Board of Directors

Karen is a long serving and extraordinary volunteer to the Lung Association! As a dietician for the Saskatoon Health Region and Certified Respiratory Educator (CRE) she has provided expert advice and consultation to the Lung Association on nutrition as it affects respiratory health for over 30 years. Karen began her volunteer work as the dietitian for Discovery Asthma Camp in 1988.

Colleen is a champion of meaningful citizen engagement and collaboration as the heart of how governments can meet citizen needs and their expectations of government while working toward transformation in public services. She currently is a strategic advisor in the Government of Saskatchewan focusing on public consultation and engagement and advancing open data.

Michael currently works at the University of Saskatchewan and has severed in various finance and accounting roles over the past ten years. In his current role of Project Controller he oversees the finances for the capital and utility activity at the University of Saskatchewan. He possesses many skills including: budgeting, accounting, forecasting, management reporting, and is a Subject Matter Expert for the Enterprise Asset Management system. He is a graduate from the College of Commerce – U of S and holds a CPA - Saskatchewan designation.

Robert Merasty is the principal consultant at R.A. Merasty Business Associates, a full-service consulting firm that provides project planning and management, business investment and implementation. Robert’s role at the firm focuses on aboriginal human resource and business development, business project management and monitoring, organizational effectiveness and strategic planning.

Donna Crooks joined the Board of Directors for the Lung Association in 2013. Donna’s personal vision is to make a difference in the lives of others through her work and in her life. Her passion is developing people to achieve their best, personal performance. She is the Founder & Chief at Brain Snacks Co. This is a business designed for the league of extraordinary parents, who want to integrate the demands of a busy personal and professional schedule while accelerating their career growth. 

Donna is a Professor in the Division of Respirology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. She was the Co-Chair of the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) COPD Clinical Assembly from 2011 until April of 2018 and is a member of the CTS Choosing Wisely Task Force. Dr. Goodridge is a co-Director of the Foundations undergraduate Respiratory Module in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.

Originally from Timmins, Ontario, James Daschuk has a PhD in history from the University of Manitoba. His book, Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation and the Loss of Aboriginal Life has won numerous awards including the Governor General’s Medal for scholarly research in history in 2014. The Literary Review of Canada recently named it to its list of the twenty-five most influential Canadian books of the last twenty-five years. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina.

James Froh is the Senior Executive in Residence, Indigenous Government Programs at the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC). Working with IPAC members and partners, Froh raises awareness and builds capacity with public service employees at all levels of government for reconciliation and new relationships with Indigenous peoples and governments. He takes over leadership from Catherine MacQuarrie, following IPAC’s successful “2017 National Year of Dialogue for Reconciliation and Renewed Relationships”.

Justin Wood is a corporate commercial lawyer with MLT Aikins LLP in Saskatoon. Justin obtained both his Juris Doctor and B.Comm (finance major) from the University of Saskatchewan. He is committed to giving back to the community and currently serves as President of the Saskatoon Suzuki Strings (1996) Inc. board of directors, has served as Chair of the Saskatoon SPCA board of directors and as a member of the University of Saskatchewan Senate. Justin looks forward to contributing to helping improve Saskatchewan's Lung Health along with the other staff and volunteers of the Association.

Dr. Fenton was born and raised right here in Saskatoon. He did an undergraduate, Masters and medical degree at the University of Saskatchewan. He first trained in Internal Medicine and later Respirology. Dr. Fenton also completed fellowships in Lung Transplantation and Sleep Medicine. He is currently the Director of the Lung Transplant Program, Medical Director of the Sleep Disorders Centre, and Program Director of the Respirology Training Program at the University of Saskatchewan and Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.

Patrick is the current CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), and no stranger to The Lung Association, Saskatchewan. Both organizations have collaborated together over the past couple years to invest in respiratory research in Saskatchewan.