’s Award for Leadership in Clinical Nursing Practice, and Mayor Crombie’s City of Mississauga CIVIC Award for her work in the COVID19 pandemic.  Farah is the first hijab-wearing member of the Trillium Health Partners Executive Team, Canada’s largest community academic hospital, and was the first hijab-wearing member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Nurses Association in 2023. 

Farah is also an Adjunct Lecturer with the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto and has a passion to serve as a mentor and advocate for excellence in the profession of nursing.  She is grateful for the opportunity to partner and volunteer with the RNFOO Board.

Kanika Kohli RN, MN, MBA, CHE
Board Member

Kanika is a senior project lead for Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital, where she oversees complex healthcare projects. Previously, she managed outpatient oncology clinics at Grand River Hospital, demonstrating strong leadership and team management skills.

With a diverse background in long-term care, hospitals, community nursing, and the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), Kanika has developed a comprehensive understanding of the healthcare system. She is a dedicated learner, holding an MBA from Athabasca University and a Master of Nursing from Ryerson University, as well as achieving her Certified Healthcare Executive (CHE) designation in 2022.
Kanika has also contributed to the nursing profession by serving on the Awards Review Committee for the Registered Nurses’ Foundation of Ontario (RNFOO), highlighting her commitment to recognizing nursing excellence.

Lela Fishkin, RN
Board Member

Lela is a retired RN whose 40-year career included positions in hospitals, community clinics and community home care.  She has worked as a bedside nurse, visiting nurse, educator and nurse manager.  She loves mentoring nursing students and new grads, and is a firm believer in continuing learning / education.

Lela has enjoyed reviewing applications to the RNFOO awards and scholarships for the past two years, and is excited to join the board of Directors, and the Awards and Scholarships Committee.

Lynne Hughes Marsh, NP, MScN
Board Member

Lynne Hughes Marsh is a Nurse Practitioner and holds an appointment with the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University as a member of the full-time teaching faculty in both the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Joining RNFOO in 2018, Lynne has served on the Awards & Scholarship Committee. Her clinical background includes both Community Health and Acute Care. Lynne graduated from the BScN and PHC Nurse Practitioner programs at Western University and obtained her MScN at the University of Windsor. Recognizing the important work of RNFOO, Lynne values the opportunities it provides to support nurses in their education, their ongoing spirit of inquiry, and in achieving their potential.

Lucy Kpiebewieng RN, MN, GNC(C)
Board Member

Lucy is a registered nurse and educator with extensive experience in geriatric, rehabilitative, psychiatric nursing, and internal medicine across diverse healthcare settings.  Her MN studies  focused on Education; she has served as an Advanced Practice Nurse Educator at the University Health Network, supporting clinician training, policy development, and quality improvement. Currently a part-time professor at Sheridan College, Lucy provides evidence-based, reflective learning for nursing students. She is a certified gerontological nurse, GPA^® Coach, and adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto.  Actively involved in nursing associations, Lucy is passionate about trauma-informed teaching and advancing nursing education.

Margaret Blastorah, PhD
Board Member

Margaret joined the Board of RNFOO in 2020, and is a member of Fund Development, Marketing, and Communications Committeeand the Finance Committee. At the Annual General Meeting in October 2021, Margaret was named President of the Board.

Margaret has enjoyed a long career in nursing education and leadership in hospital and academic settings. After retiring from her position as Assistant Professor and Director of the Master of Nursing Program at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing in 2017, she continued to be involved in RNFOO as a judge for the annual awards program. She is very happy to be able to support nurses and nursing education as a member of the Board of Directors.

Maria Rugg RN BScN MN CHPCN(C) CHE
Board Member

Maria has been a registered nurse for 34 years, initially working clinically as a nurse/nurse practitioner with a focus in pediatric acute/chronic care including palliative care, pain management, bereavement care and patient experience.  Since 2010, her career has focused on adult palliative and psychosocial care within the acute care and community setting.  A graduate of the University of Windsor nursing program, she also holds a Master’s degree in nursing from the University of Toronto.

Maria’s credentials also include a Canadian Nursing Association National certification in palliative care (21 years certified in 2024).  More recently Maria has achieved Canadian Health Executive (CHE) designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders.  Maria has worked in various palliative care consulting capacities at Ontario Health, has been a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative Care at Unity Health Toronto, and for the last 9 years as an adjunct lecturer at The University of Toronto  in both the faculties of Nursing and Family and Community Medicine, Division of Palliative Care. Maria has been a certified LEAP (Learning Essentials to Advance Palliative Care) facilitator and coach since 2018 through Pallium Canada.

Maria has served as a board member in several organizations including Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, and Darling Home For Kids.  Her biggest joys are her 2 daughters and granddaughter!

Ola Abanta Thomas Obewu, RN, BScN, MN (c)
Board Member

Ola is a Masters nursing student and works as a Research and Teaching Assistant at Toronto Metropolitan University. She also works in a frontline role as an Emergency Department nurse at St Joseph’s Health Centre, Toronto. Ola is passionate about social activism, health equity issues, mentorship, community building, and lifelong learning.

A recipient of the 2022 RNFOO Charlotte Noesgaard Scholarship and the 2025 Janet Anderson Memorial Scholarship, Ola recognizes the vital role RNFOO plays in the nursing community. This has led her to join RNFOO Board and Gala Committee, where she hopes to bring unique perspectives as both a frontline nurse and student.

Ryan Chan, RN, MScN, PhD(c)
Board Member

Ryan is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Scholar) at the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University.  Ryan’s teaching, research, and scholarly interests include nursing informatics/digital health, nursing education, and clinical simulation/simulation-based learning.

Ryan joined the RNFOO Board and Gala Committee in 2024.  In addition to RNFOO, Ryan continues to engage in service to the nursing and informatics professional community through his active involvement and contribution as an executive member within various local, provincial, and national professional associations.

Shannon Wright RN(EC), NP-PHC, MSc, CPMHN(C)
Board Member

Shannon is a Nurse Practitioner in the Mental Health in Medicine Clinic at the University Health Network (UHN) where she provides mental health care to patients at UHN who live with complex medical conditions. Shannon embraces opportunities to collaborate with patients, families, and multiple medical teams to improve patient outcomes, experiences, and quality of life.

In addition to her clinical work, Shannon is an adjunct lecturer in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto.  Shannon’s current research interests include exploring the mental health needs of individuals living with post-COVID syndrome, improving the quality of mental health care for solid organ transplant recipients, and optimizing patient outcomes through integrated care pathways using a stepped-care model.

Sherida Chambers
Board Member

Sherida is currently the Director of Nursing Practice at CAMH and has a broad experience in nursing leadership at range of hospitals in the Greater Toronto area.

She has also been involved in nursing education both from a professional practice and preparatory program perspective.

Sherida’s skills in strategic goal-setting and her dedication to fostering a culture of engagement and professional empowerment are important strengths that she will share with the Board .

Taz Fattah, PMP 
Board Member

Taz Fattah joins the RNFOO Board with a background in marketing and a passion for community impact. With over 15 years in the financial sector, Taz brings a fresh perspective to fund development and outreach, aiming to expand RNFOO’s reach and support for Ontario nurses. Known for his hands-on approach, he’s committed to building connections that enhance RNFOO’s mission. Taz is excited to help empower nurses, supporting their professional journeys and the critical work they do to serve our communities.

Vivian Zheng, MSc, CPA, CFA 
Treasurer

Vivian is a Senior Auditor with KPMG; for the past three years she has led a team working with banking and broker engagement clients.  Vivian has previous accounting experience with Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Royal Bank.  In addition to her accounting designation, Vivian is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Annette Weeres, RN BScN MN
Ex-officio

Annette is Director of Professional Practice at WeRPN – the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario. Annette has over 35 years of nursing experience. A graduate from a diploma RN program in British Columbia, she completed her BScN at Ryerson University and MN at the University of Toronto.

Annette’s health care experiences range from acute care to northern outpost nursing with roles in clinical practice, leadership and education. She is strong supporter of professional development, an advocate for nurses’ access to continuing education and incorporating evidence into practice, all important focuses of her role at RPNAO.

Bernadette (Bernie) Robinson, RN
Board Member

Bernadette (Bernie) Robinson, RN, joined the RNFOO Board in 2018, representing the Ontario Nurses’ Association. In her first term with the ONA board, Bernie has the lead for ONA’s education portfolio, promoting and supporting education initiatives for ONA members.

Based in eastern Ontario, Bernie has worked at St. Francis Memorial Hospital for more than 30 years, and has experience in all facets of a small, busy rural hospital and with community nursing.