Shelly Philip LaForest is a practicing Registered Nurse with many years of experience in pediatrics, leadership and education.  She is currently completing her PhD in Interdisciplinary Social Research as Trent University and holds a master's degree in Nursing and a certification in Vascular Access.  Shelly founded and is the Executive Director for the Ontario Black Nurses’ Network, an organization focused on strengthening the voice of Black nurses in various healthcare forums, which has recently launched the Black Nurses Leadership Institute. She has served on the Board of Epilepsy Ontario as an executive member for several years and is a member and former co-chair of the Community Advisory Committee for Eplink. Shelly is also a member of the Data Access Committee for OBI and is committed to sharing her expertise as a healthcare professional and mother of children with epilepsy in this role.