Myeloma Canada Board of Directors

Mélanie Martel, Chair
Mélanie is a partner at the law firm of DLA Piper where she practises in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Latent Defects, Class Actions, sale contracts, lease disputes, bankruptcy and insolvency. She represents a broad range of clients before all levels of the court, but also acts to prevent, avoid and settle litigation where possible.  Mélanie has been teaching Contract Law (sale, lease, service and enterprise) at the University of Sherbrooke since 2008, as well as the Law of Obligations and Proceedings at the Quebec Bar School since 2009. She is active in the community and currently serves as Director of the Société de Transport de Laval. Serving on the Myeloma Canada Board represents both a personal and professional honour for Mélanie as her sister is currently fighting myeloma.

Bill Paine, Co-chair
Bill Paine holds an MBA and has over 30 years of experience as a senior executive and board member with Canadian public companies in the energy industry, and has also held board and senior management roles within community and national charitable organizations. His expertise includes building businesses in more than 20 countries. Bill currently serves on the boards of a TSX- listed Canadian energy company, and two international energy companies. He previously focused on fundraising from corporate, community and governmental sources for a not-for-profit in Vancouver. Bill’s been actively involved with Myeloma Canada in corporate fundraising, community support groups, and the Myeloma PSP Steering Committee. He and his wife, who has myeloma, are enjoying full and productive lives in Vancouver with their new puppy, Cooper.

​Lorelei Dalrymple, Treasurer
Lorelei works as a Team Lead for Alberta's largest credit union. Since her 2009 diagnosis, she has been extremely active in the Canadian myeloma community, holding roles on the Myeloma Alberta Support Society Board, including President for three years, and Myeloma Canada's Patient Advisory Council where she has been Chair since 2016. Lorelei has been instrumental in Myeloma Canada's Support Group Leader and Advocacy Summits, the Myeloma Awareness Day at the Alberta legislature, and the Myeloma Canada Early Diagnosis program. She is a member of the Board of the Myeloma Canada Research Network and a steering committee member of Myeloma Canada's Myeloma Priority Setting Partnership for research in Canada. Lorelei is thrilled to join the Myeloma Canada Board and ensure the voices of myeloma patients are represented.

David Niebach, Secretary

David has extensive experience in Accounting, Finance, Enterprise Risk Management, Strategy Development and Execution, and Leadership Development and Coaching. He is a Fellow of CPA Alberta, holds a BBA from SAIT, an MBA from Laurentian University, Canadian Risk Management designation with GRMI, is FMVA certified from the Canadian Finance Institute and has passed the Exempt Market Proficiency Course with IFSE.

David has worked for industry-leading organizations during high-growth and recessionary cycles and has held leadership positions in large-scale enterprises. Currently, he is CFO for a group of privately owned companies operating in logistics, warehousing, and wholesale tire distribution.

David is passionate about and conducts post-secondary and corporate courses in Leadership Development. He sits on various boards including the Government of Alberta Internal Audit Committee, St. Albert Economic Development Advisory Board (past-chair), chair of the NAIT Accounting Advisory Committee and serves on the CPA Alberta Nomination Review committee, and volunteers with post-secondary institutions as well as CPA Alberta.

​Ellis Basevitz, Director
Ellis Basevitz joined Myeloma Canada’s Board of Directors, as treasurer.  He is the founder of the accounting firm PSB Boisjoli.

Ellis owes his career success to his ability to establish lasting relationships with clients and business partners. Known for his enthusiasm for problem solving, he provides original and creative ideas that help clients save money and grow their assets. His services are based on mutual trust, knowing how to listen to and understand the needs and objectives of clients, and partnering with clients in the development of short and long-term strategies, whether personal or business.

During his career, Ellis has been a mentor and an example for many young accountants who have now become partners. He has shared with them his philosophy on customer service and trained them to provide value-added services.

Within the firm, Ellis is a consultant valued for his vision, creativity, and originality, and has assumed marketing and business development roles.

Ellis is a Quebec Chartered Accountant (CA). He is also a member of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec and of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Anthony Reiman, MD, Director
Dr. Reiman is a medical oncologist with a special interest in the study and treatment of myeloma. He is based at the Saint John Regional Hospital in New Brunswick and is a member of the Board of Directors of the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation and of the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute. He is the Canadian Cancer Society Research Chair at the University of New Brunswick and the Assistant Dean, Research, at Dalhousie Medicine, New Brunswick.

He is currently a Professor of Medicine at Dalhousie University, and is an active researcher with over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Anthony is also the co-chair of the myeloma committee at the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, and a member of both the US National Cancer Institute Myeloma Steering Committee and the International Myeloma Working Group. He sits on several committees with the Myeloma Canada Research Network.

Keith Taylor, Director
Keith studied at the University of British Columbia, Cambridge University and Sheffield University. He has worked as a police officer in London, UK and with the Vancouver Police Department, as well as in research, planning and management with the Calgary Police Service, the Justice Institute of BC and Canada Post. He has served on several Boards and committees and is currently Partner in a consulting firm specializing in police, justice, governance and community issues. An accomplished photographer, he enjoys short-course triathlons, hiking and biking. Diagnosed with myeloma in 2012, Keith has been in remission since 2014. As a Director on Myeloma Canada's Board, he is grateful to give back to the myeloma community for what he describes as the superb care he receives as a patient. 
 

Arleigh Robertson McCurdy, MD, Director
Dr. McCurdy is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, Division of Hematology and Department of Medicine. She is the Lead of the Multiple Myeloma Program at The Ottawa Hospital and a Clinician Investigator at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Ottawa, Ontario.

She holds a Masters of Health Administration degree from Dalhousie University and has a keen interest in health policy. Her clinical research is focused on multiple myeloma and related disorders. In addition, Arleigh is an active member of the Canadian Myeloma Research Group (CMRG) and the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, Myeloma Committee.

Hira Mian, MD, Director
Dr. Mian is a hematologist at the Juravinski Cancer Centre and an assistant professor within the department of oncology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where she leads the Multiple Myeloma Program. She completed her clinical training at the University of Toronto and furthered her research training at McMaster University where she obtained her Masters in Health Research Methodology, as well as completed the Clinician Investigator Program. Her research interests include health services and outcomes as well as clinical trials. She has a specific focus on care of older adults with multiple myeloma, disparities in access to care/outcome and quality of life. She is the recipient of numerous local and national grants and an early career research award. She is also an investigator with the Canadian Myeloma Research Group (CMRG) and the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Group.

Nancy Gray, Director
Nancy Gray is a chartered professional accountant who has worked in the fields of health and post-secondary education for over 30 years in Ontario. Nancy has extensive experience in managing financial processes, risk, policy, and governance as a staff and board member in not-for-profit and charitable organizations. In July 2021, Nancy retired from her position as Executive Director, Financial Affairs, at McMaster University. Nancy is proud of her work in leading the Hamilton Myeloma March since 2018, and especially proud that their September 2020 Zoom/in-person March raised over $53,000. Nancy’s husband has been living with myeloma since 2017.

Trevor Ives, Director
Trevor Ives is a chartered accountant with over 30 years of experience in Aboriginal Business and Corporate Development. As the former CEO for the Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies, Trevor developed a diversified business base for First Nations in the manufacturing, retail, service, property development and forestry industries.  He has led business expansion and development through a series of green field developments, acquisitions, and partnerships. He remains on many corporate Boards and provides ongoing consulting services.  He is also active within local organizations in his community, using his expertise to help guide them to success.

Trevor lives in Prince Albert, SK with his wife Shauna and their 2 children. He was diagnosed with myeloma in 2019.

Joyce Chehade, Director
Joyce has been in the pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical industry for over 20 years. She brings with her a broad range of experience in medical marketing, sales management and market access in specialty therapeutics and rare diseases.

Throughout her career, Joyce has worked for various private and global pharmaceutical companies including Bayer, Pendopharm, Ferring and CSL Behring.  She is currently working as a Senior Marketing Manager at Lundbeck Canada in Mood Disorders.

Joyce is a big proponent of amplifying the patient voice in her strategies and has partnered extensively with patient organizations effecting policy changes and promoting access to therapies. She is an active and contributing member of the diversity committee of Women Leaders in Pharma and serves as a board member on Annie Parker Foundation.

Adrian Craciun, Director
Adrian is a senior business leader with Canadian Blood Services (CBS) where he is deeply involved in finance and strategy. Adrian is a crucial contributor to the financial management for new, safer, and more effective products and processes such as pathogen inactivation/reduction, cellular therapies, and precision medicine projects. He also leads the benchmarking and collaboration activities with blood services from other countries under the Alliance of Blood Operators umbrella.

Before CBS, Adrian led the financial management of multi-billion infrastructure projects with Toronto Pearson International, Metrolinx, Transport Canada, and major retail developments in Europe.

Adrian is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and holds a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University, and a Master in Project Management from York University.

Sandor Sajnovics, Director
Sandor is an experienced regulatory lawyer and accountant. He has worked as a lawyer in the resource development sector, provincial government and non-profit health sector in both, Alberta and British Columbia.

Additionally, Sandor has experience as a board member for the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta and as a committee member for the Law Society of Alberta’s Audit and Finance Committee. Sandor has extensive experience in advising clients on business decisions and regulatory matters.

Sandor holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Law all from the University of Manitoba. He also holds a CPA-CGA designation.

Lisa Elser, Director
Lisa is a retired IT professional who began her career at Bell Labs before leaving research to run international consulting practices for Sun Microsystems in Europe and the US. She spent 25 years in IT and was consulted by some of the largest banks, pharmaceutical companies, and insurance companies in the world.  After a successful career, she retired early at 45. She and her husband then started their own business cutting fine gemstones, which combined their love of travel with her love of gemstones. Through the business, she’s been able to support educational and health initiatives in Tanzania, Madagascar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.  Her husband was diagnosed with myeloma in 2014 and died of the disease in early 2021.

Lisa's experiences learning about the disease, drug research, and navigating the healthcare system for her husband led her to seek out opportunities to improve care for other Canadians with myeloma. In addition to Myeloma Canada, Lisa serves on the Clinical Trials BC Advisory Council where she continues to advocate for patients and their families.

Julie Stakiw, Director
Dr. Stakiw is a malignant hematologist and stem cell transplant physician with a special interest in myeloma. She is based at the Saskatoon Cancer Center and is an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan. An active member of the Canadian Myeloma Research Group (CMRG), she also sits on the CMRG Database Steering committee. Her research interests include health equity, with a specific focus on First Nations and Metis patients with myeloma. Julie recently finished her term as the Medical Director of the Saskatoon Cancer Center and was previously the Provincial Head of Hematology for Saskatchewan.