Board of Directors

David Porte

Chair

David has dedicated extraordinary time, commitment and personal resources to provide financial, educational, social and emotional support to kids and their families living with rheumatic diseases.

David continues to represent our community and to build the foundation needed to help patients, families and centres achieve our common goals – the best possible care and outcomes for kids.

In addition to his dedication to Cassie + Friends, David owns and runs a real estate development company in Vancouver, BC.

Dr. Lori Tucker

Medical Advisor

Dr. Lori Tucker is a Clinical Professor in Pediatrics, Pediatric Rheumatology, BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on physical activity in children and youth with JIA, development of shared decision-making in pediatric rheumatology care, and autoinflammatory diseases in children.

She is one of the founding members of the Canadian Alliance of Pediatric Rheumatology Investigators. In addition, she is a passionate advocate for kids with rheumatic diseases and their families, provincially and nationally and as a member of the Cassie & Friends Board.

Tony Kim

Treasurer

Tony first came across Cassie + Friends in 2019 after his daughter was diagnosed with JIA at the age of three years old. In a short period of time after diagnosis, his daughter developed uveitis. Looking for a community and support network his family found Cassie + Friends to be a tremendous resource.

Tony joins the board as Treasurer leveraging his track record of strong financial governance and experience in financial markets. His primary occupation is trading foreign exchange and short term interest rates for a large Canadian bank. He has worked in both London, UK and Toronto, Canada. He currently resides in Toronto with his wife Niina and their two children.
Tony and Niina currently serve as parent Co-Chairs on the rheumatology Family Advisory Council (FAC) at the Hospital for Sick Children.

Darren Hawrish

Director at Large

Darren Hawrish is a Vancouver-based Business Developer and Entrepreneur. He has owned and operated some of North America’s top clothing brands including local favorites SAXX underwear, Native Shoes, and now BN3TH underwear.

In 2004 Darren was chosen by KPMG as one of Canada’s Top 40 Entrepreneurs and became a member of the Young Presidents Organization in 2007. At home, he is surrounded and supported by his family including his wife, Suzana, an incredible young adult daughter, Hillary, two teenage boys, Dean and Luke, and two daughters, Scarlett and Eva.

His engagement with Cassie + Friends actually began a few years before his daughter Scarlett was diagnosed. As part of the Young Presidents Organization, he met and became very close to David Porte (also a member) and his family, including Cassie, and their amazing endeavours.

Trish Snyder

Patient Advisor

Trish discovered the amazing community at Cassie + Friends many years after her daughter Morgan was diagnosed with JIA at age 8. Alongside other patients and parents, she was pleased to be involved as a parent partner in the PAVE national research study on the impacts of JIA on patients and families. Trish brings brand storytelling, positioning and marketing expertise to the board. 

She’s the founder of Upwordly, a boutique marketing agency that has written website copy for 100+ leading keynote speakers and brands, and fundraising campaigns that have raised $60M+ for nonprofits. 

As a volunteer, Trish is also a member of Sheridan College’s Advertising and Marketing Communications Professional Advisory Council and she leads storytelling workshops to support startup founders through McGill University’s Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship. Trish is a former award-winning journalist and senior editor at Canada’s best-selling consumer magazines. She lives in an eco-friendly home in Toronto with her husband and their two adult children.

Rob Posthumus

Coming Soon…

Dr. Deborah Levy

Medical Advisor

Dr. Deborah Levy is the Clinical Director, Division of Rheumatology at the Hospital for Sick Children (“SickKids”) in Toronto and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. Dr. Levy is co-director of the Lupus Clinic at SickKids and her research primarily focuses on the long-term medical and psychosocial outcomes of childhood-onset Lupus. She has participated as a collaborator on multiple research projects through CAPRI.

Dr. Levy is also interested in alternate models of care for children with arthritis and is working with advanced practitioners to develop a new network of pediatric rheumatology providers for children in underserved communities within Ontario. Advocacy work as the past Chair of the Pediatric Committee of the Canadian Rheumatology Association and as President-Elect of the Ontario Rheumatology Association has helped to improve access to drugs for pediatric rheumatology patients.