Governance

Matt Parr
Chair of the Board

Matt Parr, originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick is a Mortgage Agent Level 2 with TMG – The Mortgage Group, the largest mortgage brokerage in Canada.  Prior to that, spending 15 years as a senior level leader in the hospitality industry with Starwood Hotels and Marriott International focusing on operations and project management.

He and his wife, Jenny, are proud parents of a son enrolled at Matthews Hall.

Matt is also serving his community as Vice President of The Board of Directors at The Grand Theatre and is a member of the Medical School Admissions Interviewing team at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Travel is a staple in the Parr household with some of their favourite destinations being Bora Bora, Greece, Costa Rica, Italy and England.  A South African trip currently sits atop his bucket list.

Matt is a Multi-Engine IFR rated private pilot and an avid sports fan. He spends his free time flying his Diamond DA42, or you might find him on a golf course, skiing, playing squash, tennis or basketball.

The Chair of the Board of Governors can be contacted at chair@matthewshall.ca.

Connor Velikonja, ’10
Vice Chair of the Board, Chair of the Advancement Committee

Connor Velikonja, born and raised in London, Ontario, and graduate of Matthews Hall in 2010, is an Associate Wealth Advisor at CIBC Wood Gundy. Since obtaining a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies, Specialization Finance from King’s University College at Western University, Connor has joined one of Canada’s Top Wealth Advisory Teams, focusing on delivering family office solutions to ultra-high net worth individuals, families, and foundations. As well, Connor’s commitment to professional development and continuous learning, has earned him the prestigious designation of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Outside of work, Connor is an avid reader, and enjoys playing hockey, squash, and cycling in the summer.

Jill McCartney
Secretary of the Board, Chair of the Governance Committee, Interim Treasurer

Jill is a lawyer at Siskinds LLP, specializing in health law. She represents injured clients in medical negligence cases, as well in complex pharmaceutical and medical device class actions. She has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court, Court of Appeal, and Consent and Capacity Board.  She has acted as counsel on several complex medical negligence trials. Jill has served on the School’s Governance Committee and she and her husband, Jason, are the parents of two Matthews Hall students.

Ann Marie Antoniou

Ann Marie Antoniou is VP Finance at Compass Group Canada, the nation’s leading foodservice and support services company, with over 25,000 associates across the Country in more than 2,000 locations.   Ann Marie graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree and subsequently became a Chartered Accountant while working at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.   Ann Marie has been a board member of the Children’s Health Foundation and sat on the Finance & Audit Committee of the Children’s Health Foundation for many years.  She has also taught courses at Wilfrid Laurier University.    Ann Marie is married with a young family who enjoy travelling, skiing, golfing and spending time with family and friends.

Jodie Campbell

Jodie Campbell, originally from Sarnia, Ontario, is an Investment Associate with Campbell Wealth Management Group | BMO Private Wealth. Prior to that, Jodie spent 19 years in the business banking industry specializing in commercial lending and underwriting mainly at Business Development Bank of Canada. She holds an Honors Bachelor of Science degree from Western University and is a graduate of Ridley College in St. Catharines, ON. Jodie and her husband, Jamie, are the proud parents of a son who is a recent graduate from Matthews Hall, and adult twins – one is a graduate of Ridley College. In her spare time, she can be found golfing, skiing or on the trails with her Weimaraner. Jodie is a volunteer Parent Ambassador for Ridley College and is an avid theatregoer often attending performances at London’s Grand Theatre.

Collin Clarke

Collin Clarke completed his Bachelor of Science Degree at Western University. Following this he completed his medical training between London, Toronto, and North Carolina. He now practices Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at Western University, where he also has an appointment as an Associate Professor of Medicine. Collin has served on numerous hospital committees including the Finance and Audit committee as well as Financial Management Committee for the Department of Anesthesia. Collin enjoys spending time in the outdoors skiing, hiking, and fishing with his family. He is also an avid Blue Jays fan.

Stacey Graham

Stacey Graham is a proud parent of a current Matthews Hall student. Ms. Graham brings with her over twenty years in the land development industry as President of South Winds Development, prior to which she held senior leadership roles at WestJet Airlines and MBNA Canada. Ms. Graham has also served on the National Children’s Help Phone Board of Directors, as well as locally on the St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation as a Board of Director, co-chairing the finance and governance committees. Stacey is also the vice chair of the Graham Family Eco Park in London Ontario. You might be able to find Stacey on a holiday skiing in the winter or next to some sort of body of water in the summer relaxing with her family.

Steve Hunter

As a Branch Manager at Richardson Wealth Steve is working with Investment Advisors and their teams to create a place for clients who want to have a full service investment advice experience from start to finish. As Branch Manager Steve is responsible for the operation and oversight of Investment Advice branches in Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Brantford, St. Catharines, Hamilton and Burlington. Steve supports the teams in each of these critical centers as well as working with other investment professionals to continually add to and enhance the quality of the team at Richardson Wealth. The Branch Manager role covers a huge array of skill sets including but not limited to Sales Management, Coaching, Audit Readiness, Hiring, Human Resource Management, Counsellor, Compliance Officer, Budgeting, Goal Setting, Marketing, Client Complaint Resolution, Trading Supervision and much more. Previously, Steve was part of the management team that was awarded TD Wealth branch of the Year 4 times and is very proud of the work he did while working with TD Wealth.

Proud father of four, Steve and his wife love spending busy days and nights with their family. When not pursuing his professional passions, you can find Steve coaching on a baseball diamond in lovely Lambeth, Ontario, or enjoying the beauty of the Canadian Great Lakes in his home away from home in Turkey Point, Ontario.

Kristin Marmai

Kristin Marmai, born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, is a Lending Specialist at BMO Private Wealth.  She has over 18 years of experience in the Banking Industry, with years spent in Branch, Commercial and currently the Private Banking space. She obtained her degree in Finance and Administration, along with an Economics degree from Western University. In terms of community service, Kristin has previously served as a board member with the Port Stanley Festival Theater and is the founder of the West Humber Alumni Community Scholarship. Kristin enjoys playing soccer, skiing, cottaging, and travelling with her husband and 3 children.

Anton Purvirajah

Anton Puvirajah, PhD is Associate Dean of Teacher Education and Associate Professor at Western University’s Faculty of Education. He provides leadership for Western’s Bachelor of Education, Continuing Teacher Education, and International Baccalaureate programs, working closely with the Ontario Ministry of Education, the Ontario College of Teachers, the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, and local school boards to support high-quality, standards-aligned teacher preparation. His work emphasizes collaborative governance, ethical professional practice, and strong partnerships between universities and the K–12 sector.

At Western, Anton has served on the University Senate and contributes to Senate subcommittees related to curriculum, program review, and student awards. He has also served as Chair of Curriculum Studies and Studies in Applied Linguistics, providing leadership in academic planning, graduate education, and faculty collaboration.

Anton’s research focuses on teacher professional development, STEM and mathematics education, and innovative approaches to educator learning. Recent projects with his graduate students examine the Ontario Math Proficiency Test and the design of AI-facilitated simulations to support reflective practice and classroom decision-making for beginning teachers. His scholarship, which includes community-engaged and informal learning initiatives for newcomer and underserved youth, has attracted over $7.8 million in external funding, including support from SSHRC and the U.S. National Science Foundation. His research informs provincial, national, and international conversations on curriculum, professional learning, and teacher induction.

A former secondary science teacher, he brings expertise in governance, policy, and strategic planning to his board work. He holds degrees from the University of Manitoba and Wayne State University.

Thomas Shaw

Thomas is an in-house labour, employment, and human rights lawyer with Loblaws Inc., one of Canada’s largest retailers.  Thomas provides strategic advice to the business on all matters related to the employment of the nearly 200,000 employees who fall within the Loblaw group of companies.  Thomas also represents the business before administrative tribunals across Canada, including human rights tribunals and in labour arbitrations.

Prior to joining Loblaws, Thomas practiced labour and employment law at the country’s largest labour and employment boutique law firm in Toronto, before moving to their London office.  He obtained his law degree from Western University.  Thomas serves on the School’s Governance Committee and he and his wife, Sara, are the proud parents of a Matthews Hall student.

Christopher White
Head of School, Ex-Officio

Over his twenty-eight year career in independent schools, Chris has enjoyed a number of roles with CAIS schools. As a teacher, coach, mentor, Director of Enrolment, Alumni Relations, University Counseling, Assistant Head, Operations and as Head of School, he has seen and lived all aspects of a great school.

Central to his leadership style is the belief that school should prepare students for a lifetime journey that requires agility, adaptability, collaboration, creativity and an entrepreneurial mindset. School environments need to allow for risk and creativity where the outcomes produce the feedback that lead to the next iteration of learning. A challenging curriculum delivered by thoughtful caring professionals prepares students well for a world that continuously evolves.

Human development for a world that is still unrevealed is the purpose of education.

Chris has his Physical and Health Education degree and Education degree from Lakehead University, a Masters in Not-For-Profit Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame, his certificate in Education Law from York University and is a graduate of the CAIS Leadership Institute.

In his spare time, Chris enjoys running, fitness, golf and reading historical fiction.