Meet the Pickleball Canada 2025-26 Board of Directors

I’m recently retired after a long and fulfilling career as a lawyer, judge, and longtime education advocate—but I’m not very good at sitting still. Over the years, I’ve served as a school trustee, chaired multiple boards, and spent more time in meetings than I care to admit.

Now, I’ve traded the courtroom and boardroom for the pickleball court. I’m a certified Level 1 pickleball instructor and an active member and volunteer with the Tecumseh Pickleball Association and the Windsor Pickleball Club. I enjoy helping others improve their game—and I try not to take it personally when they start beating me.

I’ve also coached youth basketball and soccer, and I still get excited about teamwork, development, and a well-executed game plan (whether on the court or in life). Outside of sports, I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with family—and occasionally pretending I’ve finally mastered the art of retirement.

When I was appointed as a judge, I was required to relocate with my family to Windsor, Ontario. One of the conditions of the judicial role is stepping back from community involvement, which was a big adjustment for someone who had always been deeply connected to public life.

Not long after the move, my wife joined a local club and encouraged me to try this sport called pickleball. I gave it a shot—and I was hooked. It turned out to be the perfect way to reconnect: fun, social, and just competitive enough to keep things interesting. Pickleball became a stepping stone for me to reintegrate into the community in a meaningful, enjoyable way.

In the first year of my two-year term as a director, we made some big strides—most notably, Pickleball Canada was officially recognized as eligible for funding by Sport Canada. That was a major milestone, and I’m proud to have been part of it.

Looking ahead, I’m excited about the next phase. Pickleball Canada has been growing at an incredible pace, and now our governance and structure need to keep up with that momentum. I look forward to helping guide that process and ensuring we’re building an organization that’s strong, inclusive, and ready for the future.

When an organization as young as Pickleball Canada starts stepping onto the national and international stage, there’s a lot of important groundwork to lay. One of my key goals is to help build confidence—both within the organization and across all levels of the pickleball community.

That means creating a solid, aligned framework where individual members, clubs, Provincial and Territorial Organizations, and Pickleball Canada itself are all moving forward together, with a shared vision and clear direction. As we continue to grow, that unity and confidence will be essential to our long-term success and credibility—both at home and on the world stage.

My goal is to foster achievement in every sector of our operation—whether it’s governance, grassroots participation, high performance, or partnerships. With unity, transparency, and purpose, I believe we can position Pickleball Canada as a leader nationally and globally.

I am a retired bilingual lawyer and judge with over 40 years of experience in legal practice, judicial administration, and public service. In 2013, I was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice and served as the Local Administrative Justice in Windsor. I retired in 2024.

I have over 35 years of experience serving as chair and member of boards across the public, private, for-profit, and non-profit sectors. I was a Chair of both an English-language and French-language public school board in Ontario.

I am a certified Level 1 Pickleball Instructor and an active member and volunteer with both the Tecumseh Pickleball Association and the Windsor Pickleball Club.

I bring a strong background in governance, dispute resolution, advocacy, and organizational leadership. I currently serve as President of Pickleball Canada, where I am committed to promoting inclusive growth, transparency, and sound governance in the sport across the country.

I am from Minto, NB. I graduated from Minto Memorial High in 1975. After graduation I moved to Fredericton to attend University of New Brunswick (UNB). I graduated from UNB as an electrical engineer in 1979 and starting working for NB Power immediately after graduating. I am married to Donna Briggs and we have 4 adult children and 5 grandchildren. Family and friends are the most important aspect of my life. Sports including golf, badminton, table tennis and softball have always been a big part of my life but now pickleball is the only sport I play. I also play chess and I like computers.

I attended a 2-hour introduction to pickleball in March 2016 in The Villages, Florida. Like millions of others, I was soon addicted to this great sport with a funny name.

By nature, I am also interested in tournaments. I have been the Tournament Director for the NB Provincials and the Atlantic Regionals. But I am keenly aware that 85% of the pickleball players don’t want to play in tournaments, they just want to play pickleball for fun and all of the other benefits of this great sport. So a significant portion of my 7 years as President of the Fredericton Pickleball Club and 3 years as President of the Pickleball NB was to make pickleball accessible to everybody. I firmly believe pickleball has the ability to change the world.

To make Pickleball Canada’s role better known to players and non-players throughout Canada so they understand and appreciate the benefits of being a member of PCO. Continue to maintain and improve PCO’s relationship with the provinces and territories (PTSOs). All the PCO/PTSO MOUs need to be updated which in turn may necessitate PTSO/Clubs to update their Affiliated Agreements. Completely update the PCO Bylaws and all the PCO Policies. Also, support the Global Pickleball Federation to enable pickleball to become an Olympic sport.

Retired Electrical Engineer. I worked 36 years for NB Power predominately in the NB power system. I am a technical expert but I managed people for the last half of my career and I was on the NB Power Executive for the last two years. After I retired from NB Power, I formed my own consulting company, AC Briggs Bulk Power Consulting Inc., two weeks later. I was president of my company for 7 years before I dissolved it so I could dedicate more time to play pickleball.

• Modernizing our Governance practices.

• Modernizing our Governance practices.
• Exploring national team concept.

Powering Performance. Inspiring Excellence. is the driving purpose of Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, which offers world-class Olympic and Paralympic training environments at campuses in Greater Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler. It is also a metaphor for the empowering leadership and impressive track record of its Chief Executive Officer Wendy Pattenden of Vancouver. Serving as CEO since 1999, Pattenden has brought to life a strategic direction designed to mobilize the sport science, sport medicine, coaching & life services experts delivering leading-edge programs to athletes and coaches to ensure they have every advantage to win medals for Canada. Under her collaborative leadership style, Canadian Sport Institute Pacific has forged dynamic relationships with federal, provincial and local governments and other key stakeholders such as partnering with over 20 National Sport Organizations, employing more than 90+ specialized experts all in support of a dynamic training environment in BC.

Pattenden has a reputation for inspiring financial investment in performance programming, including her most recent milestone at CSI Pacific, an innovative partnership with lululemon. Entitled FURTHER, it aims to demonstrate how far women can go when supported with resources and products designed specifically for women (multi-day ultramarathon). She also understands facility development and innovation, recently securing a $10M pledge from a private donor to build a new home for CSI Pacific in Victoria, B.C., working in collaboration with the provincial government of British Columbia and the federal government of Canada.

Nationally-recognized for the best practices she brings to the business of sport, Pattenden also developed the organizational mantra Collaborate. Serve. Innovate. Perform. now the calling card for results at Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. Its eam of sport scientists, coaches and support staff helped contribute to over 50% of Canada’s summer Olympic medals and 48% Paralympic medals at Tokyo 2020, and 58 % of Canada’s winter Olympic medals and 60% Paralympic medals at Beijing 2022.

An MBA (Royal Roads University 2004) and adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia (School of Kinesiology in the Faculty of Education), Pattenden is one of the country’s leading advocates for the “business of sport” and is resolute in her commitment to building a sustainable funding model for Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. That passion has helped the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific grow to an annual budget of $8.6+ million in fiscal 2023, further supported by the strength of strategic community partnerships that have generated an additional $3.5 million in Value In Kind support from business and community leaders.

Pattenden’s legacy of executive leadership and community philanthropy includes her role as one of the main architects of the PacificSport regional network in 1999, serving as a guiding force behind the Canadian Sport For Life (CS4L) frame-work — a Federal-Provincial/Territorial framework promoting competency in fundamental motor skills. Pattenden serves on several community boards; Canadian Olympic Committee (Olympic Supporter), Vice Chair, BC Sports Hall of Fame and Director (formerly Chair) for Canadian Sport For Life Society.

A former top 100-ranked professional tennis player and 12-time national tennis champion, Pattenden served 13 years as both the Director of Athlete Development and Head National Team and Olympic Coach for Tennis Canada. She led Canada to its best-ever result in the Federation Cup (renamed Billie Jean King Cup), women’s world team tennis championship finishing among the top four nations in the world in 1988. Pattenden was named Female Athlete of the Year (City of Greater Victoria) in 1978 and was inducted to the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

After a 37 year career in corporate finance including 14 years living and working in Asia-pacific, I am happily retired in Collingwood Ontario playing pickleball, cycling, and spending time with family and friends.

After playing tennis for over 30 years I stumbled into pickleball courts in collingwood and after playing a few times was immediately hooked and now play almost daily in my hometown and Naples Florida.

Contributing to the growth of the sport across Canada and expand Participation among all age groups. Also provide more playing facilities in all parts of the country including smaller towns to keep up with the surge in demand in the sport’s popularity.

Lead the finance committee to effectively and efficiently deploy our members funds in the best possible manner to improve the playing experience and grow the sport to new heights. Also obtain government funding to take our sport to the next level.

Outside of her professional life, Joanne is deeply committed to service through her long-standing involvement in the recovery community, where she supports others on their paths to healing, growth, and self-discovery. She finds joy and balance through gardening—nurturing life from the soil up—and has a passion for travel, both to explore new cultures and to reconnect with nature. Whether at work or in the community, Joanne is driven by a desire to create spaces where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Joanne was introduced to pickleball in 2021 by a group of friends and was immediately drawn to the fun, fast-paced nature of the game and the sense of connection it fostered. In 2022, she joined her local pickleball club in Ottawa, where she became a regular player and active volunteer. As her passion for the sport grew, she began participating in tournaments across Ontario, enjoying both the competitive challenge and the welcoming community.

Joanne is most looking forward to the opportunity to help shape the future of a sport that has brought her so much joy, connection, and purpose. She is excited to contribute to the continued growth of pickleball across Canada—particularly by expanding access to underrepresented communities, including youth, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. She believes in the power of sport to build community, promote wellness, and foster inclusion, and sees this role as a meaningful way to turn that belief into national impact.

Joanne is also deeply inspired by the momentum behind the sport and the vision of building a Canadian Olympic pickleball national team. Being part of the team that lays the foundation for that legacy—through governance, partnerships, and athlete development—would be both an honour and a thrill. She is ready to contribute with passion, strategy, and a deep commitment to the values of inclusion and excellence.

Joanne Kealey is a senior executive with over 31 years of public service experience in the Government of Canada, known for her integrity, strategic thinking, and commitment to ethical leadership. She has held senior leadership roles in the Department of National Defence and Global Affairs Canada.

Joanne brings a unique blend of policy and organizational leadership expertise, with a proven track record in:

– Executive governance and departmental oversight

– Strategic planning and transformation

– Conflict of interest, compliance, and risk management

– Equity, diversity, inclusion, and culture change

– Strategic communications and stakeholder engagement

– Human resources, financial, and operational planning

She holds a Master of Arts in Leadership, and has led major government initiatives related to public service renewal, ethics, and accountability.

I am a life-long athlete, having played many sports including basketball in university and racing gran fondo cycling events. I have been playing pickleball for four years and really enjoy travelling to tournaments all over Canada and the US. When I’m not playing pickleball, which isn’t often, I enjoy yoga, hiking and camping.

During the pandemic, we all had to be creative to stay active in ways that allowed us to keep our distance. Pickleball was just picking up and my partner bought paddles for us to try it out. We were instantly hooked! We dedicated hundreds of hours to the sport and worked out way up the rating scale. We have since participated in over 50 tournaments in both Canada and the US, and enjoy travelling to new places to play.

With the immense growth of the sport in such a short period of time, I feel like it is a good time to be involved at the national level to keep building an organization that champions continued growth and accessibility of the sport across the country. I feel I can contribute to the development of a sustainable system that addresses the needs of this sport moving forward. Pathways for athletes, increase in facilities, connection and collaboration with all PTSOs are all priorities for me during my tenure.

I am excited to be involved with a team dedicated to furthering the development and professionalization of pickleball in Canada. I want to contribute to this via collaboration, developing sustainable systems to support the growth of the sport in coaching and development, especially as we are on the cusp of having pickleball be part of the Olympics. Having a solid national system for development will ensure athletes have a path for life in pickleball, from recreational to pro.

I have just retired after completing almost 30 years in law enforcement. Retirement gives me the opportunity to pursue my passion for pickleball as a tournament player, newly certified level 1 coach and now a board member with Pickleball Canada. I have extensive Board and committee experience from my time as an executive member in policing, with experience in governance, budgets, human resource management, strategic planning and risk management. I am keen to establish the right systems to support the growth of pickleball for many years to come.

I have a professional background in finance and consulting, but have been a life long athlete focusing mainly on track and field in the middle and long distances. I grew up in New Zealand, but moved to Vancouver in 2015 and now live in Richmond, BC with my wife and kids. I am a long suffering supporter of Newcastle United Football Club.

I first got into Pickleball after deciding to buy a 4 pack of paddles off Amazon to play with my Mum who was visiting in 2023. We had a good summer mixing in with Richmond Pickleball Club at my local Hugh Boyd Courts. She left, but i continued to play and 2 years later – I have now competed at numerous local and US tournaments.

I am most excited to bring fresh perspective to the Board of Directors to try and grow the sport in Canada.

My goals for Pickleball Canada during my term is to help guide Pickleball Canada’s growth in a positive direction, and to develop a high performance program to help Pickleball Canada compete on the international stage in future events.

Mark Borgares is a seasoned board leader, business advisor, and lifelong community volunteer who believes strong organizations are built through good people, good governance, and a clear sense of purpose. With a background as a FCPA, Mark has spent his career helping businesses and non-profits grow, navigate change, and stay grounded in integrity. He’s passionate about seeing organizations succeed. Outside of work, you’ll find Mark on the pickleball court, where his competitive spirit and love of the game have taken him across Canada, the U.S., and Europe.

I got into pickleball in 2021 after years of playing other racquet sports. I was curious about the buzz — and once I tried it, I was hooked. The mix of strategy, athleticism, and social connection made it an instant fit. What started as a casual interest quickly turned competitive: I now play in tournaments across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, and I volunteer as a referee and clinic supporter whenever I can. For me, pickleball is more than a sport — it’s a community and a great way to stay active, engaged, and always learning.

What I’m most looking forward to on the Pickleball Canada board is helping guide the sport through its next phase of growth — with a strong focus on inclusion, transparency, and national alignment.

I see the incredible potential we have to elevate pickleball across Canada (and the world). I’m excited to contribute my governance experience to ensure our organization is structured for long-term success — not just as a sport, but as a movement that brings people of all ages and backgrounds together. From grassroots to high performance, I’m looking forward to supporting the people, provinces, and programs that make pickleball so special.

Over the next year, my goal is to help Pickleball Canada strengthen its national alignment, ensuring that players, provinces, and clubs feel connected, heard, and supported. I want to advance the organization’s governance so we are well-positioned to manage growth, attract resources, build credibility, and ultimately, prepare pickleball to be an Olympic sport — while supporting the players, volunteers, officials, and leaders that make pickleball great!

I love getting involved and helping out in everything I choose to do. Obviously I love pickleball! I also love travelling all over the world and relaxing at our cottage in Kenora. I am a Senior Wealth Advisor for Wellington-Altus Private Wealth. I help clients manage their wealth by advising them on their investments, tax and estate planning.

We own a home in Rancho Mirage and our friends invited us to play. As an ex-tennis player with some injuries, I was hesitant. From that moment on, I have been possessed by this sport. It has only been a little over 2 years and we are building a court at our cottage so that we can practice and get better!

I am hoping to help build Pickleball Canada for the next generations. Where can you play with kids up to 80+ year olds? It is truly a sport for life. I want all the tennis players who have shunned the sport to come play and realize how much fun it is. I want to help build more awareness which hopefully relates to more places to play.

I would like to see more dedicated facilities throughout Canada so people can play year round. I would like to have Pickleball be a #1 sport and recognized at all levels internationally.

I am partner at Deloitte, specialising in M&A, and growth agendas. Mostly serve technology, media and services companies. Loves sports, having played at national level in baseball, though also love playing pickleball (with my wife, and friends) hockey and golf. Love to finally be getting along with my two young adult kids. I have been on quite a few NPO boards. I am lucky to have lived abroad and have travelled to many countries.

A senior executive at BDC got my wife and I to play 4 years and we now play 2 to 3 times a week, even doing friendly tournaments.

Help bring the organization grow to the next level, not being afraid to look for bold ambitions, while building a brand.

Help bring the organization grow to the next level, not being afraid to look for bold ambitions, while building a recognized brand.

I am an avid pickleball enthusiast, just ask my son, as he created an emoji of me with a paddle and uncanny resemblance! When I’m not on the pickleball courts, you’ll often find me experimenting in the kitchen, golfing, hiking, or volunteering within my community at Wellspring’s Cancer Support Foundation or Kids Help Phone. Over the last ten years, my commitment to these organizations has grown through various roles, including cancer support and emotional support coaching, as well as leading nationwide System Performance Reviews to assess and improve the effectiveness of Wellspring affiliates. These opportunities have allowed me to combine my desire to help others with my skills in evaluation and leadership. Before dedicating myself to volunteer work, I earned an MBA and enjoyed a rewarding 20 year career in financial services, where I specialized in governance, strategy execution, risk management, and policy development. Whether navigating the corporate world or supporting charitable causes, I consistently strive to create meaningful connections and encourage a spirit of teamwork and camaraderie. Pickleball has become more than just a hobby, it’s my favorite way to foster community, build lasting relationships, and maintain both my mental and physical health. For me, it’s the perfect blend of fun, belonging, and wellness.

I was introduced to pickleball through friends and immediately saw the appeal of becoming involved in a sport which is easy and fun to play, low-impact and accessible to a wide range of people. I am an active member at a variety of local clubs in the Toronto region (Leaside Pickleball Club, Glendon Athletic Club, Sister Sports, Fairgrounds Racquet Club etc.) and have also enjoyed the ability to play the sport in locations around the world at a recreational level. It was easy for me to develop a “healthy addiction” to pickleball as I’m constantly surrounded by encouraging and enthusiastic players who enjoy the sport year-round both indoors and outdoors.

This is truly an exciting time to join a board that is fundamentally helping to shape the future of the fastest growing sport in our country. I am very eager to contribute to the collective efforts of the board and continue supporting the growth of pickleball across Canada. I hope to make it more well-known and accessible so that those keen on learning to play, regardless of age and ability, can gain immense mental, social and physical benefits and join the thousands of other like-minded players across our country.

My goals for the board are to foster growth, diversity, inclusivity, and strong governance for Pickleball Canada, leveraging my expertise in strategy execution, policy development, and team leadership to help shape a vibrant future for the organization and its growing member base. Over the last few years, I’ve seen pickleball being played at younger ages, bringing together families across 3 generations, and feel strongly that the sport can be integrated into school curriculums, youth leagues in addition to serving seniors. Further, I would like to help empower passionate leaders and engage partners and sponsors to advance the sport nationally and keep those good endorphins flowing!

Caroline Butchey brings extensive governance and financial management experience to the board. With a proven track record as Vice President, Project Governance & Policy Standards Scotiabank, Caroline has led risk management, policy development and global governance initiatives. Caroline’s leadership is further demonstrated through her volunteer roles with Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation and Kids Help Phone. She is also a graduate of Altruvest Boardmatch, further strengthening her board readiness.