AO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Bill Stephens, Chair  (Board Member since 2001) Club: Phoenix Track Club (Vice President) Coaching Experience: Bill has coached for 39 years at the high school level and for 35 years at the club level. Has coached numberous athletes who have been National Champions and and whom have been on the Canadian Pan Am Games Team and World Junior Team. While at W.A. Porter and Birchmount C.I. Bill has coached a large number of individuals and teams that have won OFSAA cross country and track titles. Bill was previously on the Board as the Director of Athlete/Coach Development (2004-2007) and is on the Quest for Gold committee. Coached the athletes that broke the Canadian Senior Men 4x800m relay record in 2007.

Val Sarjeant, Vice Chair (Board member since 2001) Club: Stoney Creek Athletics No information or picture available at this time.

Leslie Estwick, Director of General Operations (Board Member since 2009)  Club: Ottawa Lions TFC Leslie is NCCP Certified in Level 3 Jumps and Hurdles and was a coach for Team Ontario at the 2009 Canada Summer Games in PEI. She is currently coaching Jumps, Junior Development and Multi Events for the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club. Leslie was part of the Canadian Mission Staff for the 1998 Nagano Olympics and the 1998 Commonwealth Games. She graduated with a Master of Business Administration (M.I.S. International Business) from McGill University and has worked in the high tech industry since 1983 and has been a Self-employed Consultant for over 15 years. As an athlete, Leslie was a member of the Canadian Track & Field Team, 1981 to 1999 including: World Championships in 1991, Commonwealth Games in 1990 and 1994, tha Pan Am Games in 1991 and Jeux de la Francophonie in 1989 and 1997. Leslie was also a member of Team Ontario for the 1981 Canada Games.

Harry Stantsos, Director of Athlete/Coach Development (Board Member since 2007)  Club: St. Thomas Legion TFC Harry is a level 3 NCCP certified coach who has been passionately involved in coaching for over 20 years. In the London and St. Thomas area, he serves as the Head Coach for St. Thomas Legion TFC and the hurdles coach for the University of Western Ontario. Over the years he has also served as a Provincial coach working with numerous Provincial teams including the Ontario Summer Games, the Espoir teams, and the 2001 & 2005 Canada Summer Games Champion teams. From 1997-99 he also served a term on the Ontario Coaches Council.

Stuart Smith, Director of Marketing & Membership (Board Member since 2007)   Club: York University Track & Field Club   Stuart has coached development and junior aged middle distance and distance runners for the last eleven years, the last three with YUTC after his former club merged with YUTC in 2004. Over the last five years Stuart has coached numerous MTA Champions and medalists, a North American Hershey Record holder, numerous OTFA champions and medalists, a number of relay and individual OTFA and national age group record holders, a number of OFSAA Champions and medalists, including one athlete who swept all three distance events in one year, a record, a number of Royal Canadian Legion Provincial and National Medalists, three Athletics Canada National Junior Champions and medalists, and a World Youth Team Championship top 10 finish. This is Stuart’s first year as a member of the OTFA Board. As a PhD Graduate from the University of Toronto, Stuart has spent the last 21 years employed as a Sr. R&D Chemist, in various capacities, with a large multi-national chemical company in the Greater Toronto Area.

Suzanne Leroux, Director of Technical Development (Board Member since 2007)  Club: Breakaway Athletic Club No information or picture available at this time.

Dave Watt, Treasurer (1985 to present) Personal Athletic History: David won his first Canadian Senior Triple Jump Championship, still as a Junior, in 1971.  In 1975 he broke the Canadian Senior Outdoor record in the Triple Jump and competed on the Canadian teams for the Pan American Championships and World Student Games. He won his last and fourth National Senior title in 1977.  Administrative Experience: After retirement from the sport as an athlete Dave continued his involvement as volunteer. Dave is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and in 1985 he accepted the role of Treasurer on the Ontario Track & Field Board of Directors and he has remained in that position since. No picture available at this time.