Paul Melia, Chairperson

Paul was the President and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES). Paul joined the organization in 1991 as Director of Education and Communications.  After serving in this capacity for eight years, he moved to the private sector where he held the position of Regional Vice President for In-Touch Survey Systems Inc.  In 2001, his passion for promoting a Canadian sport environment based on positive values and the pursuit of excellence through fair and ethical means lead to his return to the CCES.  Paul oversaw the operations of the CCES, which included the administration of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program and working with the federal, provincial, and territorial governments and other sport organizations to build a national ethics strategy for amateur sport under the banner True Sport.  Paul also worked extensively on the international arena to promote ethical and doping-free sport.  Paul retired from the CCES in January 2023.

Paul is a graduate of the University of Ottawa, where he earned a Masters degree in health administration.  Prior to joining the CCES, Paul led of the Tobacco Programs Unit at Health Canada, where he was responsible for managing the Department’s tobacco use reduction strategies.

Jasmine Northcott, Secretary/Treasurer

Jasmine Northcott is the Chief Executive Officer of the Shooting Federation of Canada and Treasurer of the True Sport Foundation. With years of experience in and outside the high-performance sport sector, Jasmine is a progressive leader with extensive strategic planning and business management experience.

Working with Canadian national team athletes, volunteers, all levels of government, international sport, national and multi-sport organizations, she has strong working relationships and knowledge of the sport and physical activity sector. She is a Canadian Women in Sport board alumna, and an advocate for the Canadian national team athletes for over 14 years with AthletesCAN.

A graduate of the University of Ottawa and the University of British Columbia, Jasmine holds a Bachelor degree in Leisure Studies and a Masters degree in Sports Administration & Marketing.

Lori Johnstone, Member

Over the past 30 years, Lori has been a participant, athlete, coach/instructor, volunteer, advocate, leader and professional of sport in Canada.  Lori was a member of Racquetball Canada’s National Team program from 1989 to 1996 and is a former national champion.  Lori also served as an athlete representative for her team, and was elected to the Athletes CAN Board of Directors in 1994, eventually serving terms as Vice Chair (1995-97) and Chair (1997-99).

Lori has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University in Applied Social Science and is currently a Consultant with the Wellness Branch of the New Brunswick Department of Social Development. Lori’s diverse work experiences in sport included coordinating the Canada-New Brunswick Bilateral Agreement on Sport Development; Special Advisor to former Secretary of State for Amateur Sport Denis Coderre; first Athletes Services Manager for the Canadian Sport Centre-Atlantic; National Program Coordinator for Racquetball Canada; and racquetball club pro / coach.

Lori has received two national awards at the Canadian Sport Awards in recognition of her contribution to sport. She continues to invest time in Athletes CAN, CAAWS and Canadian Sport for Life, and serves on the Board of the True Sport Foundation and as an Individual Member of Commonwealth Games Canada.   Lori remains strongly committed to creating and sustaining the best environment for values-based sport, increased participation and the achievement of excellence.

Karen O’Neill, Member

Karen O’Neill has been involved in the Canadian sport and active living community for over 20 years. Her prime interest and motivation has been on providing opportunities for all Canadians to participate in physical activity and sport in whatever way they want and are able to. Her career life has focused on work with athletes and persons with a disability, women in sport, and using sport as a development tool in Canada and Internationally.

She has held several senior sport positions over the years:

• COO of the Rick Hansen Foundation.
• CEO of Commonwealth Games Canada – 1996 to 2004
• Current member of the Board of Directors for Sport BC
• Founding member of the Sport Matters Group

Dr. Ann Pegoraro, Member

Dr. Ann Pegoraro is the Lang Chair in Sport Management in the Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph. A holder of BA, MBA, and PhD degrees, Ann is also a co-director of the National Research Network for Gender Equity in Canadian Sport funded by Sport Canada. She is an active researcher, who has presented at international conferences and published in refereed management journals in the areas of marketing, communications, digital media and gender equity. Her research primarily focuses on marketing and communication with a focus on the digital world. Ann is also a life-long sports enthusiast, transitioning from playing to coaching and now teaching and sharing her knowledge and experience where possible. She has consulted with amateur sport organizations in Canada and abroad. Ann is passionate about contributing to sport in Canada and ensuring access for future generations.

Dr. Ralph Strother, Member

Dr. Ralph Strother MD, CCFP, FCFP DSM is a Medical Doctor in practice in Family Medicine and Sport Medicine in Calgary. He is a retired Professor in the Faculty of Medicine with Adjunct appointment in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. He served as one of the founding physicians of the Sport Medicine Centre at the University of Calgary and was National Team Physician for several National and Olympic teams having attended international competitions including the Olympics. He has published several peer reviewed articles relating to population health and learning. He has won Dr. Charles Pashby award for research in the field of injury prevention. Dr Strother received a Distinguished Lecturer Award for the University of Calgary and is a distinguished alumnus of Henry Wise Wood High School and the University of Texas at Austin. He has given numerous national and international presentations varying from medicine to physician learning to strategic philanthropy. Recently he was Chief Investment Officer of Max Bell Foundation and Norlien Foundation. He graduated with Distinction from the University of Alberta in Medicine (Conn Memorial Gold Medalist) and previously attended the University of Texas at Austin where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He has served as Chairman of The Calgary Foundation and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. His other non profit Boards include the Alberta Mentor Foundation for Youth (AMFY), Ester Honens Foundation, the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre (AARC), the Brandon Flock Family Foundation and the Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation.

John Wilkinson, Member

John Wilkinson is a partner at WeirFoulds LLP in Toronto. John holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto and an LL.B. from Dalhousie University, and was called to the Bar in 1987. John is a founding director of the Toronto Sports Council, the not-for-profit City Council-recognized “Voice for Sport” in Toronto, which promotes active involvement in sport and physical recreation for all. Since 2013, John has been Executive VP, Competitive of the Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association. John’s professional expertise includes law related to corporate governance, risk management, intellectual property, commercial and employment agreements, mergers and acquisitions, charities, non-profits, and sports and Olympic law. John represents clients involved in education, consulting, health care, social services delivery, sports administration, hospitality, and manufacturing.  John is currently the President of the Canadian Association of University Solicitors, serves on the board of directors of the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation, and is on the Governance Committee of University of Toronto Schools. John was an Adjunct Professor at Western University’s Faculty of Law in 2006 and 2008.