Meet our Board of Directors
Gateway Community Health Centre (Gateway) is very fortunate to be governed by a group of engaged, talented, and caring members of our community who volunteer their time to provide governance, strategic oversight, and accountability while supporting the vision, mission, values, and sustainability of our Centre.They also serve as active ambassadors of Gateway, representing our Centre on a number of community boards,and at community events.
Kathy Talsma, Chair
With more than 35 years of service with the Ontario Public Service, Kathy has dedicated her career to supporting vulnerable populations across Ontario. Focusing on case management and advocacy, her work in the employment support field helped individuals with disabilities prepare for, obtain, and maintain competitive employment. Moreover, her participation on numerous committees throughout her career focused on improving social service delivery across the province. Kathy is very proud to serve on the Gateway’s Board of Directors and is committed to the organization’s continued success. Her committee involvement includes Finance, Nominations, Strategic Planning, Accreditation, and Board Development, the latter of which she served as Chair for two years. A lifelong resident of Stirling, Kathy and her husband have owned and operated Ridgeview Farms for nearly 40 years. In the late 1980s, they built a state-of-the-art dairy farm and, after raising their two children, transitioned to cash cropping and providing custom farm services to surrounding agricultural operations. Kathy’s longstanding commitment to community service, advocacy, and local agriculture reflects her dedication to making a positive and lasting difference in the community.
Christine Brown, Vice-Chair
Christine is a retired nurse practitioner who has been connected to community health centres (CHCs) for more than 30 years. She first experienced the patient-centred values of a CHC as a client. Later, working in CHCs as a nurse practitioner in primary care, she focused her life's work on reducing barriers to equitable health care, health promotion, and preventive care for others. Christine grew up on a farm and has been a lifelong resident of the Municipality of Tweed, where she and her husband raised their four children and own a small business. Her personal and professional experiences have given her a deep appreciation for accessible, community-based health care.
Maria Lajoie-Cockburn, Treasurer
Maria grew up on a family farm in Tweed. She left to pursue a Bachelor of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Education at Queen’s University. After a 33-year career as a teacher and guidance counsellor in Brampton, Ontario, Maria retired in June 2017 and returned to her hometown of Tweed. In September 2024, she joined Gateway’s Board of Directors, where she is currently holding the position of Treasurer. She is passionate about contributing to Gateway, as it fulfills its mission to provide necessary services to the surrounding community.
Darlene Burosch, Director
Darlene is a retired educator, whose career path took her down many roads. With an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and a Bachelor of Education specializing in physical education and special education, she held numerous diverse roles. This included a program director of a vocational rehabilitation centre, a career and life coach, a director of an employment agency, a college instructor, an intake emergency worker with children and family services, and a high school teacher. Darlene has a long-standing interest in holistic healthcare and promoting community wellness, which has served her well in her role as a member of Gateway’s Board of Directors since 2023.
Chaya Kulkarni, Director
Bobbi-Jean White, Director
Bobbi-Jean is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with over 29 years of public accounting experience, specializing in the not-for-profit sector. She advises organizations of all sizes across Canada in complex accounting matters, governance, and organizational change. She has also contributed to national committees on not-for-profit accounting, governance, and accreditation, delivered financial literacy and technical training, and presented at sector conferences. Bobbi holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. With over 20 years of community leadership experience in roles such as board, treasurer, audit committee member, and chair for charitable organizations, she joins Gateway’s Board of Directors because she believes healthy communities depend on food security, mental health support, and equitable access to medical care for all.
Robyn Collins, Director
Robyn Collins has been a registered nurse for 24 years, and she has worked in a variety of care settings ranging from Corrections Canada to different units at local hospitals. With great passion and extensive knowledge about palliative care, she is Certified in Hospice Palliative Care Nursing (Canada) and is a Pallium Canada LEAP Facilitator. Robyn is currently a Palliative Care Clinical Coach with Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), where she is excited to be addressing practice gaps and strengthening collective knowledge about palliative care through education and training. Robyn has been happily married for seven years and is a mother of four children, ranging from 4 to 19 years of age. In her spare time, Robyn loves making stained glass, and she is an avid chicken keeper.
Nicole Smith, Director
Nicole is a business analyst and project manager with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Studies and Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. She brings experience across the not-for-profit, technology, and biotechnology sectors, with expertise in strategic planning, process improvement, and governance. With a collaborative approach, Nicole aims to help organizations turn strategic goals into practical solutions. After moving to the Madoc area in 2023, she was eager to become involved in her new community. Joining Gateway’s Board of Directors offered a meaningful opportunity to contribute her skills and build local connections. As Community Liaison, Nicole is committed to strengthening community relationships and supporting Gateway’s work to improve health and well-being.
Ruta Janson, Director
Ruta is a retired physiotherapist with over 50 years of experience in clinical practice and the administration of private physiotherapy clinics. She founded and managed five practices in Toronto, supporting people with a wide range of orthopaedic conditions and developing programs that focused on rehabilitation, health, wellness, ergonomics, and functional anatomy. She also created educational resources on spinal posture and delivered a worldwide arthritis education program. Actively involved in the Ontario Physiotherapy Association and its Private Practice division, Ruta collaborated with physiotherapists and other rehabilitation professionals throughout her career. Now living in Tweed, she remains passionate about helping people prevent injuries, maximize their physical function, and access quality health care within our community.
If you are interested in serving on Gateway CHC’s Board of Directors, please contact us.