Debra Cooper Burger is a healthcare leader with proven success in healthcare delivery, development of integrated health care programs, and operations responsive to community needs. She has extensive experience in health care operations including acute care, long-term care, and community-based programs.
Ms. Cooper Burger started her career in health care as a registered nurse and has a BSc. (Nursing) from the University of Western Ontario, a Master of Continuing Education from the University of Calgary, and is a graduate of the Advanced Healthcare Leadership Program at the Rotman School of Management. Her ongoing professional development includes interprovincial experiences and international exposure in the United Kingdom, Malta, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and the USA.
Ms. Cooper Burger has held leadership roles at the Peterborough County-City Health Unit, and Peterborough Community Access Centre, followed by 8 years as Chief Executive Officer at St. Joseph’s at Fleming. In addition, Ms. Cooper Burger served as Chief Executive Officer at the Unionville Home Society in Markham, a non-profit organization that oversees care and housing for senior citizens in York Region. Ms. Cooper Burger currently operates her own consulting service, Cooper Burger Consulting, specializing in not-for-profit operations, governance, human resources, policy, and procedure development and management, as well as project management for redevelopment construction projects.
Her volunteer work has included Chair, Board of Directors, Markham Board of Trade, Chairperson, College Compensation and Appointment Council, Chair, Board of Governors, Sir Sandford Fleming College of Applied Arts and Technology. Ms. Cooper-Burger’s second three-year term on the Trent University Board of Governors began on July 1, 2021.
After her term as Vice-Chair for the 2020-21 term, and two years serving as Chair of the Board of Governors (2021-23), Debra has been reappointed to the position of Chair for an additional one-year term commencing July 1, 2023.