Leadership Team
Our leadership team is committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability and efficiency in all aspects of our work. Many of our leader volunteers have personal ties to our work at WaterStone Foundation. All bring their passion, determination and expertise to ensure WaterStone Foundation fulfills its mandate.
Board of Directors
Kim Duffy
Kim is the Co-Founder and Board Chair of WaterStone Foundation. Her passion and drive to help individuals and families resulted from her family’s journey with a loved one struggling with an eating disorder.
Kim has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, primarily working in the U.S. and U.K. in health insurance. Returning to Canada in 2001, her focus was raising her four children and chasing them in their numerous activities.
She has been active in the eating disorder community since 2011. She is a member of the Eating Disorder Association of Canada and the Academy of Eating Disorders. She completed Rotman’s Not-for-Profit Essential Governance Program in 2015 and U of T Not-for-Profit Leadership. Kim is a graduate of Purdue University.
In addition to her activism in the eating disorder community, she has held numerous volunteer positions over the years, including the Hospital for Sick Children’s Women’s Auxiliary, Appleby College, Kingsway College School, and the Etobicoke Dolphins Hockey Organization.
Kim loves to travel to visit her children and to go for long walks with her Great Dane.
Joanne Peters
Joanne has served as Chair of WaterStone Foundation’s Financial Aid Committee. Joanne is a lawyer. She was a Senior Legal Counsel at the Ontario Securities Commission for 15 years, and before that, she practised corporate, commercial and securities law at Fraser Beatty in Toronto.
In addition to being on the Board of WaterStone Foundation, Joanne volunteers with Start2Finish, a school-running and reading program. She also volunteers at Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. In the past, she has served as Vice-Chair of the Board of the Oakville Community Foundation and was on the Board of Start2Finish Canada. Joanne has been involved with fundraisers for many charities, including the Oakville Trafalgar Hospital, and she co-chaired Empty Bowls, helping to raise almost $100,000 at each event, for Home Suite Hope Oakville.
She has two successful daughters and lives in Oakville with her husband.
Donna Simpson
Donna is a secondary school teacher at Upper Canada College, where she teaches Year 12 Biology and MYP Science. She holds a Bachelor of Science, Specialist in Zoology, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, along with additional qualifications as an Honour Specialist in Biology and Guidance.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Donna is actively involved in the school community as a coach for the high school cross country and ultimate frisbee teams. She has also contributed to fundraising and advancement initiatives at Upper Canada College, Kingsway College School and Beaver Valley Ski Club, including leadership roles in major events and community engagement efforts. She also founded her own private tutoring business, supporting students of all ages in their academic development.
Donna brings a thoughtful perspective, strong organizational skills and a deep commitment to student well-being to her work and community involvement.
Lora Gernon
Lora is Vice President and General Manager at Esri Canada. Lora provides strategic leadership that defines the organization’s direction, structure and culture. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Waterloo. Her experience includes 17 years as a key executive at Microsoft, followed by several years of consulting for a wide range of companies, with a proven track record. Lora advises various companies on strategy and growth.
NextGen Committee
Kathryn Green – Committee Lead
Kathryn is a Holistic Nutritionist and is now pursuing her studies in counselling psychology to become a registered psychotherapist. Kathryn first became active in the eating disorder community in 2020 after battling her journey with anorexia nervosa. Now recovered, Kathryn runs a health and wellness Instagram page where she openly shares her past struggles and emphasizes the importance of having a healthy relationship with food and your body, inspiring trust and connection with her audience.
Kathryn joined WaterStone as a volunteer in September 2021 and is currently helping create content for WaterStone’s Instagram page and working with the team to raise awareness about WaterStone among universities. Additionally, Kathryn celebrates her ability to run marathons, demonstrating resilience and inspiring others through her recovery journey.
Gabriela Ash – Member
Gabriela Ash is currently working as early childhood educator as well as part time content creator. Gabriela became part of the eating disorder community in 2015 when she was first diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Throughout her recovery, she has continued to be open about her struggles and the ongoing effects eating disorders can have at different stages of your life. Now recovered, Gabriela is honoured to be a part of the NextGen committee to continue to raise support and awareness against eating disorders especially in University. Gabriela has a background in advocacy, from advocating for young children, adoption and mental health. Gabriela is driven to continue to advocate for issues that are close to her heart. Gabriela also runs a health and wellness Instagram focused on holistic approaches in order ti best care for overall health and well-being.Her previous experience with Waterstone includes being a keynote speaker at a recent fundraising event and helping with ongoing fundraisers.
Elektra Papanikloau – Member
Elektra Papanikolaou is an undergraduate student at Western University pursuing a degree in Health Sciences. Elektra is deeply passionate about healthcare, with a specific focus and dedication to women’s health and advocacy. Elektra’s hobbies outside of academics include a love of cooking, staying active, and spending time in nature.
Dia Papanikolaou – Member
Dia Papanikolaou is an undergraduate student at Western University pursuing a degree in Medical Sciences. She is passionate about improving women’s wellbeing and strengthening community support for women. Outside of academics, she enjoys dancing, yoga, and spending time with family.
Ashley Thistlewaite – Member
Ashley joins the WaterStone NextGen Committee as a current Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology student. After recovering from a ten-year battle with anorexia nervosa, Ashley went on to study Psychology at Western University. After completing her degree in 2015, Ashley worked in the venture capital space. After a few years of resisting what she now sees as her calling, Ashley leaned into pursuing further education with the goal of assisting others struggling with eating disorders and mental health. Ashley understands what it is like to live not only with mental illness but to also carry the weight of the labels, loneliness, shame, and stigma that accompanies these diagnoses. Having worked with many highly qualified practitioners over the years, Ashley believes in the innate capacity of individuals to heal. It is her hope that she will one day go on to provide the same space and light for others struggling that was offered to her during her most challenging days.
Advisors
Sandra Palmaro
Sandra has spent more than 25 years in leadership positions in the corporate, not for profit, and education sectors. After 14 years with Microsoft Canada, Sandra held leadership roles at SickKids Foundation, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and, most recently, at Wilfrid Laurier University. Sandra served on the Board of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada for 8 years, including 3 years as National Board Chair, and on the Governing Council of the Health Charities Coalition of Canada for 2 years. Sandra holds a Master of Arts in Global Leadership degree from Royal Roads University and completed the Directors Education Program (ICD.D) at Rotman School of Management in 2015.
Sandra has been involved with WaterStone Foundation since its inception.
Clinical Advisors
Dr. Debra Katzman
Dr. Debra K. Katzman earned her MD from McMaster University and completed her residency training in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson General Pediatric Academic Development Program (Specialty in Adolescent Medicine) in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University. She was Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (1988–1991). She joined the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto in 1991 and is currently a Professor and Clinician Investigator in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and Temerty Faculty of Medicine of the University of Toronto and a Senior Associate Scientist in Child Health Evaluative Science, SickKids Research Institute. She was the Head, Division of Adolescent Medicine (2004–2012) and the Director of the Eating Disorder Program (1993–2011) at SickKids. She was also the Director of Health Science Research, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (2014–2021). She is currently the Pediatric Lead for Eating Disorders Ontario. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; a Fellow of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine; and a Fellow of Academy for Eating Disorders.
Dr. Gillian Kirsh
Dr. Kirsh is a licensed Clinical Psychologist registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. She works with children, adolescents, adults, and families specializing in eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and psychoeducational assessments. She works in the Eating Disorders Program at North York General Hospital (NYGH, since 2004) and trained in several hospital-based ED programs in Ontario. She was previously on staff at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic at NGYH. Dr. Kirsh completed her pre-doctoral internship training at SickKids, where she focused on research on adolescents with eating disorders, assessment and treatment of anxiety, and psychoeducational assessments for children with learning disabilities/ADHD. In her post-doctoral fellowship at SickKids, she conducted research and community outreach in the prevention of eating disorders. Dr. Kirsh currently works at NYGH and in private practice. She also enjoys supervising and mentoring clinical psychology graduate students and early career psychologists.
Dr. Melissa Lieberman
Dr. Melissa Lieberman is a registered clinical Dr. Debra K. Katzman earned her MD from McMaster University and completed her residency training in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson General Pediatric Academic Development Program (Specialty in Adolescent Medicine) in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University. She was Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (1988–1991). She joined the Department of Pediatrics at the University of T She was also the Director of Health Science Research, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (2014–2021). She is currently the Pediatric Lead for Eating Disorders Ontario. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; a Fellow of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine; and a Fellow of Academy for Eating Disorders.
