Mental Health Works Executive Team

Kathy Jurgens, National Program Manager

Kathy Jurgens is the National Program Manager for Mental Health Works and has been with the program since March, 2007. Her passion for addressing mental health issues in the workplace is evident.  Kathy draws on her professional experience as an employment counsellor and manager in both union and non union environments in addressing these issues. She also brings her personal experience as someone who knows first hand the challenges of managing mental health in the workplace.

Her strengths are in the area of strategic planning and partnership building. Her role with Mental Health Works has led her to becoming the lead project developer for a new CMHA national level consortium that is designed to support organizations in their efforts to strategically address mental health issues in the workplace.

She has written for many publications, including Occupational Health Nurses Association Journal, Moods Magazine, HR Reporter and others, and was guest blogger for Quality Worklife Quality Health Care Collaborative. As well, Kathy sits on several national, provincial and international advisory boards, including the Technical Committee for the new Canadian Psychological Health and Safety Standard, to be released in July 2012.

Kathy is available to come to your orgainzation to speak about the Mental Health Works program and the Canadian Mental Health Association's response to Workplace Mental Health in Canada.

Please contact us if you would like more information on her availability to speak at your next event.

Lorne Zon, CEO, CMHA Ontario

Lorne Zon has been the Chief Executive Officer for the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario, since April 16, 2007. He has a distinguished 35 year career in health care, with 16 of these years being at the CEO and senior executive level. He has a proven record of leadership in strategic and health service planning in Ontario, in establishing and maintaining alliances and partnerships, and with government relations.

Lorne served as the Interim CEO for The Change Foundation, where he assisted the organization through an extensive strategic planning and transition process and assisted with board development. Prior to this, Lorne served as Senior Vice President at the Markham Stouffville Hospital.

Lorne is well experienced in the area of policy and planning. He served as the Executive Director of the Toronto DHC for a 10 year period. In this role, he led the agency to assume a leadership position in provincial health planning, and developed processes for the largest local hospital restructuring in the province, as well as Long-Term Care and Mental Health Reform projects. Also, Lorne is currently an adjunct professor, Faculty of Health, at York University.