Board of Directors

Kerry Matthyssen – President

Kerry Matthyssen – President

Kerry recently retired after 31 years in the field of education, teaching Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8, and serving as Principal at 2 local elementary schools. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Western Ontario. She is a long time resident of Chatham-Kent.

Jerome Quenneville – Vice President

Jerome Quenneville – Vice President

Jerome is a retired Hospital Executive with over 30 years experience in various leadership roles including over 10 years at the CEO level. Jerome has a Master’s in Non Profit Management as well as being a CPA. He and his wife returned to the Chatham-Kent area in 2017 and continue to farm part time on the family farm.

Tammy Bettencourt - Treasurer

Tammy Bettencourt – Treasurer

Tammy is currently employed by Mainstreet Credit Union. She has worked in the credit union industry for over 30 years and held positions within the branch, the finance department and is currently working in the operations department. She holds and Accounting and General Business Diploma from St Clair College and is a licensed Certified Financial Planner.

Dan Lundy

Dan Lundy

Dan is a fourth generation farmer of Cedar Hedge Farm and is a registered insurance broker at Lundy Insurance Inc. in Chatham-Kent. Dan currently lives on the family farm with his wife and daughter.

Judith Lacina

Judith Lacina

Judith is a Physiotherapist who retired from our Centre in 2015, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She was born and raised in Chatham, and is a graduate of Queen’s University Rehabilitation Therapy program.

Ron Vandehogen

Ron Vandehogen

Ron is an associate with MBI Financial in Blenheim. He has been in the financial services industry for 19 years and previously was a cash crop/ livestock farmer. Currently, he is president/ youth exchange councillor of the Blenheim Rotary Club. He lives in Blenheim with his wife, Brenda, and has two married sons. He is a graduate of University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus and has been involved in many agricultural and curling boards, as well as a minor hockey coach for 25 years.

Joe Dawson

Joe Dawson

Joe is retired from the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent where he was the Business Manager for over 20 years. He is a graduate of the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in accounting. He has travelled extensively since he retired eight years ago and resides in Chatham.

Mike Whitehouse

Mike Whitehouse

Mike is a small business owner in Chatham-Kent, and has worked in both the Oil & Gas, and Automotive sectors, in senior engineering positions. He is a graduate of Acadia University, Bachelor of Art ( Fine art ) and Dalhousie University, Bachelor of Engineering (Metallurgy). He currently lives in Chatham with his wife and three active children.

Naty Ramirez

Naty Ramirez

Naty is an experienced Healthcare Leader with over 10 years of leadership experience in both hospital and community-based health services. Naty is a Social Worker by training, having completed her Master of Social Worker at the University of Windsor.

Angela Corso

Angela Corso

Angela is a seasoned leader proficient in philanthropy, developmental services, violence against women, and nonprofit management with over three decades in social services. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Windsor and Trauma Counselling from the Trauma and Loss Institute in Michigan


Job Description

Directors are legally and morally responsible for all activities of the Centre and need to be committed to the mission and objectives. The Board is responsible for policy administration, strategic planning, ongoing evaluation of management performance, financial stewardship and recruitment of Directors. Board Members will:

  • Attend and actively participate at each meeting.
  • Contribute to the Board on its job of setting policy and vision for the Centre.
  • Establish and maintain linkages with appropriate community partners.
  • Participate in the activities and initiatives as organized by the Board.
  • Share their expertise and skills in order to allow the Board and the Centre to continue with its development.
  • Participate on Board committees as required.
  • Foster and support a culture of client safety within the organization
  • Provide oversight to reduce risk and promote ongoing quality improvement
  • Utilize an ethical decision making framework.

Code of Conduct

The Board expects of itself and its members ethical, businesslike and lawful conduct. This commitment includes proper use of authority and appropriate decorum in group and individual behavior when acting as directors.

Directors, when acting as directors, are expected to consider and represent the interests of the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent and its commitments as a whole in preference to any other interests which the director may also have or represent.

Directors must avoid conflict of interest, including:

  • There must be no self-dealing or any conduct of private business or personal services between any director and the organization except as procedurally controlled to assure openness, competitive opportunity and equal access to “inside” information.
  • Directors must not use their positions to obtain for themselves, family members or close associates employment within the organization.
  • Should a Director be considered for temporary/permanent employment, he or she must temporarily withdraw from Board deliberations, voting and access to applicable Board information.
  • Directors may not attempt to exercise individual authority over the organization except as explicitly set forth in the Board policies.
  • Director’s interaction with the Executive Director or with staff must recognize the lack of authority in any individual director or group of directors as specifically noted elsewhere in the Board policies.
  • Director’s interaction with the public, press or other entities must recognize the same limitation and the similar liability of any director or directors to speak for the Board.
  • Directors will make no judgment of the Executive Director or staff performance except as that performance is assessed against explicit Board policies by the official process.

Key Responsibility Area: Policy Administration

Specific Duties

Ensure that the Centre meets all legal requirements for the conduct of the organization’s business and affairs. Responsible for adopting by-laws and ensuring that the Centre operates within them. Reviews and acts on revisions to the by-laws. Adopts policies which determine the purposes, governing principles, functions, activities and courses of action of the organization.

Key Responsibility Area: Planning

Specific Duties:

On an ongoing and regular basis evaluate and review the strategic plan. Monitors activities including: reviewing reports of committees; confirming, modifying, or rejecting proposals; counseling and providing good judgement on plans; and, considering, debating and deciding issues relative to the strategic plan.

Key Responsibility Area: Management Performance

Specific Duties:

The Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Centre and for taking the action necessary to move toward its’ vision. Direction of the Executive Director will include the supervision, monitoring and evaluation of performance and results of these actions.

Key Responsibility Area: Finance

Specific Duties:

Monitors and approves the finances. Ensure that sufficient funds are available to maintain the solvency of the organization. Reviews and approves the annual budget and audit. Exercise prudent judgment of the investment of equity.

Key Responsibility Area: Director Recruitment

Specific Duties:

Through their contacts in the community, Directors may recruit and recommend appropriate individuals for the Board of Directors. This will require Directors to be knowledgeable about the skills needed by an individual to perform the duties of a Director. As there is a requirement for Directors to perform tasks in addition to attending Board meetings, it is imperative that Directors ensure that individuals they are considering have the time to complete these responsibilities. When an opening for a Board of Director occurs a recruitment notice will be posted on the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent website and in the local newspaper.