Susan Wannamaker leads clinical delivery programs that support direct patient and client care, including BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services, BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. Her portfolio also includes Health Emergency Management BC.
Susan has held diverse executive roles in her 40-year career in health care, including clinical background as a nurse, operational experience in running hospitals, leading significant transformation initiatives and 20 years in leadership roles at Vancouver Coastal Health. Susan has been "hands-on" at virtually every level of the BC health care system; as a result, she has a deep understanding of how different roles and professions work together and appreciates how important relationships within and across health authorities are to achieving lasting, positive outcomes.
She played a significant role in shaping BC’s 10-year cancer care action plan announced in February 2023 and immediately prior to her current role, she was president of BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. Before that, she was senior vice president at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, Ontario, responsible for all hospital operations and ensuring operational readiness for a new hospital expansion.
Laurie Dawkins is responsible for internal and external communications across all PHSA portfolios; including media relations, social media, brand, content services and web strategy.
Laurie has more than 25 years’ experience in the communications industry, and holds the international professional designations of accredited business communicator and strategic communications management professional. In 2017, she was named a Master Communicator of Canada by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)– Canada. Laurie is an active member of IABC locally, nationally and internationally anda frequent mentor to new communicators holding more than 26 industry awards and honours for her professional work and volunteerism.
Prior to joining PHSA in November 2018, Laurie served for 17 years with Vancouver Coastal Health in increasingly senior roles, including interim vice president, communications, public affairs & community engagement. Before that, she was privileged to work with organizations like the University of British Columbia, Industry Canada and Placer Dome Mining, among others.
Dr. Federica Di Palma is an internationally recognized leader in genomics and bioinformatics, with more than two decades of experience advancing the application of genomic science across public health, cancer, rare disease, and population health systems as well as non-health sectors. She is known for building and leading high performing, interdisciplinary teams that translate scientific innovation into practical, scalable impact for patients and the public.
Dr. Di Palma most recently served as interim senior executive director of the BC Genome Sciences Centre, leading the organization under its expanded provincial mandate. She also served for five years as chief scientific officer & vice president of Research and Innovation at Genome BC, where she advanced strategic research investment, strengthened provincial and international partnerships, and supported the integration of genomics into health systems and policy.
Dr. Di Palma is a professor of medical genetics at the University of British Columbia and holds a PhD in immunogenetics from the University of Reading. Her career includes senior leadership and research roles at leading international institutions, including the Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the National Institutes of Health, the Earlham Institute and University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, and the University of New Hampshire in the United States. She serves on international scientific advisory boards, advising governments and organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom on genomics policy, research strategy and capacity building.
