The University Hospital Foundation is excited to welcome Joette Decore, MBA as our new Board Chair. Joette joined our Board in 2017, bringing her experience to the Governance Committee, and serving this past year as Vice Chair.

For Joette, being involved in the University Hospital Foundation is personal.

“My husband was involved in a serious ski accident and unfortunately spent 10 days in the Intensive Care Unit at the University of Alberta Hospital,” said Joette. “We were fortunate that he had access to top medical care, and I was so grateful to the doctors and nurses that cared for my husband. Joining the Board of UHF was my way to give back to all those that saved my husband’s life.”

Joette is an accomplished executive and management consultant with experience in corporate transformations, strategy and planning, human resources and corporate governance. She retired from Stuart Olson, a publicly traded national construction firm, in September 2020 after a 12-year career as the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Development. In this position, she was a member of the executive management team and led mergers and acquisitions, strategy, corporate communications and human resources. Prior to this, Joette worked for eight years as a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, a national professional services consulting firm. As a management consultant, she worked with many public and private organizations to develop and implement strategies to address leadership and performance challenges and improve profitability.

In addition to serving as the Chair for the University Hospital Foundation Board, she also currently serves as a Director on the NorQuest College Board. In June 2020, she was appointed co-chair of the Construction Industry Red Tape Reduction Taskforce for the Government of Alberta. She has been involved in other not-for-profits such as a serving on the Women Buildings Futures’ board and working with the Loran Foundation. With a passion to give back, she actively volunteers in her community, and in 2019, she was part of the first all-female hockey team in the Alzheimer’s Hockey Tournament.

“I have been very blessed in my life. I want to pay it forward. One of the ways that I can accomplish this is through volunteering,” said Joette. “Volunteering enriches my life by providing me with a sense of purpose and connection to my community. I know I am making a difference.”

Her extensive experience, knowledge and talent will continue to strengthen the University Hospital Foundation and its Board as we work to improve health in the communities we serve, reduce the devastating impact of disease, and continually strive to address the inequitable health challenges faced by members of diverse cultures.

After serving for two years as Chair, David Finlay, Q.C., Counsel, Dentons Canada LLP, will remain on the Board as Past Board Chair. During his time as Chair, David helped guide the University Hospital Foundation through the transition of a new President and CEO and navigate the many challenges that came with continuing operations during a pandemic. In addition he put in an incredible amount of effort chairing the Funding Priorities Committee for many years prior to becoming Board Chair. The University Hospital Foundation would like to extend our sincerest gratitude for David’s leadership as Board Chair. We are delighted that his dedication, knowledge and passion for philanthropy will continue to contribute to the success of the Foundation.