CACHA Board Members - CACHA-ASCCA

President

Dr Linda Newton

Linda is an infrastructure asset management consultant who has worked with the federal government, the Canadian School of Public Service and currently works with the United Nations. She has travelled extensively in Africa and other areas of the developing world, including many trips to Uganda. She is a Rotarian and has been involved with CACHA since 2015 after listening to a presentation on the Agnes Zabali Boys and Girls Club at her Rotary Club. Linda has served on several voluntary sector boards including the United Way/Centraide and Tourette Canada. She joined the CACHA Board of Directors in 2018.

Vice President

Dr Erin Boyd

Erin Boyd joined then CACHA board of directors in 2023. She looks forward to seeing CACHA grow during her term. Erin is an emergency physician, practicing just outside of Ottawa. She graduated from University of Toronto medical school in 2012 and attended residency at the University of Ottawa. She has been to Ukerewe Island with CACHA twice.

Treasurer

Dr. Don Kilby

Dr. Kilby has always been a strong advocate for access to healthcare for marginalized populations including the poor, the homeless, injection drug users, and immigrant populations.

He has been on the forefront of HIV/AIDS in Canada for more than 25 years. He has chaired several advisory committees including the Federal Ministry Council on HIV/AIDS, the Ontario Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS, and the Ottawa Carleton Council on HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Kilby has been involved with CACHA since its creation in 2001.

Dr. Kilby has been awarded the Nelson Mandela Humanitarian Award and an Ontario Award for Good Citizenship, and has most recently been named a Governor General medal recipient.

Secretary

Kelly McCaslin

Kelly is a Registered Nurse working in a busy inner city emergency department in Saskatoon, SK. Prior to becoming an RN, she obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and worked in change management for a Crown Corporation. Kelly has participated in two medical missions to Terrat, TZ and one to Ukerewe, TZ; she joined the CACHA Board of Directors in 2023. When not working Kelly enjoys traveling and photography

Directors

Dr. Jennifer Clow

Dr. Clow is an emergency room physician with the Ottawa Hospital. Dr. Clow has been leading CACHA’s missions to Terrat, Tanzania since 2014. She is also a longtime volunteer with Dreams Take Flight and a game-day physician with the Ottawa Senators.

Dr Neil Naik

Dr Neil Naik has been working on delivering care to those who do not have it for 8 years. He believes in the democratization of medicine for true universal health care. He has worked with CACHA since 2016, working with members to deliver care, while helping with building CACHA awareness in Canada, and helping with scaling healthcare delivery in Africa supporting CACHA’s team that is developing a grassroots EMR. Dr. Naik is a Physician Advisor for multiple local, provincial, and national MedTech organizations, while sitting on multiple clinical councils in Ontario. He is a Board member for the Grand River Hospital Foundation as well. In his spare time, his true passion is in backcountry hiking and portaging. It has led him to attempt to build canoes in his spare time.

Sebastian Spano

Sebastian joined the CACHA Board of Directors in January 2022. He brings to CACHA a wealth of experience in law and government. He practices primarily administrative law, with an emphasis on tribunal practice and procedure in the areas of workplace law and human rights. He also teaches at Algonquin College in the Paralegal Graduate Certificate Program and is a contributing editor to various legal publications. His past experience in health law ligation serves him well in supporting CACHA’s mandate and its activities providing community health care in rural African communities. He is a member of CACHA’s fundraising committee and provides general guidance to the Board of Directors on legal questions that may arise.

Sura Hadad

Dr Sura Hadad is a dentist, a former faculty member at Dalhousie University, an activist in the communities of Nova Scotia, an entrepreneur, and a mother of four. Her dedication to helping others and quest to make the world a better place has earned her the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee metal in 2023, a Platinum Jubilee Halifax West Community Hero Award in 2022, and 2019 Aurum Award from Dalhousie. She has also earned a Nova Scotia Dental Association Volunteer of the Year Award. Sura has a scholarship in her name for the second year student, which is given to internationally trained dentists to continue their studies at Dalhousie University.Through her work as a dentist, she has helped and supported many vulnerable groups, including refugees who have arrived in Nova Scotia during the past few years. Additionally, she has expanded her activities of volunteering by providing dental/medical assistance in remote areas of Africa by traveling with voluntary medical campaigns, such as CACHA.