Introducing the CPC Board of Directors (2025-2027 & 2025-2029 Terms)
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Marc-André Fabien
President
Marc-André Fabien, one of Fasken Martineau’s most seasoned lawyers, has been involved in Paralympic sport for over 20 years as a fundraiser, board member, fan and supporter.
Fabien, based in Montreal, Que., is senior partner and has been with Fasken Martineau since 1982. He is recognized for his consummate grasp of complex litigations frequently under the media spotlight. Fabien specializes in commercial and shareholder litigation, securities-related litigation and criminal prosecution, as well as litigation involving the federal, provincial and municipal governments. He has pleaded before all levels of courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada, the Court of Appeal of Québec, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Superior Court, various administrative courts and the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. He has also lectured for the Université de Montréal’s law faculty where he taught, among other things, the art of pleading.
Fabien has been on the fundraising committees for several major sports competitions including the 1996 Para alpine world championships inLech, Austria, the 1999 International Standing Volleyball Tournament, the 2000 Para Nordic world championships in Crans Montana, Switzerland and the 2010 Para cycling world championships in Baie-Comeau, Que.
Fabien was on the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Board of Directors from 1998 to 2006, including a term as vice-president and the Canadian Paralympic Foundation Board of Directors from 2010 to 2012 and again since 2015.
In 2013, Fabien was the honorary chairman at the very successful 2013 IPC World Championships in Para swimming, which were held in Montreal. He’s been a familiar face at numerous Paralympic Games around the world –having attended eight of them –- along with six world championships, The Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and numerous Para sport events. In 2000, Fabien was Counsel for the Canadian Paralympic Committee before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (“CAS”), 2000 Olympics in Sydney, in the matter of Chantal Petitclerc.
In 2012, the Québec Bar awarded Fabien the honorific title of Lawyer Emeritus (Advocatus Emeritus, Ad. E.), for his outstanding professional career.
Dominique Breton
Director (2025-27)
Dominique Breton holds a bachelor’s degree in public communications, a master’s degree in public administration, and is currently pursuing a certificate in corporate governance from Université Laval.
A recognized leader in the health and social services network for 25 years and assistant deputy minister since 2019 for the Government of Québec, Dominique has solid experience in high-level management functions. Her management style revolves around mobilization, performance, and achieving organizational targets and priorities. She has an ease in conceptualizing issues, in defining a vision and making courageous decisions. As assistant deputy minister, part of her responsibilities included programs aimed at integrating care and services for people with physical or intellectual disabilities.
A cross-country ski athlete for over 13 years, Dominique has been volunteering in competitive sports such as cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, and mountain biking since 1998. She was a member of the board of directors of Skibec alpin and responsible for communications from 2015 to 2019, and was in charge of public relations for the Centre national d’entraînement Pierre-Harvey from 2011 to 2019. In her spare time, she plays several sports and takes part in running competitions.
Phill Gibson
Director (2025-27)
Phill Gibson is a Senior Manager at Bain & Company, a leading global management consultancy helping the world’s most ambitious change makers define the future.
At Bain & Company, Phill leads teams that help large complex companies tackle their most challenging problems. His experience spans all sectors from healthcare to mining to private equity, and all capabilities from performance improvement to operating model to strategy. He primarily focuses on the areas of strategic planning & deployment and operational performance improvement in the advanced manufacturing goods space. Phill is also a leader in the Toronto office, helping to grow the firm through his recruiting leadership efforts and by sponsoring consultant class programming.
Having been diagnosed with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) as a teenager, Phill has had to learn how to navigate the sometimes-difficult intersection between the love of sport and the challenges of living with a disability. He is an advocate for the enablement and promotion of sport for all.
Phill has undergraduate degrees in Engineering and Finance from Western University as well as a Masters of Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business where he graduated at the top of his class and was elected by his classmates to be the valedictorian. He is currently the Secretary and Board Member of a small local sports organization focused on building community and maintaining its 100+ year old legacy. Phill is a proud Canadian and has spent a collective seven months driving across the country in an RV, from coast-to-coast, meeting inspiring people, and enjoying the beauty that Canada has to offer.
Dane Jensen
Director (2025-29)
Dane Jensen brings a unique blend of business leadership expertise and Paralympic sport experience to the Canadian Paralympic Committee Board of Directors.
An accomplished educator, Dane teaches leadership in the MBA programs at Queen’s Smith School of Business and serves as Affiliate Faculty at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. As CEO of Third Factor, a Canadian leadership consultancy, he has advised senior executives in 23 countries across five continents and regularly consults with Fortune 100 companies across North America. He is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and author of “The Power of Pressure” (HarperCollins).
Before joining the Board, he helped guide CPC through two strategic planning cycles as an advisor, and has been involved in a wide variety of Para sport initiatives over the past decade from first contact summits to athlete transition programs. He has also captained two Third Factor teams that finished dead last at ParaTough Cup (but topped the leaderboard in fundraising!).
Dane combines extensive experience from outside sport with significant involvement within Para sport. This combination allows him to effectively identify and apply relevant best practices from the corporate and academic worlds to advance the Paralympic Movement in Canada and help create a more inclusive world through sport.
Outside of his professional endeavours, Dane lives in Toronto with his wife and three children. He is passionate about music, both as a performer and a live music enthusiast. When winter arrives, Dane can often be found on the slopes pursuing his love of snowboarding.
Judy Joseph-Black
Director (2025-29)
Born in Vancouver and raised in Port Alberni, Judy Joseph-Black has worked in sport in a myriad of positions over the past three decades. Most recently, she worked for the BC Games Society as an Event Manager, the Provincial Government as a sport consultant, managed the national women’s soccer team, owned her own sport communications company, was the executive director for Badminton BC, and the Sports Information Director for the University of Victoria athletic department. She is currently retired, lending her sport administrative expertise to three boards.
A self-admitted Games junkie, she was the Assistant Press Chief for Team Canada at the 2012 and 2008 Paralympic Games; media attaché for the 2000, 2002 and 2004 Paralympic Games; Team BC Communications Manager for several Canada and Western Canada Games and a member of the communications team for both the 1994 and 2006 Commonwealth Games. She has been an advocate for accessibility, inclusion, and equity her entire career and is passionate about using the power of sport to move the dial in these areas.
She won the 1998 YMCA Women of Distinction Award for public relations and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Canada Games Council, Sport BC, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. She was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation medal for her work with the Canada Games Council.
Away from work, she loves walking the trails of Gabriola Island with her dogs, Hooper and Holly, and enjoys playing rounds of golf with her old soccer cronies throughout the spring and summer.
Peter Lawless
Director (2025-29)
A respected litigator and dedicated coach with a passion for coaching and developing high performance athletes, Peter Lawless has devoted his life to the Olympic and Paralympic Movements in Canada, helping athletes realize their potential and achieve their dreams.
As an athlete, a Chartered Professional Coach and an administrator, Peter believes in the power of sport to change lives. A recipient of BC’s Medal of Good Citizenship (2017) and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) Peter is a four-time winner of the National Coaching Excellence Award and was B.C.’s Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2012. Having worked with athletes and coaches at every level in sport from grassroots to high performance, Peter is one of the most respected coaches in Canadian sport. Athletes he has coached have broken 28 world records and won 15 Paralympic and World Championships medals.
Beyond sport, Peter is a highly respected litigator with the BC Ministry of Attorney General where he leads the government’s litigation against the tobacco and opioids industries as well as other corporate wrongdoers. Appointed King’s Counsel in 2022, Peter has also published articles on harassment and morality in sport and taught post-secondary courses in dispute resolution, civil procedure & drafting, and ethics in sport. He is also a frequent presenter at Continuing Legal Education seminars.
David Masse
Director (2025-27)
David Masse most recently worked as Director of Corporate Operations and Human Resources with Grand Challenges Canada, an organization that provides essential seed funding to innovators around the world to address the largest challenges in global public health.
Prior to that, he worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for 34 years. During his time at CBC he worked in a variety of leadership roles in just about every genre of content including Movies, Variety, Documentaries, Current Affairs, Children’s, Comedy and for the last 20 years in Sports. His time in Sports included working on 11 Olympic Games, and numerous FIFA World Cups, Pan Am Games, Commonwealth Games, Paralympic Games and the iconic Hockey Night in Canada. Several of these projects have been recognized as world leading.
David has degrees in Communication Studies and Commerce from the University of Windsor and a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto.
For nine years David was a member of the Board of Directors of Save the Children Canada, which is a member of Save the Children International, the world’s largest independent child advocacy organization.
He currently serves on the board of Yellow Brick House, which provides life-saving services and prevention programs to meet the diverse needs of individuals, families, and communities impacted by violence.
Each summer for the last 20 years David has travelled to the Colorado Rockies to deliver leadership courses with Colorado Outward Bound.
Cindy Ouellet, PLY
Director (2025-2027)
Cindy Ouellet is one of Canada’s great athlete leaders and has been one of the stalwarts on Canada’s women’s wheelchair basketball team for many years. First joining the national team in 2007, two years after being introduced to the sport by a physiotherapist, Ouellet has since represented Canada at the 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024 Paralympic Games, where the team’s best finish has been fourth place.
She has also competed in four world championships, winning gold in 2014 and bronze in 2010, and five Parapan Am Games (gold in 2019 and silver in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2023).
In 2018 she became one of the world’s few athletes to compete at both a winter and summer Paralympic Games when she made her debut in PyeongChang in Para nordic skiing.
Ouellet, who was diagnosed with bone cancer when she was 12 years old, is also working hard to make her mark for people with disabilities off the field of play. Cindy holds multiple degrees, including a Master in Exercise Physiology from the University of Alabama, where she also played wheelchair basketball. She also holds a second Master and a PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Southern California. She is now pursuing a second PhD in neuroscience at Université Laval, focusing on brain-computer interfaces for restoring motor function after a spinal cord injury.
She is also co-owner of Evo Concept, a family business creating innovative and affordable adaptive sport equipment. A passionate advocate for inclusion, LGBTQ2S+, mental health, and anti-bullying, she is involved with several organizations including Sport’Aide, and sits on the boards of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Canada Games 2027.
Through her conferences and outreach, Cindy empowers others by sharing her story of resilience, leadership, and purpose – proving that we are not defined by what happens to us, but by how we choose to rise.
Brenda Plowman
Director (2025-29)
Brenda Plowman is a seasoned business executive with over 25 years of experience in global marketing, communications, strategic planning, and business development within professional services. She has worked closely with businesses and executives across accounting, legal, engineering, and financial services industries, delivering transformative strategies and measurable results.
For nearly two decades, Brenda was an integral part of Fasken, one of Canada’s largest law firms, culminating in her role as Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer for 10 years. During her tenure, she led key initiatives in strategy, communications/crisis management, as well as marketing technology, business development, brand development, thought leadership, and the positioning of over 50 practice areas, industries, and specialties. She is known for engaging and leading high-performing teams while fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. During Brenda’s time with Fasken, she worked closely with the Canadian Paralympic Committee through its sponsorship of the CPC. It was here that Brenda’s passion for CPC, the work it does, and most importantly the impact of the athletes grew.
Today, Brenda advises professional services firms and individual professionals on strategic design and brand differentiation, enhancing market positioning while building sustainable roadmaps for future growth and expansion. She is highly skilled in influencing senior leadership, facilitating collaboration across diverse stakeholders, and guiding organizations through transformational change. As an expert in crisis strategy and communications, she provides counsel to law firms and businesses of all sizes, helping them navigate complex challenges with confidence.
Beyond her corporate career, Brenda is a dedicated advocate for community service. She has demonstrated leadership through board positions, including multiple years with the International Legal Marketing Association, where she served as president. Additionally, she has contributed at the local, provincial, and national levels through Chambers of Commerce initiatives, and several other boards.
Her entrepreneurial ventures extend beyond the boardroom. In 2024, Brenda founded Floralies Estates, a flower farm specializing in a diverse array of cut flowers. The farm, also a wedding and retreat venue, brings its sustainable blooms to market through subscriptions, direct client delivery, farmers’ markets, and the flower auction. Brenda’s love for animals is evident—she cares for 11 pets, including four alpacas, three large dogs, and four cats.
Michelle Stilwell, PLY
Director (2025-29)
Michelle Stilwell is one of Canada’s most accomplished Paralympians, attaining the rare feat of winning Paralympic gold medals in two different sports – wheelchair basketball and Para athletics. She represented Canada at four Paralympic Games (2000, 2008, 2012, 2016) and the 2015 Parapan American Games, earning multiple medals and inspiring a generation of athletes.
At age 17, Stilwell became a paraplegic. She went on to capture gold with Canada’s women’s wheelchair basketball team at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. After complications from her injury, she transitioned to wheelchair racing, where she dominated sprint events. She won double gold in the 100m and 200m at Beijing 2008, gold and silver at London 2012, and two more golds in the 100m and 400m at Rio 2016. She is also a nine-time world champion and broke multiple world records.
Beyond sport, Stilwell has dedicated her career to public service and advocacy. From 2012 to 2020, she served as the MLA for Parksville-Qualicum and was appointed Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation (2015–2017), helping to shape policies that improved accessibility and inclusion. She also served as the government Caucus Chair, the Official Opposition Critic for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Deputy Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth, and was a member of the Treasury Board.
Currently, she serves on the Canadian Paralympic Committee Board of Directors and Own the Podium, advocating for athlete development and inclusive sport. She is also a key member of the Rick Hansen Foundation SCI Advisory Committee, helping to advance provincial spinal cord injury care.
For her contributions to sport, public service, and advocacy, Stilwell has been honoured with both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award and the King Charles III Coronation Medal. She continues to be a strong voice for the disability community and a champion for inclusion in sport and society.
Ian Troop
Director (2025-27)
Ian Troop’s career is highlighted by 20 years at Procter & Gamble leading businesses in North America, Mexico and Poland, and 6 years as President of ConAgra Foods’ International Division where he built a $1.5 billion Global Food business.
Ian followed his passion for sport and was CEO of the Toronto 2015 Pan/Para Pan American Games. This organization delivered the largest sports event in Canadian history on schedule and under budget.
He has served on numerous Public and private business boards.
Ian is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, where he was also an all-star football player, drafted professionally by the Hamilton Tiger-cats.
Ian was named the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumnus of the Year in 2009; one of Laurier’s top 100 Alumni of the past 100 years in 2011. In 2012 Ian was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for his “significant community achievements”, and in 2019 he was awarded the Sovereign’s medal for Volunteers by the Governor General of Canada.
Ian and his wife Nicole have two children.
Jeremy Hall, PLY
Athlete Representative / Chair, Athletes’ Council
Jeremy Hall is a Paralympian, engineer, and passionate advocate for athletes and accessibility. A relentless competitor and leader, Hall represented Canada in Para rowing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, following a standout international debut where he captured silver medals at the World Rowing Championships in both 2018 and 2019, and earned additional podium finishes at multiple World Cups. His achievements were recognized nationally when he was named Rowing Canada’s Para Athlete of the Year in 2018.
Off the water, Hall applies his strong analytical skills and innovative mindset at TD Bank, leveraging his background in engineering and market research. He holds a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta, combining technical expertise with a sharp understanding of strategic analysis and communication.
Beyond competition, Hall has been a dedicated community leader, working closely with the Canadian Hemophilia Society as a youth representative and advocate. He uses his lived experience to inspire others and advance inclusion in sport and society.
Hall, who was selected to chair the Canadian Paralympic Athletes’ Council in 2025 following two years as vice-chair, continues to champion athlete rights and high-performance sport through his leadership, innovation, and commitment to community.
Heidi Peters, PLY
Athlete Representative / Vice-Chair, Athletes’ Council
Heidi Peters is a three-time Paralympian and Paris 2024 bronze medallist in sitting volleyball. A dedicated advocate for athletes and accessibility, Peters brings a unique blend of high-performance sport experience and leadership to every role she takes on.
Since 2022, she has served on the World ParaVolley Athletes’ Commission, where she was elected chair in 2024. In this role, Peters sits on the World ParaVolley Board, representing the athlete voice at the highest level and working closely with board members to strengthen athlete engagement and governance across the sport. She is a recognized leader within Canada’s national women’s sitting volleyball program, consistently helping shape team culture, strategy, performance, and development as a member of the leadership group since 2018.
Peters has competed internationally for over a decade, representing Canada at major events including the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, multiple Parapan American Games, and World Championships. She has helped Canada achieve historic milestones on the world stage, culminating in a podium finish at the Paris 2024 Games, the country’s first in the sport.
In addition to her athletic pursuits, Peters is passionate about politics and policy, particularly in areas related to sport and accessibility. She recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in Psychology, at MacEwan University. She also holds a diploma in Photographic Technology from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and works as a professional photographer for herself. Her creative skills overlap with her passions though managing her team’s social media, and creating and producing a podcast with her coach called Take a Seat where they discuss sitting volleyball, Para sport, and more.
Driven by a strong commitment to teamwork, communication, and advocacy, Peters aims to continue contributing to the growth of the Paralympic Movement both in Canada and globally.
Chelsey Gotell
Member, IPC Governing Board
Chelsey Gotell is an advocate, athlete, leader, and a prominent voice within the Paralympic community. Through her position as a member-at-large on the IPC Governing Board, she also sits on the CPC Board.
A decorated Paralympian, Chelsey represented her country at three Paralympic Games – Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008 – winning 12 medals in Para swimming.
Since her Paralympic career ended, she has played many different leadership roles in sport and has now been a valued and strong leader within the Paralympic Movement for many years. She worked on the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games organizing committee and is former chair of both the IPC Athletes’ Council (2017-2021) and Canadian Paralympic Athletes’ Council. She was also one of 12 members of Canada’s Working Group on Gender Equity in Sport, where she worked alongside the federal government and other esteemed sport leaders on how to address the lack of gender equity in sport participation and sport leadership in Canada.
In addition to her roles in the sport community, Chelsey is also an osteopathic manual practitioner and owns her own practice in Etobicoke, Ont.
Josh Dueck
Member, IPC Athletes' Council
Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame member Josh Dueck is a respected athlete leader throughout the global Paralympic community. As a member of the IPC Athletes’ Council, Josh also sits on the CBC Board.
As an athlete he solidified himself as a star on the Canadian Para alpine ski team in 2014 with a double medal performance at the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. Josh took gold in the super combined and silver in the downhill, and was named Canada’s flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony. In his debut Games, on home soil at Vancouver 2010, he captured a silver medal in the slalom.
He has grown his active and strong leadership in the sport community immensely since his retirement from high-performance sport. Recently, he was chef de mission for the Beijing 2022 Canadian Paralympic Team. He was also a member of the CBC broadcast team on the ground at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.
Since September 2018, he has also been executive director of Freestyle BC where he directly impacts the future of Canada’s freestyle skiers who are similarly vying for international success.
