Board of Directors

Susan McKenzie

Chair

Susan McKenzie is a lifelong communications and fundraising professional, having held numerous senior fundraising roles. These roles include major gift fundraising and the strategic planning and implementation or fundraising plans for large organizations that include universities, hospitals, non-profits, and other charities. She holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Waterloo.

Sue received a kidney transplant from her sister-in-law in 2010. Her lived experience as a kidney patient translates into a deep passion for improving the care that kidney patients and donors receive and increasing access to kidney transplant for those who need one. As such, Sue dedicated herself as an advocate for kidney and transplant patients. She is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Transplant Ambassador Program and holds the positions of President of the Kidney Patient and Donor Alliance Canada and the Renal Patient and Donor Foundation Canada as well.

As a patient partner co-author published in 13 peer-reviewed papers since 2017, Sue provides advice and support for numerous other research and implementation projects. She hopes that kidney-related health care systems improve their care and access for kidney patients across Canada.

Sol Kasimer

Board Member

Sol Kasimer spent his entire career as a leader in the charitable sector in both staff and volunteer roles. He began his career in the YMCA where he worked for 31 years, including eleven years as CEO of the Montreal YMCA and eleven years as CEO of YMCA Canada. He was also CEO of Altruvest Charitable Services, National Advisor to The Learning Partnership, Senior Advisor to Imagine Canada and is currently Senior Advisor to Jump Math (also acted as voluntary CEO for six months during COVID).

As a volunteer, Sol acted as a Director with Portage, The Learning Partnership, Public Policy Forum, Conference Board of Canada (National Council on Education), Jump Math (Director and Chair) and others. He helped initiate the creation of the Voluntary Sector Roundtable and chaired the Capacity Joint Table with the Federal government.

Sol graduated from McGill University with a BSc in Psychology and from Purdue University with an MSc in Human Development. He recently received (November 2023) a kidney transplant from an anonymous living donor.

Petra Taylor

Treasurer

My career began in social services, beginning with the Children’s Aid Society, followed by a 20-year segway as Executive Director of Glen Cairn Community Resource – both well before the dawn of the kind of information technology that seems to tie us together in this day and age. During those years, I learned tons about the importance of patience, the perseverance of the human spirit and the strength it takes for a community of compassionate people to bring about real and lasting change. Later, I ventured into the world of fundraising and discovered the “d” in that word to be somewhat unnecessary. My roles included principal gift fundraising, strategic planning, team management, proposal development and liaising with physicians and researchers. At Robarts Research Institute, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation and Grand River Hospital Foundation, I was given a whole new perspective on what it means to contribute and give back.

I’m grateful to have been invited to serve RPDF and excited to contribute in whatever way I can. It is an inspiration to work alongside people whose personal experiences have sparked a passion to help others live their most vibrant and healthy lives.

Alicia Savage

Secretary

With a professional background in provincial and municipal government, along with her more than a decade as Managing Editor of her family’s independent newspaper publishing company, Alicia brings years of business, governance and communications experience to the foundation. She has served on numerous committees and boards gaining an understanding of process, interpretation of financials and strategic planning. As a Certified Life Celebrant, Alicia helps families tell their stories through personalized funeral, memorial and celebration of life services. A Collingwood native, Alicia resides in Simcoe County with her husband Rick where she is an avid tennis and pickleball player, downhill skier, gardener and indulges her love of cooking while entertaining friends.

Peter Wechselmann, J.D.

Board Member

After graduation from Osgoode Hall Law School, Peter was called to the Bar of Ontario with honours in 1975.  Having served for 31 years with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, as well as the Ministries of Consumer and Commercial Relations and Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, he retired in 2008.

Peter was part of a legal team that modernized the paper-based Ontario Land Registration System into the current electronic paperless system. He acted as Ontario Director of Land Registration for a year and then moved on to the Technical Standards Division where he helped modernize the legislation and legal processes. The last 10 years before he retired, he split his time between two roles: General Counsel to the Ministry’s Crop Insurance Agency and assisting the Ministry’s Legal Department with contract negotiation and drafting.

Since 2018 Peter has been a member of the Transplant Ambassador Program helping patients navigate the path to transplant, hopefully before dialysis and joined the Patient Partner Coalition in 2023, where he supports the Coalition’s work in effecting change for kidney disease patients across Canada.