Ronald Lett

1995 – 1997
lett@cnis.ca
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dr. Ronald Lett was the founder of CNIS and has filled the roles of Board Chair, President and International Director. He helped to promote International Surgery in Africa during a time when International Surgery received little to no attention, and has continued this goal with tireless work to the present day, turning CNIS into the largest organisation of International Surgery in the world.

Peter McLean

1997
Montreal, Québec, Canada

Retired McGill surgeon Peter McLean was a Founding Director of CNIS, the Board Chair in 1997 and also held the positions of Executive Secretary and Vice President, when he attended CIDA meetings in Ottawa on behalf of CNIS. He worked in Ethiopia as part of the Surgical Amendment to the McGill University Ethiopia Community Health Project, teaching Essential Surgical Skills on several occasions and distributed of a container of surgical books in Ethiopia in 2006.

Joan VanDuzer

1997 – 1998
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Joan VanDuzer was one of the three Founding Directors of CNIS. Her untiring efforts in the early years were crucial to its foundation. She served as CNIS Board Chair from 1997 to 1998. She also filled the role of Executive Secretary for CNIS, and has supported CNIS since then through the Harbinger Foundation of Toronto, Ontario.

Phillip Cooper

1998 – 2000
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Phillip has been a General Surgeon in Antigonish, Nova Scotia for the past 15 years. He studied medicine at University College Hospital Medical School in London and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Phillip has worked in rural Australia, Papua New Guinea, Lebanon, Cambodia, Guyana and Sierra Leone. He has taught Essential Surgical Skills for CNIS in Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and at UBC.

Phillip Hassen

2000 – 2003
phassen@cnis.ca
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Phil Hassen has held various roles on the Board, including Chair for two terms. During his nine years on the board, he guided CNIS through very difficult financial and organizational issues, ultimately seeing CNIS become a stable and successful NGO. Phil has assisted the Injury Control Centre – Uganda with improving their administration and management and has taught courses on leadership and management in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Gwen Hollaar

2003 – 2006
ghollaar@cnis.ca
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Dr. Gwen Hollaar graduated from medical school at the University of Alberta, completed her general surgery residency at the University of Calgary and her Masters in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. She returned to the University Calgary, where she has been on faculty since 1999. She has an active interest in international health development and is currently working in the area of medical education in Laos with the University of Calgary and in various countries in Africa with CNIS.

Douglas Wallis

2006-2008
dwallis@cnis.ca
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Doug Wallis, CA, is a partner with the Vancouver office of Smythe Ratcliffe. He has extensive experience with setting up and administration of a public practice firm. Prior to joining Smythe Ratcliffe, he was the Director of Professional Advisory Services at the ICABC. Doug first joined CNIS as chair of its Finance Committee in 2002 to help the CNIS with its own financial reporting. In 2004, Doug offer the same services to one of the CNIS’ African partner organizations, the Injury Control Centre (ICC – U) at Makerere Medical School in Kampala, Uganda.