President’s Letter: NLMA announces new Executive Director
It is my pleasure to announce that, after an exhaustive search, Gertie Mai Muise will become the new
Executive Director of the NLMA, effective September 18, 2023.
Prior to her appointment as NLMA Executive Director, Gertie Mai served as the CEO of the Ontario
Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. She is also a former Regional Medical Services
Director at Western Health Authority (full bio below). Her unique combination of skills and experience,
collaborating with provincial and federal governments, Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) and
First Nation and Indigenous governed health service providers, will be an asset to the Association.
As Executive Director, Ms. Muise will be responsible to the NLMA Board of Directors for direction and
administration of the affairs of the Association as well as assisting with policy and program
development and implementation.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and all physicians of the province, I would like to formally
welcome Ms. Muise to our Association. We look forward to working with her to advance the priorities
of our members.
Gertie Mai will succeed Robert Thompson on September 18th. Robert will assist Gertie Mai as an
advisor for a period of time to ensure a successful transition.
I would like to express my gratitude to Robert for his 10 years of dedication and service to our
Association. On behalf of all members, I thank Robert for his leadership and commitment to the
physicians of the province.
Sincerely,
Gerard Farrell
President
Biographical Information: Gertie Mai Muise
Gertie Mai Muise is originally from Bay St. George, Western Newfoundland and Labrador and is a
member of Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation of Newfoundland. She spent the past 25 years developing
Indigenous community health care capacity and systems change management in senior leadership roles
at Indigenous governed regional health care organizations in Ontario.
Prior to joining the NLMA, she served as CEO of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship
Centres, the largest urban Indigenous multi-services network in Canada, as well as Vice Chair for
Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services which is the largest Indigenous owned housing organization in
the world. During the pandemic Gertie Mai returned home to NL and served as the Regional Medical
Services Director at Western Health Authority.
She is also a former CEO of the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council in Ontario; former
Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw First Nation Health Authority; Director of Aboriginal
Health Access Centres Strategy and Relations at the Association of Ontario Health Centres;
Associate Director at the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre; Senior Health System
Planner with the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority; and, Senior Aboriginal Planning, Integration &
Community Engagement Consultant with the North East Local Health Integration Network.
Concerned about removing system and structural barriers, Gertie Mai has spearheaded a cross
provincial Indigenous cultural safety program that began in 2014 which has trained more than 50,000
health professionals about Indigenous specific racism in health care. Gertie Mai is also a former
Community Lead of the Our Health Counts Ontario Governance Committee and Knowledge
Exchange, which aims to correct gaps in Indigenous population-based health and wellness data for
improved health planning and outcome mapping. She advocated for and Co-Chaired the first nonpolitical, Indigenous Primary Health Care-MOHLTC Engagement Table with the Ontario Ministry of
Health, Chaired the Provincial Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Aboriginal Leads Network in
Ontario and the National Committee for Aboriginal Health Service Standards development with the
Canadian Centre of Accreditation (CCA). She currently serves as a board Director with Canadian
Blood Services.
Gertie Mai holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University and is a graduate of
Memorial University (English and Business Administration). She is the recipient of the National
Healthcare Management Forum Article of the Year Award from the Canadian College of Health
Leaders as well as the Community Health Champion Award from the Alliance for Healthier
Communities in Ontario.