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Josh Cooper to lead Baycrest Foundation as new President and CEO

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Josh-Cooper-headshot-Jan-2017-624x874.jpgThe Baycrest Foundation, the fundraising arm of Baycrest Health Sciences, today announced the appointment of Josh Cooper as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. He will begin in his new role at the Baycrest Foundation on February 7, 2017.

Cooper, who has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish National Fund of Canada (JNF) since 2012, joins Baycrest as it prepares to mark its centennial in 2018.

“We are delighted to welcome Josh, a thoughtful and passionate leader who brings extensive local, national and international experience in the fundraising sector and strong connections to the Jewish community and its values,” said Laurence Goldstein, Chair of the Baycrest Foundation Board of Directors. “His track record in developing successful strategies and innovative approaches to fundraising make him the right choice as we embark on the next century of Baycrest.”

Cooper’s appointment comes after an extensive search to find a successor to outgoing President and Chief Executive Officer, Garry Foster, who has served in the role since 2013. Foster assumed the leadership role at the Foundation after stepping down as Chair of the Baycrest Health Sciences Board of Directors to fill the vacant position. In November 2015, Foster recommended that the Baycrest Foundation Board commence a succession process and committed to remain in the role until the right candidate was chosen.

“Together, Baycrest Health Sciences and the Baycrest Foundation work to ensure the continued success of one of the greatest healthcare organizations in the world,” said Foster. “For nearly a century, Baycrest has been known for its specialized care for older adults and for adding life to years, as well as research, education and innovation in brain health and aging. As we embark on the next 100 years, ensuring our mandate is embraced by both long-standing supporters and the next generation will be critical. With Josh Cooper, I am confident we have found the right person to lead this charge.”

In his role as Chief Executive Officer for the JNF, Cooper significantly grew national fundraising, increased attendance at fundraising events and expanded the organization’s brand. As the JNF’s Executive Director for Toronto from 2009 to 2012, he tripled local fundraising results and developed the organization’s young leadership division (under 45), creating an active and engaged leadership pipeline.

“The support of the Baycrest Foundation is fundamental to our world-renowned care, scientific breakthroughs, leading innovations and network of educational opportunities,” says Dr. William Reichman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Baycrest Health Sciences. “We look forward to welcoming Josh to Baycrest and working together for the benefit of our community both near and far.”

Cooper is recognized as the Founding Executive Director of the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC), a grassroots political advocacy organization established to engage the Jewish community in multi partisan political activities and Israel issues. There, he developed a self-funded community organization and within four years, attracted 4,500 paid members, and worked closely with all levels of government and community organizations across Canada.

“I’m excited to begin leading the Baycrest Foundation and to become part of this organization,” said Cooper. “Baycrest has a stellar reputation in large part because of their exceptional lay leaders, strong professional team and dedicated donors. I look forward to working with the community to grow and expand our success in gaining support for the critical work being done at Baycrest to transform the journey of aging.”

Cooper’s 23 years of senior and executive management experience are coupled with a diverse entrepreneurial background in private business, the charitable sector, public policy and electoral politics.

He started Par Golf Camps in 1993, the first junior golf summer camp in Canada, which eventually expanded into adult golf camps, and residential facility/resort management in Muskoka, Ontario.

A longtime volunteer with community organizations, Cooper is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the B’nai Brith/Betar Tagar-Ze’ev Jabotinsky National Award for Campus Activism.

About the Baycrest Foundation
The Baycrest Foundation’s mission is to enrich the quality of life of our community by supporting programs and services that promote excellence in care, research, education and innovation in the field of aging. As the fundraising arm of Baycrest Health Sciences, the Foundation helps provide crucial funding for breakthrough research into cognition, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, stroke, and aging brain health; medical programs and services for seniors living in our community; and education that supports healthy aging and healthcare solutions for a growing senior population.

About Baycrest Health Sciences
Baycrest Health Sciences is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals and one of the world’s top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute. Baycrest is home to the federally and provincially-funded Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector, and is the developer of Cogniciti – a free online memory assessment for Canadians 40+ who are concerned about their memory.  Founded in 1918 as the Jewish Home for Aged, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: www.baycrest.org

For more information:
Jonathan MacIndoe
Baycrest Health Sciences
416.785.2500 x 6579
jmacindoe@baycrest.org

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