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Distinguished Service

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is awarded annually by the Association of Local Public Health Agencies to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contributions made to public health in Ontario.

Recipients have demonstrated exceptional qualities of leadership in his/her own milieu; achieved tangible results through lengthy service and/or distinctive acts; and displayed exemplary devotion to public health at the provincial level.

Awards are most often given to individuals within alPHa's membership (COMOH, Boards of Health Section or Affiliates) but individuals outside the alPHa membership who have made outstanding contributions to public health in Ontario may also be recognized.

Over 30 Years of Distinguished Service Award Winners


 2025
 Sue Perras BOH
 Hsiu-Li Wang COMOH
 Nancy Kennedy OAPHD
 Loretta Ryan alPHa 
 2024
 Doug Lawrance BOH
 Brent Moloughney  COMOH
 Steven Rebellato ASPHIO
 Robert Hawkins OAPHD
 2023
 Wess Garrod  BOH
 Charles GardnerCOMOH
 Charlene Plexman OAPHD
 Brian Schwartz Public Health Ontario
 2022
 Paul Roumeliotis COMOH
 Trudy Sachowski BOH
 Patricia Abbey OAPHD
2021
 Rosana (Pellizzari) Salvaterra COMOH
 Denis DoyleBOH
 Paul Sharma OAPHD
2020  
Carmen McGregor BOH
Lynn Noseworthy COMOH
Michael Perley Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco
 2019
 Theresa Barresi BOH
 Sue Hochu OAPHD
Robert Kyle  COMOH
2018
 Ian Gemmill COMOH
 Sandra Laclé  HPO
 Paul Ryan BOH
 Ralph Stanley ASPHIO
2017
 Maureen Cava  OPHNL
 Bjorn Christensen  ASPHIO
 Dick Ito OAPHD
 Valerie Jaeger  COMOH
 Mary Johnson  BOH 
 Cynthia St. John  AOPHBA
 Linda Stewart  alPHa
 2016
 Diane Bewick Public Health Ontario (OPHNL)
 Joanne Beyers Sudbury & District Health Unit (OSNPPH)
 Kevin Churchill Lambton Public Health (HPO)
 Patricia Hewitt Halton Region, Public Health (AOPHBA)
 David McKeown Toronto Public Health (COMOH)
 Christopher Munn Grey Bruce Health Unit (ASPHIO)
 Julie Roy Northwestern Health Unit (BOH Section)
 Hazel Stewart Toronto Public Health (OAPHD)
 2015
 William Hunter Niagara Region Public Health (ASPHIO)
 David Mowat Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
 Karen Quigley-Hobbs Region of Waterloo, Public Health (ANDSOOHA)

2014

John Albanese

Northwestern Health Unit Board of Health

Dr. Peter Cooney

Ontario Association of Public Health Dentistry

Terrence Sullivan

Public Health Ontario

Joanne Tober

Brant County Health Unit (ANDSOOHA)

2013

Joan Carrothers

Middlesex-London Health Unit (OAPHD)

Meighan Finlay

Ontario Council of Community Health Accreditation

Dr. Vivek Goel

Public Health Ontario

Dr. Penny Sutcliffe

Sudbury & District Health Unit (COMOH)

2012

Susan Kniahnicki

Algoma Public Health (ANDSOOHA)

Beth Pater

Kingston Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Board of Health

Dr. Graham Pollett

Middlesex-London Health Unit

Suzanne Ross

Eastern Ontario Health Unit (AOPHBA)

2011

Ken Gorman

Durham Region Health Department (ASPHIO)

Elizabeth Haugh

Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (ANDSOOHA)

Dr. William Ryding

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, and Hastings & Prince Edward Counties Health Unit (OAPHD)

Allison Stuart

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

Don West

Porcupine Health Unit (AOPHBA)

Dr. Robin Williams

Niagara Region Public Health (COMOH)

2010

Dr. Neil Farrell

Middlesex-London Health Unit (OAPHD)

Dr. Hazel Lynn

Grey Bruce Health Unit (COMOH)

Valerie Sterling

Toronto Board of Health (BOH Section)

Carol Timmings

Toronto Public Health (ANDSOOHA)

Monika Turner

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

2009

Peter Delanty

Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit Board of Health

Pamela Scharfe

Huron County Health Unit (ASPHIO)

Charlie Viddal

Northwestern Health Unit Board of Health (BOH Section)

Dr. David C. Williams

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

2008

Maria Harding

Thunder Bay District Health Unit Board of Health (BOH Section)

Dr. Garry Humphreys

Peterborough County City Health Unit (COMOH)

Klaus Seeger

retired from Oxford County Public Health (ASPHIO)

Mary Anne Simpson

Middlesex-London Health Unit (ANDSOOHA)

 We regret that electronic copies of the DSA Awards Booklets prior to 2008 are not available 

2007

Dr. Sheela Basrur

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

Gilbert Hebert

Porcupine Health Unit Board of Health (BOH Section)

Dale Jackson

Hastings & Prince Edward Counties Health Unit (AOPHBA)

Jim Paton

retired from Grey Bruce Health Unit(ASPHIO)

Dr. Pete Sarsfield

Northwestern Health Unit (COMOH)

2006

Ron deBurger

Toronto Public Health (ASPHIO)

Larry O'Connor

Regional Municipality of Durham (BOH Section)

Dr. Donna Reynolds

Durham Region Health Department (COMOH)

2005

Marvin Caplan

City of Hamilton (BOH Section)

Dr. George Pasut

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (COMOH)

Peter Willmott

Halton Region Health Department (ASPHIO)

2004

Jackie Boufford

Durham Region Health Department (AOPHBA)

Brian Hatton

retired from Region of Waterloo Public Health (ASPHIO)

Fred Ruf

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

2003

Terry Delmore

Halton Region Health Department (APHEO)

2002

Evelyn Butler

Durham Region Health Department (ANDSOOHA)

Ingrid Parkes

Northwestern Health Unit Board of Health (BOH Section)

2001

Lori Chow

Thunder Bay District Health Unit (HPOph)

Mary-Anne Pietrusiak

Durham Region Health Department (APHEO)

2000

Dr. Robin Bolton

Sudbury & District Health Unit (COMOH)

Brian Devitt

Durham Region Health Department (ASPHIO)

Sheryl Feagan

Huron County Health Unit (HPOph)

1999

John McGurran

Association of Public Health Epidemiologists in Ontario

1998

Shawn Fendley

Simcoe County District Health Unit (HPOph)

Dr. Patricia Main

North York Public Health Department (OAPHD)

Catherine Rand

Ontario Ministry of Health

1997

Richard Cantin

Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (BOH Section)

Ron Chartrand

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine-Ridge District Health Unit (ASPHIO)

Denise DePape

North York Public Health Department (HPOph)

Ellen Desjardins

Toronto Public Health Department (OSNPPH)

Graham Kemble

Kent-Chatham Health Unit (AOPHBA)

Dr. Catherine Whiting

North Bay and District Health Unit (COMOH)

1996

Dr. Jacqueline Carlson

Ontario Ministry of Health

Lili Davis-Burchat

Simcoe County District Health Unit (APHEO)

Geof Kettel

East York Board of Health (BOH Section)

Dr. Helena Jaczek

York Regional Health Department (COMOH)

1995

Dr. Steve Corber

Ottawa-Carleton Regional Health Department (COMOH)

Peter Dreyer

City of Toronto Health Department

Susan Hubay

Peterborough County-City Health Unit

Rita Luty

City of Toronto Board of Health (BOH Section)

Katharine Slater

Scarborough Health Department

1994­

Jane Harbour

Algoma Health Unit (OSNPH)

Garfield Mahood

Non-Smokers' Rights Association

1993

Dr. Tom Angus

Algoma Board of Health (BOH Section)

Dr. Ian Cunningham

Brant County Health Unit (COMOH)

Malcolm Wilkinson

North York Board of Health (BOH Section)

1992

Helen Brown

Ontario Ministry of Health

Dr. David Butler-Jones

Simcoe County District Health Unit (COMOH)

Dr. Evelyn Wallace

Ontario Ministry of Health

1991

Dave Daniels

Thunder Bay District Health Unit (AOPHBA)

Leslie Orpana

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine-Ridge District Health Unit (OSNPH)

Dr. Richard Schabas

Ontario Ministry of Health

Dr. Susan Tamblyn

Perth District Health Unit (COMOH)

1990

Susan Bickle

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine-Ridge District Health Unit (AOPHBA)

Kathleen Brush

Simcoe County District Health Unit (OSNPH)

Dr. Alex Hukowich

Porcupine Health Unit (COMOH)

Norma McGuire

Etobicoke Board of Health (BOH Section)

Danny Walker

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

1989

Isabel Lawson

Algoma Board of Health (BOH Section)

Dr. Don Mikel

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine-Ridge District Health Unit (COMOH)

Frank Nichols

Algoma Health Unit (AOPHBA)

James Wales

Simcoe County District Board of Health (BOH Section)

1988

Dr. Barbara Blake

Ontario Ministry of Health

Edwin Curtin

Peterborough County-City Board of Health (BOH Section)

Dr. Gord Martin

North York Health Department (COMOH)

Robert Rowe

Middlesex-London Health Unit (AOPHBA)

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