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EKO announces three new board members

November 12, 2020

Empowered Kids Ontario-Enfants Avenir Ontario is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mohammad Zubairi, Carole Moore, and Susan Vanagas-Cote to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. These appointments fill vacancies on the Board as the association thanks four members whose terms have concluded: Susan Adamson, Sacha Baharmand, Colleen Fotheringham-Anderson and Elizabeth Haugh.

“Our Board of Directors is a dedicated team of community leaders committed to Ontario kids with disabilities and their families living their best lives” says Smiley. “We are excited to welcome Carole, Susan and Mohammad, who bring their experience, leadership and energy into furthering our mission.”

EKO’s Board of Directors is comprised of individuals from the health, children’s services, business, academic and volunteer communities in Ontario, as well as individuals with lived experience. It is the Board’s responsibility to provide counsel and guidance in the direction and operation of the association, as EKO promotes evidence-based investment, policy and programs enabling smart, innovative approaches and service delivery for kids with disabilities and their families.

Carole Moore is a senior health care administrator who is dedicated to improving outcomes and to ensuring an exceptional patient and staff experience. She is a frequent speaker at on this subject at national and international conferences. Carole is also a dedicated volunteer who has served on boards, including Children’s Treatment Network of Simcoe-York and DeafBlind Ontario Services. As a parent, Carole considers herself “a long-time customer” of Ontario’s child development sector and its services.

Susan Vanagas-Cote dedicated her career as a Speech-Language pathologist to treating individuals with communicative disorders—early on working with adults before moving to administration, clinical supervision, and treatment for kids with language, speech and feeding issues. As Executive Director for THRIVE Child Development Centre in Sault Sainte Marie, Susan made significant contributions to building the agency’s governance and operational structures in order to deliver high quality, consumer-oriented services.

Dr. Mohammad Zubairi is a physician, researcher, teacher and advocate. A developmental pediatrician at Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre in Hamilton and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at McMaster University, he is also Vice-Chair for the Physicians of Ontario NeuroDevelopmental Advocacy Network, a board member of the SAAAC Autism Centre, and serves nationally as an executive member in the Canadian Pediatrics Society’s Section on Developmental Pediatrics. Dr. Zubairi received the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Spotlight Award on three occasions; he has also received the University of Toronto Faculty Teaching Award, and the Hamilton Health Sciences Outstanding Resident Award. He is a frequent presenter at conferences, and his work has been published in journals, editorials, and books.

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Did You Hear?!

EKO Spring Symposium is Back in 2025!

Every two years EKO hosts this pinnacle event for the child development sector and the largest gathering of professionals and stakeholders from Ontario and across Canada.

learn more about the event!