Jennifer Bishop, president
Jennifer Bishop is a Toronto-based partner in the Business Law Group of Miller Thomson LLP. In her legal practice, she focuses on helping business clients navigate mergers, acquisitions and brand-protection issues, as well as general corporate and commercial work. Jennifer is a member of the Canadian, American and International Bar Associations, leads Miller Thomson’s National Hospitality Industry Group, and currently serves on the leadership team of the International Bar Association’s Women Lawyers’ Interest Group. Jennifer has been designated by Lexpert as a “Top 40 Under 40” Rising Star, and in law school received the J.W. Whiteside Award for outstanding volunteer commitment to under-served legal communities.
Prior to moving to Ontario to train, Jennifer won junior and open titles throughout Atlantic Canada, competed nationally and internationally, and received a National Achievement Award for Amateur Sport. Jennifer was granted an NCAA Division 1 tennis scholarship to the University of South Florida, during which time her team was four-time conference champions. Jennifer remains engaged as an active tennis player at the Toronto Lawn and Davisville Tennis Clubs and competes regularly in seniors tennis tournaments in Canada and abroad.
Jennifer is the immediate Past President of the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club and Chair of the Doug Philpott Inner-City Tennis Fund.
Penny Ballem, vice-president
Since her graduation from UBC with her MD in 1978, Penny Ballem, MD FRCP FCAHS, has had a diverse career in the health and government sector as a senior administrator, academic medical practitioner and teacher/researcher.
From 1985 to 1991 Dr. Ballem served as the Deputy Medical Director of the Canadian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service for BC and Yukon. For the next 10 years, she served as the Senior Vice President, responsible for operations at BC Women’s Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre. In 2001, Dr. Ballem was appointed Deputy Minister of Health for the Province of BC. She was the longest-serving Deputy Minister in the Health portfolio (2001-2006) in BC and one of the longest in Canada.
From 2008 to 2015, Dr. Ballem served as the City Manager of the City of Vancouver. During her tenure as City Manager, the City of Vancouver hosted the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Following on this experience, Dr. Ballem worked with key local partners to found Sport Hosting Vancouver Partnership which works to attract and organize national and international sport events in the city. Recent events include the Grey Cup (2011, 2014), Davis Cup ties (2012-2014), FIFA Women’s World Cup (2015), the Rugby 7’s World Cup Event (annual event starting in 2016), the 2016 World Masters Games and the Vancouver Showcase NCAA Basketball Tournament in 2017.
Dr. Ballem is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at UBC, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and a recent appointee as a Senior Fellow in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Institute for Health System Management and Evaluation at University of Toronto. She has received significant public recognition for her work in medicine and public service including the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal for Public Service, the 2012 Wallace Wilson Award at UBC for High Ethical Standards and Leadership in the Profession, the Marion Powell Award from Women’s College Hospital for leadership in Women’s Health, and the Cannell Award from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada for her contributions to leadership in reproductive health and others.
In addition to being a member of the Tennis Canada Board, she also serves on the Boards of StreetoHome Foundation and the Heart and Stroke Foundation National Board.
Josée Noiseux, vice-president
Josée Noiseux holds two Bachelor degrees, one in Civil Law from McGill University and the other in Biology from the University of Sherbrooke. She is a lawyer, having been a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright for more than 20 years where she practiced in litigation, construction law and professional liability. She is a member of the Quebec Bar and the Canadian Bar Association. She also took part in several issue tables and committees on the evolution of the practice of law and governance.
Ms. Noiseux is not only well-known for her leadership skills and business savvy, but also for her keen interest and involvement in philanthropic work. She is President and CEO of the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Montreal Contemporary Art Museum and a former director of the St-Mary’s Hospital Foundation, as well as Global Goodness and member of the McGill University Advisory Committee.
Prior to her role at the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation, she was the General Manager and Head of Advancement for the Montreal branch of the NewCities Foundation, an organization dedicated to making cities more socially, technologically, scientifically and artistically innovative.
Michael Downey, secretary-treasurer
Michael Downey returned to Tennis Canada as President and Chief Executive Officer in July 2017—a position he held for nearly a decade up to 2013. From 2014 to mid 2017, he served as Chief Executive of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) based in London, England. Mr. Downey possesses extensive executive management experience in the sport, beer and marketing industries.
