Meet David Murray, Shauna Richter and Dale Zorgdrager, the newest members of the Stratford General Hospital Foundation Board of Directors!

Each brings a unique combination of professional experience, community involvement and personal connections to local healthcare. From financial leadership and governance to agriculture, technology and the patient experience, their diverse perspectives will help guide the Foundation's work in support of exceptional healthcare close to home.

Through our Committed to Care: Getting to Know Our Board series, we're pleased to share what inspired them to get involved, their connections to the HPHA - Stratford General Hospital and what they hope to contribute as Board members.

David Murray

David Murray is a retired dairy farmer with deep roots in the agricultural community. He holds an Associate Diploma in Agriculture from the University of Guelph and has extensive experience serving on boards at both the local and national level.

Throughout his career and community involvement, David has served on the boards of Dairy Farmers of Ontario and Dairy Farmers of Canada, as well as the Stratford Symphony Orchestra and West Perth Village Seniors’ Community. Through these varied roles, he has developed a strong interest in good governance and the important role effective boards can play in the organizations and communities they serve.

David and his wife, Annamarie, have been married for 46 years and have four children and six grandchildren.

From agriculture and advocacy to music and community service, David’s experiences have given him a broad perspective on what makes communities strong. In the Q&A below, he shares what inspired him to join the Foundation Board, why access to healthcare close to home matters to him and the area of hospital care he is particularly interested in supporting.

What inspired you to join the Stratford General Hospital Foundation Board of Directors?

I have used the services of the HPHA - Stratford General Hospital on many occasions and felt it was time to give back to the community by joining the Foundation Board.

I also have a large social circle throughout the community, and I hope those connections, along with my previous Board experience, can contribute to the Foundation’s work.

Is there a particular hospital service or area of care that resonates with you personally?

It’s important that people in our community don’t have to travel far to access the healthcare they need. Diagnostic Imaging is an area that is particularly important to me, and I would like to see us continue supporting the equipment and technology needed in that department.

In your opinion, what makes hospital fundraising different from other types of philanthropy?

Fundraising can always be challenging, but healthcare is something we will all need at some point in our lives. I think that shared experience helps people understand why supporting their local hospital is so important.

What do you love most about this community?

Perth County is an amazing place to call home. We have some of the best agricultural land in the country, an outstanding arts community and a very successful manufacturing base. And we all get along!

What do you hope the Foundation will accomplish in the next five years?

I hope the Board continues to function effectively and that we are successful in our fundraising efforts so we can support the hospital’s priority equipment and technology needs.

What’s one fun fact people might not know about you?

I’m a collaborative pianist and have worked with young students as well as seasoned professionals. I was also part of a musical duo called Cow and Sow, and we produced two CDs.

Coffee or tea?

I MUST drink coffee!

Shauna Richter

Shauna is a senior leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning technology, operations and post-secondary education. She previously served as Director, Strategy & Planning (Chief of Staff) for Manulife's Group Benefits Technology division, where she led strategy for a multinational team of more than 250 people.

Her experience also extends into education, having taught in Mohawk College's Postgraduate Project Management program and McMaster University's Master of Financial Mathematics program.

Shauna holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics from McMaster University, along with professional certifications in project management, business analysis and coaching. She has also completed training in conflict management and mediation.

An accomplished writer, Shauna is the author of two novels, The Peacemaker's Patch and Here, the Green Grass Grows.

Shauna and her family moved to Stratford in June 2024. What began as a new chapter in a new community soon became a deeply personal connection to local healthcare.

Shauna's experience as both a strategic leader and a patient has shaped her understanding of the importance of accessible, high-quality healthcare. In the Q&A below, she shares the experiences that inspired her to join the Foundation Board, her appreciation for the care available close to home and what she hopes to contribute.

What inspired you to join the Stratford General Hospital Foundation Board of Directors?

I want to give back to a place that has given me so much.

When we moved to Stratford in 2024, the hospital was simply a building across the street, a convenient place to have in case we ever needed it. A year later, that connection became deeply personal when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Receiving such exceptional care close to home gave me firsthand insight into the patient journey and the impact of compassion, skilled healthcare professionals and community support.

Joining the Board is my way of giving back to an organization that has had a powerful impact on my life and my family.

What excites you about the future of healthcare in our community?

Personalized medicine.

Testing that looked at my own biology showed that chemotherapy would not have been a helpful treatment for me, so I was able to avoid it. Later, learning how my genes affect the way my body processes medication helped guide my care and improve how I feel day to day.

It's still early, but I would love to see a future where more of this information is available to clinicians and patients locally, helping them make informed decisions close to home.

I'm also excited about opportunities for stronger partnerships between local and regional hospitals, primary care providers and community organizations to make it easier for patients to navigate the healthcare system.

What skills or experience do you bring to the Board?

I bring more than 20 years of experience across technology, leadership and education.

At Manulife, I worked in technical operations and strategy for the organization responsible for Group Benefits technology. That experience taught me how to navigate uncertainty, bring different perspectives together and help teams work toward shared goals.

Through that work and my experience as a professional coach, I've developed a thoughtful, grounded approach and an appreciation for asking meaningful, open-ended questions.

Is there a particular hospital service or area of care that resonates with you personally?

Diagnostic Imaging.

Imaging is the foundation of so many decisions that follow, and having advanced technology available close to home can make an enormous difference.

An earlier mammogram in 2024, performed in another health network, had not detected my cancer. When I was imaged here in Stratford, the more advanced technology identified it clearly, giving my care team the information they needed to act quickly.

Having that level of technology in our own community can change the course of a patient's story.

How would you describe your role as a director in supporting high-quality local healthcare?

My professional work and personal experiences have given me a strong appreciation for how systems, people and individual experiences intersect.

As a director, I see my role as bringing that perspective to the table. I want to ask good questions, help maintain a focus on decisions that make a positive difference for donors and fundraising, and support the responsible use of every donated dollar.

Do you have a personal connection to Stratford General Hospital or a story that stands out?

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, the hospital acted quickly. I received a call the day after my imaging exam to book a biopsy, which took place the following week. Less than four weeks after my first appointment with my general surgeon, I was scheduled for surgery.

I had a mastectomy and the first stage of my reconstruction during the same surgery, performed by local surgeons here in Stratford.

On the morning of my surgery, my husband and I walked to the hospital. Partly, we wanted some fresh air and time to clear our heads. But we also wanted to honour the fact that my surgery was happening so close to home.

Having that level of care in our own community during the hardest year of my life made an enormous difference for me and my family.

Joining the Board is one way I hope to help ensure that care is there for the next family who needs it.

What does "community" mean to you in the context of healthcare?

It means no one goes through it alone.

Caregivers, volunteers, donors and neighbours all play a part in someone's recovery, and the hospital sits at the centre of that circle.

What impact do you hope your service on the Board will have?

I want to contribute in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable.

I hope to help the Foundation think strategically about where giving can do the most good and help more people in our community see themselves as part of their hospital's future.

When friends or family visit Stratford, what's one thing you always make sure they experience?

I take visitors down to the water. There's just something about being by the water that warms the soul.

What's one fun fact people might not know about you?

When my boys started playing hockey, I decided to learn the game myself, so I signed up for power skating lessons.

After we'd registered, my youngest son's coach signed up the whole team for the same class! I ended up in the middle of the ice with the entire team while all the parents watched from the stands.

A humbling experience!

What do you enjoy doing outside of your Board work?

Right now, recovery is my main focus. I'm rebuilding my strength through time on my spin bike and strength training, with the goal of being able to walk and eventually run again. I'd also love to get back to playing pick-up hockey one day.

Beyond that, I enjoy creative, hands-on projects, growing vegetables and herbs, preserving what I grow and dreaming up quilting designs.

I'm also a writer. I've published two fiction books and am working on a third in the series. I'm currently focused on completing a non-fiction book I've been writing throughout my cancer treatment, tentatively titled Not Done Yet: Finding Your Way When Life Keeps Interrupting.

If you could describe your hope for the Foundation in one sentence, what would it be?

That every family in our community can count on excellent care close to home because the community made it possible.

Dale Zorgdrager

Born and raised in Stratford, Dale Zorgdrager has built both his family life and career with strong ties to the community. After graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University with an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration, Dale earned his Chartered Accountant designation in 1998 and is now a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).

Dale spent nearly 30 years in public accounting, serving clients and working with owners and boards across a wide range of industries and sectors. Over the past two years, he has held senior financial management roles in the for-profit sector and recently began a finance role in Stratford.

Although his career took him outside the city for work for many years, Dale and his wife, Libby, made the conscious decision after university to build their life in the community where they were both raised. They are parents to 21-year-old twins.

Dale also brings previous board, finance and audit committee experience with government-funded and community non-profit organizations to his role with the Stratford General Hospital Foundation.

With a career grounded in financial leadership and governance, Dale brings a thoughtful and analytical perspective to the Board. But his connection to the Foundation is also personal, shaped by a lifetime in Stratford and his family's many experiences with local healthcare.

What inspired you to join the Stratford General Hospital Foundation Board of Directors?

I’ve enjoyed serving on boards and committees in the past, and after taking a break from that work for the last several years, I felt it was time to get involved again.

I’ve also seen firsthand how financially stretched the healthcare sector can be. I wanted to offer what I could through my financial knowledge and previous board experience and, hopefully, add value to the Foundation and our community.

What excites you about the future of healthcare in our community?

I would like to see information and care flow more smoothly across the different parts of our healthcare system, from family physicians and specialists to hospitals and other healthcare providers, including when patients need care outside our community.

Healthcare is incredibly complex, but I’m encouraged by the opportunities to continue improving how different parts of the system work together for patients.

What are you most looking forward to contributing to as a director?

Throughout my career, I’ve seen how important it is for board members to have a strong understanding of financial reporting and the financial implications of the decisions they make.

I hope I can help my fellow Board members understand our financial statements and contribute thoughtfully to the financial decisions we make on behalf of the Foundation, our donors and the community.

Why is supporting local healthcare important to you?

Having lived in Stratford for most of my life, my family and I have experienced many different areas of care at Stratford General Hospital, including surgery, maternity, diagnostic imaging, emergency care and cancer care.

Those experiences have given me a great appreciation for the people who provide care and for the importance of having the right equipment available to support them. They have also helped me better understand the role our Foundation can play.

We can’t address every challenge facing the healthcare system, but we can help ensure our hospital has access to priority equipment and technology.

For me, that makes supporting the Foundation a meaningful way to be part of the solution.

In your opinion, what makes hospital fundraising different from other types of philanthropy?

One of the biggest factors in philanthropy is whether a cause resonates personally with someone. Most of us can draw on an experience when we or someone we care about needed the resources of a hospital.

That shared connection creates an opportunity to help people understand the realities of hospital funding and why community support for equipment and technology is so important.

What do you love most about this community?

It’s simply a great community in which to live and raise a family. In 2000, when Libby and I had both graduated from university, I was already working in Waterloo and she was looking for a teaching position. We made a conscious decision to buy our first home in Stratford, where we were both born and raised.

We have never regretted that decision. We’re grateful to have raised our children here in a community that offers so much, from sports and recreation to the advantages of being close to larger centres when we need them.

What does Stratford General Hospital mean to you and your family?

It means having high-quality healthcare available right here in our hometown. There will always be highly specialized care that requires travel to larger centres such as London, but we are fortunate to have a hospital in our community that provides such a broad range of services.

It’s something we want to protect, support and continue to strengthen wherever possible.

What do you hope the Foundation will accomplish in the next five years?

I hope we continue to understand the hospital’s highest-priority equipment needs and rally our community around supporting them.

My hope is that Stratford General Hospital can continue to be exceptionally well equipped for a community of our size, while recognizing that some specialized care will always need to be provided in larger centres.

What impact do you hope your service on the Board will have?

I hope our Foundation staff feel understood and supported by the Board and that we continue to encourage open and honest dialogue with the hospital.

Most importantly, I want our donors to have confidence that the funds they entrust to the Foundation are being managed responsibly and used to support hospital care in our community to the best of our ability.

Lightening Round

What’s one fun fact people might not know about you?

I write left-handed, but when it comes to sports, I’m a total mix of playing left-handed and right-handed.

What do you enjoy doing outside of your Board work?

I love being active. I run a couple of times a week, work out in our home gym and still play pick-up hockey, which I’ve done my whole life. I also love playing pickleball with my wife and friends, tennis with my son, and hitting the slopes with my daughter.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee.

Go-to comfort food?

Pretty much any pasta!

Books, movies or live theatre?

Books, with movies a close second. I went decades without reading fiction because my job involved so much technical reading, but about 10 years ago I rediscovered it. Now I almost always have a mystery or crime novel on the go.

Best vacation?

We have great memories of our almost annual vacations to the Fort Myers and Port Charlotte area, as well as many family vacations on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Favourite sports team?

I grew up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan and they’re still my favourite hockey team. I jumped on the Dallas Cowboys bandwagon in the early ’90s, and our whole family are huge Toronto Blue Jays fans. We watch as many games together as we can and try to get to a few in person each year.