KFL&A Public Health welcomes new members and board chair
In the new year, the KFL&A Board of Health will include four new members and a new chair of the board. Denis Doyle is retiring from the Public Health board, where he served for eight consecutive years.
According to a release from KFL&A Public Health, Doyle joined the Board of Health in 2015 after being elected as Mayor of Frontenac Islands Township. Since being appointed board chair, he has chaired countless Board of Health, committee, working group, and internal meetings, Public Health stated.
Doyle’s dedication to the health and well-being of the community has been unmatched, Public Health said, as evident by the numerous advocacy efforts; most notably leading the Board of Health’s response on modernization of the public health system and supporting increased safety measures and vaccine clinics for residents and staff during the pandemic. His retirement from the board also marks the end of a distinguished career in public service and office.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have had the privilege to serve the residents of KFL&A and to be associated with an agency that provides such a diverse and wonderful range of programs and services that promote and protect our community’s health,” Doyle said. “It has been an incredible experience to be the board chair and to see how public health impacts virtually every aspect of our lives.”
At the November meeting of the board, Wess Garrod, a community member appointed by the province, was appointed as the new chair of the KFL&A Board of Health. According to the release, Wess joined the KFL&A Board of Health in 2015 and has served as vice-chair since 2019. Wess was an educator with Limestone District School Board (LDSB) for 32 years and an elected LDSB trustee for one term. Public Health added that Garrod participates in advisory and leadership roles on the Limestone Learning Foundation, the Kingston Track and Field Club, the Capital City Academy, and the Association of Local Public Health Agencies in Ontario.
“I am honoured with this appointment, and I am looking forward to working more closely with my fellow board members to continue to advocate for the health of our community,” said Garrod. “KFL&A Public Health with its’ dedicated staff, strong leadership, and supportive community partners is a leader in the province delivering effective programs and services in our community.”
In the release, KFL&A Public Health welcomes new board members Councillors Conny Glenn and Brandon Tozzo (City of Kingston); Councillor Nathan Townend (County of Lennox & Addington); and Councillor Judy Greenwood-Speers (County of Frontenac). They will join returning members Councillor Jeff McLaren (new vice-chair from the City of Kingston) and Christopher Seeley and David Pattenden, who are both community members appointed by the province.
The health agency “would also like to thank out-going members, Councillors Mary Rita Holland and Jim Neill, both from the City of Kingston, and John Wise from L&A County for their leadership and dedication to the health of our community.”
The KFL&A Board of Health is made up of eight community and municipal appointees and works to ensure that KFL&A Public Health meets mandatory health programs and services guidelines. The next meeting of the KFL&A Board of Health is Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023.