Regional Advisory Council 14 - Health

As chief executive officer of HALO Air Ambulance, Paul Carolan has decades of emergency response and community leadership experience. He has been a dedicated member of the Medicine Hat community since 1995. As a lifelong volunteer, Paul is known for his empathy, integrity and commitment to public service, while helping shape policy and improve outcomes across Alberta’s emergency and health systems. 

He currently serves on the Medicine Hat Police Commission and holds provincial appointments to the Alberta Search and Rescue Advisory Committee, the Alberta Emergency Medical Services Provincial Advisory Committee, the Southern Alberta Cardiac Sciences Cabinet, and the Alberta Health Services Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee. 

Deborah Reid is the deputy mayor of the village of Duchess and has served on council for eight years. She also serves on the Alberta Municipalities Board of Directors and is vice-president for villages and summer villages. Deborah is also on the working committee for the University of Lethbridge’s southern Alberta medical program and part of the University of Calgary’s inclusive governance working group. 

Her municipal interests include seniors and healthy aging, rural health care, infrastructure and community development. Deborah is married, homeschools her teenage son and spends most of her free time gardening.

Daphne Anstey-Martin moved from Newfoundland to Brooks over 20 years ago and has made it her home. She has worked with seniors for more than 14 years and has volunteered with an income tax program for over 12 years. Daphne loves helping others find what makes them smile.

Janice Armstrong worked in Brooks and Medicine Hat as a sonographer for many years and is now retired. She is active in the community, volunteering on several local boards and for community events. Janice is passionate about rural health and is interested in creating a safe and inviting environment for rural communities and health care providers. She has lived in the Bassano area for 45 years, ranching with her family.

Blaine Brost is a municipal councillor for Cypress County Ward 2 and has been in this position for three years. As a fourth-generation rancher, he has resided in the county his entire life. Blaine co-owns and operates Brost Land & Cattle Co. Ltd. He is active in the community, volunteering for several groups. 

Taria Gouw has been a pharmacist in her rural community for the past 32 years. She works collaboratively with the physicians at the Bow Island Medical Clinic and the health care teams at the Bow Island Health Centre, Alfred Egan Home, Pleasant View Lodge and Home Care. 

Taria has her prescribing and injection authority and diversity, equity and inclusion training. She works with her patients to ensure positive health outcomes with acute and chronic conditions, mental health, addiction and long-term care. Taria also sits on community, health and leadership boards. She graduated with honours from the University of Alberta faculty of pharmacy.

Dianne Hyland graduated from the Galt School of Nursing in 1975 with later certification in gerontology. She dedicated 32 years to the Bow Island Health Centre and eight years as a primary care nurse. While raising three sons with her husband, Dianne chaired the local health foundation. 

Currently, she is the vice-chair of the ladies’ hospital auxiliary, treasurer of the Golden Age Club and volunteers at the United Church Thrift Store. With her dog Coco, she also provides pet therapy at Burdett School's reading program.

Ahmed Kassem serves as the executive director of the Global Village Centre, advocating for change and listening to the needs of citizens in the community. He utilizes his unique perspective to understand the struggles faced by those in the area. 

A father of three, Ahmed is also a member of the elected board of trustees, advocating for the well-being of students and their families in the Brooks and Newell County area. A humble and dedicated member of the Brooks community, Ahmed has lived in the area for over 30 years.

Melissa Mullis is the executive director of the Root Cellar Food and Wellness Hub and the board chair of Food Banks Alberta. With a passion for collaboration and community building, Melissa has helped guide the Root Cellar’s evolution from a traditional food bank into a holistic hub that addresses food insecurity through wellness programming and partnerships. 

She brings a strong rural voice to provincial conversations on food access and equity. Her work focuses on empowering teams, cultivating innovative responses to hunger, and strengthening networks across Alberta to ensure no one faces food insecurity alone.

Ian Parkinson is a retired civilian employee of Canada’s Department of National Defense. He spent 24 years in Fort McMurray working in the oil sands and with many community groups. Ian moved to Medicine Hat in 2003 and worked at Canadian Forces Base Suffield in information technology support. 

Ian remains involved in many community groups and enjoys being a volunteer host on Rogers TV Community Channel, where he interviews local service groups, non-profits and City of Medicine Hat project leaders.

John Petrie is the mayor of Brooks and was also a councillor and school trustee for two terms. He has an extensive media background, working as a manager and sales manager for the two local radio stations for 25 years. 

John has also been highly involved in the community, sitting on several different committees. He is a longtime member of the Brooks Rotary Club. For 45 years, he has lived in the community and is married with two adult children.

Celina Symmonds is the executive director of Medicine Hat Family Service. She is dedicated to expanding the organization's capacity to support those with mental health concerns by removing financial and wait-time barriers. With extensive experience in change management across the non-profit and municipal sectors, Celina has a proven track record of driving impactful initiatives. 

A career highlight was serving as Medicine Hat's first Housing First team lead and playing a key role in the city becoming the first in Canada to reach functional zero homelessness. During her tenure as a city councillor, Celina was one of the few women and the only representative from the social services sector helping to diversify perspectives on the council. Additionally, she led the transformation of the Medicine Hat and District Food Bank, establishing a $2-million Food and Wellness Centre focused on dignity, skill-building, and community.

Gloria Tainsh is a family physician practising longitudinal family medicine. Since moving to Medicine Hat in 2017, she has been an active member of the local health care community and currently serves on the Palliser Primary Care Network board. 

Gloria qualified as a family doctor in Scotland and earned her medical degree in Nigeria where she grew up. She is passionate about building long-term patient relationships, training medical students and residents, and contributing to the ongoing improvement of primary health care in the region.