Meet Stepping Stone’s Board of Directors
John H. Kieffer, Chair
In 1993, John H. Kieffer was introduced to Sister Christine at Stepping Stone, formerly known as The Drop In Centre. After Sister Christine purchased Stepping Stone’s current building at 23 Gordon Street, John moved his law practice into Stepping Stone, where he has remained on the Board for the past eight years.
Jane McKinnon-Wilson, Co-Chair
In her career, Jane McKinnon-Wilson’s role in health care has spanned acute care, palliative care, community support services for people living with dementia, seniors’ mental health outreach services, and geriatric medicine services. She joined the Stepping Stone Board in 2010 and currently maintains a position as Chair. In addition, Jane also takes an active role as a Board Member with Hospice Wellington.
Laura Hanley, Secretary
As a career non-profit leader, Laura Hanley’s roles have varied from Human Resources Manager to Finance Manager, Director of Operations, Executive Director, and Non-Profit Consultant. At every stage along the way, she has been committed to growing great organizations and their teams focusing on improving client services. She has been a Board member of Stepping Stone since 2017.
Fred Wagner, Chair of Governance Committee
Fred is a social worker by training and has worked in the field of community mental health for his entire career. After several years as a therapist serving the adolescent and adult populations, he took on a variety of management positions overseeing adult, outreach, crisis and home-based treatment programs. He was appointed the Executive Director of the Community Mental Health Clinic in 2007 and played a major role in the amalgamation of the Clinic with the Canadian Mental Health Association of Waterloo Region. Fred joined the Stepping Stone Board in 2021.
Lori Hasulo, Board Member
Lori worked in our Outreach Clinic located inside Stepping Stone under its former name, The Drop In Centre. She has been a staff physician for over twenty years with the Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence program at the Guelph General Hospital. Lori has been a Board Member for Stepping Stone since 2017.
Perrin Valli, Board Member
Perrin is a criminal defence lawyer. Born and raised in Guelph, Perrin first met Sister Christine as a child when his mom took him to visit the Welcome In Drop In Centre when it was still located on Wyndham Street. He then met Sister Christine again in 2013 after he moved back to Guelph to start his law practice. Perrin joined the Board in late 2021.
Carla Jordan, Board Member
Carla Jordan, M.Sc, RP is a psychotherapist who has worked in the field of substance abuse and mental health for over 20 in both inpatient and outpatient environments. She has worked across the continuum of substance use treatment, from prevention, education, outpatient and inpatient treatment (short and long term). Carla has worked overseas providing substance use and mental health treatment as well as in several regions in Ontario. She supports clients and family members struggling with substance use disorder, as well as behavioural disorders such as video gaming, gambling, and excessive use of technology. Carla has helped many people, including their families navigate the challenging process of dealing with and overcoming addiction issues. In her current role, Carla is a Manager of Operations and programs for many of the Regional Outpatient programs at Homewood Health Centre, who support individuals struggling with Mental Health and Substance use. Carla joined the Board in March 2023.
Patricia Sorbara, Board Member
Pat Sorbara is a veteran strategist, entrepreneur, and political and government executive, recognized for her skill and discipline in setting ambitious goals and impelling teams to achieve concrete results.
Pat has had significant success in both the private and public sectors. She was a founding partner of Advanced Utility Systems Corporation in 1997 and helped drive the tech company toward its successful sale in June 2006. In government, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Premier of Ontario, and as Ministerial Chief of Staff in key ministries such as Education, Intergovernmental Affairs, Energy and Women’s Issues. Her rigorous, data-driven approach to election campaigns has made her one of Canada’s leading election strategists, resulting in some of the most impressive victories in recent decades.
Pat is also recognized as a trailblazer for women in government and politics. She chronicled the lessons and experiences of a lifetime of activism and engagement in her critically acclaimed 2019 book, Let ’Em Howl: Lessons from a Life in Backroom Politics. Pat joined the Board in May 2023.