ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS:  The Northern Cancer Foundation is currently seeking three (3) community representatives to serve on its Board of Directors!  Those interested may submit a letter of intent along with personal references to Tannys Laughren, Executive Director at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Northern Cancer Foundation is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors who are united in their mission to maintain a world-class cancer treatment centre for the people of Northeastern Ontario.  Their role is to set the Foundation's strategic direction, uphold its values and governance, and support the Executive Director who leads the administrative team towards achieving the NCFs vision and purpose.  Each member brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and strong community resources to the Foundation.

For more information on the governance and operations of the NCF Board, please contact Tannys Laughren, Executive Director at (705) 523- 4673 x. 2623 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jim Marchbank, Chair

Jim Marchbank has a long history of leadership in the City of Greater Sudbury.  The former long-time CEO of Science North, his strong work ethic has earned him a Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Bell Business Excellence Award for Professional Achievement as well as a Laurentian University “50 years of Alumni Achievement“ award.  As an active volunteer, Jim serves as a Board member of the Sudbury Food Bank as well as the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership. 

Maureen Lacroix, Past Chair

Maureen Lacroix has a long history of leadership in establishing health services in the community.  Maureen not only assisted with the development of the Cancer Centre, she also co-chaired the largest fundraising campaign in the history of Sudbury, the Heart and Soul Campaign raising money for the Health Sciences North (HSN).  Additionally, Maureen was instrumental in the development of the Chair in Cancer Research, in partnership with HSN, the Cancer Centre and Laurentian University.  Maureen is the past chair of the Laurentian University Board of Governors and past member of the Board of Directors for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

Robin Thomson, Vice-Chair

Robin Thomson is the Vice-President and Branch Manager of BMO Nesbitt Burns in Sudbury. He is a current and long-serving member of the Board of Directors of YMCA Sudbury.  As an active community volunteer, Robin has served on various other Boards including Network North and St. Andrew's Place, and is a past member of the Rotary Club of Sudbury Sunrisers. 

Mac Sinclair, Secretary

Mac is a Sudbury lawyer and has been on the Northern Cancer Foundation Board since 1996.

Ron Chrysler, Treasurer

Ronald Chrysler is a chartered accountant who is actively involved in the local community.  He currently serves as the Treasurer of the Northern Cancer Foundation.  Previously, he was the Vice-President, Administration at Laurentian University as well as Secretary of the Board of Governors from 1983 until his retirement in 2006.  Mr. Chrysler also sits on the Board of Directors with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

Lori Horner

Lori Horner is member of the Executive Committee of the Board.  Lori is the Director of Human Resources for Xstrata Nickel Sudbury operations.

Hermann Falter

Hermann Falter is a retired full professor of Chemistry at Laurentian University.  He received his BSc from Laurentian University in 1964 and went on to complete his PhD at the University of Cincinnati in 1968.  Hermann has been a member of the NCF Board of Directors since 1998 and continues to serve as an important liaison between the University's scientific community and the Cancer Centre's career scientists.

Suzanne Lapointe

Suzanne Lapointe graduated from Laurentian University with an Honours B.A. in Arts with a major in French as well as a B.A. in Education.  She is currently the Vice-Principal of École Secondaire Catholique Champlain in Sudbury.  Mrs. Lapointe is a member of the Faculty of Health Sciences Advisory Committee at Collège Boréal and a member of the advisory committee for the Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury.

Doug Yeo

Doug Yeo was born and raised in Sudbury.  He has been married to his wife, Sandra for 36 years and has two children that both live and work in Greater Sudbury.  Mr. Yeo has been employed with Sudbury Credit Union for 33 years in various positions and is currently the Chief Credit Officer.  He has a designation through the Credit Union system: Associate of the Credit Union Institute of Canada as well as an accreditation through the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals.  Shortly after the inception of the Northern Cancer Foundation, Mr. Yeo joined the Board of Directors.

Wayne Tonelli

Wayne Tonelli is the co-founder of the Miners for Cancer fundraising group in Sudbury.  Since its inception in 1996, he and his team of volunteers have raised over half a million dollars for local cancer research.  A retired general foreman from Vale’s Garson Mine, Wayne is a proud advocate of the Northern Cancer Foundation and a committed community partner.

Patricia Mills

Patricia Mills is publisher of Northern Ontario Business, its events division including NOBA, Influential Women of Northern Ontario and the 40 under Forty Awards program, the Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal (an international mining magazine), and the Northern Ontario Medical Journal. She is also Publisher of the Sudbury Living magazine division including its vertical publications and events. Patricia has worked in the newspaper industry for 22 years and has won numerous national, provincial and local awards for her journalism and community involvement.

Scott Mantle

Scott Mantle is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.  Scott has been the recipient of awards for his volunteer work, and has been a volunteer with the NCF on various committees, including the Finance committee.  Scott currently works for the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.

Gary Dale

Gary has been a board member of the NCF for several years and continues to do volunteer work with Branch 76 of the Legion.

Jean Gagnon

Jean Gagnon has spent over 50 years lobbying for the rights of workers suffering from cancer due to their deplorable working conditions.  Jean was among the first members of the Laurentian Hospital Advisory Committee on Cancer Care in Sudbury.  This committee would ultimately see the creation of what was then called the Northeastern Ontario Regional Cancer Centre in 1990. Jean has received numerous awards for his tireless work for fair compensation for victims and their children.

Bill McMullen

Dr. Bill McMullen is an active member of Sudbury's health care community.  At present he is a family practioner at Health Sciences North and a lecturer at both Laurentian University and the University of Ottawa.  Bill is a past chair of the Northeastern Ontario Family Medicine Program and has spent many years giving his time and expertise to a number of community and health care organizations.

Francisco Diaz-Mitoma, Ex-officio

Dr. Francisco Diaz-Mitoma is a renowned medical scientist and professor, and founder of two research foundations and a biotechnology company. Dr. Diaz-Mitoma comes to Sudbury from Ottawa where he was an infectious disease and clinical virology consultant with Ottawa Hospital, plus the Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).  In January 2011, Dr. Diaz-Mitoma was hired as the new Vice-President of Research at Health Sciences North.  With his arrival, Dr. Diaz-Mitoma also becomes the sole medical microbiologist in Northeastern Ontario. 

Amadeo Parissenti, Ex-officio

Dr. Parissenti began his post secondary education at the University of Guelph, completing his Bachelor of Sciences in Biochemistry.  He was awarded his PhD in Biochemistry from York University.  He also completed two postdoctoral research fellowships in medicine, the first at the Harvard Medical School & Joslin Diabetes Center and the second at the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research at the University of Toronto.

He is currently a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Laurentian University as well as a Professor in the Division of Medical Sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.  Dr. Parissenti is also an Assistant Professor in the Division of Oncology with the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.

Mark Hartman, Ex-officio

Mark Hartman completed a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Radiation Therapy in Melbourne, Australia in 1989. Since arriving in Sudbury in 1992 he worked as a Radiation Therapist at the Northeast Cancer Center (NCC), before entering management positions, first supervising radiation treatment planning then managing the radiation treatment program.  Between 2000 and 2004 Mark was director of the $44M cancer centre capital expansion project.

In 2004, Mark became the Administrative Director of the NCC at Health Sciences North with administrative responsibility for regional programs providing direct and indirect clinical services in Systemic Treatment, Supportive Care, Inpatient Acute Medicine, Radiation Treatment, Palliative Care, Preventive Oncology and Surgical Oncology.  He completed a Masters in Business Administration through Athabasca University in 2009 and is currently the Interim Vice President of the NCC.

Tannys Laughren, Ex-officio

Tannys Laughren is the current Executive Director of the NCF.  A graduate of Laurentian University, she has a Master's Degree in Business Administration, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce.  She served as Executive Director of the Students' General Association at Laurentian University, and is a member of the teaching staff within the school's commerce program.  Laughren was named one of Northern Life's 30 Sudburians to Watch in 2003, and continues to be an active volunteer within the community.