Our Team

Dedicated volunteers guiding our mission

Vanessa Hartmann

President

Nicholas Beaudin

Vice President

Guillaume Cloutier

Treasurer

Alexander Ferriman

Board Member

Terry Cordick

Board Member

Bethany Nicholson

Board Member

Stephanie Scoular

Secretary

Noor Jafar

Program Coordinator

Shalina Malik

Program Manager

Vanessa Hartmann serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Brain Injury Association of the Ottawa Valley. Born and raised in Ottawa, Vanessa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of New Brunswick, graduating with First Class Honours. She is currently a Business Development Manager at Sherweb, specializing in Microsoft Azure solutions and helping organizations leverage cloud technologies for growth and efficiency.

Vanessa is passionate about supporting individuals and families affected by brain injuries and is committed to advancing awareness and resources within the community. In her role as President, she provides leadership in governance, strategic planning, and advocacy to help the Association fulfill its mission. Outside of work, Vanessa enjoys Formula 1 racing and spending time with friends and family.

Nicholas Beaudin is a case manager with Vista Centre Brain Injury Services and the Chief Executive Officer of The Beaudin Group, a consulting firm specializing in public policy, governance, healthcare systems, accessibility, and government relations. His work spans both clinical practice and system-level leadership, reflecting a sustained commitment to improving outcomes for individuals living with acquired brain injury.

With more than ten years of experience in healthcare coordination and six years in public policy and organizational governance, Nicholas brings a dual perspective that integrates direct client support with strategic oversight. At Vista Centre Brain Injury Services, he provides care planning, advocacy, and community reintegration support to individuals with neurotrauma while contributing to program development, service design, and cross-sector collaboration.

Nicholas also serves as Chair of the Board at Centre33, where he provides governance leadership to a community-based organization supporting the LGBTQIA+. In addition, he sits on the Board of Directors of The Glebe Centre and chairs its Fundraising and Community Engagement Committee, contributing to strategic planning, donor relations, and the advancement of sustainable funding approaches for long-term care services.

Through The Beaudin Group, Nicholas advises public, non-profit, and community organizations on governance improvement, policy development, system planning, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-informed service delivery. His consulting work includes initiatives related to accessibility, long-term care reform, brain injury support, and organizational capacity building.

Across all roles, Nicholas is committed to person-centred care, ethical governance, and equitable access to support. His work continues to strengthen Ontario’s network of services for individuals living with acquired brain injury and the broader community systems that support them.

Guillaume Cloutier is a private banker at the National Bank of Canada, specializing in wealth management and strategic financial planning for high-net-worth individuals. With a Global Executive MBA from Sorbonne Business School Guillaume brings a holistic approach to client success.

Beyond his professional achievements, Guillaume is deeply committed to philanthropy and community engagement. He actively supports youth development through volunteer work in sports programs and champions initiatives related to environmental sustainability and cultural enrichment. His passion for fostering opportunities and creating positive social impact reflects his belief that financial success should go hand in hand with social responsibility.

As a board member of the BIAOV, Alex Ferriman is a passionate advocate for individuals with traumatic brain injuries, influenced by his own experience as a teenager. After sustaining a life-threatening TBI, he underwent extensive rehabilitation at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, which sparked his desire to help others facing similar challenges.

In 2019, Alex moved to Kingston, Ontario, and completed the Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant program at Loyalist College. He has since worked with TBI patients in various settings. Living with permanent nerve damage, Alex believes in a compensatory approach within Occupational Therapy and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for those adjusting to life after a TBI.

In his personal life, he enjoys the outdoors, photography, and spending time with his wife and son. He actively supports the Brain Injury Association of the Ottawa Valley, blending his professional and personal missions.

With 30+ years working in the social service field, Terry joined the board in March of 2024. Terry is the ABI Client Services Manager at Pathways to Independence with decades of experience supporting individuals with acquired brain injuries and developmental disabilities. She has worked across institutional, residential, supported independent living, and community recreation settings, giving her a broad and practical understanding of the sector. Her operational strengths include community transition planning, behavioural supports, and navigating complex care needs. Early in her career, she contributed to Ontario’s deinstitutionalization efforts and helped design group homes that supported people to successfully move into the community. She brings a grounded, person-centred approach to her work and a deep commitment to quality support. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her nieces and nephew, as well as travelling.

Bethany is dedicated to advocating for individuals and families affected by medical negligence and birth injuries. Her practice is driven by a deep commitment to improving patient safety and ensuring accountability within the healthcare system.

Bethany joined Gluckstein Lawyers as a summer student in 2021 and returned to complete her articles with the firm in 2022 after earning her Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. She returned to Gluckstein Lawyers as an Associate in 2023.

Beyond her legal work, Bethany serves on the Board of Directors of the Brain Injury Association of the Ottawa Valley and volunteers with several professional organizations, including the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association and the Carleton County Law Association.

Stephanie Caissie Scoular holds an Honours Psychology degree from McGill University (1998) and a Master’s degree in Psychology (Biopsychology) from UBC (2001). She has held the Registered Rehabilitation Professional (RRP) designation through the Vocational
Rehabilitation Association (VRA Canada) since 2002 and is a Fellow with the College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals (CVRP). Since 2004, she has coordinated rehabilitation for those with severe traumatic injuries, primarily in the MVA system. In this role, she assesses rehabilitation needs and coordinates a multidisciplinary team of health professionals focused on the goal of implementing strategies for functional recovery. Stephanie is also a Canadian Certified Life Care Planner (CCLCP) and prepares Life Care Plans for both plaintiff and defense legal professionals, for a diversity of injuries.

Noor Jafar is the Program Coordinator at the Brain Injury Association of the Ottawa Valley, where she supports survivors and their families through community programs, support groups, and outreach initiatives. She is completing a double major in Biology and Humanities at Carleton University and volunteers at CHEO, bringing hands-on experience in youth and community care to her role.

Shalina Malik is the Program Manager at the Brain Injury Association of the Ottawa Valley, where she oversees community programs supporting people with acquired brain injuries and their families. She focuses on improving service access, program quality, and collaboration with facilitators, volunteers, and community partners.

She is completing a double major in Biology and Humanities at Carleton University, which supports her interdisciplinary approach combining scientific knowledge with social and community perspectives. Her background includes program and training work with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the RCMP, and Global Affairs Canada, where she helped develop learning programs, coordinate operations, engage stakeholders, and track performance. This experience strengthens her ability to turn policy goals into practical, community based programs.

Our Mission

To offer education, information, hope and support to persons with brain injury, their family members, friends, caregivers and professionals in the Ottawa Valley region.

We advocate dignity, respect, inclusion and understanding for all who live with the effects of brain injury.

Funding

We rely on diverse financial resources to provide quality programs:
  • Grants

  • Fundraising Activities (Annual and Sporadic)

  • Sponsorships and Advertising

  • Personal Donations & In Memoriam Donations

Community Partnerships

Bringing global awareness to brain injury through active community participation:
City of Ottawa Public Health Helmet Initiative
City of Ottawa Clean Up the City Spring and Fall Campaigns
Ontario Trial Lawyers Association – Helmets on Kids Program

Long Term Goals

Our strategic priorities for supporting the brain injury community

1

To provide resource materials to survivors and family members and to promote awareness about brain injury and prevention of injury

2

To provide education, information, support and advocacy

3

To offer peer support groups for survivors and family members

4

To provide opportunities for individuals with brain injury to participate in educational and recreational programs

5

To provide opportunities for survivors and their family members to familiarize themselves with activities and programs that are available in the community

OBIA Partnership Projects

Brain Basics Program

Dual Membership

Resource Directory

Peer Mentoring Program

Bi-annual Provincial Conference

Learn more at obia.ca