Acting President: Hélène Nadeau
Hélène is an economist who graduated from the Université de Montréal in 1983. She retired in March 2016, after a 32-year career with the Public Service, where she held executive positions in a number of organisations (Canadian Transportation Agency, Health Canada, Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Privy Council Office) and was Visiting Executive at the Canadian Association of Public Service Executives (APEX). She was a member of the Board at the Ottawa Branch between January 2017 and June 2018, and was the Chair of the Branch Community Liaison Committee (BCLC). In 2018, Hélène joined the national board of directors as District Director (Ottawa & Nunavut). In September 2022, she was elected as the Association’s Vice President.
Director, District of British Columbia & Yukon: Scott Hodge
Beginning in 1980 as a radio technician with the Canadian Armed Forces, Scott Hodge progressed through increasingly responsible roles with the Canadian Coast Guard and the Department of National Defence before returning to the Canadian Armed Forces in 2019. In addition to his extensive military experience, Hodge also brings a passion for volunteerism, having advocated to protect and expand the rights of federal public servants for over 25 years. He was elected to the national board of directors in 2023.
Director, District of British Columbia & Yukon: Brian Strongman
Brian Strongman is a retired peace officer with over 38 years of experience at all levels of management. Throughout his career, he acquired extensive skills and experience in personnel administration, career planning, conflict resolution and crisis management while employed with the RCMP and the United Nations. Brian has served the Association as a Regional Services Officer in British Columbia. During his years as an Association volunteer, Brian has also served as Health Benefits Officer, Secretary/Treasurer and President of the Kootenay branch before being elected to the National Board in 2014 and re-elected in 2017.
Director, District of the Prairies & NWT: Vacant
Director, District of the Prairies & NWT: Connie Kehler
With over 37 years with CRA, Customs & Excise, and Health Canada, Connie Kehler brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, training, recruitment, and project management, including 11 years at the senior management level. Working primarily in Human Resources, Connie served on numerous committees and projects at the local, regional and national levels, as well as interdepartmentally. A member since 2015, she joined the Winnipeg & District Branch in November 2018 as director at large, responsible for social media and website updates. She was elected to the national board in December 2020.
Director, District of Ontario: Dennis E. “Ted” Young
A member since his retirement in 2000, D. E. “Ted” Young served in the public service for over 37 years, with careers in the departments of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Farm Credit Canada. Ted brings a wealth of leadership and management experience in finance, negotiations, contracts, customer service, communications and training with government and industry. Ted served as a director on the Kitchener-Waterloo and District Branch board before being elected to the national board of directors in 2014 until 2021 and was re-elected in 2022. Ted was also appointed as the pensioners’ representative (public service) on the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP) board in 2018.
Director, District of Ontario: Carol Grieco
During her 35-year career in a variety of departments at the Canada Revenue Agency, Carol Grieco was responsible for coordinating a wide range of programs and assignments requiring a strong ability to plan and organize workloads. She also developed and delivered training to volunteers, coordinating the Income tax preparation clinics where volunteers prepared basic tax returns for various community groups. Carol joined the Association upon retirement in 2007 and started volunteering with the Kitchener Branch in 2009. She served as director at large, recording secretary, first vice president and was elected president of the branch in April 2012. Carol joined the national board in 2021.
Director, District of Ottawa & Nunavut: Dan Napier
At the time of his retirement, Dan Napier served as a director general with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). In his work with PSPC, he honed his analytical, leadership and collaboration skills, winning several awards, including the Departmental Excellence Award for Partnership and Teamwork. In 2022, Dan joined the Ottawa Branch board and was elected to the national board of directors in 2024.
Director, District of Ottawa & Nunavut: Dan Butler
Dan Butler spent his 42-year career as a labour negotiator and a neutral arbitrator supporting the federal public service. As general secretary of the National Joint Council, he played a leadership role in bringing representatives of the Association into PSHCP negotiations as a full partner. His considerable experience in effective communication and advocacy was welcomed by the Ottawa Branch board, and Butler would go on to be elected to the national board of directors in 2023.
Director, District of Quebec: Vacant
Director, District of Quebec: Sylvie Rocheleau
After completing a master’s degree in economics, Sylvie held several policy analyst and senior management positions in federal government departments such as finance, natural resources and the Privy Council Office. A passionate volunteer, Sylvie joined the Association in 2019, taking on the role of advocacy program officer before being elected to the national board of directors in 2024.
Director, District of Atlantic: Brenda Teed
Brenda Teed’s public service career was spent in the administration of the public service pension plan within Public Works and Government Services Canada. Throughout her career, she honed her analytical, strategic and decision-making skills in various positions before retiring from a leadership role with the Senior Executive Committee of the Government of Canada Pension Centre. Teed became president of the South-East New Brunswick Branch in 2021 and was elected to the national board of directors in 2023.
Director, District of Atlantic: Roland Wells
Roland Wells spent more than 26 years of service in the RCMP serving in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. His last ten years of service were at the commissioned officer level, retiring at the executive rank of Chief Superintendent in charge of the Halifax District in 2016. He joined the Central Newfoundland Branch of the Association as a volunteer in 2020 and became the branch’s vice-president in 2021 before being elected to the national board of directors in 2022.
Chief Executive Officer: Anthony Pizzino
Before joining Federal Retirees, Anthony Pizzino was a co-founder of the Executive Directors Network, which brings together senior management staff from professional associations and unions across Canada. He has extensive leadership experience, most recently serving as the inaugural executive director of AMAPCEO, the union for Ontario’s professional employees, where he defined and delivered strategic direction for the second largest bargaining agent in the Ontario public service. He is committed to results-driven and people-focused business strategies that drive positive organizational change, streamline internal processes and improve internal and external relationships.