Staff Bios

John-Paul Cody-Cox, Chief Executive Officer

John-Paul (JP) Cody-Cox Chief Executive Officer, brings to the role more than 15 years of leadership background in growing and transforming national associations. He is leading the CPA forward as it faces new challenges and takes advantage of innovative opportunities to advocate on behalf of the profession, build an exceptional member experience and work collaboratively with partners to better serve Canadians in optimizing their health.

JP is an active member of the community, having mentored young executives with the Canadian Society of Association Executives as well as serving on various not-for-profit board of directors.

Away from work JP and his wife look for ways to tire out their two daughters through long hikes, snowshoeing, swimming, and biking.

information@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454, ext. 214

Helen Leister, Executive Assistant to CEO

Helen Leister is the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer. She organizes the daily activities of the CEO office and provides logistical support to the President and Board of Directors for their meetings throughout the year. Helen also provides support to the CPA Senior Management Team and the Physiotherapy Administrative Leaders (PALs). Helen also plays a lead role in organizing the joint CPA component meetings hosted by the President and the Board of Directors annually.

Away from the office, Helen has two active teenagers, Alexander and Hannah, and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

​hleister@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 212

Megan Griffiths, Marketing and Business Development Manager

As CPA’s Marketing and Business Development Manager, Megan develops and manages a business development and corporate sponsorship program that supports the Association’s strategic direction. She shapes and leads CPA’s corporate partnership agenda, monitors the business development program against activity plans and CPA’s annual budget, assists with the development of strategic marketing plans and develops key relationships with advertisers, corporate partners and commercial activities that broaden CPA’s revenue base and increase the profile of physiotherapy in the community.

Outside of work, Megan enjoys skiing, dancing and spending time with her friends and family.

mgriffiths@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 245

Tamas Kiraly, Governance, Risk and Component Relations Manager

Tamas is Manager of Governance, Risk and Component Services; reporting to the CEO, his job is to ensure that CPA's activities meet regulatory requirements and our own sets of rules (Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, etc.), and to oversee CPA’s insurance program and risk management. Tamas supports the Governance and Risk Committees of the Board, and participates in preparing the meetings of the Board of Directors, the Division Chairs, Branch Presidents and the Assemblies. He also manages projects that support CPA's strategic plan and its implementation.

In his free time Tamas enjoys the outdoors in every Canadian season (and never gives up learning to skate) and spends a lot of time with his dogs.

tkiraly@physiotherapy.ca 
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 246

ON PARENTAL LEAVE UNTIL JUNE 2019

Ruth Onyancha, Governance, Risk and Component Relations Manager (acting)

I recently joined the team to support Tamas while he is on parental leave. 

My background is institutional governance and development and I have been committed to solving complex issues through governance policies, systems, and procedures in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors over the last 20 years. I truly believe that keeping an open mind, good governance, conflict resolution, and inclusive approaches when used in combination resolve most of the world's challenges and I am glad that my first role as a recently landed immigrant in Canada values these principles.

Outside of work, I am an observer of life and nature, through long walks, the study of anthropology and simply enjoying healthy debates on just about any topic, including with my children. 

ronyancha@physiotherapy.ca

Marsha Bisson, Manager, Human Resources, Divisions & Assemblies

Marsha is the Manager, Human Resources, Divisions & Assemblies. Reporting the Chief Executive Officer, she is responsible for Recruitment & Retention, Staff Development; and Relationship Management with all Divisions & Assemblies.

Outside of work, Marsha enjoys spending time with her husband David, two children Madeleine and Benjamin, and their loveable golden retriever, Bing. 

mbisson@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 251 

Ashley Lewis, Director of the CPA Sport Division

Ashley Lewis is the Director of the Sport Division of CPA, Sport Physiotherapy Canada. Ashley is responsible for the successful leadership and management of the Division according to the strategic direction set by the SPC Executive Committee. Ashley brings extensive experience in professional development programs, education programs, project management, strategic and operational planning and member services. Ashley has an Honours Diploma in Sport and Recreation, Diploma in High Performance Coaching and Certificates in Executive Management.

In her spare time she chairs committees and trains coaches for the sport of sailing. She enjoys recreationally participating in sailing and equestrian. She lives on a hobby farm with her husband and daughter with a menagerie of furry family members (dogs, horses, donkeys, alpacas, chickens). 

Louise Desjardins, Senior Manager, CPA Orthopaedic Division

Louise Desjardins is the Senior Manager for the Orthopaedic Division of CPA.  She brings extensive experience in governance, policy, strategic and operational planning, resource management, partnerships and stakeholder engagement to the division.  As a strong proponent of continuous learning, she has a B.Sc. (Honours) from Dalhousie University, M.Sc. in nutritional sciences from University of Guelph, a Ph.D. in biochemistry from University of Western Ontario, and an MBA from University of Ottawa.

Outside the office, Louise maximizes her time with family, volunteers for health and science organizations, and loves cycling, skiing, music, reading, and theatre.

ldesjardins@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 207

Allison Biewald, Coordinator, Member Services, Divisions & Assemblies

Allison is the Member Services Coordinator for Visions & Assemblies. She is your go-to person for general questions, help with your online profile, registering for, or organizing a course, and all things related to the credential program within Sport Physiotherapy Canada.

Outside of the office, Allison loves to be active and enjoys a wide range of sports. Her specialty is ringette, as she plays with the National Ringette League and for the Senior National Team. She also enjoys following hockey (Go Sens Go!) and plays competitive beer league soccer. When she isn’t fully invested in sport she loves to be around her yellow lab Kelso, family, and friends.

abiewald@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 260

Melissa Anderson, Director, Advocacy, Professional Practice and Advancement

Melissa brings a passion for physiotherapy, advocacy, and program evaluation to the role of Director of Advocacy, Professional Practice and Advancement.  She hails from New Brunswick, with 25 years’ experience as a physiotherapist and manager in the public health system. She is a proud grad of Dalhousie University in both Physiotherapy and Public Administration. She previously served as branch president of NBPA, so brings an understanding of the challenges faced by branches and divisions with limited volunteers. 

Melissa and her husband, Steve are recently displaced ‘Maritimers’.  They are enjoying life in the capital region as new ‘empty-nesters’.  They have three grown children (Erin, Kevin and Robyn) and a small fur-baby named Russell.

manderson@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 236

Twitter: @CPA_Melissa

Chantal Lauzon, PT, Senior Practice Manager

Chantal Lauzon is the Senior Practice Manager. As a staff physiotherapist, she fields questions from all CPA departments as well as from members and the public.  As part of the Practice and Policy team, she works collaboratively with other departments and key stakeholders on projects with a national scope.  Chantal brings with her 20 years of experience as a clinician and leader in a hospital setting and as a volunteer at the Eastern Ontario district of the OPA.

After work, you can usually find Chantal with her nose in a book or looking for new recipes on Pinterest to feed her husband Rich, an artist/college professor and her offspring Catherine, Sam and Christine. 

CLauzon@physiotherapy.ca 
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 252

Twitter: @CPA_Chantal

Tim Paquette, Manager, Career Pathway Programs

Tim Paquette is the Manager of the Career Pathway Programs. He comes to this position with direct project management and promotion experience, provincially and nationally, as well international experience in the area of project development activities.

Tim has boundless energy and enthusiasm for everything that he does and enjoys being busy and active, especially through hockey. Tim is also a proud father of two teens, Arianna and Dean, and is supported by his wife Sandii.

Specialization@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 223

Kassandra Simcox, Administrative Assistant

I joined the CPA (originally with Member Services) in 2016. In May 2018, I became a member of the Advocacy, Professional Practice & Advancement Department as Administrative Assistant. I will support the work of Congress and Leadership Forum, as well as our new PD Marketplace initiative. Learning more about the profession and how we can help is an invaluable and enjoyable experience.

In my spare time I enjoy watching the Blue Jays, playing many sports, and spending as much time with family and friends as possible.

ksimcox@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 225

Kim Tytler, Senior Manager, Communications

Hi there! I am a member of CPA’s lively and creative Communications team.

As the Senior Manager, Communications, I am responsible for providing proactive leadership and direction in building and promoting the image and awareness of the physiotherapy profession and the Association. With our communications team, we develop innovative strategies to help position us as leaders in health care and health promotion. I enjoy rolling up my sleeves with the team to achieve common goals. I thrive on the challenge of exceeding expectations in a fast-paced and demanding environment.

Off the clock, I cook, read and travel; I’ve been to Italy several times, visited most Canadian provinces, many New England states, and have a lengthy bucket list! My family consists of my son Adam (a pilot!), my husband Michael, and Will and Rosie, our silly cats.

ktytler@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 231

Christie Witt, Graphic Designer

Christie joined CPA as Graphic Designer in August 2018. She’s responsible for CPA’s brand consistency and integrity across all platforms. This includes program branding and logos, Congress materials, annual report, media kit, advertisements, Association emails and more.

In her spare time, she enjoys trying new recipes, planning the next travel adventure, doing yoga, creating resin art, doing stand-up comedy, and hanging out with her cat named Ninja. 

cwitt@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 211

Brittney Stoddart, Communications Specialist

After gaining valuable experience working with CPA’s Member Services team, and as a Marketing and Communications Coordinator on the Communications team, I recently became our Communications Specialist. I will continue to grow CPA’s public facing site, physiocanhelp.ca, as well as manage CPA’s social media accounts, while working closely with the Communications team to brainstorm new and innovative ideas, as well as implementing these ideas.

In my spare time, I enjoy working out, binging on Netflix (and snacking while doing so), seeing the latest movie releases, spending time with family and friends, taking the opportunity to explore Ottawa (or really any place I get the opportunity to travel to), and trying out many new activities (like hot yoga!).

BStoddart@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 201

Victoria Zielinski, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

As the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at the CPA, I arrange communication between members, divisions and the public through our site. This includes job opportunities, event planning, blogging, and social media. I also assist our Marketing and Business Development Manager in various research and the coordination of various advertisements of our partners and sponsors.

Outside of the office, I like to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle by joining various classes at the gym or hiking when the weather’s nice. Ziplining has always been a favourite of mine! Alternatively, I also enjoy reading, dancing, painting, putting a jigsaw puzzle together, watching movies or TV shows and playing video games.

vzielinski@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 203

Jason Blow, Director

Jason and the Member Services team, with support from the rest of the CPA family, listens and responds to all member inquiries. Along with a very engaged and knowledgeable team, he seeks opportunities to provide further value for the members by evaluating, and searching for, programs which enhance the members professional and personal lives. He works directly, and indirectly, with all Component (Branch, Division and Assembly) leaders with an overall goal of growing membership in order for the CPA to be representative of the physiotherapy profession in Canada, which leads to the ability to provide a stronger voice when advocating the importance of physiotherapy practice within the Canadian health care system.

Away from the office, Jason enjoys biking, golfing, hiking, walking his dog, all with his family.

jblow@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 221

Nelly Nzabampema, Member Services Representative

Nelly joined CPA as a Member Services Representative in July 2018. Fluently bilingual, She is ready to answer any questions from members. Nelly has a strong background in customer relationships and she looks forward to growing with the Association.

In her free time, Nelly loves to spend time with her family and is a member of a choir in a local church.

nnzabampema@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 263

ON MATERNITY LEAVE

Sara Raymond, Member Services Representative

Sara is a Member Services Representative at CPA. She is willing and able to answer any questions members might have. Sara is excited to be working in such a positive environment and is looking forward to growing within CPA. She is an Algonquin College Business program graduate, and has a well-rounded background in accounting, finance and marketing.

Outside of work, Sara enjoys baking, hiking, traveling and learning new things.

sraymond@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 262

Amani Ayara Anouchka, Member Services Representative

Anouchka recently joined the CPA team as a Member Services representative in January 2019. She is ready to go above and beyond to assist our members to the best of her abilities and ensure their satisfaction. Anouchka is a fluently bilingual finance graduate from the University of Ottawa and has a strong customer service background from working in various industries. She is very open-minded, a people’s person and always looking for ways to better herself through growth and advancement both on a career and personal level.

Outside of work, Anouchka enjoys spending time with her friends and family. Occasional relaxation and gym helps her keep the pace with an active and busy schedule. She enjoys cooking and is always on the look for new recipes to experiment. With her experience with diverse cultures through her travelling, she is understanding of people’s differences and enjoys learning about others’ cultures. 

aamani@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext.263

Michelle Nadeau, Senior Manager, Finance and Administration

Michelle is CPA's Senior Manager, Finance and Administration and oversees our financial activities. Her key projects include budgeting, financial reporting, contract management, financial policies, procedures and controls, investments, and general office administration.

Michelle holds a bachelor degree in Commerce with a specialization in Management as well as the CPA CMA designation. She has spent most of her career helping governmental, non-for-profit and private organizations improve their control structure and optimize their operations. She has experience in process and programs evaluation, internal, forensic and contribution audit, business process review, financial and economic modeling and risk management. 

information@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 218

Kerry Kittson, PT,

PFC and CPA Awards Manager

Kerry is the PFC and CPA Awards Manager and is a registered physiotherapist. The Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada (PFC) is Canada’s only registered charity dedicated to funding physiotherapy research. She is the National Office Liaison to the Scientific Awards Committee and the CPA Awards Committee, and distributes grants, scholarships, bursaries and awards based on their respective recommendations. Kerry also develops and executes fundraising campaigns, supports donors, and organizes PFC events at Congress! Learn more about how to support PFC here.

Away from the office, Kerry enjoys yoga, dancing, soccer, skiing, and music.

Danielle Bowness, Manager, Accounting 
 

Danielle joined CPA in January 2018 as Manager of Accounting. In her current role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and financial & reporting administration of the finance department. 

Danielle is a driven and dedicated professional with extensive practical knowledge in corporate financial reporting, and the full accounting cycle within both profit and non-profit organizations. She has spent much of her career implementing and improving accounting practices, as well as procedures to improve efficiencies, processes, and internal controls.

Danielle holds a diploma in Business Accounting with a concentration on financial and managerial accounting, as well as the CPA CGA designation. She also has a background in Biotechnology, specializing in Biochemistry.

information@physiotherapy.ca
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 239

Alexandre Talavera, Accounting Assistant

Alexandre is CPA’s Accounting Assistant. He assists the finance team in accounting tasks such as AR, AP, reporting, procedures, etc. Alex has a bachelor in Business Administration and brings professional finance and accounting experiences from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Barcelona, Spain, and Ottawa, Canada. Currently, Alex is working towards his CPA designation.

Out of work, he enjoys fitness and sports activities like working out, swimming, cross-country skiing, and squash; as well as reading and learning whatever falls on his lap, taking on new challenges.

information@physiotherapy.ca 
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 202

Diana Bowles, Accounting Assistant

Diana joined CPA in May 2018 as an Accounting Assistant. She is responsible for the Division’s monthly bookkeeping and financial reporting and assists the finance team with tasks including AR, AP, and reporting procedures. In April 2018, she graduated from Mount Allison University, where she earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in Accounting and a minor in Psychology. Diana played Varsity Soccer all four years of her university experience and earned Academic All-Canadian standing her last three years. Diana is currently working towards her CPA designation.

Outside of work Diana enjoys being active, soccer, yoga, hiking, and travelling, and loves spending time with her family, friends, and her dog Bentley, the Shih Tzu.

information@physiotherapy.ca 
T: 613-564-5454 ext. 238