BOARD MEMBERS
VALERIE BROWNE
As the Director, Registration Services for the College of Massage Therapist of Ontario (CMTO), Valerie focuses on the administration of the registration regulation under the Massage Therapy Act, 1991. This includes providing policy support to CMTO’s Registration Committee and managing the development and administration of Ontario’s Registered Massage Therapist certification examinations. Before joining CMTO, Valerie was the Director, Professional Standards and Registrar for the Human Resources Professionals Association, and Associate Registrar for the College of Optometrists of Ontario.
In addition to her more than 10 years of leadership experience with professional regulators in Ontario, Valerie has a Bachelor of Arts in communications from the University of Windsor and holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation.
Valerie joined the CMTCA Board in 2016.
DARCY CHIASSON
Darcy Chiasson, an RMT since 2008, joined the CMTCA Board in 2022. Darcy brings extensive knowledge of massage therapy practice and education, as well providing Maritime and French-Canadian perspectives. Working as a massage therapy instructor in Saint John, New Brunswick, Darcy has spent the past decade sharing his passion for the profession with his students. As the massage therapy Program Coordinator at Eastern College, he helps guide the program through the accreditation process, and especially enjoys developing curricula.
Darcy is the Chair of the College of Massage Therapists of New Brunswick Complaints Committee and the Association of New Brunswick Massage Therapists Assault Prevention and Education Committee, giving him extensive experience in addressing challenges within the profession. His committee involvement has also provided opportunities to develop and present continuing education workshops for RMT’s. Away from the world of massage therapy, Darcy’s love of teaching is also evident in his role as a volunteer tutor at a Teen Resource Center.
Darcy considers himself lucky to work part time as an RMT and full time as an educator, because the only career he loves more than massage therapy is teaching it!
GABRIEL FLAMMINIO
Gabriel Flamminio completed his Bachelor of Human Kinetics from the University of Windsor and immediately followed that with a diploma in Massage Therapy from the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy (Newmarket) in June of 1998. He would later go on to receive his Bachelor of Education (Adult Education) from Brock University in 2014. Gabriel joined the CMTCA Board in 2020.
Over the years, Gabriel has been involved in various executive boards (locally, provincially and nationally). His interests in areas within and outside of the field of massage therapy has driven him to participate in helping these institutions.
He has been involved in higher education for the better part of 18 years while continuing to practice massage therapy. He has had the pleasure of teaching many courses, both theoretical and practical, across a plethora of topics at several private and public institutions. Most recently, Gabriel is providing leadership to the massage therapy program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.
While teaching has certainly been a passion, Gabriel has had the pleasure of being a Registered Massage Therapist for over 21 years providing healthcare to many. He has a vast array of experiences in the field including, most notably, attending the 2016 Paralympic Games as part of the Team Canada medical staff for both Men’s and Women’s Wheelchair Basketball.
Personally, Gabriel has a dear love for spending time with his family and travelling to experience all that other cultures have to show him. Having seen places both near and far has provided the opportunity to appreciate all that the world has to offer.
PAULA JASPAR
Paula Jaspar has been a Registered Massage Therapist since 1997, and holds a Masters of Education: Health Education and Active Living from Simon Fraser University. She is a member of the College of Massage Therapists of BC and the Registered Massage Therapy Association of BC, and is a trained doula. She is currently Senior Administrator at the Vancouver College of Massage Therapy, and has an active massage therapy practice focussed on women’s health and pediatrics as well as stress management.
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Paula has taught in a wide variety of post secondary institutions and has been a speaker for many local and international conferences. She also participates in teaching postgraduate workshops, conference/corporate massage workshops, and seminars. Her work has been published through International Journal of Massage and Bodywork, the DONA International Journal, the BC Massage Practitioner Journal, and Today’s Parent.
Paula was born in Newfoundland, raised in Waterloo, Ontario and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1989. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family of four children and menagerie of rescue animals.
Paula Jaspar has been a Registered Massage Therapist since 1997, and holds a Masters of Education: Health Education and Active Living from Simon Fraser University. She is a member of the College of Massage Therapists of BC and the Registered Massage Therapy Association of BC, and is a trained doula. She is currently Senior Administrator at the Vancouver College of Massage Therapy, and has an active massage therapy practice focussed on women’s health and pediatrics as well as stress management.
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Paula has taught in a wide variety of post secondary institutions and has been a speaker for many local and international conferences. She also participates in teaching postgraduate workshops, conference/corporate massage workshops, and seminars. Her work has been published through International Journal of Massage and Bodywork, the DONA International Journal, the BC Massage Practitioner Journal, and Today’s Parent.
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Paula was born in Newfoundland, raised in Waterloo, Ontario and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1989. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family of four children and menagerie of rescue animals.
ALICE KENNEDY
Alice Kennedy is currently the CEO and Registrar for the Newfoundland and Labrador Council of Health Professionals. Alice has had an extensive and progressive career for 40 years in the health system in Newfoundland and Labrador. She has held a number of senior executive positions at the regional and provincial level prior to taking her current position in 2016 including Regional Vice President for multiple Clinical programs with Eastern Regional Health Authority in Newfoundland and Labrador from 2004-2016. She has worked in the role of Health Consultant with the Ministry of Health in NL and as a social and economic policy analyst with Executive Council.
Alice has successfully facilitated and implemented the integration of health services, led many policy and program initiatives at the regional and provincial level and has shown commitment to safe, quality health care. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master of Business Administration from Memorial University, as well as Certificates in Health Services Management from the Canadian Hospital Association, and the Health Leadership Program from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. She has a Fellowship with the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) and has an EXTRA Fellowship with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation.
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Alice is active at both the provincial and national level. She is currently the Vice Chair of CNAR (Canadian National Agency of Regulators). She has served as a Board Director and Chair of the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) and Chair of the Canadian Home Care Association (CHCA). She is a national and international Surveyor with Accreditation Canada and has served in the role of Vice Chair of Accreditation Canada. She currently participates in several National Boards/Associations for Regulators including the Canadian Midwifery Regulators, Canadian Alliance of Regulators for Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Alliance of Respiratory Therapy Regulatory Bodies, Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Cananda and the Canadian Association for Audiology and Speech Language Pathology. She also participates in several provincial advisory committees for disciplines including Midwifery, Respiratory Therapy and Medical Laboratory Technologists.
Alice is the recipient of the National Award for Distinguished Service from the Canadian College of Health Leaders, the Health Leadership Award from the NL Chapter of the Canadian College of Health Leaders, and a Challenge Coin from the Canadian Armed Forces Health Services in recognition for her work in Health Leadership.
JANIS LEONARD
Janis Leonard recently retired from more 30 years in the teaching profession, including 15 years with the Ontario College of Teachers, the regulatory body for the teaching profession. While serving as the Manager of Accreditation at the College, Janis supported the Council’s Accreditation Committee to issue accreditation decisions and develop new policies to streamline the accreditation process. She also consulted with program providers and other stakeholders to amend the Accreditation Regulation to include current ideas and inclusive practices, adapt standards to reflect modern realities and enhance fiscal efficiency. In her later years at the College, Janis worked on projects such as writing professional advisories for the profession and designing the College’s therapy and counselling funding program for sexually abused students.
Janis has an interest in standard setting and revision. She is leading an advisory committee for the College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia (CPTBC) to develop a new element of the Quality Assurance Program and on a team revising the accreditation standards for Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapist Assistants.
Janis has also served three terms as the inaugural Public Member on the Joint Accreditation Committee (JAC) for the Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant Education Accreditation Program (OTA & PTA).
She previously served as an Executive Member of the Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada (AAAC), including a term as President of the Board of Directors. Janis has also served as the public member to accredit physiotherapy programs and presented to the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (CMTCA) and the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE) to support the development of their accreditation systems.
Janis is passionate about accreditation. She believes it strengthens program quality and helps students make informed choices about school programs. For professionals, accreditation helps the public and other stakeholders understand the unique knowledge and skills required to practice competently, safely and ethically.
When not working, Janis makes time to enjoy daily hikes with her dog.
ANDREW LEWARNE
Andrew Lewarne has been an RMT for twenty- three years having graduated from the Sutherland School of Massage Therapy in 1997and has worked across the profession in several capacities. Andrew has worked in a variety of different business practice models and previously owned and operated his own clinic for 10 years. In an effort to give back to the profession Andrew served on the Board of Directors of the RMTAO as Vice Chair and was the Secretary of the CMTA for three years. Andrew jointed the CMTCA Board in 2020.
In addition to Andrew’s practice as a health professional, he has also had the opportunity to support the profession as the Examinations Officer for the College of Massage Therapists’ of Ontario (CMTO). In this role he provided significant contributions with respect to the development and delivery of the provincial entry to practice examination process. Further to this, he also provided credibility to the profession as an Expert Witness for the CMTO and law enforcement agencies both provincially and country wide.
Andrew’s interests are founded primarily in the development and credibility of RMTs. He instructed at Humber College in the Massage Therapy Program, focusing on ethics, codes of conduct, legislation, communication, and entrepreneurship. He has also worked with programs associated with the University of Toronto and the International Medical Graduate Program, collaborating with other health care practitioners as a member of the Cross-Cultural Communication Committee and the Inter-Professional Communication Committee. More recently he assumed the role of Executive Director of the RMTAO for five years and now works as the vice president of the Sutherland-Chan Professional Clinics in charge of Leadership and Franchise Development.
Andrew has been an avid supporter of the accreditation since its inception and is very excited to be a part of the critical development and delivery of the accreditation process championed by the CMTCA.
ROBYNNE OUCHI
An RMT educated at CCMH, Cambridge Ontario in the early 1990's, Robynne left her 8 year post as CCMH Faculty leading Professional Development, Law and Ethics and Business to relocate to British Columbia.
Robynne is currently serving as Practical Director and instructs at the Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy in Vernon BC. As an educator she leans towards creative social constructivist learning styles.
Robynne has participated in research and presented at the Massage Therapy Foundation’s conference in Seattle in 2016. She has been a facilitator for CMTO’s Professionalism CEU and conducted independent CEU’s on modalities as well as presented as a keynote speaker and panelist at various conferences.
She maintains a clinical practice that continues to inspire and challenge her, and feels fortunate to be able to work with patients decades after first entering the field.
A competitive swimmer, Robynne represented Canada at Worlds (Masters) in Japan in 2022.