Our Board
NANCY HAMM
Chair
Executive Member, Human Rights Watch Canada
For over 25 years, Nancy Hamm has been actively engaged in the advancement of charitable causes focused on education, social services, and human rights. Her involvement has extended from campaign fundraising, to event planning, and board leadership.
As Chair of the Earlscourt Child and Family Centre Board of Directors, Nancy was largely responsible for the merger of Earlscourt and the West End Crèche, which established the Child Development Institute. She went on to serve as its first Board Chair and remains an Advisory Board Member. Nancy is an Executive Member of Human Rights Watch Canada and Past Chair of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee Member of Human Rights Watch Canada.
In addition to serving as Chair of Pine River Foundation's Board of Directors, Nancy is also an active member of Pine River Institute's Board.
GUY CARR-HARRIS
Chairman and CEO, Canada Colors and Chemicals Ltd.
Guy Carr-Harris is the controlling shareholder of Canada Colors and Chemicals Limited. He holds the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and is located in their head office in Toronto, Canada.
Guy Carr-Harris graduated from Proctor Academy, a private school in New Hampshire and attended the University of Vermont where he studied Business Management.
Guy has spent more than 30 years in various positions with Canada Colors and is the 3rd generation to manage the company. Other responsibilities include being the President and Chairman of Carr Investments and other family holding companies, President of Roseneath Properties as well as being on the board of The Canadian Art Foundation, Branksome Hall, Proctor Academy and The Beaumaris Yacht Club.
Guy Carr-Harris lives with his wife Margaret in Toronto and has two daughters.
CLARE GAUDET
Vice President, National Bank
Clare Gaudet is a financial services executive and lawyer and is currently Vice-President and Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer at the National Bank of Canada. Prior to December 2014, she was Vice-President Enterprise Risk Management TD Bank Group. Clare started her career at Borden Ladner Gervais as a corporate and securities lawyer. After a decade in private practice, she joined the Toronto Stock Exchange as head of Senior Listings. She then worked at CIBC from 2005 in Regulatory Affairs and Internal Controls. Clare obtained her LL.B. and B.C.L (1984) from McGill University.
Clare has been involved in a number of not-for-profit organizations in the arts and education and is currently Chair of the Governance Committee of the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto. What inspires Clare, as a parent and director of the Pine River Foundation, is the way forward to wholeness that PRI offers young people struggling with addictive behaviors.
Clare lives in Toronto with her husband and visits her two grown-up daughters living abroad as often as she can.
JOHN SINCLAIR, CPA, CA
Partner, Baker Tilly WM LLP
John Sinclair is a Partner, Baker Tilly WM LLP providing business advisory and audit services to public and private companies in a wide range of industries. With more than 25 years of experience, John has worked on over 100 Initial Public Offerings and other related offering documents.
John is the Managing Partner of Baker Tilly WM’s Toronto office and is leading the growth of the firm in Toronto and Vancouver as a member of the firm’s Management Committee. He also serves as the International Business Leader to Baker Tilly International and in this capacity facilitates the in-bound and out-bound flow of international engagements for Baker Tilly WM LLP in Canada.
John is married with three sons, one of whom is a successful graduate of the Pine River Institute program.
MARIA MILANETTI, MBA, CHRL
Partner, MarchFifteen
Maria Milanetti has over 20 years experience working with senior managers and leaders in a variety of settings. She specializes in strategy development, succession planning, change management and leadership and team development. Known as an insightful and results-oriented business partner, Maria has worked in both large and small organizations in many different sectors.
Maria holds a Master’s degree in business administration and completed her training in organizational development at The Canadian Organizational Development Institute.
LAUREL MURRAY, CPA, CA
President, Murray Management Consulting Inc
Laurel Murray is a chartered accountant with more than 25 years of experience in management consulting. She leads a successful independent consulting practice providing expert advice and leadership aimed at strengthening financial, risk, and performance management practices. Laurel is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and was selected for Women on Board™, a Catalyst initiative to solve the boardroom diversity challenge in Canada and The United States.
Prior to starting her own firm, Laurel served as a senior manager within the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and authored the Treasury Board Secretariat's Guidebook for Departmental Audit Committees. In 2005, she was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) by the Premier of Ontario, and shortly thereafter was appointed Chair of the LCBO’s Audit Committee. Laurel also served as Chair of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner Audit Committee from 2008 to 2017, helping to protect and promote the privacy rights of individuals.
CRISTINA BURGESS
Founder, Augustina boutique and Auggie Home Collection
Cristina Burgess is the founder of luxury boutique, Augustina, and co-founder of baby and child lifestyle brand, Auggie Home Collection. Augustina launched in 2001 as a retail shop in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood while Auggie Home Collection came on the scene a decade later, the joint-creation of Cristina and her sister Gen. Having shifted from a bricks and mortar operation to an e-commerce platform in 2013, the brands now enjoy a loyal following across Canada, the US and Europe.
From 2014 to 2016 Cristina served on the board of Friendship in Action, a non-profit organization working to promote collaboration and inclusion in the classroom, and has hosted events in support of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Camp Oochigeas.
Cristina, who lives in Toronto with her son, continues to serve as a member of Friendship in Action’s Advisory Committee and is excited to contribute further to initiatives benefiting children and youth with Pine River Foundation. She is particularly interested in applying her skills to build awareness of Pine River and advance the reach of its expertise.
Our Staff
JENNIFER BLUNT
CEO
Jennifer assumed her responsibilities as CEO of Pine River Foundation in October 2015 bringing with her 25 years of experience in the field combined with a heartfelt belief in the importance of giving youth with addictive behaviours and mental health issues a fresh start.
Her passion and interest in the field dates back to her undergraduate years at Queens University where she majored in Psychology and volunteered taking at-risk-youth on wilderness expeditions into Algonquin Park.
Jennifer's early experience in fundraising management, marketing and communications led her to the Toronto Public Library where she became the founding President of the Toronto Public Library Foundation. After a short hiatus to start her family, Jennifer returned to the field of youth addiction and over a twelve year period assumed progressive responsibility for the growth and stability of operations at Portage Ontario.
Jennifer lives in Toronto with her husband Robert Blunt and their two teenage daughters.
RUTH ANN SPITSE
Director of Finance
Ruth Ann has been with Pine River as Director of Finance since the Fall of 2006. With more than 20 years of experience, she provides accounting and financial services.
After attending Carleton University and Calvin College, Ruth Ann went on to a career in finance, mainly in the marketing and advertising sector. In 2004, she started her own financial management and consulting company, working with various clients including charitable and not-for-profit organizations.
PAIGE MELVIN
Development Coordinator- Database and Research Specialist
Paige joined Pine River as Development Coordinator in Spring 2019. Before Pine River, Paige worked in the charitable sector within a community hospital foundation.
Pine River piqued her interest with its Outdoor Leadership Experience, as part of their Four Phase treatment program.
Paige lives in Durham Region and enjoys reading, road trips and the great outdoors in her spare time.
MICHELLE METHVEN
Donor Services Director
Michelle has a diverse professional background that includes supporting mental health organizations in both not-for-profit and hospital sectors. Most recently, she spent five years in funeral services using her customer service and organizational skills to educate families and help them navigate death and dying.
Michelle was drawn to Pine River and its mission after experiencing first-hand the incredible changes that can occur in peoples’ lives when they have access to a comprehensive program that treats the whole person---not just the addiction.
Michelle lives in Toronto with her spouse and their 3 children and enjoys reading and spending time at her tiny cottage in Coboconk whenever she can get away from the city.
MAGDALENA (MEG) SEARLES
Development Director
Meg joined Pine River Foundation as the Development Director. She brings 10+ years of charitable experience working with large hospitals, National health organizations and most recently a private school. Her ability to think strategically and her wealth of knowledge and experience building relationships with donors, Board members and volunteers will be instrumental to our success.
Meg’s interest in Pine River stemmed from understanding their approach to treatment ~ Pine River’s program encompasses four seamless phases that support the youth’s and family’s gradual development, allowing time to learn, practice and mature.
Meg lives in Ballantrae with her husband and their 3 boys and enjoys working out, running, baking, the outdoors and traveling.