Board of Trustees

John G. Helmkay

John came to Ottawa from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in 2000 to join JDS Uniphase as a graduate of the Industrial Engineering program from Dalhousie University. While in school John worked for Mobile Oil Canada as part of the Sable Gas Project in both Calgary and Halifax.

After leaving JDS in 2001 John worked for Zenastra Photonics, a start-up photonics chip manufacturer and Smith's Aerospace, manufacturers of drug and explosives detection systems.

For the last three years John has been employed with the Medical Devices Bureau at Health Canada in Ottawa working as a Quality Systems Officer and Coordinator of Business Transformation activities within the bureau.

Prior to obtaining an engineering degree as a mature student in 2000, John was a graduate of Saint Mary's University with a Diploma of Engineering and a B.Sc. in Physics. He was also an entrepreneur opening and operating several businesses in Nova Scotia including a video rental business, an indoor golf facility, and a family restaurant.

His volunteer activities have included volunteering with Junior Achievement of Mainland Nova Scotia, the creation of a free video lending library for patients and families at the I.W.K. Children's Hospital in Halifax, and as Director of Fundraising for 'Alcare Place', a second stage recovery facility in Halifax.

Currently John is the President of the ROH Volunteer Association and has been involved for the last two years primarily working on the creation and promotion of the Association's Comedy Night, an annual fundraising event that celebrates healing through humor.