Leaders in Care

Anne is an entrepreneur and health care leader with a focus on community impact, behavioural health, wellness, and safety. Guided by the core values of integrity, innovation, determination, community, action, and fun, Anne leads the Seafair team to ‘do well while doing good.’

A seasoned executive, Anne has worked in the community sector for over 25 years, founding several care organizations, and contributing to national healthcare standards. Anne’s entrepreneurial, innovative, and practical approach to leading transformative change is recognized nationally, and her down-to-earth style and focus on results is evident.

In 2012, she was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contributions in advancing quality home care.

In addition to leading her group of companies, Ms. Whelan serves on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada where she chairs the Audit Committee, and is also a Director with CSA Group and Nova Leap Health (NLH:CVE), and Vice-Chair of The Gathering Place. She has previously served as a Director on the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) board and the Newfoundland and Labrador Oil & Gas Industry Association. She is also a former Chair of the Board of Directors of Newfoundland Power, a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., as well as was Regional Vice-Chair of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC). Ms. Whelan brings her down-to-earth style and entrepreneurial passion to every conversation, contributing her time and talent to various other regional boards and community service initiatives.

Peter has worked for Community Living Kingston and District since December of 1991 and been the Executive Director since February of 2012. In that role, he maintains complete and overall responsibility for the executive leadership of the organization including the primary areas of management and leadership, governance, finance, and service delivery.

Upon graduating from Carleton University in Ottawa with a Master’s Degree in Social Work (Social Policy and Administration), Peter was employed by the Regional Office of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. He has dedicated most of his career to the developmental services sector working in various direct service, case management and senior leadership positions. He was also very involved in the closure of the last remaining institutions in Ontario, assisting individuals with intellectual disabilities to move back to their home communities to be active and respected citizens.

Peter took the lead in preparing Community Living Kingston and District for CARF accreditation in 2007 and was a CARF Accreditation Surveyor from 2008 to 2021, gaining considerable experience surveying agencies throughout the USA, Canada, and Europe. He served on the Board of Directors for Spinal Cord Injury Ontario from 2012 to 2016 and was the Chair of the Provincial Executive Directors Group for Community Living Ontario from 2014 to 2018.

Peter’s passion is to help build inclusive communities and his overall goal is to position the organization for success in all areas. When not at work, he enjoys playing squash, golf, and spending time at his cottage that includes a mix of projects and puttering along with periods of relaxing through walks, kayaking, and reading.

Laurie Szymanski has worked in the charitable sector for over 20 years. She has previously worked with organizations like the Canadian Paraplegic Association, Canadian Diabetes Association and the Hope Foundation of Alberta before becoming the Chief Executive Officer of Little Warriors.

Laurie joined the team at Little Warriors in 2010 and is honoured to part of an organization that helps create awareness, provides child sexual abuse prevention education and changes the lives of children who have been sexually abused every day.