26
IDA GOODREAU
BComm ’81, MBA ’86
I
da Goodreau has a legacy of strong leadership. She
is director of strategy for the University of British
Columbia Centre for Health Care Management, and an
adjunct faculty member with the Sauder School of Business.
From 2002 to 2009, the UWindsor alumna served as
the CEO of Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), one of the
largest health care organizations in the country, responsible
for delivering health services to more than 1.1 million
people. Under her leadership, VCH shifted to a patient-
centred approach, building an integrated continuum of
health care services.
Goodreau sits on the board of Genome B.C., Canada
West Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, Fortis Inc., and Fortis B.C. She previously
served on the board of Shell Canada.
She is heavily involved in the community and non-profit sector as well, and sits on
the boards of the Streetohome Foundation, Justice Institute Foundation and Women’s
Leadership Circle.
MARGARET PARSONS
LLB ’93
M
argaret Parsons is the executive director of
the African Canadian Legal Clinic (ACLC),
established to address anti-Black racism and other forms
of systemic and institutional discrimination in the justice
system, education, employment, housing, health care and
other spheres of society.
As a law student at the University of Windsor,
Parsons founded the Black Law Students Association
of Canada. She has also served as an adjudicator at the
Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and helped develop and
co-ordinate the first African Canadian Court Worker
Program in Ontario.
Under her leadership, the ACLC has appeared on behalf of African Canadians in
precedent-setting cases at the Supreme Court of Canada and the Ontario Court of
Appeal.The alumna represented the Americas region on the co-ordinating committee
of the United Nations for the NGO Forum at the World Conference Against Racism,
held in Durban, South Africa.
Parsons helped establish and co-ordinate the African Canadian Community
Coalition on Racial Profiling to develop a united and effective community response
to racial profiling. In 2007 and 2008, she was invited by the United Nations Working
Group on People of African Descent to participate in meetings as an expert in the area
of anti-racism and racial profiling.
GRAHAM BROWN
BHK ’92, MHK ’96
G
raham Brown, CEO for Rugby
Canada, has overseen enormous
growth of the sport in Canada both on and
off the field since he took the role in 2003.
Brown, who was a founding member of
the University of Windsor rugby program
in 1989, is responsible for the day-to-day
operations of the union. He has been
instrumental in evolving Rugby Canada
into a progressive and highly respected
national sport organization both in Canada
and abroad.
Ontario is the fastest-growing province
in term of registered players, according to
YorkRegion.com. In 2012, 10,767 players
registered with 33,000 players competing at
school levels. A decade earlier, only 5,100
players were registered provincially with
20,000 participating at school programs.
Brown joined Rugby Canada after four
years as executive director of the Ontario
Minor Hockey Association. He is co-chair
of the National Team Sport Coalition,
representing many team sports in Canada
and also represents Rugby Canada on the
Commonwealth Games/Canadian Olympic
Committee and Pan Am Games. He has
also served as a sessional at the University of
Toronto Faculty of Management.
Canada may not yet be prepared to beat
the world powers, but it is beginning to hold
its own, he says, going shoulder to shoulder
against nations with a steeper background
in the sport. “It relates to the success of
the athletes,” Brown told YorkRegion.com.
“We’re competing against countries with
multi-million-dollar budgets, but, somehow,
have kept pace with top teams.”
