Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors

Dr. Elizabeth Leroux

Founder and Chair

Jillian Reardon

Secretary

Louis Zhang

Treasurer

Dr. Werner Becker

Director

Evan Lawlor

Director

Meredith Maxwell

Director

Lindsay Neeley

Director

Boris Nevelev

Director

Janene Preston

Director

T.J. Shin

Director

Our Staff

Wendy Gerhart

Executive Director

Kaley Hamilton

Events and Programs Administrator 

Malak Noury

Communications Lead

Dr. Elizabeth Leroux

Founder and Chair

Dr. Elizabeth Leroux is a neurologist and headache specialist. She currently practices at the Brunswick Medical Center Glen Neuro. She is a Faculty Lecturer for McGill’s Neurology Department. Dr. Leroux did her neurology training at University of Montreal and her Headache Fellowship in Paris, France. She directed the headache clinic of Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (2010-2016), then the CHAMP multidisciplinary program of the University of Calgary (2017-2019).

Jillian Reardon

Secretary

Jillian is a lecturer with the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and a clinical pharmacist with the UBC Pharmacists Clinic and UBC Headache Clinic. Jillian is passionate about team-based primary care pharmacist practice and optimizing the role of pharmacists in supporting people living with chronic illness. Jillian holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Dalhousie University and a Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from UBC. She completed an accredited pharmacy practice residency with Horizon Health Network in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Louis Zhang

Treasurer

Louis Zhang is a Finance executive with more than a decade of professional experience working in the finance and marketing industries. In his most current role as the VP Corporate Controller for a publicly-listed marketing agency, Louis leads the finance team of more than 80 employees across multiple disciplines in driving excellence in financial reporting, accounting, operational finance, audit, and working capital management. Prior to working in the industry, Louis began his career at Deloitte LLP where he led and managed large audit engagements for multi-billion dollar financial institutions including banks, insurance companies, asset managers, funds, and pension plans. Louis is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant and is a member of CPA Ontario. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder and a holder of both Master and Bachelor degrees of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Dr. Werner Becker

Board Member

Dr. Becker is a neurologist and currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary. He graduated with an MD degree from the University of Manitoba, and completed his neurology training at McGill University, Montreal. In 2003 he founded the Calgary Headache Assessment and Management Program, a multidisciplinary program dedicated to improving the lives of those with headache in Calgary and Southern Alberta. He has served on the boards of the International Headache Society, the American Headache Society, and the Canadian Headache Society, and co-chaired the International Headache Congress in Vancouver in 2017.

Evan Lawlor

Board Member

Evan is an experienced leader with over eight years of experience in the nonprofit sector. With a proven track record of success in strategy, innovation and business development, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the executive board.

Prior to joining the board, Evan holds a senior consulting role at Alberta Health Services, where he is responsible for innovation development and implementation. Prior to joining the board, Evan worked with nonprofit organizations in healthcare and animal welfare as director of stakeholder relations. 

Meredith Maxwell

Director

Meredith Maxwell is a communications and public relations leader based in Niagara, Ontario. She is currently the Director of Communications and Public Relations at Walker Industries and prior to that, she led communications and engagement at Niagara Region Public Health for close to a decade. 

Meredith holds a Master of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Communications from Brock University.

Lindsay Neeley

Director

Lindsay Neeley is a public sector executive with 20 years of experience in policy, communications, program delivery and stakeholder relations. She is currently Director of Policy Foresight at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Lindsay holds degrees in Public Administration and Political Science, and brings a strong record of success in strategy, advocacy and partnership development and a passion for community service to the Board of Migraine Canada. 

Boris Nevelev

Director

Boris Nevelev is a seasoned legal professional with 20+ years of experience in private practice. For the past 10 years, he has been running his own practice as a senior counsel focusing on corporate finance, corporate governance, mergers & acquisitions and tax-driven planning. Boris is a member of the bars of Ontario and New York. Previously, he articled and practiced for about 9 years as an associate in the corporate department of the law firm of Torys LLP in Toronto. He holds a law degree (JD) from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in law and diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Boris has been active in the community; he is currently on the boards of directors of Migraine Canada (finance and governance committees) and Athletics Ontario (governance and risk committees) and a part-time member of the Ontario Social Benefits Tribunal where he adjudicates disability and social assistance disputes.

An immigrant from Ukraine, Boris is fluent in French and German in addition to his native languages.

Janene Preston

Director

Janene Preston is an experienced leader with over 25 years of diverse experience in revenue development, fundraising, business strategy, communications, stakeholder relations and human resources management within the non-profit and profit sectors. She is a results-oriented professional consistently surpassing annual revenue targets, while managing $500,000 budgets at the Canadian Cancer Society, BC Heart & Stroke Foundation and Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association. She is skilled at identifying innovative revenue approaches and philanthropic growth opportunities for organizations.

T.J. Shin

Director

T.J. Shin is a skilled Digital Health leader with expertise in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, financial management, and team motivation. His successful history includes driving innovation, fostering engagement, and achieving organizational goals. With strong communication and collaboration abilities, T.J. delivers transformative change and sustainable growth in the ever-evolving Digital Health sector.

Wendy Gerhart

Executive Director

Wendy joined Migraine Canada as the Executive Director in January 2021. Her background includes twenty-five years in the pharmaceutical industry with experience in market access and stakeholder engagement. Over the past 7 years Wendy has been a consultant serving in leadership and project management roles with several organizations. She is a strong advocate for the highest patient outcomes, public and private medication access and care, and for shaping public policy, collaborating, and championing change within our fast-paced environment. She is driven by her passion to improve care for Canadians afflicted by Migraine.

Kaley Hamilton

Program & Event Administrator

Kaley is a creative and resourceful professional, with 10 years of broad corporate experience including communications, marketing, Human Resources and commercial operations. Passionate about working on a collaborative and empathetic team to connect people with healthcare resources and reduce stigma, Kaley joined Migraine Canada as the Program and Events Administrator in February 2023 .

Kaley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Development Studies from Dalhousie University.

Malak Noury

Communications Lead

Malak is a marketing and communications coordinator specializing in creative design, email communications, outreach, and strategy building.

With dual bachelor’s degrees in Psychology from the University of British Columbia and International Relations from the University of Surrey in England, Malak is passionate about mental health and wellbeing, research and neuroscience, as well as public relations, global health policy,  and multicultural communications.