Who We Are - Radiation Safety Institute of Canada

Board of Directors

The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada is a self-governing organization. Overall authority and responsibility rest with its Board of Directors. The Directors are chosen for their good sense, practiced judgment and broad experience and are elected independently from the business, academic, legal, health care and other communities and from labour, industry and government. The Board of Directors is an independent body. It is also, by policy, a multi-partite body. The Board seeks and maintains representation from the three traditional sectors of industry, government and labour. To this traditional triumvirate is added a fourth group of independent, knowledgeable and experienced people who support the Institute’s mission

The Board

Reza Moridi – Chair of the Board

Dr. Moridi has a long history with the Institute. Before embarking on his political career in 2007, he served as the Institute’s Vice-President and Chief Scientist. In his 17 year tenure with the Institute, among many notable accomplishments, Dr. Moridi was instrumental in licensing the Institute’s National Laboratories in Saskatoon with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to provide Personal Alpha Dosimetry service to uranium miners. He left the Institute to represent the riding of Richmond Hill at the Ontario Legislature for 11 years. He also served as Minister of Research, Innovation and Science and Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities in Premier Wynne’s cabinet. Dr. Moridi is a Senior Fellow at the Massey College, University of Toronto and serves on several Boards, including Royal Canadian Institute for Science.

Dr. Moridi earned a BSc and MSc in Physics at Tehran University and MTech and PhD degrees at Brunel University London.

John Barrett Ph.D., Ambassador (ret’d), President, Portolan Global Inc.

John Barrett Ph.D., Ambassador (ret’d), is President, Portolan Global Inc., a consulting firm specializing in Government & Stakeholder Relations in the nuclear energy sector. His areas of expertise include diplomacy & international governance relating to nuclear technology; policy advice on the role of nuclear energy and SMRs in decarbonization strategies; and sustainability/ESG profiles for nuclear sector companies.

Dr. Barrett is the former President & CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association, representing nuclear industry companies across Canada. Before joining CNA, he served as Canada’s Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency and chaired the IAEA Board of Governors. He was Canada’s Ambassador to Austria and Slovakia, as well as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization and the United Nations in Vienna.

At Global Affairs Canada, Dr. Barrett served as Director General, Strategic Planning & Coordination and Director for Disarmament & WMD Non-Proliferation. He has held executive positions in the Privy Council Office, Office of the Governor General, National Defence, and as Director of Policy Planning in the NATO International Staff (Brussels).

Dr. Barrett is a graduate of the University of Toronto and holds a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics. Currently, he chairs the Board of Directors of Neutrons Canada and is a director of the World Institute for Nuclear Security (Vienna) and the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

Helen Burstyn, Cofounder of Burstyn Inc.

Helen Burstyn has enjoyed a 40-year career in government, business, academia, broadcasting and community service. Helen spent much of her professional career in government, serving as the Chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Deputy Secretary of the Premier’s Council and Senior Advisor to the Premier. She is the Co-founder of Burstyn Inc., a communications and events management firm, Managing Director of Crescent Investment Partners, and a co-founder and board member of LEAP: The Pecaut Centre for Social Impact. She currently serves as the Chair of Evergreen, a national non-profit enterprise that supports sustainable cities and urban innovation, and Chair of The Koffler Centre of the Arts. She is also on the board of the Canadian Opera Company, UNICEF and Luminato, and is a member of the U.S.-Canada Innovation Partnership. She formerly served as chair of The Walrus and Waterfront Toronto. Helen is a past-president of the Canadian Club of Toronto (2008-09) and was the co-host of Toronto Files on RogersTV, a weekly community affairs program focusing on the people and issues that matter to Toronto. She has been a mentor and advisor for the Social Ventures Zone at Ryerson University since its inception in 2013.

In 2017, Helen was appointed to the Order of Canada in recognition of her public and community service. She is the recipient of the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Community Leadership and the Provincial Citizenship Award. Her book, Eleven Out of Ten: The Life and Work of David Pecaut, was published in 2012.

Arnold Cader, BComm, LLB, President, The Delphi Corporation

Since graduation from University of Toronto’s faculties of Business and Law, Arnie Cader has been involved with the development, structuring, restructuring, growth and management of a diverse range of private and public Canadian and International companies. Arnie brings years of legal, business and financial experience to any venture. He has advised businesses, trusts, estates, and non-profit organizations in fields as varied as automotive, steel, real estate and mental health and addiction. Arnie started practicing law with the Toronto firm of Goodmans in 1968, and served as managing partner of the firm from 1976 until the time he left in 1979.

His practice encompassed all aspects of business and corporate law, including securities, taxation, mergers and acquisitions and both private and public debt and equity financings. In 1979 Arnie left the practice of law and joined Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, then a small private company, where he served as a Director, Partner, and Executive Vice President. As well as having primary responsibility for the company’s financial affairs, he was instrumental in its growth and expansion as an international luxury hotel development and management corporation into major cities in the US, Europe and the Far East. Arnie’s culminating contribution to Four Seasons was the negotiation of a public financing of the company in Europe and Canada and the listing of its shares on the Toronto and Montreal stock Exchanges.After leaving Four Seasons in 1986, Arnie formed his own investment and consulting firm called “The Delphi Corporation”. Through this private company he has spent the last 28 years providing services in family advisory, investment, real estate, hotel and business consulting. In addition, he has also been instrumental as an entrepreneur in the development of new business ventures and has served as a director and chairman of several private and public companies. He has held several trusteeships, executorships, and directorships with family trusts and estates, and in this capacity has assumed responsibilities for structuring and restructuring the holdings of a number of prominent families, as well as assuming executive management decision-making responsibility for their businesses and investments.He was also one of the developers of “Lora Bay”, a luxury golf course and residential community development on the south shore of Georgian Bay in the Town of the Blue Mountains.One of his most significant contributions to the Community was being the Co-Founder and first Chairman of the Clark Institute of Psychiatry Foundation in 1988, now known as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (“CAMH”) Foundation. He continues to serve on the boards of several private corporations, and Charitable and Not-For-Profit Organizations.

Paula Campkin, MBA, CRSP, ICD.D Vice-President of Operations & Safety Centre of Excellence for Energy Safety Canada

As Vice-President of Operations & Safety Centre of Excellence for Energy Safety Canada, Paula provides strategic leadership to the development of safety programs, training and initiatives to reduce injury and illness in the Canadian oil & gas industry.

Prior to joining Energy Safety Canada in 2007, Paula gained valuable experience in the in the areas of human resources and environmental health & safety working in the oil and gas, construction and utilities sectors.

Paula holds a bachelor degree in psychology from the University of Calgary and an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business. She also holds certificates in occupational health & safety from the University of Alberta and project management from SAIT. Throughout her career, Paula holds the following professional designations; Chartered Professional in Human Resources Professional (CPHR), Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP), Canadian Risk Management (CRM) and Institute of Corporate Directors Designation (ICD.D).

Paula is Co-Founder and Inaugural Chairperson of the Women in Occupational Health & Safety Society, an organization with the mission to foster the advancement of women working in health and safety in Canada and has served as a Governor on the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals.

Sophie Dennis, retired Ontario Deputy Minister of Labour

Sophie is a strategic leader with over 40 years of experience in the fields of occupational health and safety, employment rights, policy and labour relations. She served as Ontario’s Deputy Minister of Labour overseeing the workplace environment in both the private and public sectors, ensuring adherence to labour standards. Prior to becoming Deputy Minister, Sophie was the Assistant Deputy Minister of Operations, where she led and had overall responsibility for one of the largest field operations with a staff compliment of over 1100, including 2 labs, field inspections and highly complex, high profile investigations.

She began her career at the Ministry of Labour as one of the first female inspectors and enjoyed sharing her knowledge and experience mentoring new generations of inspectors and leaders. Throughout her career, Sophie had led enterprise-wide change initiatives and has been an active member of organizations promoting health and safety and fair employment practices. In 2013, Sophie received the Government of Ontario’s Amethyst Award for Lifetime Achievement- Excellence in Public Service for being a “strategic leader whose vision and passion has advanced workplace health and safety to world class standards”. Sophie served as a member of the Council of Governors of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), a Canadian federal government agency, which serves to support the vision of eliminating all work-related illnesses and injuries.

Patrick Dillon, Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer, Building and Construction Trades’ Council of Ontario

Patrick J. Dillon is the Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer of the Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council of Ontario; a position he has held since January of 1997.

Patrick began his career in the construction industry as an apprentice electrician in 1961 and became a journeyperson in 1966. Following 18 years of experience in the construction industry, he was elected Business Manager of Hamilton Local 105 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

In 1991, he was elected Executive Chairman of the IBEW Construction Council of Ontario. Patrick is also a member of the Greater Toronto Civic Action Alliance where he joins other civic leaders in addressing the GTHA’s issues and challenges moving forward. Mr. Dillon sits on a number of construction industry boards, including those of the Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS), BuildForce Canada, the Workers’ Arts and Heritage Centre and the De Novo Treatment Centre. In July 2012, the Minister of Training Colleges and Universities presented Mr. Dillon with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, in recognition of “outstanding contributions to the Province of Ontario and the people of Canada.” In his hometown of Hamilton, Mr. Dillon is an avid curler and golfer. He is married with two children and three grandchildren.

Buzz Hargrove, RSIC Board Member Buzz Hargrove, Executive Director of Centre for Labour Management Relations (CLMR) Ryerson University

Buzz Hargrove, OC, is the former National President of the Canadian Auto Workers trade union. He is currently serving as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management.

Hargrove first became involved in the automotive sector as a line worker for the Chrysler assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario.He succeeded Bob White as president of the CAW in 1992. On July 8, 2008, he announced his intention to retire, before he turned 65, in September 2008. In 1998, Hargrove co-authored the book Labour of Love: The Fight to Create a More Humane Canada with Wayne Skene. Also in 1998, Brock University honoured him with a Doctorate of Laws degree. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Windsor in 2003, from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2004, from the University of New Brunswick in 2008, and from Queen’s University in 2009. In 2008, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

John Perquin, RSIC Board Member John Perquin, retired Assistant to the International Secretary-Treasurer, United Steel Workers

Labour Co-Chair of the Ontario Mining Health Safety and Prevention Review, January 2014 – June 2015. (MHSPR was set up to perform a thorough review of Ontario’s mining industry and to provide the Ontario Minister of Labour with a report containing recommendations to make the mining industry safer and healthier for its workforce.)

– Member of the Board of Directors of the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc., 1992 – 1996.

– Member of the Board of Directors of the Workers Health & Safety Centre, 1992 – 1996.

– Member of the Council of Ontario Sectoral Health & Safety Organizations, 1994 – 1996.

(COSHSO was an organization set up to oversee joint initiatives in health and safety training between labour and management organizations in Ontario.)

– Member of the Joint Steering Committee on Hazardous Substances and its Biomedical Surveillance Task Force, 1992 – 1996.

(The JSCHS and the BMSTF were committees appointed by the Ontario Minister of Labour with a directive to arrive at a consensus between labour and management in Ontario and to give advice to the Minister about: permissible exposure levels for regulated chemicals and substances; new regulations relating to workplace monitoring; new regulations relating to the provision of medical monitoring as well as the protocols for such monitoring programs.)

– Labour Co-Chair of Small Business Advisory Committee established through the Ontario Workplace Health and Safety Agency, 1993 – 1996.

(The SBAC was a joint labour and management committee appointed by the Ontario Minister of Labour to give advice to the Minister with respect to health and safety regulations for Ontario’s small business sector.)

– Alternate member of the Ontario Mining Legislative Review Committee, 1992 – 1996.

(The MLRC is a joint labour and management committee appointed by the Ontario Minister of Labour to give advice to the Minister with respect to health and safety regulations for the Ontario mining industry.)

– Member of Green Industry Ministerial Advisory Committee, 1993 – 1994.

(GIMAC was a tripartite committee appointed by the Ontario Minister of Environment and Energy to give advice on Green Industry Technology issues. Its report was published in November 1994.)

– Member of Ontario Premier’s Labour and Management Advisory Council Secretariat to study Workers’ Compensation Reform, 1993.

– Participated as a member in the Governor General’s Canadian Study Conference, June 1991.

(The GGCSC is a multi-partite structure established to provide opportunities for Canada’s potential future leaders to share occupational and life experiences and thought processes with each other, over a 21 day period of intense interaction in various regional settings throughout Canada.)

– Author and/or co-author and/or instructor of numerous worker education materials on occupational health and safety as well as other topics.

– Author and/or co-author of various briefs and submissions to government agencies.

– Negotiator in workplace contract negotiations.

– Representative of workers and families at various Public Tribunals and Coroner’s Inquests.

International:

– Canadian Delegate to the International Labour Organization meeting to develop an International Standard for Health and Safety in the Mines, June 1994.

– Canadian Delegate to the International Labour Organization reconvened meeting to complete the development of an International Standard for Health and Safety in the Mines, June 1995.

– Member of the Mine Safety and Health Research Advisory Committee, 1998 – 2003.

(MSHRAC is a Federal Advisory Committee that gives advice on mining safety and health research matters to the US Government through NIOSH – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.)

7.1 - Dave Shier - cropped for website Dave Shier, retired President, Canadian Nuclear Workers Council (CNWC)

Dave has worked in the electrical power industry in Canada for the past 50 years. He commenced his work in the Electrical Power Industry as a Generating Plant Operator in the sixties for Ontario Hydro. Progressed through the Operator classifications.

I have worked in the electrical power industry in Canada for the past 50 years. Commenced work in the Electrical Power Industry as a Generating Plant Operator in the sixties for Ontario Hydro. Progressed through the Operator classifications. Became a Union Steward in 1974. From 1974 to 1987 was active as an elected Union representative being involved with a wide range of Union activities internally and externally to the local Union. In 1987 was selected to a Staff Position with the local. Has served in a variety of positions within the local and in 1999 was appointed to his current position as Staff Officer Nuclear. Over the years have been involved with Bargaining, Organizing, Training, Health & Safety and most other areas of a Union organization. Served as a Board of Director on the Electrical & Utilities Safety Association of Ontario from 2003 to 2010 & still serves on the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada Board. Has and still serves as an alternate board member for the Canadian Nuclear Association. Represents the PWU on Canadian Labour Congress and Ontario Federation of Labour Committees. In 1993 was elected as President of the Canadian Nuclear Workers Council. In 2004 was elected as President of the International Nuclear Workers’ Unions’ Network based in Geneva Switzerland. Have many friends in the Labour Movement across the world. Has one adult son and lives with his wife an hour North of Toronto. Power Plant Operator – 1965 – 1987 On completing formal schooling entered a training program to become a power plant operator. This was with Ontario Hydro which was the public power company in the province of Ontario, Canada. Training consisted of company and external training courses as well as on the job training. Courses and training was engineer oriented. Over time progressed through different operator job classifications ending up as a Shift Unit Supervisor in 1981. During this period had experience in coal and gas fired power plants. This training and experience contribute greatly to knowledge of the transmission, distribution, and generation systems of the power industry. Union Experience and Training I became a union steward in 1974. From this time until 1987 I was a shop floor representative. Training consisted of many courses on Labour relations, public speaking, health and safety, etc. Experienced all areas of union activities – grievance, arbitration, collective bargaining, etc. During this period progressed from shop steward to the executive level of the Union. In 1987 I was selected to a professional staff position with the union. From 1987 to the present time I have had numerous training courses and have been extensively involved with national and international labour bodies. During this period I have learned the nuclear industry and I have visited many nuclear power plants worldwide as well as uranium mines, nuclear research centers, nuclear fuel processing facilities, etc. In 1993 I was a founding member of the Canadian Nuclear Workers Council (CNWC) and was elected as President at the founding convention, a position that I still hold today. In 1997 I took over the duties as CNWC coordinator. As CNWC President I am involved with presentations to the Canadian Nuclear Regulator, presentations at public hearings, nuclear power presentations to labour and public forums etc., assist the nuclear industry with nuclear power public relations issues, etc. I was a founding member of WONUC and held the position of Vice President/Canada until my union disaffiliated in 2001. In 2004 I formed the International Nuclear Workers Unions Network (INWUN) and was elected as President at the founding meeting. In 1997 INWUN came under the umbrella of the International Chemical, Energy, & Mines Union (ICEM). I hold the position of Chairperson INWUN. In this capacity I liaise with IAEA, ILO, NEA, ICRP, WANO, etc. on behalf of INWUN. Boards Radiation Safety Institute of Canada – Board of Governors – 1989 to present. Operating Engineers Board of Review (Ontario Government Ministry) – 1988 – 1993. Canadian Nuclear Association – Executive Board – (Alternate member) – 1991 – current. Electrical & Utilities Safety Association – Executive Board – 2003 – 2010.

Advisory Council

Tim Armstrong, QC, O.ONT, Emeritus Chair of the Board

Leo W Gerard, LLD, Former International President, United Steelworkers

The Honourable Roy McMurtry, OC, O.Ont, QC, LSM Hull and Hull LLP

Ken Neumann, Canadian National Director, United Steelworkers

Vic Pakalnis, retired President and CEO, MIRARCO, Mining Innovation

Maureen Shaw, President and CEO, Act Three Consulting

Management

Natalia Mozayani, President and CEO

An integral part of the Institute’s management team for over ten years, Ms Mozayani took on the leadership of the Institute in March 2020. Before joining the Institute, Ms Mozayani managed multi-disciplinary regional teams supporting European Commission Development Projects and held an appointment with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She brings years of experience in project management, strong business management skills and a passion for building high performance teams where every member can thrive while achieving organizational goals. Ms Mozayani holds an MBA degree from the University of Leicester School of Business.

Brian Bjorndal, Director of the Fergal Nolan National Laboratories

Mr. Bjorndal brings over 20 years experience in radiation safety and occupational health and safety in industry, academia and research. Before joining the Institute, he held positions as Director, Workplace Safety and Environmental Protection with the University of Saskatchewan, and Manager Safety and Radiation with AREVA Resources.

Mr. Bjorndal managed the Institute’s National Laboratories during its formative years and was instrumental in the development and licensing of the Institute’s Personal Alpha Dosimetry service with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. As Manager and Scientist for the National Laboratories, Mr. Bjorndal provides leadership and oversight of the National Laboratories staff and operations.Mr. Bjorndal has a B.Sc., Honours Physics, B.Sc., Advanced Mathematics, M.Sc., Nuclear Physics, P.Phys., Certified Professional Physicist with the Canadian Association of Physicists.

Bruce Sylvester, CFO

Mr. Sylvester is an accomplished accountant and finance executive with over 45 years of senior management experience, including engagements as CFO for both not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. In addition to leading the financial operations of the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada, Mr, Sylvester is spearheading the organization’s administrative and operational transformation.

Mr. Sylvester joined the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada in July 2008.

National Office/ Toronto

Lynn MacDonald, Training Manager and Liaison Scientist, BSc, BEd, MSc, OCT Scientist

Lynn MacDonald is the Manager of Training and Liaison Scientist at the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada. In these roles, she educates workers in ionizing radiation safety including the related science and legislation. She works as a part of the scientific team to design, edit, and prepare materials for educational and consulting services, review relevant materials to include on the company website, and answer enquiries received through the Institute’s free information service.

Mrs. MacDonald comes to the Institute with an extensive teaching background. She has had experience in teaching and administration in the public school system in Prince Edward Island and Ontario, with 17 years of experience as a high school teacher, department head, and vice principal. Before this, she worked in adult education and web design. In 2009, she returned to graduate school at the University of Toronto to obtain her MSc in physics. After this, she completed additional graduate-level courses in biophysics at the University of Toronto.

Her scientific training includes work in condensed matter physics and biophysics. Her experimental physics research projects were in the areas of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) of liquid cultures, non-linear pattern formation, and cellular biology in micro-fluidic systems. She is highly computer literate and has learned to program in many computer languages.

A believer in life-long learning, Mrs. MacDonald can relate well to training clients and their needs. Her strong scientific background and experience teaching to various learners allows her to translate technical subject matter into information usable to the trainee when they return to their workplace. Her skills as a professional teacher have been positively received by our course participants.

Ms. MacDonald is a member of the Canadian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA), the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST), and the Health Physics Society (HPS).

Maria Costa, Coordinator, Administrative Services

Ms. Costa is the registrar for the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada’s training programs. She is the administrator at the Toronto office and is the coordinator of the Institute’s Health and Safety and Accessibility committees.

Fergal Nolan National Laboratories / Saskatoon

Octavian Mavrichi, Radiation Scientist

Mr. Mavrichi is responsible for data analysis, quality assurance and related research for all services offered by the laboratory. He also participates in delivering our training courses in Saskatoon.

Kaley Lowe , Laboratory Technologist
Ms. Lowe is responsible for all laboratory processing and work procedures related to the PAD Dosimetry service as well as instrument calibrations and maintenance/repairs at the National Laboratories.

Pam Lynn, Laboratory Assistant
Ms. Lynn performs a variety of lab related activities at our National Laboratory in Saskatoon. She is involved in the PAD Dosimetry Service and the Postal Quality Assurance program. Previously, Ms. Lynn worked as a research technician at the University of Saskatchewan for 15 years.

Seung Bang, Laboratory Assistant
Mr. Bang performs a variety of lab related activities in our National Laboratory in Saskatoon, SK.

Hilary Goddard, Office Administrator
Hilary is responsible for invoicing and Accounts Receivable duties at the National Laboratory.