Board of Directors

Robert J. Falconi- Chair of the Board of Directors

RJ Falconi joined TSSA's Board in January 2019. Appointed as Chair in May 2019, he championed the diversification of the Board to ensure proper representation of TSSA’s stakeholders and the Ontario public. He is also currently Managing Director of RayleeValleyGroup, an organization that provides guidance and advice to clients and boards in various areas of the law including public policy, rail transportation safety, government relations, and corporate governance.

Mr. Falconi has a wealth of board experience. In 2020, he was appointed a Commissioner to the Board of Commissioners of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), a provincial Crown Corporation, and currently serves as its Vice Chair and is a Board Director on the Nipissing Central Railway Company. Prior to that, he was appointed in 2019 to the Board of Directors of Tarion Warranty Corporation, where he serves as Chair of its Stakeholder Committee that oversees the Consumer Advisory Council, Industry Advisory Council and the Office of the Ombuds.  He was previously a member of the national Board for Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) Inc. from 2009 to 2019, and currently serves as a member of CME’s Ontario Advisory Board. In 2021, he was appointed to the Board of the York Durham Railway Association, a not-for-profit tourist railway in Uxbridge, ON, that was labelled as one of Ontario’s top tourist attractions.  In addition, he is a past Board member of the US‐based Electrical Safety Foundation International, Inc. and the Toronto-based Hannaford Orchestra. He has also served as Secretary General & Chair of the Certification Industry Against Counterfeiting (CIAC).

With an executive-level career spanning decades, Mr. Falconi was formerly Executive Vice President, Chief Legal & Government Affairs Officer, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Group for 17 years. Prior to that, he was Vice President, General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary for Parsons Corporation, a global multi‐disciplinary consulting engineering firm, as well as Legal Counsel for the Consumer Banking Division of Citibank Canada.

Mr. Falconi has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto, holds a Bachelor of Laws (Juris Doctor) from Osgoode Hall Law School, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1985. In October 2012, he was certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors at Rotman School of Business as an Institute‐Certified Director (ICD.D). He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian, American and International Bar Associations, the Institute of Corporate Directors, and the US‐based National Association of Corporate Directors.

Brian Chu - Vice Chair of the Board of Directors

Brian Chu joined TSSA's Board in October 2015. He was appointed as Vice Chair in May 2019 and is the Chair of its Governance and Human Resources Committee.

A founding partner of Toronto law firm Bogart Robertson& Chu LLP, Mr. Chu's practice includes acting for a number of large institutional insurance and bank lenders, as well as, lenders in the financial services industry such as mortgage funds and investment advisors. He also has extensive experience in the acquisition, disposition and financing of all commercial real estate asset classes, including retirement and nursing homes and cellular/broadcast towers.

Mr. Chu has extensive board experience in the energy, financial services, post-secondary education, arts and culture sectors. He is currently a director on the boards of MCAN Mortgage Corporation (TSX: MKP), CAA Club Group of Companies, CAA Insurance, Echelon Insurance and Orion Travel Insurance. He was formerly Vice Chair of the Toronto Hydro Corporation and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Ontario Science Centre. Other former board roles included President (Chair of the Board) of Laidlaw Foundation, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Ontario College of Arts and Design (OCAD), Vice-Chair of Centennial College and a director and Vice-Chairman of The Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto.

Mr. Chu has chaired and been on numerous committees of these boards including those relating to audit, finance, governance, human resources, safety and conduct review. His roles on these boards included dealing with strategic planning, governance, risk management, capital market financings, business unit dispositions, corporate reorganization, code of conduct/whistle-blower situations and CEO recruitment.

Mr. Chu is included in The Best Lawyers in Canada for real estate law, the global publication Who’s Who Legal for real estate law and is profiled in Canadian Who’s Who. Believing in paying it forward, Mr. Chu has in the past been a panelist for the Maytree Foundation and Canadian Board Diversity Council educational programs.

Andrew Bedeau joined TSSA’s Board of Directors in October 2021 and is a member of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee. He is currently the Senior Manager of Cash Management and Payment Services at TD Bank, where he has served in several leadership roles prior to assuming his present position.

Andrew has more than 15 years of experience overseeing treasury departments, strategic planning, and cash and risk management for banks, large pension funds, RESPs, insurance, and not-for-profit organizations. A graduate of the University of Toronto Economics Program (Hon. BA), he holds numerous finance, investment and risk management certifications.

Prior to joining the TSSA Board, Andrew was an Executive Member of the Ontario Science Centre Board of Directors from 2016 to 2020, and served as Chair of the Finance and Operations Committee. He has also served on the boards of the Laidlaw Foundation from 2009 to 2018, Management Advisory Service of Ontario from 2010 to 2012, and CultureLink from 2005 to 2006. An avid volunteer, he has devoted his time, experience and passion to further the missions of the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto and Habitat for Humanity Toronto.

Cathy M. Bailey

Cathy Bailey joined the TSSA Board in October 2020 and is a member of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee. Cathy has spent most of her career in senior finance, human resources, and operational roles in public sector healthcare. She is currently the Vice President, Hospital Finance and Chief Financial Officer for Baycrest Hospital. In this role, Cathy oversees Financial Services, Treasury, Capital Planning, Procurement and Materials Management for the hospital, long-term care home, and adult day programs.

Through her experience, Cathy has developed expertise in managing large and complex public sector budgets, oversight of facilities and infrastructure, human resources, change management, project management and business process redesign.

Cathy is a life-long learner and actively supports growth opportunities for her team. She earned a post-graduate designation as a Certified Management Accountant in 1992, a Certified Financial Planner designation in 1998 and a Chartered Director designation in 2008. She was awarded a fellowship by the Society of Management Accountants in 2004 in recognition of her service to the Society, the profession, and the community. From 2009 to 2018, she was also a moderator for the two-year CMA Strategic Leadership program and the CPA Professional Education Program.

Marni Dicker 

Marni Dicker joined TSSA’s Board in October 2020 and is a member of the Governance and Human Resources Committee. Marni is currently a Principal with Strategy Corp Inc. and leads the land development and infrastructure practice.

Marni was formerly Executive Vice President & General Counsel at Live Work Learn Play Inc. where she led LWLP’s corporate and organizational growth, major infrastructure projects and anchor deal making on large scale real estate projects across Ontario and North America. Prior to that, Marni was Chief Commercial Officer and General Counsel at Infrastructure Ontario (IO), responsible for leading the Legal Services, Procurement, Transaction Finance, Commercial Projects, Business Strategy & Communications, Records Management, Insurance, Policy and Freedom of Information teams. Before joining IO, Marni was Senior Vice President, Business and Government Affairs and Corporate Counsel for SNC-Lavalin Inc and was previously a commercial litigation lawyer at two major Canadian national law firms.

Marni is currently a distinguished visiting scholar at Ryerson University and is on the steering committee for The Ryerson Law Practice Program (LPP). Additionally, Marni is a member of the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity GTA, CreateTO, and Tarion. She is also a member of the Sinai Health Systems Operational Effectiveness Committee of the Board. 

 Connie L. Graham

Connie L. Graham, B.Sc. (Biochemistry), was appointed by the Ontario Minister of Government and Consumer Services to TSSA’s Board in October 2020. She is a professional corporate director, certified by the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors in 2012 (ICD.D). Having served more than 20 years in corporate, crown and not-for-profit boardrooms, her core competencies include corporate and regulatory governance, risk oversight, policy infrastructure, CEO performance management and strategy. Her well-honed, collaborative leadership skills have made her an invaluable change agent for organizations working through transitions, transformations, or turnarounds.

Ms. Graham also serves as the Chair of the Board of municipal electricity distributor London Hydro, Inc. She recently concluded a six-year appointment as Chair of the Federal Bridge Corporation, Ltd. reporting directly to the Federal Minister of Transport.

Ms. Graham was a proud recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and named a Diversity 50 Director by the Canadian Board Diversity Council in 2013. In 2017, she was granted an Honorary Degree from Fanshawe College.   

 Jim Keech

Jim Keech joined TSSA’s Board of Directors in October 2021 and is a member of the Safety and Regulatory Affairs Committee. With more than 40 years of experience in the utility industry, he has been the President and CEO of Utilities Kingston since 2000. In addition to this, he was the Commissioner of Transportation and Infrastructure at the City of Kingston (the City) from 2007 to 2019. He also served two years as General Manager of the City’s Utilities Division and 16 years as Chief Engineer and Operations Manager of the City’s Public Utilities Commission.

Jim has applied his knowledge and expertise as a member of several boards, including Utilities Kingston, Kingston Hydro Corporation, Ontario Municipal Water Association, and PlugN Drive. His previous board experience includes serving as a member of the Utilities Standards Forum, MEARIE, and Electricity Distributors Association, where he was also Past Chair.

Jim’s industry accolades include receiving the Community Leadership Award in Renewable Energy from Switch Kingston and being named Municipal Employee of the Year by the Kingston Chamber of Commerce. A graduate of the Queens University Electrical Engineering Program (BSc), he also completed the Directors Education Program from the Institute of Corporate Directors and University of Toronto's Rotman School of Business. 

Michael Lees

Mike Lees joined TSSA's Board in September 2013 and is a member of the Safety and Regulatory Affairs Committee and the Governance and Human Resource Committee.

Mr. Lees retired in 2013 as the President of Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy, Inc. (B&W NE), and Babcock & Wilcox Canada Ltd. (B&W). He joined B&W Canada as a Stress Analyst in the Nuclear Equipment department in 1980 and went on to hold a variety of leadership positions in Nuclear Engineering, Project Management and Sales Management prior to being appointed President of the Canadian operation in 2007.

In 2012, Mr. Lees assumed the additional role of President for the parent company (B&W NE), leading Canadian and Global commercial nuclear business for Babcock and Wilcox. A graduate of the University of Waterloo (B.Sc., Honours Applied Physics), Mr. Lees also holds an Executive MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and a Chartered Director (ICD.D) designation from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. He has held various board positions at companies affiliated with Babcock & Wilcox.

In addition, Mr. Lees has served on several not-for-profit organizations, including the Canadian Nuclear Association and the Cambridge Memorial Hospital. In 2007, Mr. Lees was awarded the Ian McRae Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Canadian Nuclear Industry, and the following year, named the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Science Outstanding Alumni.

Peter Marcucci 

Peter Marcucci was appointed to the TSSA’s Board of Directors in October 2019 and is a member of the Audit Finance and Risk Committee.

Peter is the former Vice President & Chief Public Safety Officer for the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). He also held the roles of Chief Engineer and Vice President Human Resources where he was responsible for electrical safety leadership, safety strategy development, government relations, engineering and safety risk management functions within the Electrical Safety Authority.

Before joining Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), Mr. Marcucci held the roles of Director of Payroll Services, Director of Health and Safety Services, Employee Services and Director of Workplace Services and Corporate Services at Ontario Hydro and Ontario Power Generation. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and holds a master’s in engineering from the University of Toronto.

Glen Padassery 

Prior to that, he was the Assistant Deputy Minister of Consumer Protection Ontario (CPO) in the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services where he was responsible for leading overall provincial policy and execution for approximately 50 regulatory statutes spanning Consumer Protection, Public Safety and Business Law.  In addition, he had oversight of 12 Delegated Administrative Authorities that administer Consumer Protection and Public Safety legislation on behalf of government in areas such as real estate, funeral services, electrical safety, new home warranties, travel industry, motor vehicle sales, Ontario wine appelation and Condos.

His previous board experience includes serving as a member on the Board of Directors for Tarion Warranty Corporation and the Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP).

Glen has over 20 years in the public sector, with extensive policy, program design, consumer protection expertise and experience.  

Elaine Pitcher 

Elaine Pitcher joined TSSA's Board in May 2015 and is the Chair of its Safety and Regulatory Affairs Committee.

Ms. Pitcher has practiced law specializing in corporate and commercial matters, and advanced estate planning and administration for the past thirty years. Active in her community, Ms. Pitcher has served as the Chair of the Northeast Local Health Integration Network, following ten years as a Board member of the Sault Area Hospital, five of those in the capacity of Board Chair. Prior to that, she has held the position of Vice Chair of the Ontario Council of Regents, and Chair of Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology and has served on numerous other boards and agencies.

A proponent of strong governance, Ms. Pitcher has been a panel participant at the Ontario Hospital Association Health Achieve Conference and provides both advice and facilitation on governance best practices and strategic planning to non-profit organizations. She has been the recipient of many awards including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Ontario Leading Women Building Communities award, The Harry Hamilton Award given by the Algoma District Law Association and the Dr. William Hutchinson award for community service in the health sector.

Ms. Pitcher is a graduate of Queen’s University where she received both an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in finance, followed by her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B).

Susannah K. Robinson

Ms. Robinson was appointed to the TSSA in October of 2020 and is a member of the Governance and Human Resources Committee.  Ms. Robinson is an energy executive with over 30 years of experience.

She is currently Vice President for EPCOR Ontario Utilities Inc. and the CEO of EPCOR Ontario Distribution Ontario Inc.  Prior to joining EPCOR, Ms. Robinson held senior roles at regulated and non-regulated energy companies in areas of strategic planning, regulatory, risk management, customer experience and operational leadership.  

She has served on several industry, profit and non for-profit boards.  She currently serves on the Board of the Electricity Distributors Association and is a Trustee of the Utility of the Future Fund.  A strong believer in community involvement, she also serves on the Board of the Toronto Public Library Foundation where she Chairs the Human Resources Committee and sits on the Governance and Nomination Committee.

Ms. Robinson has a Bachelor of Political Science from McGill University.  In 2017, she was certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors at Rotman School of Business.