Get to know our new President & CEO, Ashley Davidson

We sat down with our new President & CEO, Ashley Davidson, to hear her thoughts on healthcare, the importance of supporting community healthcare and more.

Here’s what she had to share:

Why is healthcare important to you?
To me, there is nothing more important than health – the health of our loved ones, friends and neighbours, and our own health and that of our entire community. When I think about my own life, many of my most meaningful and life-changing experiences, both positive and challenging, have centred on healthcare: the joy of the birth of a child, the anxiety and fear of a new diagnosis or the overwhelming sense of gratitude for lifesaving care and the hope it brings.

Healthcare is at the foundation of a vibrant and thriving community. I want everyone to have access to the very best healthcare, close to home and close to those they love and care about.

What are your goals and your vision for the Foundation?
JBHF exists to help our hospital thrive for the benefit of the health and wellbeing of our community. The last decade has seen tremendous growth for our Foundation, and I am excited to find new and innovative ways to engage our whole community, build upon our successes to date and lead the team to live our mission to inspire generosity and ensure the hospital has the support to be its very best.

What are the challenges your community is facing? How can we help to face these challenges? 
Our community is in the midst of a mental health epidemic. Each year, the demand for mental health and addictions care at our hospital grows exponentially.

In January, we announced a remarkable $5M gift from Michael and Laura Paletta in support of the For All Minds Campaign to transform mental health and addictions (MHA) care at our hospital. This gift is an incredible catalyst towards our goal of raising the critical funds needed for the redevelopment of our mental health and addictions facilities, a project which is long overdue.

Our MHA teams provide unparalleled excellence in care, however, the facilities in which they provide that care are antiquated and not in keeping with modern standards. Our goal is to build therapeutic facilities designed to ensure dignity and respectful, person-centred care which support recovery and improve outcomes for every patient group we serve.

By coming together, we can enable a brighter future of mental health and addictions care for our community.

What is the best advice someone has given you?
Growing up, my mum often reminded me of the Golden Rule. You really can’t go wrong when you start from a place of treating others with respect, kindness and fairness.  

What gets you up in the morning? What motivates you? 
Every day I am inspired by the incredible generosity of our donors and their steadfast dedication to helping ensure our community has the very best healthcare, close to home.

I have seen firsthand all that can be made possible when vision and investment intersect, and to me, that is incredibly motivating.

I feel so fortunate to work alongside truly exceptional people – from our Foundation team, to our volunteers and donors, to the outstanding leaders, physicians, nurses and all the frontline team members who work tirelessly everyday to care for our community. The entire JBH team is incredibly dedicated to their pursuit to provide the very best care, but they can’t do it alone.  Community support is essential to ensuring our teams can deliver exemplary care in state-of-the-art facilities, with innovative tools and technology. Together, we can be our best, and that is very motivating to me.

What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work, I like to spend time with family and friends, walk my dog, Burnsy (a Whippet and the world’s fastest couch potato), play soccer with the BWRSL, and just recently I have taken up yoga again.

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Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation appoints Ashley Davidson as new President & CEO

February 21, 2024 – The Board of Directors of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation (JBHF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ashley Davidson as the Foundation’s next President & CEO. Ashley was selected after a comprehensive search and selection process which was anchored in the principles of equity and inclusion to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all applicants, and included a strong slate of external candidates.

“The Board is very excited about this appointment. Ashley is dynamic, capable, and passionate about our Foundation and our community,” said Leon Denbok, Chair of the Board. “We truly believe we’ve found the right person to lead our organization to achieve our ambitious goals and continue the organizational vision to inspire investment in Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH), ensuring exceptional healthcare for our community.”

Ashley will commence her new role as President & CEO on February 22, 2024. She joined the Foundation in 2012 and has since held progressively senior roles, serving as the Chief Development Officer since 2019.

Prior to coming to JBHF, Ashley spent eight years as a professional fundraiser for Trillium Health Partners Foundation in Mississauga, and for the Gardiner Museum in Toronto. She has held the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation since 2020, and is a Board member with Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Horseshoe Chapter.

 “Every day I am inspired by the incredible generosity of our donors and their steadfast dedication to helping ensure our community has the very best healthcare, close to home,” said Ashley. “Exciting things are happening at JBH, and I am thrilled to continue working alongside our exceptional board, hospital and Foundation team to help realize all that is possible when vision and philanthropy intersect.”

Ashley takes the helm at a pivotal time for JBHF, and will provide leadership of the For All Minds campaign for the Redevelopment & Expansion of the Mental Health & Addictions unit at the Joseph Brant Hospital. She will also support the development of a new strategic plan for the Foundation, working with the Board to develop the focus and objectives of the Foundation.  

A graduate of Western University, Ashley completed a Bachelor of Arts in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies. She also holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Marketing Management from Sheridan College.

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Annual Donor Report 2023

We are pleased to share our 2023 Annual Donor Report, which highlights a few of the patient care moments and program successes at Joseph Brant Hospital over the past year.

These stories showcase how the lives of our patients and their families are directly impacted by the generosity of our donors, as well as stories of incredible ways our community came together this year in support of our hospital.

We hope these stories fill you with a sense of pride and accomplishment, for all you have made possible with your support.

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May 25, 2024

We're coming to your neighbourhood during our door-to-door fundraising campaign to homes across Burlington to invite you to join our Community of Care with a...

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