Board of Directors

Ed Rathonyi became a Director of PHA Canada in 2018. He brings with him the first-hand experience of being a parent and caregiver to his young daughter, who was diagnosed with PH in late 2014. During the preliminary PH diagnosis procedures, Ed and his wife found PHA Canada online and became involved in early 2015. Since then, Ed has become a committed member of the PH community, helping raise awareness of the disease through projects such as PHA Canada’s 2016 awareness video and Public Service Announcement “Playtime”, which has aired on television stations throughout the country.

Ed is a Professional Engineer (PEng), registered with the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia; his current career focus is in industrial control systems. Ed and his family live in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, BC, where they enjoy spending time outdoors.

As a member of PHA Canada’s Board of Directors, Ed hopes to contribute to the empowerment of Canadians affected by PH and give back to the community for the support he and his family have received throughout their journey with PH.

Dr. Lisa Mielniczuk joined the Board of Directors in January 2019. Having acted as Chair of PHA Canada’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) since 2015, Dr. Mielniczuk brings with her extensive medical experience within the pulmonary hypertension field. 

She is currently the co-founder and Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Program at the Ottawa Heart Institute and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa with a cross-appointment in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. She has built from scratch a unique clinical research program evaluating mechanisms and novel treatments of PH and right-heart failure, bridging the gaps between animal models of human disease and clinical practice.

Dr. Mielniczuk completed her medical degree at McMaster University, internal medicine at Queen's University, and her cardiology fellowship at the University of Ottawa. She also obtained a master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

John Pettifor joined PHA Canada’s Board of Directors in May 2019. Originally from the United Kingdom, John emigrated to Pitt Meadows, BC in 2009. He brings to the Board years of experience working within non-profits, namely as VP of Non-profits at the Burnaby-based technology consultancy firm where he oversees a team of ~100 consultants who are implementing technology for a range of non-profits throughout North America. As a career consultant, John has led technology implementations for hundreds of companies ranging from small startups to global enterprise organizations in both the for and non-profit space.

John has a close connection to PH having lost his mother to the illness in the early 90s. In 2013, his brother was also diagnosed with PH.

John is happily married and enjoys playing music, camping, and being with friends and family.

Emily Pinckard joined the PHA Canada Board of Directors in May of 2019. In addition to her personal experience as a CTEPH patient, Emily also brings with her to the Board both a legal background and volunteer experience in governance-related roles.  

Emily earned an LL.B. from the Faculty of Law at the University of Kent in England after completing her Bachelor of Social Sciences at the University of Ottawa where she majored in Political Science. While pursuing her law degree, Emily studied Private International Law at The Hague Academy of International Law at the Peace Palace in Den Haag, Netherlands. She later returned to the University of Kent where she earned a Master’s in International Corporate/Commercial Law. Since her call to the Bar, Emily has practised corporate and commercial litigation in Toronto, Ontario. 

Emily has extensive volunteer experience, having contributed as a member of the Young Advocates Standing Committee and the Advocates’ Society Juror PTSD Task Force. She was also Editor of the Advocates’ Society’s Keeping Tab publication.

Emily is passionate about patient and caregiver psychosocial support. In particular, she is keen to contribute to the establishment of programing to assist PH patients and caregivers with the psychological burden of a PH diagnosis. Emily advocates for an increase in social services and economic assistance programs available to PH patients.  She is specifically interested in PH support programs for young adult and adolescent patients. 

Emily is also an active Patient Partner at the University Health Network in Toronto, Ontario. She resides in Toronto with her partner, Joshua, and her service dog, Oscar. 

Janette Reyes was appointed to the PHA Canada Board of Directors in September of 2018. 

Janette graduated with both a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master’s in Nursing (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner NP Program) at the University of Toronto. In July 2000, she joined the PH clinic at SickKids (The Hospital for Sick Children) where she developed the first pediatric PH Nurse Practitioner role in Canada. In 2007, she liaised with the Transition Team at SickKids and developed a PH-Specific Transition to Adult Care Workshop and Guidelines. Today, she oversees and facilitates the care of pediatric patients throughout their PH journeys—handling continuity of care—and remains very actively involved in PH research and publications. 

Janette has been a long-time member of the PH associations in the U.S. and Canada, as well as PHA Canada's Pediatric Committee, where she has contributed in the development of multiple PH resources for patients and families. She is a strong advocate for the integral role that nurses play in the care of PH patients and is incredibly enthusiastic for the opportunity to bring their voice to the Board of Directors of PHA Canada.

Michaël Robach was appointed to the PHA Canada Board of Directors in July of 2020. Michaël holds both a Bachelor's degree in Media Management and a Master’s in Public Relations & Professional Communication. He brings with him a deep understanding of the non-profit sector, having worked in areas ranging from child protection, community development, and public health. His communications expertise ranges from public relations and advocacy to community outreach and program development.
 
Michaël worked at PHA Canada between 2017 and 2019 as the Communications & Engagement Coordinator, during which time he gained a deep understanding of the issues affecting the Canadian PH community and developed a close relationship with the Canadian PHamily. 
 
Holding a dual nationality of both French and Swedish, he now lives in Vancouver, BC where he works in Indigenous relations.