Our Volunteers
Meet our dedicated campaign volunteers
Passionate volunteers directly impact our ability to fund T1D research
JDRF was created – and still championed – by people with a personal connection to type 1 diabetes (T1D). Driving our $100M Campaign to Accelerate is a team of community and business leaders working in partnership with JDRF to change the lives of all Canadians living with T1D.
Campaign volunteers are critical to JDRF’s fundraising efforts by advising our strategy and mobilizing their networks to support our major gift campaign, driving incredible research progress.
Campaign Co-Chairs
“Like the founders of JDRF in the 1970s, we are a group of families and T1D community members whose lives are forever changed by this 24/7 disease and who want nothing more than to achieve our $100M goal and accelerate a cure. For my son and the 300,000 Canadians impacted by T1D, I am committed to helping JDRF and my fellow volunteers exceed our campaign goal.”
-Ryan MacDonald, Co-Chair, JDRF $100M Campaign to Accelerate
“When my daughter was diagnosed with T1D at six years old, there was nothing more important to me at the time than doing whatever I could to help. My daughter has been such an inspiration to me with how she has navigated her life in spite of this daily burden. Not counting hospital fundraising campaigns, I believe this will be the most successful fundraising campaign for medical research in Canadian history. When there is a cure for diabetes – and there will be – it will go down as one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind.”
– Peter Oliver, 1948-2022
Co-Chair (posthumous), JDRF $100M Campaign to Accelerate
Founder, Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality
In recognition of everything Peter Oliver has done for JDRF and to champion the cause of T1D research, we continue to recognize him as Campaign Co-Chair. To learn more about Peter’s incredible legacy with JDRF: https://jdrf.ca/honouring-peter-olivers-life-and-legacy/
Executive
“I was diagnosed with T1D in 1989, just a few weeks shy of my 16th birthday. It hasn’t been easy, but diabetes is a huge part of who I am. It’s made me a more resilient and empathetic person. So much has changed since those early days. More T1D research is happening now than at any other time in history, moving faster than ever. The cure is not going to happen unless people help move it along. Research doesn’t pay for itself. I feel the responsibility to power that hope.”
-Jennifer Bizzarri, Consulting Partner – Marts & Lundy Canada
“I’ve been a believer since Day 1 that a cure is there to be discovered. It’s always just been a matter of funding its path. Experiencing life-changing improvements in T1D technology and management, so much of which was JDRF funded, has only motivated my family and me to remain passionate JDRF volunteers and fundraisers over the past 35 years. I am very confident in the work that JDRF-funded researchers are doing. From meeting them, in their labs, and tracking active human trial results, I have never been more optimistic that it is absolutely a matter of when, and not if! I also have no doubt that to accelerate these trials and a cure for the mass market, we need to keep building our volunteer army to keep up the fundraising, government lobbying, advocacy, and networking. There are so many roles to play and there has never been a more exciting time to work alongside, and/or support JDRF!”
-Vanessa Oliver, Principal, Broker of Record, Regent Street
“T1D research is always top of mind for me since my child lives with the disease. We are getting so close to transforming and curing T1D – and JDRF is at the forefront of these advances. This national campaign is changing lives and helping families across the country.”
-Rudy Massimo, President, Rudy Massimo and Associates
Campaign Leaders
Nicolas Audet-Renoux, Regional Vice-President. RBC Royal Bank
Ted Bader, President, SIA Wealth Management
Aubrey W. Baillie, Chair, Newport Private Wealth
Bonnie Barber, Retired Teacher
Sue Beamish, President, TMF Holdings Inc
W. Geoffrey Beattie, CEO, Generation Capital
Wendy Benyk, BSc., CA, CPA
Peter Bryan, Corporate Commercial Lawyer – BLG LLP
Jason Cope, Executive Managing Director & Head of Global Fixed Income – TD Securities Inc.
Kathleen Cope
Darrin Davis
Mary Jane Devine, Business Advisor in Health Technology
Stephen Emery, SVP Realty Projects & Contract Management, Infrastructure Ontario
Rob Fiorvento, Managing Partner, Beedie
Josh Florence, Manager, Development & Investments – Crestpoint Real Estate Investments Ltd.
Emily Fung
R. Thomas Gaglardi, President & CEO, Northland Properties
Jimmy Garfinkle, President & CEO, Mitchel-Lincoln Packaging
Puneet Girdhar, Managing Director, Cintex International
Judy Goldring, President and Head of Global Distribution, AGF Management Limited
Helena Gottschling, Chief Human Resources Officer, RBC
Dr. Nick Hajidiacos, Physician, Assistant Professor of Medicine, St. Boniface Hospital
Dustin Halvorson, Advisor, Henderson Insurance/Navacord
Nader Hamid, Senior Portfolio Manager, TWM Group
Bonnie Jackson, Community Engager and Philanthropist
Terry A. Jackson, Retired Executive
Dr. David Kozloff, JDRF Board Member
Kim Lucas, Vice President Sales – North America at STEMCELL Technologies
Justin MacCormack, Managing Partner, Imperial Capital
Sherry MacDonald, CPA, CA
Joanie Maheux, Partner, Accounting Operations Advisory, Deloitte
Hélène Michel, FCPA Auditor, Managing Partner Audit Quebec, Mallette
Todd Millar, President & CEO, TEC Canada
Dan Miller, Partner, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Dr. Jennifer Miller, Independent Medical Practice Professional
Ron Miller, Partner, Lorem Partners
Sean Murray, President and CEO, Advocate
John O’Bryan, Honorary Chairman, CBRE Canada
Maarika Paul, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial and Operations Officer, CDPQ
Kevin Peters, Chief Operating Officer, ICD.D, Hickman Automotive Group
Sara J. Price, Mother T1D, philanthropist and seasoned fundraiser
Bill Rice
Vincent Rochette, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
Fred Rubinoff
Tannis Scott
Lorne Shiff, President, LandCon Ltd.
Aryssah Stankevitsch
Eric Stevens, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
Murray Suey, Regional Managing Partner, KPMG Calgary
Chris Tambakis, CEO, Adgar Canada
Louis-Philippe Thibodeau, Senior Portfolio Manager, CDPQ
Michelle Tice, Vice President, Global Communications, Maple Bear Global Schools
Réjean Tremblay, CCO Canada, Aon
Matthew Varey, Senior Vice President, RBC
Nicole Vien, Owner, Communications Spectrum
Robert Vineberg, Partner, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Justin Vineberg, Partner, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Shoshana Weiman