Serving on the Board since 2019, Ms. Deb Matthews is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2018 who represented the riding of London North Centre. Ms. Matthews served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne. She was the 10th Deputy Premier of Ontario, in office from February 2013 until January 2018.
Ms. Matthews was elected to the Ontario Legislature by the people of London North Centre in 2003 and re-elected in 2007 and 2011. Following her election in 2007, she was appointed Minister of Children and Youth Services and Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues. In October 2009 she was appointed to her current position as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and is committed to building a more sustainable health care system with shorter wait times and better access to high quality family health care.
Throughout her life, Ms. Matthews has been actively involved in community organizations. She served as President of Big Sisters of London, and has volunteered with organizations including the Thames Valley Children’s Centre, the Salvation Army, Orchestra London, and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Her professional experience includes time spent in the construction industry, fundraising for the Boys and Girls Club of London, and teaching at the University of Western Ontario where she was twice honoured with a place on the University Students’ Council Teaching Honour Roll while completing her Ph.D. in Social Demography.
Ms. Matthews is a Senior Fellow at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and was recently honoured as a Woman of Excellence by the YMCA of Southwest Ontario. She is the Board Champion for Social Medicine.