Board of Directors

Ben Hazzard is a Superintendent of Education for the Lambton Kent District School Board and has served on the Community Living Wallaceburg Board of Directors since 2015. He has volunteered in his community as a member of the Board of Directors for a residential addiction treatment centre, and was the Race Director for the St. Clair River Run. He earned a Doctorate of Education from Western University. After serving on several Agency Standing Committees, Ben was elected President in 2020.

Ed is retired as Vice Principal of Ursuline College after 32 years in education.  He served on the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Board for 2 years, and is presently a member of the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame Committee, a member of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the Wallaceburg Legion.  Ed is married to Michelle, and they have three beautiful daughters and six grandchildren. In his spare time, he enjoys curling, kayaking and golf.  Ed joined the Community Living Wallaceburg Board of Directors in 2020 and has served on the Resource Committee.

Laura Sheehan joined the Board of Directors of Community Living Wallaceburg in 2022. She holds a CPA, is a graduate of the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University and has worked in many different positions at Enbridge Gas Inc. and Kellogg’s Canada. She serves as the Treasurer on the Resource Utilization and Audit Committee.

Derek has been a Community Living Wallaceburg’s Board of Directors member since 2007. He served as the board president for three years, from 2013 to 2016, and has represented the agency on the Resource Utilization and Audit Committee. Derek is a manufacturing business owner.

Ryan Allaer joined the Community Living Wallaceburg Board of Directors in 2016. Born and raised in Wallaceburg, Ryan is a married father of three with deep roots in agriculture, and industrial sectors across Canada and the United States and is a Managing Partner of CMF Group Millwrights and Machinery Movers. Committed to community involvement, Ryan has served on the Wallaceburg Minor Hockey Board and has coached numerous minor hockey teams over the years. He has also represented the CLW Board on the St. Clair Catholic District School Board’s Special Education Advisory Committee and currently serves on the Resource Utilization and Audit Committee. Ryan brings a strong combination of business leadership, community engagement, and governance experience to his role with Community Living Wallaceburg.

Chris grew up in Wallaceburg, now resides in Chatham and is a graduate of St. Clair College Chatham Campus. He works at 99.1 CKXS in Wallaceburg, and is a volunteer producer with YourTV Chatham-Kent, producing programming for the Community television station and YouTube channel. Chris has been the Chatham Maroons’ videographer for 12 years, and the IT person for the coaching staff and Team along with the team website. Chris has served on the Board of Directors since 2014 as a self-advocate and is on the Resource Committee.

Lisa has lived in the Wallaceburg and Port Lambton communities her whole life, and is a strong advocate of the local community. She spent most of her professional life as a Registered Nurse at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, focusing on the ICU and Emergency Department at the Sydenham Campus.  Since retiring she has enjoyed spending more time with her husband, children and grandchild. She has been a member of the Sydenham Community Curling Club for 50 years, is an avid golfer and most recently taken up pickleball. 

Ava Williams has been a First Responder for 31 years working for the Walpole Police Department, and the OPP.  She is currently an Ambulance Communication Officer (ambulance and fire dispatch) in Wallaceburg.  She has served as the Chairperson of the Walpole Island Board of Education and served on Committees of Civil Authority, Home and Community, the Health Centre and the Walpole Arena.

Sam was self-employed for 34 years, running a convenience store in Wallaceburg alongside his wife, Kelly. They expanded their business by incorporating services from Canada Post, Taco Bell, and Country Style until selling the business in 2022.  As a lifelong resident of Wallaceburg, Sam is deeply committed to our community.

Brady Pataki joined the Resource Utilization and Audit Committee in 2023. He grew up in Wallaceburg along with two older brothers who have both been employed by Community Living in the past. Brady is in the process of pursuing his CPA and currently works at Deloitte, a worldwide professional service firm, in the audit service line. Brady also has a strong passion for athletics as he was a varsity hockey player in University and prior to that played five years in the Canadian Hockey League.

Roger is the Executive Director for Community Living Wallaceburg.  Roger has worked in the Developmental Services sector for nearly 20 years starting as a Direct Support Professional after graduating from the University of Waterloo and moving through various leadership positions.  Roger has also volunteered as a coach and instructor in the Royal Canadian Army Cadet system and currently serves as a board member for the Chatham-Kent Girls Hockey Association.