November 2021 Board Announcement Press Release

Epilepsy Canada is pleased to announce some exciting changes to its Board of Directors. 

Firstly, we would like to thank our retiring Chairman, Jacques Brunelle. We were fortunate to have Jacques on our Board for over 7 years. Jacques took over as Chairman in 2015 and was an important contributor and moderator for our business development. After serving us for so long, Jacques made the decision to pursue other interests this year but we want to thank him sincerely for his time and energy in serving those living with epilepsy during his tenure.

Taking over the role of Chairman is Leonard Allen. As a long serving board member and Epilepsy Canada Fundraising Champion, Leonard steps in with a great deal of experience. Leonard first became a Board Member in 2018, following a fantastic fundraiser. Leonard took a team of ten Canadians to Africa to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Leonard and his team raised $200,000 to fund research to find a cure for epilepsy. Leonard’s connection to epilepsy is very personal, as he lost his Sister, Kim, to SUDEP many years ago. We know that Leonard will do an outstanding job of leading Epilepsy Canada for the foreseeable future.

We are also welcoming two new board members, Cynthia Connelly and Dereck Paul.

Cynthia Connelly

Cynthia is a Senior Executive with 30+ years of experience in leading teams, managing success and driving profitability for well-renowned businesses across the globe. With the majority of these years spent overseeing luxury hotel openings and transitions around the globe, Cynthia has directed the pre-opening efforts in more than 20 projects in Asia, Egypt, the UK, the United States, UAE, South Africa, Ukraine, Philippines and India. International experience coupled with Cynthia’s project management skills and professional approach to working with multiple levels of stakeholders, will add to the Board’s dynamic and assist the team in propelling Epilepsy Canada forward.

“My connection to Epilepsy is very personal.  At the age of 16, I was diagnosed with Grand Mal Seizures (I believe this name has changed over the years) and began a journey of exploring the right drug combination to control the seizures.  I was extremely fortunate to have access to specialists who were diligent in working through a myriad of combinations, eventually landing on one that gave me the freedom to pursue a full and exciting life.  Daily doses of the drugs remained unchanged for nearly 40 years and while they kept the seizures from interrupting my life, there were other side affects.   There are so many who are not as fortunate as I was in controlling the seizures and ultimately, we all live with fear of SUDEP.  Epilepsy Canada’s mandate of supporting research with a goal of eradication, aligns with my core beliefs and this is perfect time for me to share my journey and experiences with a team of people who share the same objectives.”

Dereck Paul

Dereck holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from York University, a Master’s Certificate in Energy Sector Leadership from Schulich School of Business, an Executive Leader Certificate from the Niagara Institute of Leadership, and is enrolled in the Chartered Directors (C. Dir.) Program through McMaster University.

He is a results-oriented leader with over 25 years of strong, transferable, leadership experience. He held various executive positions at the Electricity Distributors Association, Toronto Hydro Energy, Sprint International and Tech Data Canada prior to Lakefront Utilities. 

Dereck works closely with different levels of Governments and their agencies, including the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment and Ontario Energy Board. He served as Director and Treasurer on the Cornerstone Hydro Electric Concept (CHEC) board, member of the Sustainability and Climate Change Committee and is very active in his community, volunteering with Ajax Minor Hockey Association and numerous charities.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve on the Epilepsy Canada board and I’m proud to be part of a team that makes a difference, contributes, and cares deeply about victims of this terrible disease. Thanks to the generosity of donors and valued supporters, I believe we can and will find a cure that will save lives. What an awesome thing!”

Each member of our team shares our core belief that uniting around the common goal of finding cures for epilepsies will lead us to the day when we can deepen our understanding of epilepsy and ultimately defeat it.