Meet the Board

Kashif Pirzada, MD, CCFP(EM) is an emergency physician based in Toronto with academic ties to McMaster University and the University of Toronto. He is a well known medical expert and commentator on local and national media, and is a co-founder of Conquer-Covid-19 and Masks4Canada.

He has served on a number of boards and quasi-judicial panels, including the University of Toronto Governing Council, the Ontario Consent and Capacity Board, and the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. He is also a founder of a news and social media startup, Raven.

Dr. Joe Vipond is an emergency doctor in Calgary, Alberta, the past-president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and a co-founder of the Calgary Climate Hub, Masks4Canada, Protect our Province Alberta, and the Canadian Covid Society. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary.

Kelly Salmond brings extensive experience in financial management and organizational leadership, having served as treasurer on multiple boards of directors and as an executive director, finance manager, and operations director for several charitable organizations. She is recognized as a legal accounting specialist, managing a team that provides bookkeeping services to law firms, psychologists, and other corporate clients.

As an organizational development consultant, Kelly has guided early-stage nonprofits through infrastructure development and securing charitable status. She has also worked with charities facing financial challenges, helping to stabilize their operations through strategic planning, fund development, and the implementation of robust policies and procedures.

Kathleen Gadd is a dedicated hospital librarian, cofounder of Protect Our Province New Brunswick, and an active member of the Canadian Aerosol Transmission Coalition.

Her advocacy focuses on improving public health by analyzing and publicizing government data, presenting at national conferences, and drafting evidence-based policy recommendations. These efforts have significantly raised awareness about airborne disease transmission and the long-term effects of Covid, including Long Covid.

As a vocal advocate for safer public policies and infrastructure, Kathleen has provided resources to improve vaccination access, collaborated on clean air initiatives, and consistently championed the need for more effective pandemic responses.

Dr. Marie-Michelle Bellon is a specialist in internal medicine.

She practiced in community hospitals as well as in a clinic specializing in the care of HIV+ patients in Montreal.

Dr. Bellon is interested in epidemics and global health. In Quebec, she was involved in the Programme national de mentorat sur le VIH et les hépatites virales (PNMVH) and led the INTERVIR (Internal Medicine and Chronic Viral Diseases) group.

Since 2020, she is co-directing the Covid-Stop collective, worked on a Covid ward and blogged about her experience, in addition to speaking frequently in the media and developing her communication skills.

Lance Boer brings over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, serving as a digital consultant, web developer, board member, committee chair, and volunteer.

With a strong background in project management, systems development, and process documentation, Lance has been instrumental in shaping the Society’s technical infrastructure.

As the Society’s first volunteer, he initially developed its website and provided IT support. He now serves as chair of the IT/Website Committee and contributes to both the Operations Committee and the Communications Strategy Committee.

Adriana Patino is a former high-level competitive swimmer who became a dedicated advocate after contracting Covid in December 2020 and subsequently developing Long Covid, ME/CFS and dysautonomia. She also works as a group benefits consultant.

Her personal experience has driven her to raise science-based awareness about Covid prevention and the risks of Long Covid. As a former athlete, she highlights that these conditions can affect individuals regardless of age or health status.

In the summer of 2022, Adriana became the lead of Long Covid Canada, where she works to amplify patient voices and advance understanding of these conditions. She also serves on the Patient Advisory Council at Long COVID Web, contributing her lived expertise to drive meaningful change. Adriana is co-chair of our Long Covid Committee.

Cara Smusiak is a marketing and communications specialist who works primarily with nonprofit organizations to share their impact and build meaningful connections with supporters.

A former award-winning magazine editor, Cara developed and managed a rigorous product testing program and was executive editor at Today’s Parent. She was also managing editor at Canadian Family, and her work has appeared in Chatelaine, Quill & Quire, Refinery29, and other print and online publications.

Cara is a passionate volunteer, serving as chair of our Communications Strategy Committee, and lending her skills to one of the busiest food banks in downtown Toronto.

Dr. Dick Zoutman is an emeritus professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences and the School of Medicine at Queen’s University. Dr. Zoutman is the past chief of staff at the Scarborough Health Network in Toronto and at Quinte Health Care in southeastern Ontario.

He has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization on infectious disease prevention and control, chaired the Ontario SARS Scientific Advisory Committee responsible for advising the Ontario Government on the management of the 2003 SARS1 pandemic, and was appointed as the founding co-chair of the Ontario Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee, which established province-wide best practices in infectious diseases prevention.

Dr. Zoutman has been a vocal advocate, commentator and public educator for comprehensive protections to prevent the spread of Covid, promote vaccination, and combat Long Covid and post-Covid conditions.