Shannon Robinson

Chair/alPHa Representative

Shannon Robinson is the Director of Health Promotion at Thunder Bay District Health Unit.  She holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of Western Ontario and Master of Science in Health Promotion from the University of Alberta.  She is a Certified Evaluator with the Canadian Evaluation Society, a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders, and a Certified Human Resource Professional with the Human Resources Professionals Association.  With interests spanning health promotion at the local and provincial levels, she has over 20 years of experience in local public health and currently chairs the Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Management in Public Health network.

 

Amanda Mongeon

Co-Chair, Professional Development Coordinator

Amanda Mongeon is the Manager of Community Health at Northeastern Public Health. She has a PhD in Rural Studies, a Masters of Education focused on adult education and community development, and is a Credentialed Evaluator. In volunteer roles, she contributes regionally and across Canada to research and capacity building related to comprehensive health promotion, climate change, rural-proofing policy, and emergency management. Amanda joined the HPO Executive in 2024. Amanda lives in rural Northern Ontario and really loves winter. Contact her on LinkedIn.

 

Benjamin Rempel

Secretary

Benjamin Rempel has worked in senior health promotion roles for public health and disease prevention agencies since 2004. He holds a Master’s in public health, an undergraduate degree in health promotion, a PMP designation, and certificates in program management, leadership, and journalism. He currently serves as project manager at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. He is also a fiction writer with two published novels. He has served on the HPO executive committee since 2017. Contact him on LinkedIn.

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Jacqueline Ma

Treasurer

Jacqueline Ma (she/her) is an Analyst, Research and Policy with the Immunization Services Division at Peel Public Health. In her role, she supports research, program planning, evaluation, and data-informed decision making to strengthen public health programs and services. She holds a Master degree from Western University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Toronto. Jacqueline has experience across areas of public health including oral health, maternal newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health. She is passionate about advancing equitable access to public health services and supporting evidence-informed approaches that improve population health. In her spare time, Jacqueline enjoys exploring local trails and parks, travelling, and trying new restaurants.

 

Ketan Shankardass

Advocacy Coordinator

Ketan Shankardass (he/him) is an associate professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University, where his teaching focuses on understanding health inequalities from "cell-to-society". As a health promotion scientist, Dr. Shankardass leads a program of transdisciplinary research with the Health Equity Systems Interventions (HESI) lab. Current projects include learning how to optimize and evaluate Health in All Policies governance initiatives, developing urban health planning solutions for resilience planning at a neighbourhood scale, and understanding how intergenerational trauma contributes to allostatic load. In his spare time, Ketan enjoys listening to music, watching films with community, and spending time outdoors.

 

Tracey Fernandes

Membership Coordinator

Tracey Fernandes (she/her) is a Supervisor at Toronto Public Health. She has a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Trent University. Tracey is passionate about health promotion and addressing inequities to support the health and well-being for all. In her spare time, Tracey enjoys hiking, camping, paddle boarding and knitting.

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Apiramy Jeyapalan

Communications Coordinator

Apiramy Jeyapalan (she/her) is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Guelph, and a Bachelor of Science, Science and Business from the University of Waterloo. She is passionate about cancer prevention and control, health equity and public health. In her free time, she enjoys playing basketball, traveling and hiking. You can contact her on LinkedIn.

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Shalon Jeffers

Member at Large

Shalon Jeffers (she/her) is an experienced health promotion and public health professional at Halton Region Public Health. She is passionate about oral health and also supporting initiatives that promote community well-being and equitable access to health resources. Shalon works closely with public health teams to enhance service efficiency, strengthen program delivery, and support individuals in achieving better health. With a focus on prevention, accessibility, and community engagement, Shalon brings both strategic insight and hands-on leadership to advancing health promotion goals. In her spare time Shalon loves yoga, travel, and spending time with family.

 

Janette Leroux

Member at Large

Dr. Janette Leroux is a health promotion researcher, university instructor, and credentialed evaluator. Her teaching, research, and evaluation practice are grounded in community-engaged, relational approaches, with a strong commitment to knowledge translation and public scholarship. Outside of her professional work, Janette enjoys biking, playing board games, and making maple syrup with her family.

 

Andrea Bodkin

Member at Large, Co-Chair, Professional Development Coordinator

Andrea Bodkin is a Senior Program Specialist in Health Promotion at Public Health Ontario (PHO). Andrea has worked in health promotion for over 20 years, building the capacity of public health and community health professionals through engaging workshops and webinars, educational resources and knowledge products, community facilitations and individual coaching sessions.  She also hosted three seasons of the Tenfold podcast, exploring topics related to community engagement and public health. Andrea designed and wrote PHO’s online health promotion course, Health Promotion Essentials. Andrea holds a Master’s degree in Public Health with a specialty in Health Promotion from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.