HBSPCA Welcomes Four New Board Members as It Builds Toward Canada's First Pet-First Animal Welfare Campus

Hamilton, ON - Something significant is being built in Hamilton - and it is going to change what animal welfare looks like in Canada forever. The Hamilton/Burlington SPCA's Unleash Love campaign is well underway, with plans for a Pet-First Animal Welfare Campus more than four times the size of the current facility - one that will house Canada's first non-profit veterinary hospital, triple the number of operating rooms, expand veterinary education, and deliver a full spectrum of care for animals and families from a single, purpose-built home.

Behind every ambitious vision is a team of people with the expertise, passion, and commitment to make it real. Today, the HBSPCA is proud to announce that four exceptional individuals have joined its Board of Directors - each bringing exactly the skills the organization needs at exactly the right moment.

"Building something this significant demands leadership that is as bold as the vision itself," said John Gerrard, President & CEO of the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA. "Diane, James, Maura, and Scott each bring exactly what this moment requires - and together with our existing board, they strengthen our ability to deliver on the promise we have made to this community. The Unleash Love campaign is moving forward, and the people around this table are exactly who I want helping lead the way."

Diane Elliot

Strengthening the Philanthropy That Makes It All Possible

The Unleash Love campaign is not just a construction project - it is a community movement, and movements are fuelled by people who believe in them. Diane Elliot brings more than 20 years of nonprofit sector leadership with deep expertise in donor engagement, revenue strategy, and governance - the exact infrastructure needed to sustain and grow a campaign of this scale.

A Burlington resident with a genuine connection to animals and a creative background rooted in the entertainment industry, Diane brings both strategic depth and a collaborative spirit to her board role. She understands what motivates people to give, what builds lasting relationships between donors and organizations, and how to translate a compelling mission into meaningful philanthropic investment.

James Goodram

Helping Navigate the Build

The new Animal Welfare Campus is one of the most complex undertakings in the HBSPCA's 138-year history - and James Goodram has spent more than 30 years navigating exactly this kind of complexity. A senior municipal government leader with hands-on experience in real estate, land, and business development, James brings the practical expertise to help guide a project of this magnitude through the challenges that come with building something truly new.

Born and raised in the Hamilton-Burlington area, he also brings something that cannot be taught: a deep, lifelong understanding of the communities this campus will serve - and a personal commitment to animal welfare shared by his entire family.

Maura Richardson

Building the People Infrastructure to Match the Physical One

A campus four times the size of the current facility means a team, a culture, and an organizational structure that can grow with it. Maura Richardson has spent her career doing exactly that - scaling organizations through rapid growth, transformation, and change without losing the people-first values that make them great.

Maura has guided organizations through private equity transactions, large-scale restructuring, and expansions that took workforces from 1,500 to more than 9,000 employees. Her expertise in governance, talent strategy, and organizational design will help ensure the HBSPCA builds not just a world-class facility - but a world-class team to run it.

Scott Sincerbox

Connecting the Campus to the Community It Was Built For

The Animal Welfare Campus is being built for the community - and its long-term success depends on the community understanding, embracing, and engaging with everything it offers. Scott Sincerbox spent his career in the education sector, developing a deep expertise in how to reach people, build awareness, and inspire lasting change through learning.

That expertise translates directly to the HBSPCA's public education programs and community outreach - helping ensure that everything the new campus makes possible actually reaches the families and animals who need it most. A lifelong animal lover whose connection to the HBSPCA stretches back to childhood, Scott brings both professional purpose and genuine personal passion to his role on the board.

Building Together

These appointments build on the strong foundation already established by the existing Board of Directors, whose leadership and dedication over the years has brought the organization to this pivotal moment. Together, Diane, James, Maura, and Scott join the HBSPCA at a moment that comes along perhaps once in a generation.

The Unleash Love campaign is already underway. To learn more about the Unleash Love campaign and the HBSPCA's vision for Canada's first Pet-First Animal Welfare Campus:

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To learn more about the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA and our programs:

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