OUR BOARD

BBBSN Board of Directors

Frank Ruberto, President

Frank Ruberto joined the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2015. Frank currently works as the executive director of the Niagara Medical Group Family Health Team, a position he has held since 2016. As a health care executive in Niagara Region, Frank sees firsthand the benefits that Big Brothers Big Sisters provides to the community.

Frank holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Brock University, a master’s degree in health care leadership from York University, and a certificate in medical office administration from Niagara College.

In addition to serving on the board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara, Frank also serves as the board president for REACH Niagara.

Frank lives in Niagara Falls and in his spare time enjoys practicing and teaching yoga.

Gynette Smith, Vice-President

Born and raised in Niagara Gynette, formerly a Tim Hortons franchisee, is a true believer in the notion that strong community leadership makes strong communities. As a former long-time volunteer with female minor hockey and soccer Gynette has witnessed the positive impact that dedicated volunteers can have on mentoring and positively influencing the lives of youth in our community.

She served for 4 years as a Director on the Tim Horton Foundation Camps Board and is an active member of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and volunteer with Community Care West Niagara.

Through her work and volunteer experience Gynette has spent most of the past 30 years working with and mentoring today’s youth.   It’s often said, “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow”, and my experience as a BBBSN Board member has certainly reinforced this notion.  Its truly inspiring to be a part of such an incredible organization, with such dedicated staff and volunteers, all committed to providing mentoring opportunities and building a brighter future for the youth in Niagara.

Gynette lives in Vineland with her daughter Kennedy and husband Andrew.

Steve Emslie, Treasurer

Born and raised in St. Catharines and currently residing in Fonthill Steve has developed a lifetime of appreciation for the Niagara Region and the strength of its community. Steve is the Director of Finance and Administration at Beatties, a local company that shares a rich 160+ year long history of working in and supporting Niagara and beyond. Steve holds a Bachelor of Accounting Degree from Brock University and has a background in Public Accounting where he worked to obtain his CPA, CA designation while providing audit and taxation services to local businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

As a child Steve participated in a number of sports and other extra curricular programs that gave him a first-hand experience of the positive impact that youth mentorship can have on one’s development.

It is an ever-evolving goal of Steve’s to give back to the community that has given him so much. As such he was excited for the opportunity to join the Board of Directors for BBBSN and get involved in the tremendous work that the Agency does.

Alexandra Delvecchio, Director

While Alexandra started as an Associate lawyer July 3, 2018, she first joined Lancaster Brooks & Welch in 2012 and spent several summers working at the firm throughout both her undergraduate and law school studies. Alexandra was called to the Ontario Bar in 2018 and currently works in an associate position with Lancaster Brooks & Welch in the Labour and Employment Law Group.

During law school Alexandra participated in the Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law Legal Information Service, providing pro bono legal assistance to the Kamloops community. Alexandra volunteered as a Go Girls Mentor with the BBBS agency in Ottawa when she attended Carlton

University.  Alexandra has also supported the community to volunteer with the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta Corporation and ‘Courts in the Classroom’.

Originally from the Owen Sound area, Ashleigh moved to the Niagara Region in 2003 to join the teams at NewsTalk 610 CKTB, MOVE 105.7 and 97.7 HTZ-FM. An enthusiastic marketing and business development specialist, she’s spent 20 years within the media industry helping businesses and organizations develop, implement and manage strategic and tactical marketing and growth strategies.

Through work and volunteering, Ashleigh is always eager to get involved with the community, working with many organizations from Gillian’s Place to Community Care. She’s consulted with Big Brothers Big Sisters for many years, and was eager joined the board of directors in 2021.

On weekends, you can find Ashleigh enjoying Niagara’s incredible green spaces, showcasing the food and wine grown and produced here by cooking for family and friends, or at a local hockey rink cheering on her son.

Bradley Moyer, Director

Brad Moyer is a serial entrepreneur by nature, unafraid to seize opportunity and create companies that solve problems. His first such endeavour was a graphic design business at the age of 16, and his early start set the pace for a career of innovation. Brad has since created and sold enterprise level businesses in the software industry, all while maintaining his community focus and being a family man.

In his time away from the office Brad is a Referee for Volleyball Canada, coaches volleyball and sits on the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee. He is intimately familiar with the challenges and triumphs of business ownership, made evident in the precise and specific nature of the reporting software and survey content employed in the Braymark portfolio of services.

Bruce Smith, Director

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CAMERON JONES, DIRECTOR

Cameron is deeply rooted in the community spirit of Niagara, drawing from a rich background in leadership and advocacy within the education sector, and currently serves as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Blended with his years of governance and strategic planning experience, Cameron’s approachable nature and unwavering dedication have enabled him to effectively represent and voice the interests of students and community members alike.

As a former board member of his college’s student association, Conestoga Students Inc., and the provincial advocacy group, College Student Alliance, Cameron is continually motivated by a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of mentorship, community engagement, and advocacy.inar dapibus leo.

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CODY WEBER, DIRECTOR

Cody Weber joined the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2024 after seeing the impact the program had on his mentee – Leo. The duo meet on a bi-weekly basis and spend time doing a few of their favourite things; hiking, playing board games and cooking. As Cody says “it gives me some practice for when I am lucky enough to have my own kids!

Day to day Cody shows his passion for the financial planning industry, helping clients retire and live life on their terms as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and Registered Retirement Consultant® (RRC®).
It’s through his role as “Big Brother” to Leo and as a financial planner that he sees the impact good planning and mentorship can have on children. Born in St. Catharines, Cody came back for his undergraduate degree for Brock and couldn’t leave because of our amazing region.

That passion and love for Niagara is why Cody is so active in the community, not only as a Big Brother but also as a Board Member for the Education Foundation of Niagara.

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JACLYN FRAIL, DIRECTOR

Born in Hamilton, Jaclyn has a long-standing commitment to community service, with experience in both volunteer and professional sectors. She began her journey with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a dedicated volunteer, serving as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters Hamilton. Her passion for mentorship and community engagement has driven her career.

Jaclyn worked as a recreation therapist at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton for ten years before moving to the Niagara Region with her family. In 2014, she joined Niagara College as a full-time faculty member in the Recreation Therapy program. Her expertise and dedication to education led to her current role as the Associate Dean for the School of Community Services at Niagara College.

Jaclyn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Leisure from Brock University and a Master’s degree in Education from Memorial University. Demonstrating her commitment to lifelong learning, she is currently pursuing a PhD in Higher Education from the University of Toronto.

An advocate for the transformative power of recreation in enhancing wellness and quality of life, Jaclyn has been an active volunteer with various non-profit organizations, including serving as a venue lead for the Canada Summer Games and participating as a board member for Therapeutic Recreation Ontario and Tomorrow’s Voices.

Laura Lee-Blake, Director

In her role as Chief People Officer for Pearle Hospitality Laura acts as a critical business partner and trusted advisor to the senior executive team while providing strategic human resource leadership, and oversight for people & culture across all Pearle properties.  Her goal is to ensure that every team member’s employment experience mirrors the elevated experience of guests by enriching each moment with genuine and thoughtful actions.

Prior to Pearle, Laura spent more than 18 years with the Campbell Soup Company in several progressive & diverse HR leadership roles including most recently as the Vice President, Human Resources Corporate Functions based in Camden, NJ and prior to that lead the HR Function in Canada for 8 years as the Vice President, Human Resources, Campbell Canada.  Laura possesses a broad scope of human resources expertise including leadership coaching, talent management & acquisition, employee relations, change management, wellness, and inclusion & diversity.

Prior to joining Campbell Canada, Laura held a variety of leadership roles within Human Resources, Sales & Customer Service with Delano Technology and DHL International and has an HBBA from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Away from Pearle, Laura is a passionate volunteer with many community organizations. She has served on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara for the past 4 years and has been involved with the Canadian Cancer Society for more than 20 years, including as the current Co-Chair of the Human Resources & Compensation Committee for the National Board of Directors.  Laura lives with her family in the beautiful town of Jordan, Ontario.