Our Team
Lou Gizzarelli
President & Board Chair
Lou is President of Quadient Canada, a global technology leader that develops and distributes innovative software and hardware solutions, delivering communication, parcel, and business process automation platforms.
As leader of Quadient’s Canadian subsidiary since 2005, Lou has helped drive significant business results and strengthened customer relationships. A trained and dedicated servant leader, he has implemented strategic initiatives that have created productive and collaborative work environments which have boosted employee engagement, enhancing the company’s productivity, sustained growth, and competitive success. Between 1997 and 2005, Lou served as VP & GM of GBC Canada, a global manufacturer and marketer of binding and laminating equipment and supplies.
Lou’s volunteerism includes serving currently as President & Board Chair of Cedarcrest Manor, a non-profit corporation that supports seniors with affordable housing, and as Director & Past Chair of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, which helps equip people aged 14 to 24 for life and work by encouraging personal development and community involvement.
Raised and schooled in Streetsville, Ontario, Lou holds BASc and MEng Chemical Engineering degrees from the University of Toronto and earned the ICD.D designation there after completing the Rotman Director’s Education Program, representing his commitment to excellence in the boardroom. He and his wife Janet live in Unionville, Ontario with their two daughters and he enjoys gardening, photography and tennis.
Glen Dougan
Treasurer and Board Director
Glen is a long-time resident of Markham (since 1958). He graduated from the University of Waterloo with a B.Math, and an MBA from York University. For almost 30 years he worked in the IT department at Imperial Oil / ExxonMobil, before retiring in 2014.
Over the years Glen has been actively involved in many community organizations – Markham Skating Club, Markham Village Festival, Markham Fair, and is currently the treasurer of the Markham Union Masonic lodge.
Tom Lato
Secretary and Board Director
Tom is a highly successful entrepreneur and businessperson with strong roots in the Markham area. Tom gained a great deal of business knowledge and experience as a youngster working summers at his own family’s business. He attended the University of Toronto, where he specialized in physics and computer sciences. He graduated in 1982.
Over the past 35 years Tom founded and developed numerous businesses in the fields of construction, electronics (hardware and software) and plastics. The Commercial Group of Companies focused on general and specialty construction projects for such clients as Women’s College Hospital, Exco, Magna, the Saudi Arabian Embassy, Santa Maria Foods, Best Buy, GE, York University, and the TTC. Novatech Engineering, formed in 1982, provides business-to-business and IoT solutions. Some notable clients have included Toronto General Hospital (UHN), Princess Margaret Hospital, Hospital for Sick Children, Xerox, GE Medical, Philips Medical, AMD, IBM (Celestica), and Intel. New Sport Media, was formed in 1999. This venture proved to be highly profitable in recognizing and addressing the need for database mining and management. Clients include Running Room, American Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Canada Basketball. Plasticap manufactures specialty caps and closures for the food, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and personal care products industries. Tom acquired Plasticap in 2007. He has been instrumental in making the company profitable, and expanding its operations into the U.S.
Although he is heavily engaged in his business ventures, Tom still finds time to volunteer to community causes. As well as serving on the Cedarcrest Manor Board of Directors, Tom is also the chairperson of the Advisory Council of Blessed Ozanam Church where he and his team are working closely with the archdiocese on a project to construct a new church in the Cornell area of Markham.
Don Williams
Board Director & Vice Chair
Don enjoyed a 40 year engineering career with Ontario Power Generation in the nuclear power industry at both Pickering and Darlington Generating Stations. He graduated from Ryerson in 1978, obtained his PEng in 1984 and held positions with maintenance, system engineering and several design management positions during his career.
Don is an active member of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Markham where he is chair of the Board of Managers and an elder on Session.
Don and his wife have lived in Stouffville for over 30 years, have 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren. Don enjoys biking, golfing, skiing and working with others.
Michael Simpson
Board Director
Michael is a seasoned investment portfolio manager. He enjoys the challenge of navigating the markets, and discovering companies that the market has ignored, neglected or refused to acknowledge.
Not long after he graduated from York University in 1987 with an Honours Political Science degree, Michael embarked on a career in the investment management business. Michael started at the bottom as a bond interest clerk at Nesbitt Thomson. He took industry courses, completed the CFA program, and was lucky enough to be mentored by an experienced portfolio manager at Dynamic Funds. He achieved progressively higher positions working at various investment firms, including Goodman & Company, Sentry Investments and NCM, where he is currently a senior portfolio manager.
Outside of work, Michael enjoys sports, physical fitness, gardening, and travelling to historical locations around the world.
Mary Baughen
Resident Board Director & Chair, Residents Committee
Mary emigrated from London England November 1957. From 1957 to 1980 she worked at Toronto Trust, Bank Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia, CIBC and National Trust which eventually merged with Victoria & Grey.
She worked as a Teller, Coin Teller, Head Teller, Teller Supervisor, Administrator Assistant and worked in Corporate Trust Services as an Account Officer in charge of major insurance companies informing them of any available income, making sure they knew of all investments available, then making any trades of their choice.
From 1980-1985 Mary was employed as a Personal Assistant to Artist/Illustrator/Author Sheila McGraw
During this period she helped with publishing four books including Love You Forever. Mary retired when Sheila McGraw moved to Texas in 1985.
When Mary was offered a position and training to become a Photo Lab Technician, she returned to work from 1990-2008. Mary has been living at Cedarcrest Manor for eight years and has started a knitting group for charity, and was involved in creating the new library. She also serves on the Board as a Resident Director since 2016.
Martina Poon
Resident Board Member
Martina graduated from The College of Education and worked as a school teacher for over twenty years in Hong Kong. She lived in New Zealand for a year to experience the culture there before coming to Canada. Martina emigrated to Toronto in 1990. She worked at TD Bank in the foreign exchange department and the accounting department. She was promoted to Supervisor in the TD Information Centre where she worked until she retired in 2010.
Martina has been a registered volunteer at Carefirst Seniors and Community Services Association since 2011. She assists in various capacities, including at the front desk and in the Adult Day Program. She also provides support with exercise classes and social activities. Martina also regularly volunteers at Cedarcrest Manor where she visits with residents, and conducts a mental exercises program where seniors engage in various activities and games designed to sharpen their mental acuity.