June Bold - Chief Executive Officer

June has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation since it was established in 2003. She came to the position with extensive experience in health research and research administration. Prior to becoming CEO, she was the Director of Grants and Awards for 10 years with the province’s Health Services Utilization and Research Commission. Earlier research experience and interests included psychiatric service utilization patterns, professional issues among health workers, and complementary and alternative medicine. A strong current interest is assessing the impact for society of investing in health research. June is involved in various health research-related boards and committees and is currently Co-Chair of the National Alliance of Provincial Health Research Organizations. She values collaboration and see partnerships as critical to SHRF’s work in creating a vibrant health research environment in Saskatchewan. June holds an Honours B.A. in Sociology and an M.Sc. in Community Health and Epidemiology, both from the University of Saskatchewan. She and her husband, Ron, have two “twenty-something” children and enjoy gardening and traveling together.

Irene Blum - Accountant

Irene joined SHRF in July of 2009. She has over 10 years of experience in accounting, working for various companies in Saskatoon. She is responsible for carrying out general & grants accounting, as well as payroll and benefits administration, and all related reporting. Her education includes completion of the accounting certificate program from SIAST. She and her husband have three adult children, and like to travel as well as go camping.

Trina Evitts - Funding Programs Manager 

Trina joined SHRF as Funding Programs Manager in the fall of 2009 with solid knowledge of the competitive health research environment in Saskatchewan and Canada. Prior to joining SHRF Trina worked as a research facilitator for a health professional College at the University of Saskatchewan, and as a research coordinator for several provincial community-based studies related to education policy in Saskatchewan. She is responsible for managing our research funding competitions, developing and implementing funding programs and policies, and contributing to strategic planning.

Trina’s academic background is in the social sciences. She was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for her Master’s degree in Sociology at the University of Saskatchewan.  She was subsequently funded by SSHRC for her Doctoral studies at the University of Alberta, which she declined to take employment back in Saskatoon. She has a continuing interest in the relationships between faculty performance, innovation, and cultures of accountability in research-intensive universities and funding agencies.

Deborah Fortosky - Director of Finance & Operations

Deborah joined SHRF as Director of Finance and Operations in the fall of 2008. With more than 15 years experience in financial management, planning and governance, she brings a rich background in finance, entrepreneurial and community economic development.  Working primarily in the not-for-profit sector, she served as director of finance of Saskatoon’s United Way, as assistant manager of a Saskatoon based community economic development corporation, and as CFO with the Aboriginal Human Resource Council. She has worked with people from diverse backgrounds and has considerable experience in communicating, networking and building relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders. Deborah holds a Bachelor in Commerce in accounting and health care administration as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She lives in Saskatoon with her husband and three children.

D'lee Johnson - Administrative Assistant

D’lee joined SHRF in August 2008 as Administrative Assistant to the Funding Programs Manager. Her past employment experience includes 15 years of administrative experience at the University of Saskatchewan. D’lee’s passion for faith-related aspects of life leads her to be involved in various ministries in Saskatoon.

Lynn Nastiuk - Executive Assistant

Lynn joined SHRF in November 2004, bringing with her 10 years of experience in retail management. Her skills have earned her certification in business management, event coordination, customer service, staff development, and administration.

In 2009, Lynn achieved her Business Administration Certificate from the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan.

Patrick Odnokon - Impact Analysis Manager

Patrick joined the SHRF team in October 2007 as the Research Analyst.  His main role is to monitor, evaluate, and report on the progress and impact of SHRF’s work in advancing Saskatchewan’s Health Research Strategy.  Previously, Patrick worked as the Health Researcher for the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority in Prince Albert, where he was responsible for developing research ethics and protocol, collaborating with university researchers and government on projects, and building research capacity within partner organizations.  He has also spent time working at the University of Saskatchewan on various research projects and as a sessional lecturer.  Patrick’s education includes an undergrad and M.Sc. in Kinesiology from the University of Saskatchewan.  Pat and new wife Carla both enjoy playing hockey in the winter and golf in the summer.

Pamela Riffel - Administrative Assistant

Pamela joined SHRF in November 2008 as an Administrative Assistant (Information Systems). Her roles include providing general administrative support and support for managing and maintaining SHRF’s computer systems and databases. She also provides technical assistance to the Communications Manager for maintaining the website and producing promotional materials and supports the Impact Analysis Manager in projects related to performance measurement and evaluation. Her employment history includes 11 years experience in the healthcare/optometric field. Pamela and her husband, Kevin, are kept busy spending time with their two young children.

Michael Robin APR - Communications Manager

Michael’s role is to provide counsel and take a lead role in delivering information programs that follow the Foundation’s values of clear, open, honest, and timely communication. He came to SHRF in 2007 from the University of Saskatchewan, where he served as Research Communications Officer.
Since beginning his career as a communications professional in 1987, Michael has worked as a writer, editor, and photographer for various newspapers before becoming a founding partner of a weekly publication in northwest Saskatchewan. He has specialized in science communication in Saskatoon since 1994, working in various agencies and as an independent strategist and writer.
Michael has worked on award-winning campaigns and communications projects for clients in municipal government, the science and technology sector, and post-secondary education. He was granted his Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Canadian Public Relations Society in 2000.