Whistleblowing Canada is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.
Pamela Forward, MA, GCCR - President
Pamela Forward is a workplace mediator and researcher. A graduate of Carleton University (BA Political Science, Graduate Studies in Conflict Resolution, MA Legal Studies) and a former registered nurse, Pamela has had a varied career in government (federal public service and advisor to federal cabinet Ministers), business and health care. Over the years, much of her work has been with people in conflict and crisis situations. As well, she has coached new mediators in Carleton University’s, Department of Law- Conflict Resolution Program, and law students in the University of Ottawa, Department of Law.
Pamela’s experience includes both management and advisory positions at the national and international levels. She has been active in professional organizations, community organizations, and political organizations throughout her career. Her interest in whistleblowing advocacy began in the 1990’s when she joined with others to support whistleblowers in the Federal Public Service. She recently completed an in-depth, qualitative case study on whistleblowing regarding drug safety issues at Health Canada which highlighted many system flaws resulting in reprisals against truth-tellers and impunity for wrong-doers. This blend of knowledge and experience has stimulated an abiding interest in supporting conflict-friendly, ethical and accountable organizations and inspired the founding of Whistleblowing Canada Research Society. A native Newfoundlander, Pamela has traveled extensively, particularly in the Middle and Far East and has lived in Spain.
Jennifer Fraser, PhD - Director, Secretary
Dr. Jennifer Fraser is the founder of Bullied Brain.com. She has a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Toronto. She has been published by an American and a Canadian university press. An award-winning teacher of 20 years, Jennifer taught literature classes at U of T and ultimately university prep schools where she also directed youth theatre. In 2012, Jennifer was pulled into a child abuse crisis at the school where she was working. When it became apparent that the Board and school administrators were going to cover up, she reported to the Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.
When it became apparent that the Commissioner was going to cover up, she took his corrupt decisions and gave them to the Ombudsperson's Office in British Columbia. The cover up by the school and government were exposed on the front page of the Toronto Star and on CTV's W5 investigative journalism show. She published a book about the crisis, Teaching Bullies: Zero Tolerance on the Court or in the Classroom. This book went to number one on Amazon in the sport psychology category. Jennifer's knowledge of child abuse in another BC private school led to frantic requests for the foot-dragging Ombudsperson’s Office to intervene. Her significant concern was that this latest victim was suicidal, but the Ombuds was not moved. The student killed herself on November 21, 2017.
Jennifer's new book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health is to save individuals like her student from seeking support from those in power and authority as finding such support is doubtful. It teaches individuals how to prevent the brain scarring bullying and abuse that are rampant in our society and how to heal if the harm has been done. Dr. Michael Merzenich, the "Father of Neuroplasticity" says The Bullied Brain is "scientifically the most thorough treatment of the subject on planet earth."
Now coaching clients, doing speaking engagements, teaching online and in person courses, giving interviews, writing a blog "How I Became an Unlikely Whistleblower," for her website BulliedBrain.com and writing a regular blog for PsychologyToday, Jennifer hopes to bring about healthy, positive change especially for children and youth.
Dr. Catherine L. Phillips - Director
Catherine L. Phillips, MD, FRCP(C) is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, where she created Psychiatry Residency Electives “Mindfulness in Psychiatry” and “Military Psychiatry”; an MOU was developed between the Office of Postgraduate Medical Education U of A and Department of National Defence as a result of her initiative.
In addition to creating and offering resident electives, she has been a psychotherapy supervisor, taught courses at the University of Alberta and Canadian Psychiatric Association Annual Conference, and presented Keynote talks and workshops across Canada. Her practice of psychiatry includes Psychoanalytic and integrative psychotherapies, as well as experience in family and systems dynamics, with special interest in trauma.
For almost 17 years Catherine worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist at Edmonton Health Services Clinic (EHSC), Edmonton Garrison, Department of National Defense, where she witnessed and experienced first hand the Canadian military culture. Her resulting professional and personal moral distress led to her co-developing the first EHSC Ethics Committee, on which she was the civilian co-chair between February 2017 and March 2020.
Paloma Raggo, PhD - Director
Dr. Paloma Raggo is an assistant professor at the School of Public Policy and Administration and teaches in the Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) program. Carleton University’s new Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership is the first and only program of its kind in Canada. Paloma has a PhD in political science with a dual specialty in public policy/administration and international relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Her research interests include international nonprofit/INGO leadership, organizational accountability, global philanthropy, online teaching, and mixed methodologies. From 2011 to 2013, she served as the associate director of the Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (IQMR) of the Consortium for Qualitative Research Methods held at Syracuse University. She has received research related awards from the Canadian Association of Nonprofit Research and Social Economy Research (ANSER-ARES) (Best Thesis 2015), the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) (Emergent Scholar Award 2014), the Society for Political Methodology and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) (John Garcia Award 2011). She is currently working on her book: Leadership and Accountability in International Nonprofit Organizations and has received funding from SSHRC for a project on transnational accountability.
Heather Sanford - Director
Heather Sanford is a lawyer, governance professional and active community volunteer. A graduate of Acadia University (BA), and the University of New Brunswick (LLB), her career has included work in Immigration, Franchising and Intellectual Property, Labour and Employment, Post-Secondary, Government, and Governance. She currently lives in Prince George BC, with her husband and three teenage daughters, works with Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, and maintains current non-practising status with the Nova Scotia Bar Society.
Heather’s board and governance experience spans not-for-profits, public and independent schools, post-secondary, and corporate start-up. Her interest in whistleblowing is rooted in personal experience, and in addition to serving on the Whistleblowing Canada Research Society Board, she serves on the Executive of the boards of the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club and the Fraser Fort-George Museum Society and is an active member of the Share Hope Refugee Sponsorship Committee.
As a volunteer Heather has coordinated political campaigns, advocated on behalf of and supported new Canadians, worked in soup kitchens, and volunteered in a range of roles with Canada Games, a World Para-Nordic Ski Championship and two World Women’s Curling Championships.
Heather is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and will begin the ICD Director Education Program in the fall of 2022.
Marc Tasse - Director - Treasurer
Marc Tasse, MBA, CPA, CA, CFFF, CPA (USA), CFS (USA), CICA (USA), CACM (USA) is a part-time Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law and the Telfer School of Business.
With more than 30 years of international experience, Mr. Tassé is recognized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank Group (WBG), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Transparency International (TI), as an international leading expert in the fight against bribery, corruption and money laundering.
Among Canadian public initiatives, Mr. Tassé has testified twice before the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, and once before the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.
A sought-after investigative and forensic accountant, with experience with a Big 4 accounting firm (Deloitte), Tassé is a guest contributor on fraud, corruption and ethical misconduct for CBC/Radio-Canada.
Tassé has been published internationally and quoted extensively, in various prestigious publications including The Financial Post, The Globe and Mail, and The Wall Street Journal. He regularly delivers various awareness sessions on ethical issues to management and executives of Fortune 500 companies.
An award-winning lecturer at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law and at the Telfer Executive MBA program, Mr. Tassé has delivered various presentations on corporate ethics and financial crimes, at some of the world’s premier universities such as Harvard University.