Our Board

Sandra Ausma, Ph.D., P.Eng. – President

In addition to serving on the Foundation board and chairing the Foundation’s fundraising committee, Sandra is also a director of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers.  Sandra has also served two terms as an elected councillor with Professional Engineers Ontario.  

Sandra is an avid gardener and each spring holds a perennial plant sale.  To date, she has raised over $3,300 through her plant sales, all of which she has donated to the Foundation!

Sandra has over 30 years of experience working in a variety of sectors including academic research, consulting engineering, policy development and government.  Retiring in 2018 from the Ontario public sector after 15 years of service with both the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Sandra remains active and engaged through volunteering for her profession and running several small on-line businesses from her home in Parry Sound.

Melissa Pryszlak, MBA, P.Eng., PMP – Vice President

Melissa is a licensed professional engineer (industrial) and a seasoned supply chain leader with over 20 years of experience. Prior to moving into supply chain management, Melissa spent 10 years in manufacturing giving her a robust background in both sectors. She has spearheaded supply chain transformations, focusing on modernization and automation within the grocery retail industry and currently serves as the Vice President of DC Operations for Pet Valu.

Melissa joined the foundation board in 2024. She resides in Oakville with her husband, Nick Pryszlak, their three sons, and two dogs.

Nicholas Burgwin, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. – Treasurer

Prior to joining ISOPLUS Group in 2024, Nicholas was the Manager of Innovation and Commercialization at Toronto Metropolitan University.  Nicholas also co-founded the start-up company Fibos Inc. based on his research on fiber-optic sensors with Dr. Xijia Gu.  Fibos’ focus was cybersecurity services for small businesses.

Nicholas became a licensed professional engineer in 2015 and completed a Master of Applied Science in electrical engineering in 2016.  He has worked in industry as an electronics/hardware designer in the aerospace, consumer electronics and medical industries.

A strong supporter of the education of future engineers, Nicholas joined the Foundation board in 2022.  He also volunteers with the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), VEX, and Formula Bharat.

Martin Herman, LL.B – Secretary

Martin has been a corporate and commercial lawyer for over 25 years, with almost 20 years of experience as in house counsel within the aerospace industry.  Throughout his career he has acted as a legal and business advisor to, and been a member of, Executive Leadership Teams in both a public company and a private company context. 

Prior to founding Ravenwood Law in early 2026, Martin served as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Cargojet Inc., MDA Space Ltd., and De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited.  He also held various positions of increasing responsibility within the Legal Services teams of Bombardier Inc. over a period of approximately 12 years, culminating in a promotion to Vice President and Head of Legal Services, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, in July 2018.

Martin received his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1997, and he was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1999.

Réjeanne Aimey, MBA, P.Eng. – Past President

Réjeanne is a licensed professional engineer (mechanical) with extensive experience in the automotive, nuclear, and tax consulting industries in Ontario.  She understands the inner workings and inter-connectedness of engineered/business systems, how we (humans) interact with them, and how to best optimize them for the benefit of all. 

A tireless volunteer, she is a Past President of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, and she is also a founding director of Black Engineers of Canada.

Réjeanne holds an MBA, is an alumna of the University of Western Ontario, and is a strong advocate of STE(A)M; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; and loves opportunities to demonstrate how the diverse constitution of people and those in the engineering profession can contribute to economic prosperity and a better society for all.

Bill De Angelis, MBA, P.Eng. – Director

With a broad base of public and private sector experience, Bill has an appreciation of the challenges facing engineers in general, and of those facing new engineers that are entering the workforce today. Bill spends a lot of time with young engineers in his current role at Metrolinx, coaching and mentoring as he believes he has an obligation to give back to the vocation that has afforded him a fulfilling career.

As a volunteer, Bill has given a tremendous amount of time to the Water Environment Association of Ontario (WEAO) and Consulting Engineers of Ontario (now ACEC-Ontario).  At both organizations, he was a committee member, director and ultimately served as WEAO’s president and ACEC-Ontario’s chair.  Bill joined the Foundation board in 2023.

Ashley Gismondi, MPA – Director

Ashley works in Regulatory Compliance – Unlicensed Practice at Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO).  Ashley previously worked at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, where she gained an understanding of administrative law, investigations and the policies and procedures that govern a self-regulating profession.  Ashley holds a master’s degree in public administration from Queen’s University and received a Certificate in Project Management from the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. 

Ashley was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2019. She has assisted in the development of the Foundation’s communication strategy and was elected to the role of Secretary in 2021.  She currently lives in Toronto with her daughter and her dog.

Dr. Sasha Gollish, PhD, P.Eng. ChPC – Director

Sasha is a performance engineer, researcher, coach, and high-performance athlete who bridges engineering systems thinking with human performance. 

Trained as a civil engineer and holding a PhD from the University of Toronto, Sasha has spent her career designing and evaluating complex systems—both technical and human. Alongside her engineering work, she is a Pan American Games medallist and former Team Canada middle- and long-distance runner, applying engineering principles to elite sport performance. 

Sasha’s work focuses on Performance Engineering Systems: how principles such as optimization, feedback loops, risk management, and adaptability apply to people, teams, and organizations operating under pressure. She is the co-founder of Yellow Running Shoes, a not-for-profit dedicated to evidence-based performance tools for athletes, and regularly works with engineers, athletes, and leaders to translate high-performance concepts across domains. 

Her work sits at the intersection of engineering, sport science, and leadership—helping professionals design systems that perform when it matters most. 

Paul Kitson, MBA, P.Eng. – Director

Paul is a seasoned real estate development executive with nearly two decades of experience leading complex projects and cross-sector initiatives across Canada. With a career spanning over 3.5 million square feet of commercial, residential, and mixed-use development, Paul combines technical acumen with strategic leadership to deliver results that align with long-term organizational goals. He has served on multiple boards and committees, where he has contributed to governance, succession planning, executive oversight, and strategic financial stewardship. Paul is a thoughtful, outcome-driven collaborator who brings a forward-thinking lens to evolving market conditions, legal risk assessment, and technology strategy. 

Beyond his professional and volunteer work, Paul is passionate about urban development, community engagement, and continuous learning, and has been involved in initiatives spanning municipal process improvement to mental health advocacy.

John Leslie, MBA, P.Eng. – Director

John is the owner and lead consultant at JL Solar & Renewables, a small consulting firm specializing in technical due diligence of renewable energy projects, including PV solar, waste-energy, geothermal, and district energy.  His firm has been involved in close to 400 PV projects ranging from small roof-top commercial sites to large utility scale ground-mount projects with experience in conventional power, nuclear, oil & gas, and mining.

John was formerly a director at BTY Group, an independent global consultancy providing infrastructure advisory services for established and emerging markets. In this capacity, John advised lenders, authorities, asset owners, and buy and sell-side transaction stakeholders.

Previously, John was Director of Renewable Power Projects at Altus Group, and the Director of Risk Management for Global Power at SNC-Lavalin, as well as Risk Lead at Bruce Power on their $2.4 billion Unit 3 refurbishment.

Oliver Xiao, P.Eng. – Director

Oliver is a professional engineer with extensive experience in R&D, materials standards and specifications, infrastructure project delivery, and not-for-profit governance. As the current chair of his local PEO chapter and past chair of OSPE’s Infrastructure Task Force, he has developed strong expertise in the governance, mandates, and operations of engineering organizations. Oliver also serves as a board director of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Ontario Chapter and contributes to several industry technical committees.

Oliver currently works for CEMATRIX Canada as its territory technical sales for Eastern Canada.